Subject verb agreement
Verb agrees with subject in number and person. The original
form of verb is plural. As: play, write, sing, win,
help etc. The original form of noun is singular.
As: book, pen, dog, bird, boy, girl etc.
1 If subject is singular verb must be singular. As:
She runs business. He loves his country. Mohan appears at
examination. In these sentences subjects she, he and Mohan
are singular and are followed by singular verbs runs, loves and appears.
The original form of verb(play, sing, write) is changed into singular by adding s or es.
Plural Singular
Play plays
Sing sings
Write writes
2 If subject is plural verb must be plural. As :
They open the door. We speak English. These boys play cricket.
In the above sentences subjects they, we, and these boys are plural
and are followed by plural verbs open, speak and play.
3 If two subjects are joined with and denote two different persons or
things verb must be Plural. As: Sita and Gita talk
together. India and Pakistan play cricket.
4 If two subjects joined with “and” denote particular thing verb
must be singular. As: Bread and butter is ideal breakfast.
Milk and coffee is nutritious drink.
In the above sentences bread and butter means particular breakfast.
Milk and coffee means particular drink.
5 Between two subjects joined with “and” if single subject is
preceded with determiner “the”, verb must be singular. Example:
The prime minister and home minister has gone to America.
In this sentence single person is holding the post of prime minister
and the post of home minister.
6 Between two subjects joined with and, if both are preceded with
Determiner the, Verb must be plural. As: The prime minister
and the home minister have gone to America. In this sentence prime minister
is different person and home minister is different person.
Two different persons are holding two different posts.
7 Between two subjects joined with “and,” if single subject is preceded
with possessive case, Verb must be singular. As for example: His father
and guardian was looking after him.
In this sentence single person is father and guardian. That is why singular
verb (was) is used.
8 Between two subjects joined with “and,” if both are preceded with
possessive case, Verb must be plural.
As for example: His father and his guardian were looking after him.
In this sentence father is different person and guardian is different Person.
9 If two subjects are joined with together with, rather than, in addition
to, as well as, verb must be according to first subject. As for examples:
Ram as well as his parents was Present in this meeting. Sita together
with her children is going for morning walk.
Mohan rather than his friends was present in the class.
10 If two subjects are joined with either…or, neither…nor,
not only…but also verb must be according to last subject.
As for examples: Not only Ram but also his parents were
Present in the house. Neither he nor his children were going to America.
11 If any sentence starts with each, every, either, neither verb must
be singular. Examples: Between two children each was honest. Among one
hundred students every was disciplined.
12 If any sentence starts with someone, anyone, each one, everyone,
somebody, anybody, everybody, nobody, none, verb must be singular.
As for example: Everybody in my family is healthy.
13 some adjectives which denote class are always used in plural and
followed by plural verb. Examples: poor, rich, blind, deaf, etc .The poor are happy. The rich are unhappy.
14 If the countable noun preceded with one third of, one fourth of, two
third of, a quarter of, half of, verb must be plural. Examples: Two third of the students were present in the class. Half of the teachers were going on strike.
15 If the uncountable noun preceded with one third of, two third of,
part of, quarter of, half of etc, verb must be singular. Examples: one
third of milk is left out in the pot. Half of the food is not cooked properly.
16 If the sentence starts with a number of, verb must be plural.
Example: A number of books were torn into pieces.
17 If the sentence starts with “the number of” verb must be singular.
As: The number of students has gone to America.
18 If countable noun is preceded with a lot of, lots of, plenty of, several,
many, most of Verb must be plural. Example: A lot of teachers
have gone on strike.
19 If uncountable noun is preceded with a lot of, lots of, plenty of, much
of, verb must be singular. Example: A lot of milk is drunk by cat.
20 If the composition of sentence is: collective noun(a group , a crowd,
a bunch, a team, a fleet, a flock, a set etc + of + plural noun, verb must
be singular. Examples: A group of teachers has gone on strike.
A fleet of ships is sailing in the sea.
21 The name of subject which looks like plural is always used in singular
and followed by singular verb. Examples: Gulliver’s Travels is very
interesting book. Politics is the dirtiest game. Physics is good subject.
Mathematics is interesting subject. Economics, Politics and phonetics
etc are name of subjects that is why they are followed by Singular verb .
22 If two subjects are joined with preposition, verb must be according to
first Subject. Examples: Sita with her friends was going to temple.
