Subject–Verb Agreement
A verb must match its subject in number.
About this topic
A verb must agree with its subject in number: singular subjects take singular verbs (the dog barks) and plural subjects take plural verbs (the dogs bark). Tricky cases: ignore phrases between subject and verb ("The box of chocolates is open"); compound subjects joined by "and" are plural; with "or/nor" the verb agrees with the nearer subject; indefinite pronouns such as everyone, each and nobody are singular.
Collective nouns (team, family, class) take a singular verb when acting as one unit and a plural when members act individually in British usage. Words like news, mathematics and physics look plural but are singular. In inverted sentences such as "There are three reasons", the real subject follows the verb, so find it first.
Worked example: in "The list of ingredients was long", the subject is list, not ingredients, so the verb is was. In "Neither the teacher nor the students were ready", the nearer subject students makes the verb plural. Cutting out interrupting phrases and asking who or what performs the action is the quickest way to check.
Common mistakes come from mistaking the closest noun for the subject, and from using don't with a singular subject (it doesn't, not it don't). Proofread by finding each verb, then asking what its subject is and whether the two match in number.
Key ideas
- Singular subject, singular verb
- Collective nouns
- Compound subjects joined by "and" are plural
Quick check
Use cases: where Subject–Verb Agreement helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind Subject–Verb Agreement before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall Subject–Verb Agreement without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how Subject–Verb Agreement changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain Subject–Verb Agreement in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Strong reading and writing are needed in every subject, job and exam.
Frequently asked questions
What is Subject–Verb Agreement?
A verb must match its subject in number.
What will I learn in Subject–Verb Agreement?
Singular subject, singular verb. Collective nouns. Compound subjects joined by "and" are plural.
Is Subject–Verb Agreement part of English?
Yes. It is one of 60 English topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the Subject–Verb Agreement lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study Subject–Verb Agreement?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.