Subject-Verb Agreement: The Basics
Subject-verb agreement means the verb in a sentence must match its subject in number: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. "The dog barks" (singular), "The dogs bark" (plural). Most native speakers get this right instinctively in simple sentences — the trouble starts when other words come between the subject and the verb.
The basic rule
- Singular subject → singular verb: "She walks to work."
- Plural subject → plural verb: "They walk to work."
Where it gets tricky: words between subject and verb
The most common mistake happens when a phrase sits between the subject and its verb, and the writer accidentally matches the verb to the WRONG word:
- Wrong: "The box of chocolates were on the table."
- Right: "The box of chocolates was on the table." (The subject is "box" — singular — not "chocolates".)
Tip: mentally cross out the phrase in between ("of chocolates") and check whether the sentence still agrees — "The box was on the table" makes the singular subject obvious.
Tricky subjects
- Either/or, neither/nor: the verb agrees with the subject CLOSEST to it. "Neither the teacher nor the students were ready." "Neither the students nor the teacher was ready."
- Collective nouns (team, family, committee) are usually treated as singular in American English ("The team is winning") but can be plural in British English when emphasising the individuals ("The team are arguing among themselves").
- Indefinite pronouns like "everyone", "everybody", "each" are grammatically singular: "Everyone is here" (not "are"), even though it feels like it refers to many people.
Quick reference examples
- "Each of the students has a laptop." (singular — "each" is the subject)
- "A number of issues remain unresolved." (plural — "a number of" acts like "many")
- "The news is on at six." ("news" looks plural but is grammatically singular)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it "the team is" or "the team are"?
American English usually treats collective nouns like "team" as singular ("the team is"). British English often uses the plural when emphasising the individual members ("the team are arguing").
Why is "everyone is" correct and not "everyone are"?
Indefinite pronouns like "everyone", "everybody" and "each" are grammatically singular in English, even though they refer to a group of people — so they always take a singular verb.
