Agreement of the Subject with Verb

Rule 1

The verb must agree in number and person with its real subject and not with any other noun that may immediately precede it.

Read the following sentences.

In the sentences given above, the verbs are all in the singular although the nouns immediately before them are all in the plural. This is because the real subjects of these verbs are not the plural verbs immediately before them, but the singular nouns at the beginning of each sentence.

Rule 2

Two or more singular nouns connected by and are normally followed by a plural verb.

Note that when two singular nouns connected by and together express one idea, they are followed by a singular verb.

Rule 3

When singular nouns connected by and are preceded by each or every, they are followed by a singular verb.

Rule 4

Singular nouns connected by or, either ... or, neither ... nor are followed by a singular verb.

Rule 5

When the subjects connected by or or nor are of different numbers, the plural subject should be written last and it should be followed by a plural verb.

Rule 6

When the subjects connected by or or nor are of different persons, the verb should agree in person with the subject nearest to it. The subjects should be arranged in the proper order – the person spoken to, first; the person spoken of, second; and the speaker last.

Rule 7

Some nouns are plural in form but singular in meaning. They should be followed by singular verbs.

See also

Subject verb agreement exercise for class 8
Subject verb agreement exercise for class 7

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