Presents the rules in Subject & Verb Agreement. Unknown Source.

1. Subject Verb Agreement

2. The subject and verb must
agree in number.
Dennis drives carefully along the
highway.
Many men today drive their own cars.

3. Compound subjects take plural
verb
Joseph and Gerald are best friends in
school.
The doctors and nurses are
distributing free medicines.

4. A compound subject referring
to a single person takes a
singular verb.
My confidant and adviser is my
mother.
The secretary and treasurer of our
class is a trustworthy classmates.

5. Compound subjects modified by
each and every are singular
Every father and mother carries out
the assigned role.
Each male and female student wears
I.D. inside the school.

6. The verb agrees with its
subject, not with the predicate
nominative
Books and magazines are the only
material for his report.
Plain shirt and denim pants are his
attire for the party.

7. When compound subjects are joined
by or, nor, either-or, neither-nor,
the verb agrees with the subject
nearer it.
Neither the singers nor the composer is
benefited by the concert.
Either Jim or his friends are
volunteering to clean the mess.

8. When regarded as a unit, a
collective noun is singular.
The committee stands firm to impose its
decision.
The jury holds its verdict in abeyance.

9. When regarded as individuals,
a collective noun is plural.
The audience are clapping their hands
after each other.
The crowd are agitating over a dispute
among themselves.

10. When preceded by the article
a, the subject number is
plural.
A number of poor children are afflicted
by the epidemic.
A number of people have passed through
the acid tests of life.

11. When preceded by the article
the, the subject number is
singular.
The number of absentees from the
English class is reduced.
The number of enrollees generally
decreases during the second semester.

12. The verb agrees with the
affirmative, not with the
negative subject.
The father, nor the mother, decides on
the welfare of the family.
You, not I, are accountable for the loss
of the book.

13. Singular indefinite pronouns like
someone, anyone, each, neither,
either, take singular verbs.
Someone is by your side to support you at
the confrontation.
Anyone is welcome to give his
suggestions.

14. The plural indefinite pronouns
such as all, both, several, few,
many, take singular verbs.
Many have been invited to my party.
Few have come and attended.

15. Nouns plural in form but
singular in meaning takes
singular verbs.
Statistics provides the numerical data in
question.
Politics is always associated with the
‘pulling of the string’.

16. Scissors, refreshments,
clothes, pliers, etc. are always
plural.
Refreshments are now served at the
canteen.

17. Impersonal pronoun it at the
beginning of a sentence is
followed by a singular verb.
It is his suggestions that finally take
precedence.

18. An amount of money, space of
time or unit of measurement
even in plural form takes a
singular verb.
Three meters of cloth makes a dress for
my size.

19. Fractions are singular or plural
depending upon the of phrase
One half of the class misses out the first
period.

20. Adjectives used as nouns are
considered plural.
The old need some recognition to feel
that they belong.

21. Singular verbs are used with
mathematical abstractions.
Four times eight is thirty two.

22. The indefinite pronoun none is
singular but may occasionally
require a plural verb.
None of the students have done their
homework.

23. A relative pronoun used as a
subject of the verb takes a
verb that agrees with the
antecedent of the pronoun.
He, who is your brother and friend,
understands your situation.

24. EXERCISES