Mastering Subject-Verb Agreement: Rules and Examples
Do you sometimes get confused about whether to use is or are, has or have in a sentence? Subject-verb agreement is one of the most common grammar challenges for Indian learners. A small mistake here can change the entire meaning of your sentence — and cost you marks in exams like IELTS or competitive tests.
A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
✅ Singular: Neha has long hair. She works for a multinational company.
✅ Plural: Children love ice cream. People have gathered to discuss the problems.
Subjects Joined by 'and'
When two or more nouns or pronouns are joined by ‘and’, they usually take a plural verb.
✅ Ravi and Anil play chess.
✅ Sheila and Hari are partners in the business.
However, if the nouns refer to the same person or thing, the verb is singular.
✅ Slow and steady wins the race.
✅ The director and actor is dead.
If each noun has its own article (the, a), they refer to separate people or things and take a plural verb.
✅ The director and the actor are dead.
Subjects Joined by 'or' or 'nor'
When two or more singular subjects are joined by ‘or’ or ‘nor’, the verb is singular.
✅ Our happiness or our sorrow is largely because of our own actions.
✅ The president or his secretary is coming.
✅ No nook or corner was left unexplored.
Either ... or / Neither ... nor
In sentences with either … or or neither … nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.
✅ Either a man or two women are required for that job.
✅ Either two women or one man is required for that job.
✅ Neither the teachers nor the principal was present at the meeting.
✅ Neither John nor his friends are attending the party.
Subjects with 'with', 'as well as', 'along with'
When the subject consists of two or more nouns joined by with, as well as, or along with, the verb agrees with the main subject (the one before these phrases).
| ❌ Incorrect | ✅ Correct |
|---|---|
| Latin, as well as French, are taught here. | Latin, as well as French, is taught here. |
| The king, with the queen, were present. | The king, with the queen, was present. |
| Karina, as well as Priyanka, are beautiful. | Karina, as well as Priyanka, is beautiful. |
| The coach, with his players, are staying in this hotel. | The coach, with his players, is staying in this hotel. |
Indefinite Pronouns (Always Singular)
Some subjects always take a singular verb, even if they seem plural in meaning:
- Someone, everybody, nobody, anyone, somebody, anybody, no one, everyone
✅ Everybody has arrived.
✅ Nobody has returned.
✅ Anyone who comes late will be punished.
Even though these pronouns feel plural, they are singular. However, in informal speech, we often use they/them/their for clarity (e.g., Everyone put on their coats). This is acceptable in spoken English but avoid it in formal writing.
'None' — Singular or Plural?
‘None’ means not any or not one, so it is usually singular. However, if it is followed by a prepositional phrase with a plural noun, it can take a plural verb for clarity.
✅ None of the jelly has set yet. (singular)
✅ None of the clothes are dry. (plural — sounds natural)
✅ None of the men was/were arrested. (both are acceptable)
Words That Can Be Singular or Plural
The following words can be singular or plural, depending on the context:
- Some, any, all, most
| Singular Meaning | Plural Meaning |
|---|---|
| Most of the news is good. | Most of the flowers were yellow. |
| All of the pizza was gone. | All of the children were late. |
Collective Nouns and Special Cases
A collective noun (e.g., team, family, committee, government, audience, jury) names a group of people or things. It takes a singular verb when the group acts together as a single unit, and a plural verb when the members are thought of as individuals acting separately:
✅ The team is playing very well this season. (the team as one unit)
✅ The team are arguing among themselves about tactics. (members acting as individuals)
✅ My family is very supportive of my career choices. (the family as one unit)
✅ My family are all early risers. (each member individually)
Some nouns are always plural in meaning and take a plural verb, even if they do not end in -s:
✅ Cattle are grazing.
✅ The police are investigating the crime scene.
Other nouns are plural in form but singular in meaning and take a singular verb:
✅ Mathematics is a branch of study in every school.
✅ Measles is a contagious viral disease.
✅ This is bad news.
Some nouns only have plural forms but refer to single objects:
✅ His trousers are ill-fitting.
✅ The scissors are over there.
✅ My spectacles are missing.
