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Topic: Subject – Verb

Agreement (SVA)

Programmed Learning Material on English Grammar

All the best! Have a great reading and learning!

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Subject – Verb Agreement (SVA)

Learning Objectives:

• Students will be able to identify the subject and verb in a given

sentence.

• Students will be able to identify and recognize the agreement

between subject and verb.

• Students will be able to use correct sentences, using appropriate

subjects and verbs in daily real life situation.

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Basic Rules of Subject – Verb Agreement

(SVA)

• Singular subjects need singular verbs.

•Plural subjects need plural verbs.

• Subject and verb should always agree.

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Now, can you guess the correct word given in the bracket in order to

complete the sentence? Can you identify the subjects and verbs? Are the

subjects and verbs in agreement? Remember the basic rules at the

back of your mind.

Example:

• My dog (bark) at strangers. (bark/barks)

• My friend (exercise) everyday. (exercises/ exercise)

• Janet (try) something new all the time. (tries/try)

• Tom and Jerry (go) for a ride every weekend. (go/goes)

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Can you identify the subject and the verb in each

sentence? Do you think the subject and the verb are in

agreement?

• My dog bark at strangers.

• My friend exercise everyday.

• Janet try something new all the time.

• Tom and Jerry go for a ride every weekend.

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Do you notice the highlighted words in each sentence?

They are the correct forms of verbs. The subjects and

the verbs in each sentence here are in agreement.

• My dog (subject) barks (verb) at strangers.

• My friend (subject) exercises (verb) everyday.

• Janet (subject) tries (verb) something new all the time.

• Tom and Jerry (subject) go (verb) for a ride every weekend.

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Let me explain few examples in detail.

My dog barks at strangers.

• In the sentence above ‘dog’ is the subject and ‘barks’ is the verb.

• Since subject ‘dog’ is in the third person singular form, the verb ‘barks’ also has to

be in the singular form, i.e. first form of the verb ‘to bark’.

• Another point to be remembered is the tense of the sentence. If you want to put

the sentence in the present tense you must always put the verb in the present tense.

* The same applies to the other sentences also.

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Besides basic rules, there are a series

of rules and regulations of the SVA

In order to write and speak English correctly we need to take care of all these rules.

Let us have a look at 14 such rules which will make us confident about using proper subject-verb combination in our real life situation.

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Rule 1A Verb must agree with its Subject in Number (Singular/Plural) and Person (1st/2nd/3rd

Person Singular/Plural). Very often we make mistake of making the verb agree in

Number with a noun near to it instead of its proper Subject.

Example:

• The quality of the mangoes was not good.

• His knowledge of the Indian vernaculars is far beyond the common.

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Exercise

1. The state of affairs was such as to create anxiety to his creditors.

• Correct

• Were

• Are

2. The introduction of elective subjects have opened up students to taste other disciplines too.

• Correct

• Has opened

• Were opened

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Rule 2Two or more singular nouns or pronouns joined by and

require a plural verb.

Example:

• Gold and silver are precious metals.

• Fire and water do not agree.

• He and I were playing.

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Exceptions: But if the Nouns suggest One Idea to the mind,

or refer to the same person or thing, the verb is singular.

Example:

• Time and tide waits for no man.

• Bread and butter is his only food.

• Honour and glory is his reward.

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Exercise1. His father and mother is at home.

• Correct

• Are

• Was

2. Knowledge and wisdom has of and times no connection.

• Correct

• Have

• Were

3. The rise and fall of the Hitler were dented with bloodshed.

• Correct

• Was

• Are14

Rule 3Words joined to a singular subject by with, as well as, etc. are parenthetical

(give as extra information in a sentence/speech/piece of writing). The

verb should therefore be put in the singular.

Example:

• The house, with its contents, was insured.

• The ship, with its crew, was lost.

• Sanskrit, as well as Arabic, was taught here.

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Exercise

1. The Mayor, with his councilors, is to be present.

• Correct

• Are

• Were

2. The guidance, as well as the love of a mother, are necessary.

• Correct

• Is

• Were16

Rule 4Two or more singular subjects connected by or or nor require

a singular verb.

Example:

• Our happiness or our sorrow is largely due to our own actions.

• Either the cat or the dog has been there.

• Neither food nor water was to be found there.

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Exercise

1. No nook or corner are left unexplored.

• Correct

• Were

• Was

2. Neither praise nor blame seems to affect him.

• Correct

• Seem

• Seeming18

Rule 5When one of the subjects joined by or or nor is plural, the verb must be

plural; the plural subject should be placed closer to the verb. The subject

closer to the verb, i.e. proximity, determines the number of the verb.

