Subject-Verb Agreement

In general agreement refers to the matching of ideas or actions. In grammar, subject-verb agreement means that subjects and verbs in clauses must match each other in form. To agree fully, subjects and verbs must match in number (singular or plural) and in person (first, second, and third person). Faulty subject-verb agreement occurs when a subject and verb does not match in number or in person.

Wrong: The athlete run around the track.
(Because the subject athlete is the third person singular, the verb to run must be third person singular too.)
Right: The athlete runs around the track.

	Right	Wrong
Singular	I hit the ball.	I hits the ball.
Plural	We hit the ball.	We hits the ball.

	Right	Wrong
Singular	You hit the ball.	You hits the ball.
Plural	You hit the ball.	You hit the ball.

	Right	Wrong
Singular	He hit the ball.	He hits the ball.
Plural	They hit the ball.	They hits the ball.

Words, such as phrases and clauses, that separate the subject from the verb do not affect what the verb should agree with.

Wrong: A long list of chores, tasks, and duties often intimidate me.
Corrected: A long list of chores, tasks, and duties often intimidates me.

Wrong: My favorite games which include bridge and chess has always brought me comfort and joy.
Corrected: My favorite games which include bridge and chess have always brought me comfort and joy.

Two or more subjects connected with "and" are called compound subjects. They require a plural verb, even if the separate antecedents are singular.

Wrong: The bus boy and the waiter works extra long hours.
Corrected: The bus boy and the waiter work extra long hours.

However, when a compound subject refers to a single person or thing, it takes a singular pronoun:

My best friend and golf partner throws his club each time he flubs his shot.
(The best friend and golf partner refer to the same individual.)

With compound subjects connected by "or" or "nor" (or by "either…or" or "neither…nor"), make sure the verb agrees with the nearer antecedent. In other words, for purposes of agreement, ignore everything before the final subject.

Wrong: Neither the parents nor the police officer know what happened in the school yard.
Corrected: Neither the parents nor the police officer knows what happened in the school yard.
Corrected: Neither the police officer nor the parents know what happened in the school yard.

The words "each" and "every" are singular, even when they modify a compound subject, so the verb that follows must be singular.

Wrong: Every car and truck have its own parking place.
Corrected: Every car and truck had its own parking place.

The same rule is observed when the construction "one of the" follows "each" or "every."

Wrong: Each one of the dogs were rolling around in the mud.
Corrected: Each one of the dogs was rolling around in the mud.

A collective noun is a noun with a singular form that names a group of individuals or things, such as "family," "group," "class," and "committee." When a collective noun is a subject, it requires a verb in singular form.

Wrong: The kindergarten class love the substitute teacher.
Corrected: The kindergarten class loves the substitute teacher.

Indefinite pronouns refer to unspecified persons or things. Even though some of the following indefinite pronouns may appear to be plural, they quite often require singular verbs for agreement:

all	each	neither	one
any	either	nobody	some
anybody	everybody	none	somebody
anyone	everyone	no one	someone
anything	everything	nothing	something

Wrong: Everyone love to play in the rain.
Corrected: Everyone loves to play in the rain.

Wrong: Everything about the murals were spectacular.
Corrected: Everything about the murals was spectacular.

Wrong: Anyone who grows pumpkins are welcome to enter the contest.
Corrected: Anyone who grows pumpkins is welcome to enter the contest.

"All," "any," "none," and "some," as well as "more" and "most," are singular or plural depending on context.

Singular: All of the money is kept in a security box.
(All refers to "money," which is singular.)

Plural: All of the funds are kept in a security box.
(All refers to "funds," which is plural.)

Singular: Some of the water is foul tasting.
Plural: Some of the streams are contaminated.

A linking verb joins a subject to a word that renames it. Linking verbs indicate a state of being ("am," "is," "are," "was," "were"), relate to senses ("look," "smell," "taste," "sound," "feel"), or suggest a condition ("appear," "seem," "grow," "turn," "remain," and "prove"). A linking verb connects the subject to its complement, which is a word or words that describes the subject. Now, in a sentence that contains a linking verb, make the linking verb agree with the subject, not the subject complement.

Wrong: The mysterious events surrounding the three maps is the topic of my lecture.
Corrected: The mysterious events surrounding the three maps are the topic of my lecture.

When the relative pronouns, "who," "which," and "that" act as the subject of a dependent clause, the verb in the clause should agree in number (singular or plural) with the pronoun’s antecedents.

Wrong: President Smith never listens to the counselors who advises him.
Corrected: President Smith never listens to the counselors who advise him.

Be careful when you use "one of the" in a sentence before "who," "which," or "that." If the pronoun refers to "one," then use a singular verb; if the pronoun refers to what follows, use a plural verb.

Thomas is one of the lads who actually scores goals on a regular basis. ("Who" refers to "one," so "scores" is singular.)

Thomas is one of the lads who work in the beach hut.
("Who" refers to "lads," so "work" is plural.)

In English, the subject of a sentence quite often comes before its verb. But sometimes the order of a typical sentence is inverted so that the verb comes before the subject. Most questions use inverted word order. Thus be careful that the subject and verb agree when you use inverted word order.

Wrong: What is the demands of this job?
Corrected: What are the demands of this job?

Expletive constructions use inverted words order. They use "there" to postpone the subject. In order to avoid faulty subject-verb agreement, look ahead to find the subject.

Wrong: There is four points to the compass.
Corrected: There are four points to the compass.