Subject-verb agreement
subject verb agreement

"Theories suggests that modern healthcare standards is not effective."1

Can you see what's wrong with the sentence?

Let's learn some guidelines that can help you prevent these errors in your writing. 

1 Theories is plural, and the verb should be suggest; standards is plural, and the verb should be are.

General guidelines

Click on each blue symbol marked "V" to learn more.

1. The subject and verb might have many words between them. 

The subject still controls the verb:

  • This university (singular), which is made up of many students, teachers, and others, is (singular subject) large.
  • The colours (plural) of a gas spectrum tell  (plural form) of its chemical composition.
  • The effect (singular) which these reactions caused during the last three weeks is (singular form) insignificant.

2. Subjects with two or more parts joined by ‘and’ usually require a plural verb.

  • Krypton and neon (they – plural) are noble gases.
  • Salt and pepper (they – plural) are always on the table.

However, if two subjects are thought of as a single thing, then use a singular verb. For example:

  • Fish and chips (considered one item i.e. singular) is my favourite dish.

3. When subjects are joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘neither…nor’, ‘either…or’ or ‘not only…but also’, the verb should agree with the noun closest to it.

  • Salt (singular) or pepper (singular) is (singular form) always on the table.
  • Real estate (singular) or securities (plural) are (plural form as 2 items) a suitable investment at this time.
  • Neither stocks (plural) nor real estate (singular) is (singular form) a good investment at the moment.

4. In sentences that begin with 'Here' or 'There', the subject is after the verb, and determines the verb.

  • There are (plural) four students (plural) in my presentation group and we will discuss the marketing plan.
  • There is (singular) a single main idea (singular) in my first paragraph.

5. Certain groups of words look plural, but are singular. 

This is especially true for subjects and disciplines, and for illnesses.

  • Physics (singular) is the science of matter and energy.
  • Diabetes (singular) is a terrible disease.
  • Other singular words in these categories include economics, electronics, mathematics, measles, mumps and shingles.

6. When writing about measurements, the singular verb is usually used.

  • Four grams of magnesium was used in the chemical experiment.

7. The indefinite pronouns ('everybody', 'everyone', 'everything') take singular verbs.

  • Everything in chemistry is explainable in atomic terms and widely explored in the literature.

8. Plural determiners (e.g. 'few', 'many', 'several', 'both', 'all', 'some') take plural verbs.

  • Many of my fellow students are ready for their presentations today.
  • Few things at university are more valuable than making good friends.

9. Collective nouns often take singular verbs.

  • My family is very supportive of my studies here.

However, they may also take plural verbs. For example:

  • My family are very supportive of my studies here.

Which is correct? 

Often it depends on how you think of the group: ‘My family’ as a single unit, or ‘My’ family as several individuals. Other collective nouns like this include team, class, cohort, government, crowd and orchestra.

10. 'All of', 'any of', 'enough of', 'more of', 'most of', 'none of', 'some of', 'a quantity of' and similar subjects can take a singular or plural noun. 

The best guide is to look at the object of the preposition:

  • None of this material (singular) is suitable for industrial applications.
  • None of these materials (plural) are suitable for industrial applications.

11. Titles take singular verbs.

This is for books, movies, songs, stories, and the like:

  • The Regulations of the Senate (singular) is a very important document in Australian politics and has a distinguished history.
  • The Annals of the Australian Historical Society (singular) is edited by Dr Proctor.

Test your knowledge

Correct these sentences - all of which are inaccurate.

  1. There is four students in my presentation group and we will discuss the marketing plan.
  2. The Regulations of the Senate are a very important document in Australian politics and have a distinguished history.
  3. Everything in chemistry are explainable in atomic terms and widely explored in the literature.
  4. Krypton and neon is noble gases.

The correct answers are all on this page somewhere.

 

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Adapted from:
William Collins and Sons. (1990). Collins Cobuild English Grammar.
John Wiley and Sons Australia. (2002). Style manual: For authors, editors and printers (6th ed.). 
LoveToKnow Corp. (2012). Your Dictionary 2012, 20 rules of subject verb agreement (opens an external site), Retrieved 19 September 2012.

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