The leader of the students was present in the meeting.
23 At the time of writing conditional clauses or sentences we have to follow Certain rules:
A. If first conditional clause is present tense, second clause must be in future tense.
Example: If he works hard he will succeed.
B. In past tense there are two kinds of conditional clauses. In first conditional clause were is used in place of was (in first clause) and would is used in second
clause. Example: If I were a bird I would fly in the sky.
C. In the third conditional clause if first clause starts with had or subject+ had
Second clause starts with subject+ would have.
Example: If I had done hard labour I would have stood first in my class.
24 Some nouns as news, information, poetry, luggage, scenery, bread,
furniture, advice, dirt, dust etc are always singular and followed by
singular verb. Examples: This news is true. His luggage is very heavy.
25 Some nouns are always plural and followed by plural verb.
Examples: People, cattle, gentry, police etc.
26 The name of disease and name of country which looks like plural is always
Used in singular and followed by singular verb. Examples:
Measles is a dangerous disease. The united nations solve the international
dispute. The united states is the most powerful country of the world.
27 Audience, public, committee, Government and jury are used both in
singular and plural form. When these words denote unity they are used
in singular. When they denote disunity they are used in plural.
Examples: The government has passed the resolution unanimously.
The public have given their opinion differently.
28 If any sentence starts with “there” verb must be according to subject
which comes after verb. Examples: There is a book on the table.
There are books on the table. In the first sentence book is singular and
it is followed by singular verb is. In the second sentence books are plural
and it is followed by plural verb are.
EXERCISE 1
FILL UP THE BLANKS WITH APPROPRIATE VERBS GIVEN IN THE BRACKETS:
1. My Friend ………… Swimming. (Like , Likes )
2. A bird …………. In the sky. (fly , flies)
3. A new car …….. a lot of money. (cost , costs )
4. John and jack ……. Gone there. (has , have )
5. Those boys …….. healthy. (look , looks )
6. All the books ……… to me. (belong/belongs)
7. About ten boys…..there. (was/were)
8. Sita…. not like to play. (do/does)
9. ….You know his name? (do/does)
10. …..The boys crying at night? (was/were)
11. That pen….stolen. (have/has)
12. A few dogs….. black. (is/are)
13. His father and mother…..there. (were/was)
14. Every man…..two eyes . (has/have)
15. We all….. English.(learn/learns)
16. ……Mr sen or Mr Roy in the class? (is/are)
17. ……His friend come here everyday? (do/does)
18. Where…..he live now? (do/does)
19. Each boy…….a bicycle. (has/have)
20. Both the pens….red. (was/were)
EXERCISE:--2
Fill in the blanks with appropriate verbs given in the brackets:
1 Some of the water…… dirty. (is/are)
2 Some people…….travelling. (dislikes/dislike)
3 All the students…..present today. (are/is)
4 Her uncle and aunt….a car. (has/have)
5 Oil and water….not mix. (do/does)
6 Many workers…..been suspended. (has/have)
7 Each child…..a glass of milk. (get/gets)
8 Several girls…..passed this year. ( Have/has )
9 It…..not matter much. (do/does)
10 None of the boys…..there. (was/were)
11 One of the players….well. (plays/play)
12 There……a new pen on the table. (is/are)
13 There…..a few boys in the class. (is/are)
14 There….nothing to worry about. (is/are)
15 All the furniture…..new here. (is/are)
16 Everybody…..that man. (know/knows)
17 One of them….gone home. (has/have)
18 How many of them….tea? (like/likes)
19 Everybody…..him. (hate/hates)
20 The traffic…..at a standstill. (is/are)
EXERCISE:--3
Fill up the blanks with appropriate verbs given in the brackets:
1 The wages of sin…..death. (is/are)
2 Where ……you at 10 am? (was/were)
3 Someone….standing at the door. (is/are)
4 Most of the boys….hard-working. (is/are)
5 some of the mangoes…..ripe. (was/were)
6 The police….arrested the thief. (has/have)
7 The majority of workers….very hard. (work/works)
8 either coffee or tea….good for me. (is/are)
9 What…..Phonetics? (is/are)
10 No money…..been spent on this. (has/have)
11 No man of that name…..here. (live/lives)
12 He and I …..at school together. (was/were)