Phrases with 'There' and 'Here'
‘There’ and ‘here’ are never subjects. The real subject comes after the verb, so the verb must agree with it.
✅ There were five books on the shelf. (were agrees with books)
✅ There was one book on the table. (was agrees with book)
✅ Here is the report you wanted. (is agrees with report)
'A number of', 'The number of', and Other Quantifiers
’A number of’ takes a plural verb because it refers to many. ’A lot of’ takes a singular verb when followed by an uncountable noun (e.g., A lot of effort is required) and a plural verb when followed by a plural countable noun (e.g., A lot of books are on the table).
‘The number of’, ‘this number’, ‘that number’, ‘the lot’, ‘this lot’, and ‘that lot’ take singular verbs because they refer to a specific quantity.
| Plural Subject | Singular Subject |
|---|---|
| A number of men are here. | The number of workers has dropped. |
| A lot of my friends like you. | This lot of books was sold for a song. |
| A number of children are absent today. | The number of prisoners has decreased. |
Fractions, Percentages, and Units of Measurement
For fractions and percentages (e.g., two-thirds, half), the verb agrees with the noun in the of phrase: a plural noun takes a plural verb, while a singular noun takes a singular verb — except for collective nouns (like population or team), which take a singular verb when viewed as one unit but a plural verb when referring to the individuals within it. For actual units of measurement treated as a single collective quantity, use a singular verb.
✅ Two-thirds of the population is illiterate. (singular — 'population' is collective)
✅ Two-thirds of the population are farmers. (plural — individuals within the population)
✅ Half of the students were ill. (plural — 'students' is plural)
✅ Six yards is too long. (unit of measurement treated as a single amount)
Phrases with 'One of'
The phrase ’one of’ is followed by a plural noun and takes a singular verb when it acts as the simple subject (e.g., One of my friends is a doctor). However, in a relative clause of the pattern ’one of the [plural noun] + who/that’, the verb in the relative clause is plural to agree with the plural antecedent — the noun or pronoun that the relative pronoun refers back to — (e.g., She is one of those people who make a difference).
✅ One of my best friends is Raji.
✅ One of my favourite movies is Black.
✅ One of the best books on grammar is Wren and Martin.
✅ She is one of those people who make a difference. (who refers to 'people', which is plural)
Common Mistakes
Here are some frequent errors Indian learners make with subject-verb agreement:
| ❌ Incorrect | ✅ Correct |
|---|---|
| The players is playing well. | The players are playing well. |
| Each of the students have a book. | Each of the students has a book. |
| Ten thousand rupees are a high price. | Ten thousand rupees is a high price. |
| Neither of them are coming. | Neither of them is coming. |
| The news are shocking. | The news is shocking. |
✏️ Quick Practice — Fill in the blanks
- The list of items ________ (be) on the table.
- Each of the boys ________ (have) a bicycle.
- Neither the teacher nor the students ________ (be) in the classroom.
- There ________ (be) many books on the shelf.
- A number of people ________ (be) waiting outside.
- The number of applicants ________ (be) increasing every year.
- None of the food ________ (be) left.
- Mathematics ________ (be) my favourite subject.
- One of my friends ________ (be) a doctor.
- The police ________ (be) investigating the case.
Answers: 1. is | 2. has | 3. are | 4. are | 5. are | 6. is | 7. is | 8. is | 9. is | 10. are
✏️ Quick Practice — Correct the sentences
- The players is winning the match.
- Every one of the students have submitted their assignments.
- None of the water are clean.
- There is many books on the table.
- Two-thirds of the students is absent.
Answers: 1. The players are winning the match. | 2. Every one of the students has submitted his or her assignment. | 3. None of the water is clean. | 4. There are many books on the table. | 5. Two-thirds of the students are absent.
Summary
Subject-verb agreement is all about matching the verb to the subject’s number — singular or plural. Remember that some subjects (like everybody, none, or the news) have special rules. Always look for the real subject in sentences starting with there or here, and be careful with phrases like a number of vs the number of.
Key takeaway: A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. With practice, this will become second nature, and you’ll avoid mistakes in both spoken and written English.