Subject–Verb Agreement: A Beginner's Lesson

By the end of this lesson you will be able to find the real subject of a sentence, decide whether it is singular or plural, and choose the verb that agrees with it, so that you can spot errors such as "The list of items are on the table".

Already confident? Skip to practice: Subject–Verb Agreement quiz

Before this: you should be able to find the subject and the main verb of a sentence. If that feels shaky, read the Parts of Speech and Sentence Structure lesson first.

The basic rule

The verb must agree with its subject in number. A singular subject (one person or thing) takes a singular verb. A plural subject (more than one) takes a plural verb.

• The boy plays cricket. (one boy → singular verb)
• The boys play cricket. (more than one boy → plural verb)

Do not be confused by the -s. On a noun, -s usually means plural (boys). On a present-tense verb, -s means singular (plays).

Where agreement shows

Only a few verb forms change between singular and plural. Check these first:

Other forms are the same for one or many: had, did, can, will, must, should, and the simple past of ordinary verbs. "He went" and "They went" are both correct.

I and you never take the -s form: I play, you play, I have, you have. With be, I takes am and was (I am, I was), and you always takes are and were, even when it means one person.

Step 1: find the real subject

A common trap is to make the verb agree with the noun just before it. That noun is often not the subject.

To find the subject, find the verb and ask "Who or what + verb?" Then set aside any phrase that sits between the subject and the verb:

• A phrase that begins with a preposition (of, in, on, for, with). "The list of items is on the table." What is on the table? The list.
• Added phrases such as along with, together with, as well as, including and besides. They add information, but they do not join two subjects. "The principal, along with the teachers, is attending the meeting."

Compare: "The principal and the teachers are attending the meeting." And joins two subjects, so the verb is plural. Along with does not.

One exception: words of quantity take their number from the noun after of. They include some, all, most, half, a lot, plenty, the rest, the majority, fractions and percentages (two-thirds of, 40 per cent of), and a number of. Compare "A lot of people were waiting" with "A lot of the work has been done". This does not apply to the number of, one of, each of, every one of, either of and neither of, which stay singular, and none of is a special case. All of these are explained below.

Step 2: singular or plural? The rules at a glance

The sections below explain the cases that need more than one line.

Subjects joined by and

Two subjects joined by and make a plural subject: "The doctor and the nurse were on duty."

In three cases the verb is singular:

• The two words name one thing or one idea. "Slow and steady wins the race." "Rice and dal is a simple meal." Here the two foods together make one dish. For two separate foods, the verb is plural: "Rice and dal are both cheaper this month."
• The two words name one person. "The secretary and treasurer was present." This is one person who holds both posts. For two people, repeat the: "The secretary and the treasurer were present."
• Each or every comes before the nouns. "Every boy and girl was given a sweet."

Either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also

These join two subjects, but the verb agrees with only one of them: the subject nearer to the verb.

• Neither the banks nor the post office is open on Sundays. (post office is nearer: singular)
• Neither the post office nor the banks are open on Sundays. (banks is nearer: plural)
• Not only the manager but also the clerks were late.

Two singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb: "Either Ravi or Meena has the key."

Tip: when one subject is singular and the other plural, put the plural one second. The sentence sounds more natural, and the verb is plural.

Each, every, one of, either of, neither of

Each, every, either and neither pick out one at a time, so the verb is singular. This stays true in each of, one of, either of, neither of and every one of followed by a plural noun. (Every needs one before of: say every one of, never every of.) The subject is each (or one, either, neither, every one); of the … is a phrase you set aside.

• Each of these rooms has a fan.
• One of the windows is broken.
• Neither of the answers is correct.

But when each comes after a plural subject, the subject is still plural, so the verb stays plural: "The boys each have a bat."

In everyday speech you will hear "neither of them are". In the exam, use the singular: "neither of them is".

Everyone, somebody, some, none

Everyone, everybody, everything, someone, somebody, something, anyone, anybody, no one, nobody and nothing are singular. Everyone means many people, but it still takes a singular verb.

• Everyone in the hall was silent.
• Somebody has left a bag on the bus.

