Subject-Verb Agreement
Overview
Subject-verb agreement (also called concord) is a fundamental grammar rule that requires the verb to match its subject in number and person. When the subject is singular, the verb must be singular; when the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. This concept appears consistently in Assam TET Language II papers, typically through error-spotting questions, fill-in-the-blanks, and sentence correction items.
Mastering concord is essential because errors in agreement immediately mark a sentence as grammatically incorrect. Students often struggle with this topic when subjects are separated from verbs by intervening phrases, or when dealing with collective nouns and indefinite pronouns. A clear understanding of the rules—and the exceptions—will help you quickly identify correct and incorrect sentences in the exam.
This topic tests both your grammatical knowledge and your ability to identify the true subject of a sentence, making it a high-scoring area once the rules are internalized.
Key Concepts
- Basic Rule: A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb. Example: "The boy runs" (singular) vs "The boys run" (plural).
- Third Person Singular Marker: In simple present tense, singular verbs add -s or -es (he walks, she teaches), while plural verbs do not (they walk, we teach).
- Intervening Phrases Don't Change Agreement: Words between subject and verb (prepositional phrases, relative clauses) do not affect the verb. The subject alone determines the verb form.
- Compound Subjects with "And": Two or more subjects joined by "and" usually take a plural verb. Exception: When they refer to a single entity ("Bread and butter is my breakfast").
- Either/Or, Neither/Nor Rule: The verb agrees with the subject nearest to it. Example: "Neither the teacher nor the students were present."
- Collective Nouns: Words like team, committee, family, class take singular verbs when acting as one unit, but plural verbs when members act individually.
- Indefinite Pronouns: Some are always singular (everyone, someone, each, either, neither), some always plural (both, few, many, several), and some depend on context (all, some, none, most).
- Titles, Names, and Amounts: Titles of books, names of countries, and amounts of money/time/distance take singular verbs even if they appear plural.
Formulas / Key Facts
| Rule | Singular Verb | Plural Verb |
|---|---|---|
| Subject + and + Subject | — | takes plural verb |
| Either/Or, Neither/Nor | verb agrees with nearer subject | verb agrees with nearer subject |
| Each, Every, Either, Neither | always singular | — |
| Everyone, Someone, Anyone, Nobody | always singular | — |
| Both, Few, Many, Several | — | always plural |
| All, Some, None, Most | depends on noun they refer to | depends on noun they refer to |
| Collective nouns (unit) | singular verb | — |
| Collective nouns (individuals) | — | plural verb |
| Uncountable nouns | always singular | — |
| News, Mathematics, Physics, Politics | always singular | — |
| Scissors, Trousers, Spectacles | — | always plural |
| The number of | singular verb | — |
| A number of | — | plural verb |
Key Fact: "There" and "Here" are never subjects. Look for the real subject after the verb: "There are many books on the table."
Worked Examples
Example 1: Intervening Phrase Question: The bouquet of roses _____ (smell/smells) wonderful.
Solution:
- Step 1: Identify the subject. "Bouquet" is the subject, not "roses."
- Step 2: "Bouquet" is singular.
- Step 3: Singular subject needs singular verb.
- Answer: smells
Example 2: Either/Or Construction Question: Either the manager or the employees _____ (is/are) responsible for this error.
Solution:
- Step 1: With either/or, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- Step 2: "Employees" is nearer to the verb and is plural.
- Step 3: Plural subject needs plural verb.
- Answer: are
Example 3: Indefinite Pronoun Question: Each of the students _____ (has/have) submitted the assignment.
Solution:
- Step 1: "Each" is the subject, not "students."
- Step 2: "Each" is always singular.
- Step 3: Singular subject needs singular verb.
- Answer: has
Example 4: Collective Noun Question: The committee _____ (has/have) reached its decision.
Solution:
- Step 1: "Committee" is acting as a single unit.
- Step 2: As a unit, it takes a singular verb.
- Answer: has
Contrast: "The committee have different opinions on this matter." (Members acting individually—plural verb acceptable)
Common Mistakes
- Wrong: Ignoring prepositional phrases and matching verb with the nearest noun. Correct: Always identify the true subject; "The quality of the mangoes was good" (not "were" despite "mangoes" being close to verb).
- Wrong: Treating "news," "mathematics," "physics" as plural because they end in -s. Correct: These are uncountable nouns taking singular verbs: "The news is shocking."
- Wrong: Using plural verb with "everyone," "someone," "each." Correct: These indefinite pronouns are always singular: "Everyone has arrived" (not "have").
- Wrong: Confusing "a number of" with "the number of." Correct: "A number of students are absent" (plural) vs "The number of students is increasing" (singular).
- Wrong: Using singular verb when subjects are joined by "and." Correct: "Time and tide wait for no man" (plural verb). Exception applies only when subjects form a single concept: "Rice and curry is my favourite dish."
Quick Reference
- Singular subjects = singular verbs; plural subjects = plural verbs.
- Ignore phrases between subject and verb—find the true subject.
- Either/or, neither/nor: verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- Each, every, everyone, someone, neither, either = always singular.
- A number of = plural; The number of = singular.
- Collective nouns: singular when acting as unit, plural when members act individually.