SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT Either the students or the teacher wants to speak to the

principal.
Rule 1: Plural subjects, require plural verb, singular Either the teacher or the students want to talk to the
subjects require singular verb. principal.

Examples: 1.) Either Kelly or Jim (play, plays ) the lead role.
We are ready for lunch now. 2.) Either the children or the parents (walk, walks) to
Ann always tells the truth. town for the mail.
3.) Neither Maria nor her classmates (join, joins) the
1.) He (jog, jogs) two miles every day. practice for the play.
2.) A tall tree (stand, stands) in our front yard. 4.) Either Crisma or Alex (watch, watches) the play.
3.) The ships (was, were) passing the island. 5.) Either Ana or the teachers (want, wants) to join
4.) It seems that the baby (grow, grows) an inch the campaign.
every day
5.) Candles (is , are) quite expensive. Rule 5: Indefinite pronoun such as:
Another each everything nothing
Rule 2 Compound subjects joined by and generally take a anybody either neither somebody
plural verb. anyone every nobody someone
anything everyone no one something
Example: require singular verb.
Ana and Maria are friends.
The boys and girls are going to have a rematch. Example:
Everyone in our class has finished.
Exemption: If the parts of the compound subject are Nobody is absent today.
thought of as one item, then a singular verb is needed. A Everybody is present.
singular verb is also needed if the word is preceded by
every or the word each. 1.) Everyone (is, are) excited for the field trip
tomorrow.
Example: 2.) Somebody (has, have) informed the principal
Bacon and Egg is my favorite breakfast. about the incident.
Every boy and girl in the class does volunteer work. 3.) Nothing (is, are) missing.
4.) No one (is, are) left behind in the campsite.
1.) Kim and Sarah (attend, attends) the meeting. 5.) Somebody (love, loves) me.
2.) Each teacher and student (receive, receives) a
reward from the principal. Rule 6: Nouns plural in form but singular in meaning
3.) Rain and snow always (fall, falls) this time of the requires a singular verb.
year.
4.) Apples and bananas (has, have) been my favorite Civics Mathematics Economics
for many years. Measles Social Studies Ethics
5.) Every cup and saucer (was, were) broken in the
move. Example:

Rule 3: Compound subject joined by or or nor, the verb Civics (is, are) my favorite subject.
agrees to the subject near to the verb. Mathematics (is, are) difficult for most of the students.

Example: 1.) Measles (is, are) a dangerous disease for unborn

Beth and Sam or the twins are going to win children.
The girls or the boys are going to win. 2.) Social Studies (has, have) become my favorite
subject.
1.) The teachers or the students (is, are) going to the 3.) Economics (was, were) my sister’s major in
party. college.
2.) Naruto or Sasuke (win, wins) in the Chuunin 4.) Politics (is, are) one of his major interest.
exam. 5.) Mumps (is, are) dangerous disease for adults.
3.) Apple or bananas (is, are) my favorite breakfast.
4.) Genesis or Martha (go, goes) to the market. EXERCISES
5.) Mary or Louise (belongs, belong) to the Bridge
Club. TELL WHETHER THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS ARE SINGULAR
OR PLURAL.
Rule 4: compound subject joined by the relative
conjunction either…or, neither…nor the verb agrees to a. Car c. demonstrators d. speak
the subject near to it. b. Tomatoes e. writes f. soldiers

SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT
 Words such as jury, committee, or herd will be
singular when everyone in the group is acting
together
The jury is / are deciding the fate of the
accused
The jury is / are deciding the fate of the
accused
 Collective nouns will be plural when the members
of the group are not acting together
The jury is / are undecided on the guilt of
the accused
The jury is / are undecided on the guilt of the
accused
 Units of time, money, distance, and weight use
singular verbs
Twenty kilometres is a long distance to skate
to work each day
Eight dollars an hour is a poor rate
 The expression the number is singular
The number of failures is decreasing
 The expression a number is plural
A number of people are leaving
 The title of a movie, book or magazine requires a
singular verb
Lost Horizons is a book about a utopia
The Simpsons is my favourite TV show
 When the sentence begins with Here or There,
the subject follows the verb and controls whether
the verb is plural
Here are my reasons for quitting (plural)
There is no need to pay me next week
(singular)
 It is always singular
It was the long hours that bothered me
(singular)
 Intervening words such together with, as well as,
along with does not affect the number of the
subject. In this case, you need to disregard
intervening phrases and make the subject agrees
with the verb.
My boss, as well as her staff, leaves early
every Friday
The principal, together with the other
teachers joins the camping.
 Fractions take singular or plural verb according to
the of phrase.
1.) Two- thirds of the property belongs to my father.
2.) Two thirds of the students are staying behind.
3.) One half of the apples are in the box.
 When the words some, any, none, and all are
followed by a phrase, the verb agrees with the
phrase.
- Some of the pencils are sharp
- Some of the food was not served.
EXERCISES
4.) Twenty kilometers (is, are) the distance between
her house and the school.
5.) The clouds on the horizon (is, are) fluffy.
6.) The number of students (is, are) absent.
7.) Hard Times (is, are) a novel written by Charles
Dickens.
8.) Wuthering Heights (is, are) a famous novel by
Emily Bronte.
9.) Fifty cents (is, are) more than enough.
10.) One half of the students (is, are) absent.
11.) The team (is, are) very strong.
12.) The audience (is, are) appreciative.
13.) Two months (is, are) usual summer break.
14.) Champorado and dilis (is, are) delectable
breakfast.
15.) A number of teachers (serve, serves) in the
election.
16.) Mr. Jocson, together with his children (go, goes)
to the market everyday.
17.) Ten years (is, are) a long time to wait.
18.) Three kilos of meat (was, were) cooked.
19.) He (seem, seems) eager to do the work.
20.) Here (is, are) the books that you are borrowing.
21.) Naruto (is, are) my favourite T.V show.
22.) It (was, were) the longest running cartoon show.
23.) Three hundred fifty per hour (is, are) my salary.
24.) Avatar (is, are) the movie we watch during the
Christmas break.
25.) There (is, are) no need for you to visit me in my
house.