Words of quantity such as some, all, most, half, a lot, the rest and none change with what follows. Look at the noun after of:

• All of the money has been spent. All of the tickets have been sold.
• None of the milk was wasted.
• With none of + a plural noun, both forms are correct and both are heard: "None of the answers is right" and "None of the answers are right". The singular is more formal. In the exam, if both are offered, choose the singular.

The number of, a number of

• The number of + plural noun → singular verb. The subject is the number, one figure. "The number of applicants has doubled."
• A number of + plural noun → plural verb. A number of means "several" or "many", and the subject is the people or things. "A number of trains were cancelled because of the fog."

Quick check: replace a number of with many. If the sentence still makes sense, use a plural verb.

Collective nouns

A collective noun names a group: team, family, committee, jury, class, staff, audience, government.

• When the group acts as one unit, use a singular verb: "The committee has approved the plan."
• When the sentence shows the members acting separately, often with their or among themselves, use a plural verb: "The jury were divided in their opinions."

Usage differs here. American English usually keeps the singular even in the second case ("The jury was divided"); British and Indian English use both. For the exam, follow this convention: singular when the group acts as one unit, plural when the sentence shows the members acting separately. Keep the verb and the pronoun in step: "The committee has announced its decision", not "has announced their decision".

A few group words are always plural: police, cattle, people. "The police are questioning the driver."

Nouns that look plural but take a singular verb

News, and subjects of study that end in -ics, such as mathematics, physics, economics, politics, take a singular verb. "The news from the village is good." "Economics is a popular subject at our college."

An -ics noun is singular when it names a subject of study. Some take a plural verb in another sense: statistics meaning figures, politics meaning a person's political views, and economics meaning the money side of a plan. "These statistics are out of date." "His politics are well known." "The economics of the plan are doubtful."

Uncountable nouns

Furniture, information, advice, luggage, equipment and machinery have no plural form, so they take a singular verb. "All the information on this form is correct."

Nouns that are always plural

Things that come in two parts, such as scissors, trousers, jeans, spectacles, take a plural verb: "My spectacles are on the table."

With a pair of, the subject is pair, so the verb is singular: "This pair of jeans is too tight."

Amounts, many a, and titles

• An amount taken as one sum of money, time, distance or weight is singular, although the noun is plural. "Three hours is a long wait." "Twenty kilograms is the baggage limit." When the sentence is about the separate units, not one sum, the verb is plural: "The last two days have been very busy."
• Many a is followed by a singular noun and a singular verb, although it means "many". "Many a student has found this rule hard at first."
• The title of one book, film or newspaper is singular, even if its words are plural. "The Times of India is a daily newspaper."

There is, there are

There is not the subject. The real subject comes after the verb, so look ahead:

• There is a letter for you. (a letter: singular)
• There are three letters for you. (letters: plural)
• Here are the keys you asked for. (Here is / here are work the same way.)

Worked examples

Example 1: Find the real subject

Question: Choose the correct form: The price of onions and tomatoes ______ sharply this week. (a) have risen (b) has risen (c) are rising (d) were rising

1. Ask what rose sharply. Not the onions and tomatoes themselves, but their price.
2. Set aside the phrase that begins with the preposition of: of onions and tomatoes. The and is inside this phrase, so it does not join two subjects.
3. Price is singular, so the verb must be singular.
4. Only has risen is singular. The other three options are plural.

Answer: (b). "The price of onions and tomatoes has risen sharply this week."

The principle: the verb agrees with the main noun of the subject, not with the noun nearest to it. Remove phrases that begin with a preposition, and phrases such as along with and as well as, before you decide.

Example 2: Spot the error with neither…nor

Question: Which part has an error? (A) Neither the players / (B) nor the coach / (C) were happy with the result. / (D) No error

1. Neither … nor joins two subjects: the players and the coach.
2. With neither … nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.
3. The nearer subject is the coach, which is singular.
4. Were is plural, so part (C) has the error.

Answer: (C). Correct sentence: "Neither the players nor the coach was happy with the result." A more natural order puts the plural subject second: "Neither the coach nor the players were happy with the result."

The principle: with either … or, neither … nor and not only … but also, find the subject nearer the verb and make the verb agree with it.

