Subject – Verb

Agreement
Why do subjects and verbs have to
agree? After all, they are only words!
Rules in Subject-Verb Agreement
1. Every verb must agree with its subject.

Singular Plural
Subject Subject

Singular Plural
Verb Verb
To be correct, subjects and verbs must agree…
Do not be confused. 
To make a noun plural, we add –s
Singular: girl
Plural: girls

To make a verb plural, we take away the –s.

Singular: he talks
Plural: they talk
 Watch the verb endings!
Singular Plural
• I walk • We walk
• You walk • You walk
• He/She/It walk s • They walk
– Joe walks. – Joe and Maria walk.
– The girl walks. – The girls walk.
Rule Number 1
1. Generally, if the subject doesn’t end in –S,
the verb will.
If the subject does end in –S, the verb won’t.
 No –S on
subject

-S on
verb
The girl dances
 –S on
subject

No -S
on verb
The girls dance
 Let’s Practice:
1. He (talk, talks) quietly.
2. They (read, reads) their assigned
books.
3. Kim (go, goes) to the coffee shop
every weekend.
4. We (write, writes) letters for our friend
abroad.
5. Ian (sing, sings) well.
Rule Number 2: Compound subjects joined by “and”

If there are two or more subjects joined by and, the subject must be
plural, so the verb will not get an “s”.

No –S on
For example: verb
The boy and the girl dance.
 Let’s Practice:
1. A car and a bike (is, are) my means of transportation.
2. The dog and the cat (run, runs) around the house.
3. Kim and I (spend, spends) our free time reading books.
4. The teacher and the students (was, were) able to present
a dance number during the Teachers’ Day.
5. The Math book and the notebook (provide, provides)
information about the lesson.
6. Your mom and dad ( is, are) waiting for you now.
7. The girl and her sisters ( open. opens) their own
business.
 3. Do not forget that some common English words
have irregular plurals.

The child is doing the assignment.

The children are doing the assignment.

The ox is important to the farmers.

The oxen are important to the farmers.
 Let’s Practice
1. The cacti (is, are) important for the travelers
in the desert.
2. Bacterium (affect, affects) our immune
system.
3. Parentheses (tell, tells) the readers something.
4. The criteria for judging (show, shows) that
the contest is a tough one.
5. The alumnus of the school usually (visit,
visits) during summer vacation.
Rule Number 4: “There” and “Here”
When sentences start with “there” or “here,”
the subject will always be placed after the
verb, so care needs to be taken to identify it
correctly.

• There is a problem with the balance sheet.

• There are problems with the balance sheet.
 Let’s Practice
1. There (is, are) four coins on top of the fridge.
2. Here (is, are) the bag that you want to
borrow.
3. Here (is, are) your things needed for your
field trip.
4. There (is, are) three problems that he cannot
solve right now.
5. Here (is, are) your Math book.
 Rule Number 5: Expressions about
time, money, weight and volume
Expressions stating amount of time, money,
weight, volume are plural in form but take a
singular verb as in:

• Three weeks is a long time.

• Two hundred dollars is a lot of money.
 Let’s Practice
1. 333 years ( was, were ) the period of Spanish
colonization in the Philippines.
2. Two thousand pesos ( is, are ) not too much to
ask for my Field Trip in Palawan.
3. 500 sq. meters of land ( was, were ) donated to
our church.
4. Six months ( is, are) quite long to be away from
home.
5. 3 tons of garbage ( was, were) collected from
Manila Bay alone.
 Rule Number 6:
The following indefinite pronouns are singular:
each, either, neither, one, everybody, no one,
nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, and
somebody.

Ex. Everyone looks happy.

One does not live by bread alone.
 Let’s Practice
1. Each of the girls ( is, are) ready for the Exhibit.
2. Everybody ( is, are ) delighted about the TV
show project.
3. Someone ( need, needs) the script for the
project.
4. Either of the generals ( is, are) authorized to
release the military orders.
5. Nobody ( has, have ) the copy of the Periodic
Test.
 Rule Number 7:
• The words a few, many, both, and
several take plural verbs.

Ex. A few delegates have arrived

Several men are in the office.
 Let’s Practice
• 1. Both the Philippines and S. Korea ( agree,
agrees) to the Student Exchange Program.
• 2. Many students ( is, are) joining this program.
• 3. A few of them ( does, do ) not understand the
objectives of this activity.
• 4. Several teachers ( is, are ) joining too.
• 5. A few city representatives ( has, have)
promised to support the exchange program.
 Rule Number 8:
• When the words some, any, none, and all are
followed by an of- phrase, the verb agrees with
the phrase.

