Subject-Verb Agreement
Overview
Subject-verb agreement (also called concord) is one of the most frequently tested grammar topics in Bihar TET Language II. The rule is simple in principle—a verb must agree with its subject in number and person—but examiners exploit dozens of tricky constructions where students falter. Mastering this topic helps you solve direct grammar questions and also improves your performance on error-spotting, sentence-correction, and cloze passages.
The good news: the patterns are finite and predictable. Learn the rules, practise the exceptions, and you can score full marks on this sub-topic.
Key Concepts
- Basic rule: A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb. He writes. They write.
- Person hierarchy: First person (I/we), second person (you), and third person (he/she/it/they) each pair with specific verb forms. Most errors occur with third-person singular (-s/-es ending).
- Identifying the true subject: Ignore prepositional phrases, parenthetical insertions, and other intervening words. The head noun governs the verb.
- Compound subjects joined by "and": Usually plural, but exceptions exist when the two nouns refer to one entity.
- Subjects joined by "or / nor / either…or / neither…nor": The verb agrees with the subject nearest to it (proximity rule).
- Collective nouns: Treated as singular when the group acts as one unit; plural when members act individually.
- Indefinite pronouns: Words like everyone, someone, each, either, neither are singular; few, many, several, both are plural; some, any, all, most, none depend on the noun they refer to.
- Inverted sentences: When the subject follows the verb (e.g., There is/are, Here comes/come), locate the real subject to decide verb form.
Key Facts / Rules
| Situation | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular subject | Singular verb | The boy runs fast. |
| Plural subject | Plural verb | The boys run fast. |
| Subject + prepositional phrase | Verb agrees with head noun | The quality of the mangoes is good. |
| Two subjects joined by "and" | Plural verb | Rani and Sita are friends. |
| "Bread and butter" (single idea) | Singular verb | Bread and butter is my breakfast. |
| Either/or, neither/nor | Verb agrees with nearer subject | Neither the teacher nor the students were present. |
| Each, every, everyone, someone | Singular verb | Each of the players has a bat. |
| None (countable) | Usually plural in modern usage | None of the answers are correct. |
| Collective noun (unit) | Singular | The committee has decided. |
| Collective noun (individuals) | Plural | The jury are divided in their opinions. |
| Uncountable nouns | Singular verb | Information is vital. |
| Titles, distances, sums of money | Singular (as single entity) | Five kilometres is a long walk. |
| "A number of" | Plural | A number of students have passed. |
| "The number of" | Singular | The number of absentees is high. |
| "There is/are" | Verb agrees with following noun | There are many problems. |
Worked Examples
Example 1 Choose the correct verb: One of the students (has/have) forgotten the homework.
Step-by-step:
- Identify the subject. "One" is the subject, not "students."
- "One" is singular.
- Correct verb: has. Answer: One of the students has forgotten the homework.
Example 2 Error spotting: Neither the captain nor his teammates was ready for the match.
Step-by-step:
- Structure: Neither A nor B + verb.
- Proximity rule: verb agrees with the noun nearest to it → "teammates" (plural).
- "was" should be "were." Corrected: Neither the captain nor his teammates were ready for the match.
Example 3 Fill in the blank: The news about the floods ______ disturbing. (is/are)
Step-by-step:
- "News" looks plural but is uncountable and always singular.
- Correct verb: is. Answer: The news about the floods is disturbing.
Common Mistakes
- Matching verb with the nearest noun instead of the true subject. Wrong thinking: "The bouquet of roses are beautiful" (roses is nearest). Fix: The subject is "bouquet" (singular) → is beautiful.
- Treating "each" and "every" as plural because they imply many. Wrong: "Every one of the answers are wrong." Fix: "Every one" and "each" are always singular → is wrong.
- Using plural verb with "neither…nor" regardless of proximity. Wrong: "Neither she nor I are going." Fix: The nearer subject "I" needs first-person agreement → "Neither she nor I am going" (or recast the sentence).
- Confusing "a number of" with "the number of." Wrong: "A number of books is missing." Fix: "A number of" = many → plural verb are. "The number of books is…" = singular because "number" is the subject.
- Forgetting that certain nouns ending in -s are singular. Examples: news, mathematics, physics, economics, politics (when referring to the field). Wrong: "Mathematics are difficult." Fix: is difficult.
Quick Reference
- Singular indefinites: each, every, everyone, someone, anyone, no one, either, neither → singular verb.
- Plural indefinites: few, many, several, both → plural verb.
- Variable indefinites: some, any, all, most, none → match the noun they refer to.
- Or/nor constructions: verb agrees with the subject nearest to the verb.
- "The number of" → singular; "A number of" → plural.
- Collective nouns: singular if acting as one; plural if acting individually.