Example 3: Spot the error with one of

Question: Which part has an error? (A) One of the main reasons / (B) for his success / (C) are his hard work. / (D) No error

1. Find the verb: are.
2. The subject is everything before the verb: One of the main reasons for his success.
3. Set aside the phrases that begin with a preposition: of the main reasons and for his success. What is left is one.
4. Your turn: is one singular or plural, and what word should replace are?

Check: one is singular, so the verb must be singular: is.

Answer: (C). Correct sentence: "One of the main reasons for his success is his hard work."

The plural noun reasons in part (A) is correct. One of is always followed by a plural noun: "one of my friends", not "one of my friend".

The principle: one of, each of, either of and neither of are followed by a plural noun but take a singular verb, because the subject is the one person or thing, not the whole group.

Example 4: A collective noun

Question: Fill in each blank with has or have.

• (a) The jury ______ given its verdict.
• (b) The jury ______ been arguing among themselves for three hours.

1. Jury is a collective noun, so look for a clue: does the group act as one unit, or as separate members?
2. In (a), the jury gives one verdict, and the pronoun is its, which is singular. The group acts as one unit, so the answer is has.
3. In (b), the sentence says among themselves: the members are arguing with one another.
4. Your turn: are the members acting as one unit or separately? Choose the verb.

Check: they are acting separately (a group arguing among themselves is not acting as one), so the exam convention gives the plural: have.

In American English you would also hear "The jury has been arguing". In the exam, follow the clue in the sentence.

The principle: a collective noun takes a singular verb when the group acts as one unit, and a plural verb when the sentence shows the members acting separately. Let words such as its, their and among themselves decide.

Example 5: Improve the sentence

Question: Choose the best replacement for the part in bold, or "No improvement": A number of trains has been cancelled because of the fog. (a) have been cancelled (b) was cancelled (c) is cancelled (d) No improvement

1. The subject begins with a number of.
2. Use the quick check: replace a number of with many. "Many trains … cancelled" makes sense, so the subject is the trains, which are plural.
3. Your turn: which option is plural?

Check: has been, was and is are all singular. Have been is plural, so the answer is (a): "A number of trains have been cancelled because of the fog."

Compare: "The number of cancelled trains has gone down this week." Here the subject is the number, one figure, so has is right.

The principle: a number of means "many" and takes a plural verb; the number of is one figure and takes a singular verb.

Example 6: Your turn

Question: Choose the verb for each sentence. Cover the table below, write your answers, then check.

1. The news from the hospital ______ (is / are) encouraging.
2. My spectacles ______ (is / are) in the drawer.
3. Five thousand rupees ______ (is / are) a big sum for a student.
4. Every boy and girl in the class ______ (has / have) a library card.
5. Many a candidate ______ (has / have) lost marks on this rule.
6. There ______ (is / are) two buses to the station every hour.
7. Some of the furniture ______ (was / were) damaged in the flood.
8. Physics ______ (is / are) the subject he finds hardest.

The principle: first find the real subject, then ask whether it is one or many. Some nouns and phrases have a fixed number: learn them as a list.

Common traps

• Added phrases do not change the subject. "Ravi, as well as his friends, is coming", not "are coming". The subject is Ravi.
• Every student, not every students. Each and every take a singular noun.
• Uncountable nouns have no plural. Furnitures, informations, advices and luggages are wrong.
• You were, never you was. You always takes were, even when it means one person.
• There are two buses, not there's two buses. People often say there's before a plural noun in speech. In writing and in the exam, use there are.
• One of the students who have passed. In formal and exam English, the verb in a who or that clause after one of the … agrees with the plural noun, because who stands for students, while the main verb still agrees with one: "One of the students who have passed is my cousin" (not who has passed). The exception is the only one of: "He is the only one of the students who has passed."

Practise and go next

Practise now: Subject–Verb Agreement quiz

Next: revise with the Subject–Verb Agreement cheat sheet, which also lists a few cases this lesson leaves out, such as more than one and the rich. Then test yourself with the Tenses quiz.

How this was made: Drafted with AI assistance; spot-checked by the editor on 24 October 2026.