Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that the verb in a sentence must match the number (singular or plural) of its subject
1: General Rule (s)
General Rule: A singular subject takes a singular verb. A plural subject takes a plural verb.
Nouns and verbs behave in exactly opposite ways when you add an "s" to them!
Singular: The boy plays in the park. (No 's' on noun, 's' on verb).
Plural: The boys play in the park. ('s' on noun, no 's' on verb).
2: The "And" Rule and Its Exceptions
When two subjects are joined by "and", they usually become plural.
Example: Rahul and Priya are best friends.
Exceptions (Single Idea):
If the two nouns joined by "and" refer to the same person or represent a single idea/thing, the verb must be singular.
Single Idea: Bread and butter is my favourite breakfast. (It is eaten as one dish).
Same Person: The principal and math teacher is on leave today. (The principal is the math teacher; one person).
Two People: The principal and the math teacher are on leave today. (Adding the second "the" means they are two different people).
3: The Rule of Proximity (Or / Nor)
When subjects are joined by or, nor, either...or, or neither...nor, the verb acts like a magnet. It must agree with the subject that is sitting closest to it.
Example 1: Neither the students nor the teacher is in the classroom. (Verb is singular because 'teacher' is closest).
Example 2: Neither the teacher nor the students are in the classroom. (Verb is plural because 'students' is closest).
4: The "Ignore the Middleman" Rule
If a subject is followed by words like as well as, along with, together with, in addition to, or besides, ignore them! The verb must agree with the very first subject.
Trap: The captain, along with his players, are ready. ➔ INCORRECT
Mastery: The captain, along with his players, is ready. ➔ CORRECT (Ignore "along with his players").
Mastery: My friends, as well as my brother, are coming. ➔ CORRECT (Ignore "as well as my brother").
5: The Indefinite Pronoun Traps
These are words that don't point to a specific person. Memorise which ones are singular and which are plural.
1. Always Singular:
Words ending in -one, -body, -thing, plus each, every, either, and neither. They always take a singular verb, no matter what comes after them!
Everyone is happy.
Each of the boys has a pen. (Trap: Students see "boys" and write "have". Remind him the subject is "Each").
Neither of the answers is correct.
2. Always Plural:
Both, few, many, several.
Several of the sheep are sick.
6: Master-Level Nouns (Looks can be deceiving)
1. Looks Plural, Acts Singular:
Subjects like Mathematics, Physics, News, Measles, Billiards end in 's', but they are singular things.
The news is very bad today.
Mathematics is his favorite subject.
2. Looks Singular, Acts Plural:
Words like Police, Cattle, People, Children do not have an 's', but they are always plural.
The police are investigating the case.
The cattle are grazing in the field.
3. Collective Nouns:
Words like Team, Jury, Committee, Army, Family take a singular verb if they are acting together as one unit. They take a plural verb if the members are fighting or acting individually.
Singular: The jury has given its verdict. (Acting as one).
Plural: The jury are divided in their opinions. (Acting individually).
7: Amounts, Distances, and Times
When talking about a specific amount of money, a distance, or a period of time as a single, whole unit, always use a singular verb.
Ten miles is a long distance to walk.
Fifty thousand rupees is a large sum of money.
Five years is the maximum sentence for this crime.
8: "A Number" vs. "The Number"
A number of = Plural verb (It basically means "many").
A number of students are absent today.
The number of = Singular verb (It refers to the actual mathematical statistic).
The number of students in the class is forty.
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