Ex. Some of the pencils are sharp.

Some of the food was not served.
 Let’s Practice
• 1. Some of the students ( is, are) in the seminar.
• 2. Some of the sugar ( was, were ) spilled.
• 3. All of the cake ( was, were) consumed.
• 4. None of the girls ( was, were) allowed to go
out.
• 5. Any of these book titles ( is, are) ready for
purchase.
• 6. Some of the sandwich spread ( is, are) placed
in the jar.
 Rue Number 9:
• Nouns plural in form but singular in meaning
such as physics, economics, mathematics,
measles, civics, and news take a singular verb.

Ex. Mathematics is an exact science.

Today’s news is encouraging.
 Rule Number 10:
• Agreement with compound subjects:
a. A compound subject connected by and generally
takes a plural verb.
Ex. My classmate and my neighbor come to me often.

b. Compound subjects that are closely related or that

refer to the same person or thing take a singular verb.
Ex. Dinuguan and puto makes a delightful snack.
My classmate and neighbor comes to see me often.
c. A compound subject using each and every takes a
singular verb.

Ex. Each boy and girl has a gift.

d. Compound subjects joined by either-or and neither-

nor take singular or plural verbs depending upon the
nearer subject.
Ex. Either the glasses or the table cloth is hers.
Either the table cloth or the glasses are hers.
 Let’s Practice
• 1. Each employee and each department head in
this company ( is, are) required to submit SALN.
• 2. Either the writer or the producers ( know,
knows) the ending of the story.
• 3. Neither the producers nor the writer ( likes,
like) to reveal the ending of the movie.
• 4. Either the principal or the teachers ( has,
have) the pass code for the school FB page.
• 5. Each pastor, each lay minister and each
church worker ( leaves, leave ) the hall on time.
 Rule Number 11:
• Intervening words like together with, in
addition to, as well as, including and other
similar constructions following the subject
do not affect the number of the subject.

Ex. Mrs. Jocson, together with her three

children, has left for Zamboanga.
The package, in addition to two pieces of
baggage, is missing.
 Let’s Practice.
• 1. My sister, along with my cousins, ( go, goes)
to the reunion every year.
• 2. Justin, as well as his classmate ( patronize,
patronizes) the food bazaar near the school.
• 3. Banana cue, along with buko juice, ( make,
makes) a delightful afternoon snack.
• 4. My best friend, in addition to my neighbors,
(likes, like) to visit the Dasmariñas Promenade.
• 5. That tree, along with the flowers around it,
( is, are) a beautiful work of Nature.
 Rule Number 12:
• Fractions may take singular or plural verb
depending on the of-phrase.

Ex. Two-thirds of the property belongs to my

father.
Two-thirds of the students are staying
behind.
 Let’s Practice
• 1. Two-thirds of the yema cake ( is, are) gone.
• 2. One-half of the students ( is, are) in the
library.
• 3. One-half of the toxic waste ( go, goes) to the
rivers and seas.
• 4. One-third of our total population ( is, are)
unemployed.
• 5. One-fourth of the teenagers ( say, says) that
they are interested in online gaming.
 Rule Number 13:
• When the subject and the predicate noun
are of different numbers, the verb agrees
with the subject, not with the predicate
noun.

Ex. The ship’s cargo was pineapples.

Pineapples were the ship’s cargo.
 Rule Number 14:
• The expression the number takes a
singular verb; the expression a
number takes a plural verb.

Ex. The number of absentees is big.

A number of students are absent.
 Rule Number 15:
• The title of a book, even when plural
in form, takes a singular subject.

Ex. Short Stories for Children is worth

reading.
 QUIZ
Choose the correct verb form.

1. The men in the factory (work, works) long hours.

2. A tree with wide-spreading branches (were, was) in
front of the building.
3. The sound of the insects (were, was) fascinating.
4. One of the leaders ( is, are) late for the training.
5. He (seem, seems) eager to do the work.
6. We always (try, tries) our best.
7. All of the tickets (was, were) lost.
8. Neither of the plans (is, are) good.
9. (Has, have) any of the girls been here?
10. Not one of these stories (appeal, appeals) to me.
11. Popular Bible Stories( has, have) been read by every
member of the class.
12. Champorado and dilis (is, are) a delectable breakfast.
13. Two weeks (is, are) the usual Christmas vacation.
14. The class (was, were) not all present.
15. The truck’s cargo (is, are) bananas.
16. The number of drop – outs (is, are) increasing.
17. One-fourth of the ham (is, are) on the table.
18.Most of the potatoes ( has, have) been harvested.
19. The sun, like the earth, (influence, influences) the