Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental rule in English grammar that ensures that the subject and the verb in a sentence agree in number. This means that the verb should either be singular if the subject is singular or plural if the subject is plural.
Common Rules for Subject-Verb Agreement
Singular Subjects with Singular Verbs: When the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular.
- Example: The student writes a paper every week.
Plural Subjects with Plural Verbs: Conversely, when the subject is plural, the verb should be plural as well.
- Example: The students write papers every week.
Compound Subjects: If two or more singular nouns are joined by "and," they take a plural verb.
- Example: The cat and the dog sleep in the same bed.
Singular Subjects with Plural Verbs: Some singular nouns end in "s" and still take a singular verb.
- Example: The class is excited about the upcoming trip.
Compound Subjects with Different Numbers: If the compound subject has different numbers, the verb should agree with the subject that is nearest to it.
- Example: Either the boys or the girls are going to the park.
Exceptions
While these rules provide a general guideline, there are exceptions. For example, collective nouns like "team" and "group" can sometimes be treated as singular or plural depending on the context.
Practice
To help you practice subject-verb agreement, visit our Grammar Exercises page. It includes a variety of exercises to test your knowledge.