13 A number of questions…..asked. (was/were)
14 John as well as Jack…..football. (play/plays)
15 Either Tom or Jill…..done it. (has/have)
16 No prize or medal…..given. (was/were)
17 A lot of people…..coffee. (like/likes)
18 Most of the money….been lost. (has/have)
19 Ill news…..fast. (travel/travels)
20 Physics…..his weakest subject. (is/are)
EXERCISE:--4
Fill up the blanks with appropriate verbs given in the brackets:
1 Lots of meat……there on the table.(was/were)
2 A lot of work…..still to be done. (has/have)
3 Plenty of opportunities…..there for us. (is/are)
4 Much of the land……under water. (was/were)
5 Most of the visitors…..known to me (is/are)
6 Neither coffee nor tea…..good for me. (was/were)
7 A large number of students…..failed. (has/have)
8 Measles……a dangerous disease. (is/are)
9 The majority of them…..sikhs. (was/were)
10 All his luggage……arrived. (has/have)
11 Good advice…..difficult to follow. (is/are)
12 There…..a hundred boys in the class. (is/are)
13 The number of girls here…..sixty. ( is/are)
14 Half of the players…..off the field. (was/were)
15 Each of the boys……rewarded. (is/are)
16 Neither of the two boys…..an umbrella. (has/have)
17 One of my friends……won the prize.(has/have)
18 Many a man…..after wealth. (run/runs)
19 A few boys……running outside. (is/are)
20 How many days….there in a week? (is/are)
EXERCISE 5
Fill up the blanks with appropriate verbs given in the brackets:
1. All that glitters.....not gold. (is/are)
2. He as well as I.....going. (is/am)
3. Gulliver’s Travels’ .....an interesting book. (is/are)
4. A team of players...... reached here. (has/have)
5. The poor generally...... honest. (has/have)
6. All this...... troublesome. (is/are)
7. Each of you...... guilty. (is/are)
8. Milk and horlicks...... my favourite drink. (is/are)
9. Neither of us...... is going to Calcutta. ( is/are)
10. More than ten boys...... participated in cultural programme. (has/have)
11. The house with all its belongings...... sold. (was/were)
12. Rice and curd....favourite lunch. (is/are)
13. The jury.....divided in their opinion. (was/were)
14. Sixty rupees.....too much for this pen. (is/are)
15. Neither of the candidates.....appeared at examination. (has/have)
16. A parcel of books...... been received. (has/have)
17. Neither mangoes nor apples...... expensive. (is/are)
18. Truth and honesty.....best policy. (is/are)
19. The scholar and the writer..... dead (is/are)
20. Sweet ....uses of adversity. (is/are)
EXERCISE 6
Fill up the blanks with appropriate verbs given in the brackets:
1. There ...... many objections in this plan. (is/are)
2. What I have to say....this. (is/are)
3. The writer and the philosopher.....dead. (is/are)
4. Either of these roads...... unsafe these days. (is/are)
5. The colour of this shirt....blue. (is/are)
6. The horse and carriage.... at the door. (is/are)
7. The bouquet of flowers...... faded. (has/have)
8. The fleet of ships...... anchored in the docks. (is/are)
9. A large crowd...... expected at the football match. (is/are)
10. A pair of spectacles...... lying on the table. (is/are)
11. A pair of trousers...... hanging over the chair. (is/are)
12. The whole herd of cattle...... to be sold. (is/are)
13. The notorious dacoit with his followers.....escaped. (has/have)
14. The cashier and the accountant.....absconding.
15. Neither his father nor his mother...... alive. (is/are)
16. Thirty kilos...... too heavy a weight for me to carry. (is/are)
17. Audience in the meeting....small. (was/were)
18. The United States.... rich country. (is/are)
19. Neither the men nor the women in the car.....injured. (was/were)
20. The workers as well as their leader...... absent. (is/are)
EXERCISE 7
Fill up the blanks with appropriate verbs given in the brackets:
1. A large number of cattle...... grazing in the field. (is/are)
2. Neither reward nor punishment...... to be expected from him. (is/are)
3. Neither of the sisters...... secured good marks. (has/have)
4. Good news...... come today. (has/have)
5. His choice of words ...... excellent. (is/are)
6. You, who ...... my friends should guide me. (are/is)
7. Each of my brothers...... good academic records. (has/have)
8. Two-thirds of the work...... left undone. (was/were)
9. The sub and substance of the matter.....that he did not prepare. (is/are)