Welcome!
Welcome to the Learning Commons Quick Start Guide on subject-verb agreement!
Although subject-verb agreement is a critical part of using proper grammar and writing correct English, it can be difficult to tell when it is missing, especially for those who did not learn English as their first language. In English, subject-verb agreement involves selecting the proper singular verb to use with certain kinds of singular subjects.
This guide will explain:
- which verb form to use in an independent clause
- which verb form to use with certain pronouns
- which verb form to use when prepositional phrases are introduced
Agreement 101
Course Information
Course Level: Beginner
Time to Complete: <10 mins
Perfect for: Students in WRTG100/101, ENGL103, or anyone who needs a refresher.
Guide Creator: Andrew Johnson
This video introduces the main occurrences of subject-verb agreement:
- Singular noun subject with a present tense verb
- Pronoun subject with a present tense verb
Independent Clauses
Agreement with Noun Subjects
Sentences With One Subject
In a sentence in the Simple Present tense, a single noun subject takes a singular verb (almost always ending in “s”).
However, when they are plural, subjects take plural verbs (almost always the “normal” present tense verb that you would use after “to,” often not ending in “s”).
One way to remember is that if you are using the Simple Present tense, your S needs to go somewhere: either on the noun or on the verb. Another way is to remember that if your subject is Singular, then your verb needs an S.
If your subject is a noun, this only occurs when using Simple Present tense or when using “was/were.”
Sentences with Multiple Subjects
What happens when you join singular subjects? Does that count as singular or plural? Well, with multiple subjects, verb agreement depends on the whole compound subject together.
Conjunctions that “add” the subject elements together, such as “and,” almost always mean the compound subject needs a plural verb. (1 cat and 1 cat together make up a group of 2 cats.)
On the other hand, conjunctions that treat the subject elements as “separate” such as “or” and “nor” almost always mean the compound subject needs a singular verb. (1 cat on its own kept separate from another cat on its own does not make up a group of 2 cats.)
However, if one or more of the subjects is plural, the conjunction doesn’t matter. Go ahead and use a plural verb. (2 cats are always plural whether they are on their own or mixed with another group of 2 cats to make 4 cats.)
Your Turn: Test Your Understanding
Think you have a grasp of the information above? Test yourself!
Pronoun Subjects
Personal Pronouns
Pronouns make things a little more complicated. With personal pronouns, only he, she, it, (and they used as a singular–check with your prof to see if this is acceptable) require use of explicitly singular verbs. I, we, you, and they all take the “normal” verbs… except with is and was. These guys are just tricky, so you more or less have to memorise which verb matches which personal pronoun.
First, we, you, and they agree with the “normal” verbs again, are and were in this case. Be careful here: this is one of the only times where the “normal” plural verb is different than the “normal” verb that would follow to in the infinitive construction. You will never see to were; instead, the proper infinitive is to be.
Second, he, she, and it (plus they used as a singular–again, ask your professor) agree with the “singular” verbs ending in S: is and was.
Third, our good friend I (which we don’t want to use too often outside of reflection papers) agrees with am in the present tense and was in the past tense. Weird.
If you have trouble keeping these straight, try saying your sentence out loud. Many people who have difficulty with these rules in writing remember them more easily when speaking.
Other Pronouns
Most non-personal pronouns follow the same patterns as singular nouns, taking singular verbs (ending in S), even if some do not “feel” like they should be singular all the time. Some such pronouns include whatever, everyone, nobody, and everything. Be extra careful when checking these pronouns for subject-verb agreement because a few of them are not always acting like subjects even when they seem like they are (the who, what, and which families especially).
Further information about these special cases can be found in our Related Links toward the end of this Quick Start Guide.
Your Turn: Test Your Understanding
Think you have a grasp of the information above? Test yourself!
Prepositional Phrases
At first glance, prepositional phrases seem to add an extra layer of trickery to this task. However, in almost every case, you can ignore prepositional phrases in determining whether your verb should be singular or plural. Only the subject matters for subject-verb agreement. If you are having trouble, try crossing out prepositional phrases that occur between the subject and the verb.
Your Turn: Test Your Understanding
Think you have a grasp of the information above? Test yourself!