Subject-Verb Agreement
Overview
Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammar rule that ensures the verb in a sentence matches the subject in number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third). This topic appears consistently in OTET Paper I and Paper II Language II sections, typically as error-spotting questions, fill-in-the-blanks, or sentence correction items.
Mastering concord rules helps candidates avoid common traps in objective questions where incorrect verb forms are deliberately placed to confuse test-takers. The rules are finite and learnable, making this a high-scoring area for prepared candidates. Questions often test tricky cases involving collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, and subjects joined by correlative conjunctions.
Beyond exam success, understanding subject-verb agreement is essential for teaching English effectively at the primary and upper-primary levels, as these rules form the foundation of grammatically correct sentence construction.
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).
- Subject Identification: The true subject determines verb form, not words that come between subject and verb. Prepositional phrases, parenthetical expressions, and appositives do not change the subject's number.
- Compound Subjects with "and": Two or more subjects joined by "and" usually take a plural verb. Exception: When they refer to the same person/thing or form a single idea, use a singular verb.
- Either/Or, Neither/Nor Rule: The verb agrees with the subject nearest to it. This is called the proximity rule.
- Collective Nouns: Words like team, committee, family, jury take a singular verb when acting as one unit, but a plural verb when members act individually.
- Indefinite Pronouns: Some are always singular (everyone, anybody, each), some always plural (few, many, several), and some can be either (all, some, none, most) depending on the noun they refer to.
- Inverted Sentences: When the subject comes after the verb (questions, sentences beginning with there/here), identify the true subject to determine verb form.
- Titles, Names, and Amounts: Titles of books, names of countries, and expressions of amount/time/distance typically take singular verbs even if they appear plural.
Formulas / Key Facts
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| Singular subject → singular verb | She writes daily. |
| Plural subject → plural verb | They write daily. |
| Subject + prepositional phrase + verb (ignore phrase) | The box of chocolates is on the table. |
| Either/or, neither/nor → verb matches nearest subject | Neither the teacher nor the students were present. |
| Each, every, everyone, anybody → singular verb | Each of the boys has a book. |
| Few, many, several, both → plural verb | Many have arrived. |
| Collective noun (as unit) → singular | The committee has decided. |
| Collective noun (as individuals) → plural | The jury are divided in their opinions. |
| "A number of" → plural; "The number of" → singular | A number of students are absent. The number of students is fifty. |
| Uncountable nouns → singular verb | The news is shocking. |
| "None" → singular or plural based on context | None of the water is wasted. None of the books are missing. |
Worked Examples
Example 1: Prepositional Phrase Trap
The quality of these mangoes ______ excellent. (is/are)
Solution: The subject is "quality" (singular), not "mangoes." The phrase "of these mangoes" is a prepositional phrase that does not affect the verb. Answer: is
Example 2: Either/Or with Different Numbers
Either the manager or his assistants ______ responsible. (is/are)
Solution: Apply the proximity rule. The subject nearest to the verb is "assistants" (plural). Answer: are
Reverse version: Either the assistants or the manager ______ responsible. Answer: is (nearest subject "manager" is singular)
Example 3: Indefinite Pronoun
Each of the players ______ given a medal. (was/were)
Solution: "Each" is the subject, and it is always singular regardless of the prepositional phrase "of the players." Answer: was
Example 4: Collective Noun in Context
The team ______ celebrating their victory. (is/are)
Solution: Though "team" can take a singular verb, the pronoun "their" indicates individual members are acting. Use plural verb for consistency. Answer: are
Example 5: "A number of" vs "The number of"
A number of candidates ______ appeared. (has/have)
Solution: "A number of" means "many" and takes a plural verb. Answer: have
The number of candidates ______ increased. (has/have)
Solution: "The number of" refers to a specific quantity (singular concept). Answer: has
Common Mistakes
- Ignoring prepositional phrases: Students often match the verb with the nearest noun rather than the true subject. Wrong: "The list of items are ready." → Correct: "The list of items is ready."
- Misapplying "and" rule: When two nouns joined by "and" refer to the same entity, students wrongly use plural verb. Wrong: "Bread and butter are my breakfast." → Correct: "Bread and butter is my breakfast." (single food item concept)
- Confusing "a number of" with "the number of": Students use singular verb for both. Remember: "a number of" = many (plural); "the number of" = quantity (singular).
- Treating all collective nouns as singular: Context matters. When members act separately, use plural verb. Wrong: "The family is arguing among themselves." → Correct: "The family are arguing among themselves."
- Mishandling "none": Students assume "none" is always singular. Actually, "none" can be singular or plural depending on what it refers to. "None of the milk is left" (uncountable) vs "None of the students are present" (countable plural).
Quick Reference
- Ignore intervening phrases — find the true subject before the verb.
- Either/or, neither/nor — verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- Each, every, everyone, everybody, anyone, nobody — always singular.
- "A number of" = plural verb; "The number of" = singular verb.
- Collective nouns — singular when acting as unit, plural when acting individually.
- News, mathematics, physics, economics — singular despite -s ending.