Example:

• Neither the Chairman nor the directors are present.

• Neither the teacher nor the students are present in the classroom.

• Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house.

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Exercise

1. Either the teacher or the students have missed the point about school picnic.

• Correct

• Is

• Were

2. Neither my father nor my brothers is going to sell the house.

• Correct

• Are

• was20

Rule 6When the subjects joined by or or nor are of different

persons, the verb agrees with the nearer.

Example:

• Either he or I am mistaken.

• Neither you nor he is to blame.

• Either you or he is mistaken.

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Exercise

1. Either cat or dog has have eaten up the bread.

• Correct

• Has eaten

• Were eaten

2. Neither my friend nor I am to blame.

• Correct

• Is

• Are22

Rule 7Indefinite pronouns like each, anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody, etc. are

always singular, therefore, must be followed by a singular verb.

Example:

• Each of these substances is found in India.

• Everyone has finished his or her homework.

• Someone has done the required task at least.

• Nobody has reached the classroom yet.

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Exercise1. Each of the students are responsible for doing his or her work in the library.

• Correct

• Is

• Were

2. Everyone of the boys loves to ride.

• Correct

• Love

• Has loved

3. Someone has already done the job asked by the professor in the class.

• Correct

• Have

• Was24

Rule 8The indefinite pronoun, none, that can be either singular or plural; it often

doesn’t matter whether you use a singular or a plural verb — unless

something else in the sentence determines its number.

Example:

• None of you claims/claim responsibility for this incident?

• None of the engines are working properly. (None means ‘not any’)

• None of the food is fresh. (None means ‘not one’)

• None of the students have done their homework. (In this last example, the

word ‘their’ precludes the use of the singular verb.

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Rule 9The pronouns neither and either are singular and require singular verbs

even though they seem to be referring, in a sense, to two things.

Example:

• He asked me whether either of the applicants was suitable.

• Neither of the two traffic lights is working.

• Which shirt do you want for Christmas? Either is fine with me.

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1. Either of the tow volunteers is supposed to help out in the presentation.

• Correct

• Are

• Were

2. Neither of the two men are very strong.

• Correct

• Is

• Were

Exercise

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Rule 10Some nouns which are plural in form, but singular in

meaning, take a singular verb.

Example:

• The news is true.

• Mathematics is a branch of study in every school.

• The news from the front is bad.

• Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women.

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Exercise

1. The politics are the business of his life.

• Correct

• Is

• Were

2. The wages of sin is death.

• Correct

• Are

• were29

Rule 11The names of sports teams that do not end in "s" will take a plural verb:

Example:

• The Team India have defeated South Africa in the world cup cricket recently.

• The Miami Heat have been looking for another title clinch.

• The Connecticut Sun are hoping that new talent.

Exception:

• My assets were wiped out in the depression.

• The average worker's earnings have gone up dramatically.

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Rule 12A Collective Noun takes a singular verb when the collection is thought

of as one whole; plural verb when the individuals of which it is

composed are thought of.

Example:

• The Committee has issued its report of the recent meeting.

• The Committee are divided on one minor point.

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Exercise

1. The university team has won the football tournament.

• Correct

• Have won

• Are won

2. The group have agreed to the decision unanimously.

• Correct

• Has agreed

• Is agreed32

Rule 13When the plural noun is a proper name for some single object

or some collective unit, it must be followed by a singular verb.

Example:

• The Arabian Nights is still a great favourite.

• The United States has a big way.

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Exercise

1. Gulliver’s Travels were written by Swift.

• Correct

• Was written

• Have written

2. Plutarch’s Lives is an interesting book

• Correct

• Are

• Were34

Rule 14When a plural noun denotes some specific quantity or amount

considered as a whole, the verb is generally singular.

Example:

• Fifteen minutes is allotted to each speaker.

• Fifty thousand rupees is a large sum.

• Three parts of the business is left for me to do.

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Exercise

1. Ten kilometers are quite a long walk.

• Correct

• Is

• Were

2. Ninety rupees is too much for this small bag.

• Correct

• Are

• Were36

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Next

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References

References

• High School English Grammar & Composition – By Wren & Martin

• https://www.google.co.in/search?q=subject+verb+agreement&rlz

• http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/sv_agr.htm

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The End…

Prepared by

Sanjay Daniel Aind

ID: 14162016

B.Ed. 2014-15