1. Subject – Verb Agreement
Why do subjects and verbs have to agree? After all, they are only words!
We agree

2. What’s wrong with these sentences?
There is too many pictures on the wall.
Everybody but Charlie want to go home.
All the people wants to win the lottery.
The subjects and verbs don’t agree!

3. Now the subjects and verbs agree!
How do we fix them?
There are too many pictures on the wall.
Everyone but Charlie wants to go home.
All the people want to win the lottery.
Now the subjects and verbs agree!

4. NOTE NUMBER 1

5. To be correct, subjects and verbs must agree in
NUMBER.
Singular subjects go with singular verbs.
Everyone wants to win the lottery.
Plural subjects go with plural verbs.
All the players want to win the game.
Verb
Subject

6. NOTE NUMBER 2

7. What causes problems with S/V agreement?
Words between the subject and the verb cause confusion:
INCORRECT: The shoes in the closet needs to be shined.
In the closet is a prepositional phrase between the subject shoes and the verb need.
To be correct, the verb should be: “need” with no “s”
CORRECT: The shoes in the closet need to be shined.
Common Prepositions
about
before
during
inside
over
above
below
except in
through
across
beside
for of to
around
between
from
off
under at by on
with

8. The TRICK for checking subject / verb agreement
When you are trying to see if the subject and verb agree, leave out the part you don’t need:
Everyone in the contest want to win.
Everyone want to win. [wrong!: should be wants]
Now put the part back:
Everyone in the contest wants to win.
Say the sentence to yourself out loud, if it doesn’t sound right, there is a very good chance it is not right.
Correct Information

9. NOTE NUMBER 3

10. When a verb comes before the subject…
Identify the subject and make sure it agrees in number with the verb.
Inside the garage is/ are the shovel.
Across the border is/are Reynosa and Progresso.
Where is/are the instructions for the toy?
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS:
Inside the garage is the shovel.
Across the border are Reynosa and
Progresso.
Where are the instructions for the toy?

11. NOTE NUMBER 4

12. Compound Subjects Subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb.
Diet and exercise is/are ways to be healthy.
Ambition and luck was/were Juan’s keys to success.
Milk and cookies was/were my favorite snack as a child.

13. NOTE NUMBER 5

14. Indefinite Pronouns Some words are automatically singular or plural
[-one words]
[-body words]
[-thing words]
one
nobody
nothing
each
anyone
anybody
anything
neither
everyone
everybody
everything
either
someone
somebody
something
All of these pronouns are SINGULAR
Nobody has/have a clue about what they are doing.
Everything is/are ready for the party.
Neither Fred, nor Ed, nor Ted knows/know the way.
Several, Few, All, Both, and Many are PLURAL
All of them wants/want to go.
Few people has/have the ability to run a marathon.
Several of the students is/are attending the camping trip.

15. NOTE NUMBER 6

16. Who, Which and That
If they stand for singular words, who, which and that take singular verbs:
Rebecca is a person who is/are very private.
If they stand for plural words, who, which and that take plural verbs:
Joel is one of those people who is/are very private.

17. NOTE NUMBER 7

18. Either/or…Neither/nor
The number of any two subjects joined by either/or…neither/nor are special cases.
Look to the subject closest to the verb.
If the subject is singular…use a SINGULAR VERB.
If the subject is plural…use a PLURAL VERB.
Neither the teacher nor the students (likes/like) the music.
Neither the students nor the teacher (likes/like) the music.
Either Cassie or her parents (has/have) a copy of the Romeo and Juliet movie.