SUBJECTVERB AGREEMENT

Every sentence must have a Subject and a Verb. The subject is the noun that performs the action
expressed by the verb.
The DOG with the gray ears RUNS out of the house.
The subject is dog, and the verb is run. In every sentence, the subject and the verb must make
logical sense together. Moreover, the subject and the verb must agree in number.

Subject and Verb Must Both Exist

If a sentence is missing the subject or the verb, the sentence is a Fragment: in other words, it is NOT
a complete sentence. On the GMAT, an answer choice that makes the sentence a fragment is wrong.
Wrong: The electron named in 1984
Right: The electron was named in 1984.

A sentence can be a fragment in another way: it could start with a Connecting Word and contain No
Main clause (a clause that could stand alone as a sentence as is, with its own subject and verb).
Wrong: BECAUSE the dog was never mine.
Wrong: WHICH will be approved tomorrow.

Subject and Verb must make SENSE together

Wrong: The development of a hydrogen car based on expected performance parameters will
be able to travel hundreds of miles without refueling.
Right: Once developed, a hydrogen CAR based on expected performance parameters WILL
BE able to travel hundreds of miles without refueling.

Subject and Verb Must Agree in NUMBER

To find the subject, you must ignore all the words that are not the SUBJECT.
1. Prepositional Phrases: Prepositions are followed by nouns or pronouns, which complete the
phrase. Prepositional phrases modify or describe other parts of the sentence. Thus, you can
generally eliminate them to find the subject.
Near Galway, the houses on the road to Spiddle is/are gorgeous.
Near Galway, the HOUSES ON the road TO Spiddle ARE gorgeous
2. Subordinate Clauses: These clauses, which begin with connecting words such as who or which,
cannot stand alone as sentences. Instead they are always attached to a main clause. Like
prepositional phrases, many subordinate clauses modify other parts of the sentence, acting as
big adjective to big adverbs. Some subordinate clauses even act as big nouns.
When the auditors left, the executive who had been interviewed was/were glad.
When the auditors left, the EXECUTIVE WHO had been interviewed WAS glad.
3. Other Modifiers: To find and eliminate other modifiers, look for Present Participles (-ing forms
derived from verbs) and Past Participles (-ed and -en forms derived from verbs). Commas are
another helpful sign, since commas sometimes separate modifiers from rest of the sentence.
Limping, the horse once considered one of the favorites was/were taken away.
LIMPING, the HORSE once CONSIDERED one of the favorites WAS taken away.

Use Structure to Decide

A noun in a prepositional phrase cannot be the subject of the sentence, with limited idiomatic
exceptions.
In the waning days of the emperors life, the conquest of new lands on the borders of the
empire was/were considered vital.
The tidal forces to which an object falling into a black hole is/are subjected is/are sufficient to tear
the object apart.

And vs. Additive Phrases

The word and can unite two or more singular subjects, forming a compound plural subjects.
Joe AND his friends ARE going to the beach
Mathematics, history, AND science ARE mandatory high-school subjects.

Unlike and, additive phrases do not form compound subjects. Rather additive phrases function as
modifiers and therefore cannot change the number of the subject.
Joe, as well as his friend, IS going to the beach.
Mathematics, in addition to history and science, IS a required subject.
Only the word and can change a singular subject into a plural one. Singular subjects followed
by additive phrases remain singular subjects.

Or, EitherOr, & Neither Nor

Find the noun nearest to the verb, and make sure that the verb agrees in number with this noun.
Neither the coach nor the players ARE going to the beach
Neither the players nor the coach IS going to the beach
(Note that when the words either or neither are in a sentence alone (without or or nor), they are
considered singular and take only singular verbs.)

Collective Nouns: Almost Always Singular

A collective Noun is a noun that looks singular (it usually does not end with an -s) but can refer to a
group of a people or objects.
The CROWD in the stands IS cheering loudly as the home TEAM TAKES the field
Our ARMY of a hundred thousand soldiers IS attacking the enemy.

Indefinite Pronouns: Usually Singular

Pronouns are words that replace other nouns or pronouns. An Indefinite Pronoun is not specific
about thing to which it refers. Anyone is an example of an indefinite pronoun. The following
indefinite pronouns are considered singular and require singular verb forms. Note that all the
pronouns that end in -one, -body, or -thing fall into this category.

Anyone, anybody, anything No one, nobody, nothing

Each, every (as pronouns) Someone, somebody, something
Everyone, everybody, everything Whatever, whoever
Either, neither (may require a plural verb if paired with or/nor)

There are, however, 5 indefinite pronouns that can be either singular or plural depending on the
context of the sentence.
THE SANAM PRONOUNS: Some, Any, None, All, More/Most
You may recall that you are generally supposed to ignore Of-prepositional phrases (since they are
misleading middlemen). But with the SANAM pronouns the noun object of the Of-phrase can
help you determine the number of the subject.
Some of the money WAS stolen from my wallet (money is singular)
Some of the documents WERE stolen from the bank (documents is plural)
Dont apply the Of-phrase mechanically. None of and any of followed by a plural noun can be
singular.
Any of these woman IS a suitable candidate for marriage to my son (You are referring to just
one woman at a time.)
Note that not one is always singular. Not one of my friends IS here this weekend.

Each or Every requires a singular verb.

Every dog HAS paws.
Every dog and cat HAS paws.
Each of these shirts IS pretty.
Note that each following a subject has no bearing on the verb form.
They each ARE great tennis players

Quantity Words and Phrases

The phrase THE number of takes a singular verb, but A number of takes a plural verb.
The number of hardworking students in this class IS quite large.

This sentence follows the normal rule: eliminate the middleman (of hardworking students in this
class). The subject is the number (singular), which agrees with the singular verb is.

A number of students in this class ARE hard workers.

(A number of is an idiomatic expression. In modern English, it has become equivalent to some or
many. As a result, we consider students the subject.)
In many idiomatic expressions that designate quantities or parts, such as a number of, the
subject of the sentence is in an Of-prepositional phrase. These expressions prove the exception
to the rule that the subject cannot be in a prepositional phrase. We have seen the SANAM
pronouns as examples of this phenomenon. Other examples include fractions and percents:
Half of the pie IS blueberry, and half of the slices ARE already gone
The majority of the students in the class ARE hard workers
In the Senate, the majority HAS coalesced into a unified voting block.

Threat quantity phrases in the same way as SANAM pronouns: the noun in the Of-prepositional
phrase will indicate whether the verb is singular or plural.

Subject Phrases and Clauses: Always Singular

Having good friends IS a wonderful thing
Whatever they want to do IS fine with me

Flip It!
Wrong: Near those building SIT a lonely house, inhabited by squatters.
Flip it: A lonely house, inhabited by squatters, SITS near those buildings.
Right: Near those buildings SITS a lonely house, inhabited by squatters.