Subject – Verb Agreement

Rules and examples

The pot of eggs ___ boiling on the
stove.
The colours of the rainbow ___
beautiful.
1. Use verbs that agree with a subject,
not with a noun that is part of a
modifying phrase or clause between
verb and subject
My favorite type of movie ___ comedies.

Comedies ___ my favorite type of movie.

2. Use singular or plural verbs that

agree with the subject, not with the
complement of the subject
 Everybody ___ a nose.

Everybody loves ice cream, _____?

Every good boy ___ (Do) fine

3. Use singular verbs with singular

indefinite pronouns — each, the -bodies, -
ones, and -things
(anybody, everyone, nothing, every, each,
no), and the like
Many outcomes ___ possible.

4. Use plural verbs with plural

indefinite pronouns
All the paint ___ dried up.

5. Use singular verbs with

uncountable nouns that follow an
indefinite pronoun
All the nails ___ spilled on the
floor.
6. Use plural verbs with countable
nouns that follow an indefinite
pronoun
The dog and the cat ___ outside.

7. Use plural verbs with compound

subjects that include and
 Either the dog or the
cats ___ responsible for the mess.

Neither the dogs nor the

cat ___ responsible for the mess.

8. Use plural verbs or singular verbs,

depending on the form of the noun
nearest the verb, with compound
subjects that include nor or or
Down the stairs ___ (go) the dog.

9. Use singular verbs with inverted

subjects that include singular nouns
How ____ the flowers grown so
quickly?
10. Use plural verbs with inverted
subjects that include plural nouns
His staff members ___ assembled.
The staff of TCS ___composed of
talented people.
The staff ___ (control) about a 100
students single handedly.
11. Use singular or plural verbs with
collective nouns depending on
meaning
The United Nations ___ headquartered
in New York.
The Burbs ___ a movie starring Tom
Hanks.

12. Use singular verbs for designations

of entities, such as nations or
organizations, or compositions, such as
books or films
Physics ___ my favorite subject.

13. Use singular verbs for subjects

plural in form but singular in
meaning
 The economics of the
situation ___ complicated.

Economics ___ a complicated topic.

14. Use singular or plural verbs for

subjects plural in form but plural or
singular in meaning depending on the
context
The scissors ___ in the
cupboard.
15. Use plural verbs for subjects
plural in form and meaning
India is one of the countries which
________ (loves, love) cricket.

16. For sentences which contain who, which or

that the verb should agree with the word that
precedes the Pronoun.
I am one of those eccentrics
who ___ not tweet.
16. (a) Use plural verbs in
constructions of the form one of
those (blank) who . . .
I am the only one of my friends
who ___ not tweet.
17. Use singular verbs in
constructions of the form the only
one of those (blank) who . . .
The number of people here ___
(Boggle) the mind.
18. Use singular verbs in
constructions of the form the
number of (blank) . . .
A number of people here ___
(Agree).
19. Use plural verbs in constructions of
the form a number of (blank) . . .
Many a true word ___ spoken in
jest.
20. Use singular verbs in
construction of the forms every
(blank) . . . and many a (blank) . . .
Red beans and rice ___ my
favourite dish
21. Use singular verb if the two
subjects are separated by and refer
to the same person or thing.
Four litres of oil ___ required to
get the car running.
22. Use singular verb for units of
measurement or time.
 They not only ___ (write) the
text but also _____ (research) the
photographs.
Lily not only ___ (eat) a lot but
also ___ (run) a lot.

23. Use singular verb for singular subjects

and plural verb for plural subjects
connected by – not only, but also
 Standing in the water ___ a bad
idea.
Swimming in the ocean and playing
drums ___ my hobbies.

24. Use singular verb for singular

gerunds and plural verb if they are
linked by and
 The herd ___ stampeding.

25. Use singular verb for collective nouns