This handout
gives you several guidelines to help your subjects and verbs agree.
1. When the
subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by
and, use a plural verb.
v
She and her
friendsare at
the fair.
2. When two
or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or or nor, use a singular
verb.
v
The book or the
penis in the
drawer.
3. When a
compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined
by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearer
the verb.
v
The boy or his
friendsrun every
day.
v
His friends or the boyruns every day.
4. Doesn't is
a contraction of does not and should be used only with a singular subject.
Don't is a contraction of do not and should be used only with a plural subject.
The exception to this rule appears in the case of the first person and second
person pronouns I and you. With these pronouns, the contraction don't should be
used.
v
He
doesn't like it.
v
They don't like
it.
5. Do not be
misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb. The verb agrees
with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.
v
One of the boxes is open
v
The people who listen to that music are few.
v
The team captain, as well as his players, is anxious.
v
The book, including all the chapters in the first section, is boring.
v
The woman with all the dogs walks down my street.
6. The words
each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody,
somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a singular verb.
v Each of these hot dogs is juicy.
v
Everybodyknows Mr. Jones.
v
Eitheris correct.
7. Nouns such
as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require singular verbs.
v
The newsis on at six.
Note: the word dollars is a special case. When talking
about an amount of money, it requires a singular verb, but when referring to
the dollars themselves, a plural verb is required.
v
Five dollarsis a lot of money.
v
Dollarsare often used instead of rubles in Russia.
8. Nouns such
as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs. (There are
two parts to these things.)
v
These scissorsare dull.
v
Those trousersare made of wool.
9. In
sentences beginning with there is or there are, the subject follows the verb.
Since there is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows.
v
There
aremany questions.
v
There
is a question.
10.
Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but that are
considered singular and take a singular verb, such as group, team, committee,
class, and family.
v
The teamruns during practice.
v
The committeedecides how to proceed.
v
The familyhas a long history.
v
My familyhas never been able to
agree.
In some cases
in American English, a sentence may call for the use of a plural verb when
using a collective noun.
v
The crew are preparing to dock the ship.
This sentence
is referring to the individual efforts of each crew member. The Gregg Reference
Manual provides excellent explanations of subject-verb agreement (section 10:
1001).
11.
Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition
to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. If the subject is
singular, the verb is too.
v
The President, accompanied by his wife, is traveling to India.
v
All of the books, including yours, are in that box.
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