BASIC RULES ON THE CORRECT AGREEMENT OF SUBJECT AND VERB

1. A third person singular subjects take a singular verb and a plural subject and the
pronouns I and You take plural verb.
She dances
I dance
You dance
2. INDEFINITE PRONOUN such as either, neither, one, everybody, no one, nobody, anyone,
anybody, are SINGULAR and they require singular verbs. * Each child needs love.
3. There is/was is followed by a singular noun; There was/were is followed by a plural
noun.
There is a letter for you in the mail box.
4. The words FEW, MANY, BOTH, SEVERAL take plural verbs.
Several girls love to dance.
Both Jerry and Jake are my classmates.
5. Nouns plural in form but singular in meaning such as PHYSICS, ETHICS, NEWS, POLITICS,
MEASLES take singular verb.
Measles is a contagious disease.
The news I heard is bad.
6. The expression A number takes a plural verb; The number takes a singular verb.
The number of delegates is given awards.
A number of delegates come from the province.
7. Intervening words like (together with) (in addition to) (along with) and similar
constructions following the subject do not affect the number of the subject.
Rosemarie, along with her classmates, joins the poster making contest.
8. AGREEMENT WITH A COMPOUND SUBJECT
A. A compound subject connected by and generally takes a plural verb.
Ruben and Erwin are friends.
B. Compound subjects that are closely related or that refer to the same person or
thing take a singular verb.
My cousin and classmate eat lunch with me.
Bread and butter was served to the visitors
C. A compound subject introduced by each and every takes a singular verb.
Each actor and actress was given good roles in the movies.
D. Compound subjects joined by either...or and neither....nor take singular or
plural verb. The verb agrees to the nearest subject.
Either the students or the teacher participates in the fund- raising program.
Either the teacher or the students participate in the fund-raising program.
9. Words or phrases expressing periods of time, unit of measurement, weight, unit of
volume, and amount of money are usually regarded as singular.
Twenty million pesos was what I won in the lottery.
Three yards is enough to make new friends.
10. COLLECTIVE NOUNS take singular verbs when they are used to denote a unit, They take
plural verbs when used
to refer to individual members of the group.
The family plans to go on a vacation at Baguio.
11.
FRACTIONS may take singular or plural verbs depending on the OF-PHRASE
One fourth of the apple is rotten.
One fourth of the apples are rotten.
12. The verb agrees with the subject not with the predicate noun.
The bus carries twenty people.
Twenty people are in the bus.
13. The title of the book, story or article and a name of the establishment even when plural
in form takes a singular verb.
Starwars is very entertaining film.
14. Adjectives used as subject take plural verbs.
The old are respected.
15. Arithmetical Operations take singular verbs.
Eight times nine equals seventy two.
16. If one subject is used affirmatively and the other negatively, the verb agrees with the
subject that is used affirmatively.
She, not you, is to be blamed for her failure.
17. A verb in a relative clause agrees in number and person with the relative pronoun
serving as subject of the clause.
He who has nothing must be given a share of blessings.
18. Singular nouns that denote pairs and have no singular take plural verbs such nouns are
pliers, scissors, tongs, pants.
Where are my trousers.
19. The indefinite pronoun many is plural when used as subject of the sentence, it requires
plural verb. However, when it is followed by A, coming out as Many a, it is singular.
Many are called but few are chosen.
Many a father acts as Santa Clause on Christmas.
20. The indefinite pronoun More may either be singular or plural depending on the context
and meaning the sentence suggest.
None of the guest was disappointed.
21. Some, all, most are plural when they refer to number but when they refer to quantity,
they are singular.

Some of the cakes were not eaten.