Subject-Verb Agreement: Rules, Examples, Tips & Practice Test
Subject-Verb Agreement: Rules, Examples, Tips & Practice Test
Select Your Practice Test- Choose Your Difficult Level
Easy – Class 6 & Class 7 – Intermediate – Class 7 & Class 8 & Class 9 – HARD – Class 10 , CLASS 11- 12
Chapter Wise Notes, Question with Answer, MCQ Test, Self Assessment
MCQ Test, Self Assessment
Chapter
Test Type
Easy
Intermediate
Hard
📘 What is Subject-Verb Agreement?
Subject-Verb Agreement refers to the grammatical rule where the verb in a sentence must agree in number and person with the subject.
Singular Subject → Singular Verb
Plural Subject → Plural Verb
📏 Basic Rule (Golden Rule)
Subject Type
Correct Verb Form
Example
Singular
Verb with -s or -es
He plays football.
Plural
Base verb (no -s or -es)
They play football.
📚 Examples of Correct Agreement
Subject
Verb
Correct Sentence
She
writes
She writes in her journal daily.
They
write
They write stories together.
The dog
barks
The dog barks at strangers.
The children
play
The children play in the park.
📖 Top 10 Subject-Verb Agreement Rules (with Examples)
Rule No.
Rule Description
Example
1
Two singular subjects joined by ‘and’ take a plural verb.
Rahul and Riya are attending the class.
2
If subjects are joined by ‘or’/’nor’, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
Either the teacher or the students are responsible.
3
Indefinite pronouns like ‘everyone’, ‘each’, ‘everyone’ take singular verbs.
Everyone wants to be successful.
4
Collective nouns (team, family, class) usually take singular verbs.
The team is practicing hard.
5
Expressions like ‘a number of’ = plural, ‘the number of’ = singular.
A number of students have left. The number is increasing.
6
Titles of books, movies, etc., are treated as singular.
“The Chronicles of Narnia” is my favorite.
7
Words like ‘mathematics’, ‘news’, though plural in form, are singular in use.
Mathematics is difficult for some students.
8
Subjects separated by commas but referring to one idea = singular verb.
Bread and butter is my breakfast.
9
When plural nouns refer to one unit, use a singular verb.
Fifty thousand rupees is a big amount.
10
Relative pronoun agrees with its antecedent.
She is one of the girls who write well.
🆚 Singular vs. Plural Subject-Verb Comparison
Subject
Verb (Singular)
Verb (Plural)
The boy
plays
The boys play
The teacher
teaches
The teachers teach
A group
is
Groups are
Neither of the players
is
Both players are
The list of items
includes
The items include
🧮 Chart: Agreement with Different Subject Types
Subject Type
Example
Verb
Singular noun
The cat
sleeps
Plural noun
The cats
sleep
Indefinite pronoun
Somebody
is
Compound subject (with “and”)
My brother and I
are
Compound subject (with “or/nor”)
Neither John nor his friends
are
Collective noun (as one unit)
The jury
decides
Quantifiers (a lot of, most of, etc.)
Most of the water
is
✅ Tips to Remember Subject-Verb Agreement
Ignore prepositional phrases when finding the subject.
Example: The box of chocolatesis missing.
Watch for tricky phrases like “as well as”, “in addition to”, “together with” — they don’t change the subject.
Example: The teacher, as well as the students, was surprised.
Be cautious with inverted sentences.
Example: There is a pen and a notebook on the table. (Even if the sentence starts with “there” or “here,” find the real subject.)
📝 Common Mistakes & Corrections
Incorrect Sentence
Correct Sentence
The list of items are on the table.
The list of items is on the table.
Neither of the boys have come.
Neither of the boys has come.
One of the players are injured.
One of the players is injured.
The news are shocking.
The news is shocking.
A group of students have arrived.
A group of students has arrived.
🧠 Why is Subject-Verb Agreement Important?
✔️ Ensures clarity in communication ✔️ Enhances grammatical accuracy ✔️ Essential for writing essays, emails, and academic papers ✔️ Frequently tested in board exams and competitive exams
✍️ Practice Questions
Fill in the blanks:
Either the teacher or the students _______ to blame. (is/are)
A pair of gloves _______ missing from my drawer. (was/were)
