20 Rules About Subject-Verb Agreement

by Mark Nichol

Is, or are? Go, or goes? Whether a verb is singular = or=20 plural depends on any one of a complicated set of factors. Here is a = roster of=20 rules for subject-verb agreement (or =E2=80=9CHere are some rules . . = .=E2=80=9D):

1. Use verbs that agree with a subject, not with a noun that = is part=20 of a modifying phrase or clause between verb and subject:

=E2=80=9CThe pot of eggs is boiling on the = stove.=E2=80=9D

2. Use singular or plural verbs that agree with the subject, = not with=20 the complement of the subject:

=E2=80=9CMy favorite type of movie is = comedies,=E2=80=9D but =E2=80=9CComedies=20 are my favorite type of movie.=E2=80=9D

3. Use singular verbs with singular indefinite pronouns = =E2=80=94 each, the=20 =E2=80=9C-bodies,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9C-ones,=E2=80=9D and = =E2=80=9C-things=E2=80=9D (anybody, everyone,=20 nothing), and the like:

=E2=80=9CNeither is correct.=E2=80=9D (And, just as = in rule number 1, the=20 presence of a modifier is irrelevant: =E2=80=9CNeither of them = is=20 correct.=E2=80=9D)

4. Use plural verbs with plural indefinite = pronouns:

=E2=80=9CMany outcomes are possible.=E2=80=9D

5. Use singular verbs with uncountable nouns that follow an=20 indefinite pronoun:

=E2=80=9CAll the paint is dried up.=E2=80=9D

6. Use plural verbs with countable nouns that follow an = indefinite=20 pronoun:

=E2=80=9CAll the nails are spilled on the = floor.=E2=80=9D

7. Use plural verbs with compound subjects that include=20 and:

=E2=80=9CThe dog and the cat are outside.=E2=80=9D

8. Use plural verbs or singular verbs, depending on the form = of the=20 noun nearest the verb, with compound subjects that include nor = or=20 or:

=E2=80=9CEither the dog or the cats are responsible = for the mess.=E2=80=9D=20 (=E2=80=9CEither the cats or the dog is responsible for = the mess=E2=80=9D is=20 also technically correct but is awkward.)

9. Use singular verbs with inverted subjects that include = singular=20 nouns:

=E2=80=9CWhy is my hat outside in the = rain?=E2=80=9D

10. Use plural verbs with inverted subjects (those beginning = with the=20 expletive there rather than the actual subject) that include = plural=20 nouns:

=E2=80=9CThere are several hats outside in the = rain.=E2=80=9D

11. Use singular or plural verbs with collective nouns = depending on=20 meaning:

=E2=80=9CHis staff is assembled,=E2=80=9D but = =E2=80=9CStaff are=20 asked to go to the conference room immediately.=E2=80=9D (In the first = sentence, the=20 emphasis is on the body of employees; in the second sentence, the focus = is on=20 compliance by each individual in the body of employees.)

12. Use singular verbs for designations of entities, such as = nations=20 or organizations, or compositions, such as books or films:

=E2=80=9CThe United Nations is headquartered in New = York.=E2=80=9D

13. Use singular verbs for subjects plural in form but = singular in=20 meaning:

=E2=80=9CPhysics is my favorite = subject.=E2=80=9D

14. Use singular or plural verbs for subjects plural in form = but=20 plural or singular in meaning depending on the context:

=E2=80=9CThe economics of the situation are = complicated,=E2=80=9D but=20 =E2=80=9CEconomics is a complicated topic.=E2=80=9D

15. Use plural verbs for subjects plural in form and=20 meaning:

=E2=80=9CThe tweezers are in the = cupboard.=E2=80=9D

16. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form = =E2=80=9Cone of those=20 (blank) who . . .=E2=80=9D:

=E2=80=9CI am one of those eccentrics who do not = tweet.=E2=80=9D

17. Use singular verbs in constructions of the form = =E2=80=9Cthe only one of=20 those (blank) who . . .=E2=80=9D:

=E2=80=9CI am the only one of my friends who does = not tweet.=E2=80=9D

18. Use singular verbs in constructions of the form = =E2=80=9Cthe number of=20 (blank) . . .=E2=80=9D:

=E2=80=9CThe number of people here boggles the = mind.=E2=80=9D

19. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form =E2=80=9Ca = number of=20 (blank) . . .=E2=80=9D:

=E2=80=9CA number of people here = disagree.=E2=80=9D

20. Use singular verbs in construction of the forms = =E2=80=9Cevery (blank) .=20 . .=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9Cmany a (blank) . . .=E2=80=9D:

=E2=80=9CEvery good boy does fine=E2=80=9D; = =E2=80=9CMany a true word=20 is spoken in jest.=E2=80=9D

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16 Responses to =E2=80=9C20 Rules About Subject-Verb = Agreement=E2=80=9D

Dan on April 5, = 2012 6:30 am=20

Subject=E2=80=93verb (en dash) agreement, surely. =20
Graham on April 5, 2012 10:57 = am=20

My favourite type of movie is a comedy.
Susan on April 5, = 2012 11:27=20 am=20

Love the blog. Look forward to it. However, I believe 16 today is=20 incorrect: I am one of those eccentrics who DOES not twee. The subject = is not=20 eccentrics, and both I and one are singular. Those who do not tweet, = yes , but=20 I am one who does not tweet. I can=E2=80=99t see how DO is right.

Thanks.
teacherleola on April 5, 2012 = 11:35 am=20

I mostly agree. Like Susan, I would mark 16 wrong. =E2=80=9CI am = one=E2=80=9D preempts the=20 prepositional phrase =E2=80=9Cof those eccentrics.=E2=80=9D

You were just trying to catch us napping, right?
Daniel Scocco on = April 5,=20 2012 11:38 am=20

@Susan,

I believe the example is actually correct. The verb is agreeing = with the=20 subject =E2=80=9Ceccentrics=E2=80=9D and not with =E2=80=9CI=E2=80=9D, = so it=E2=80=99s in the plural=20 form.
Nann Dunne on April 5, 2012 = 12:07 pm=20

@Susan: Maybe this helps. Those eccentrics do not tweet. I am one = of them.=20 Ergo, I am one of those eccentrics who do not tweet.
Janey on April 5, = 2012 12:58=20 pm=20

I have to agree with Susan. Example 16 should invoke rules 1 and 3. = The=20 subject is singular (with a plural in the modifying prepositional = phrase) and=20 requires a singular verb.
Good catch, Susan. I hadn=E2=80=99t read = through all the=20 way, but came to see if there was a print option to print this post = out to use=20 in school with my kids next week. Scrolling to the bottom I noticed = all the=20 comments on #16. Had to take a look
Mark,=20 thanks for the great tips and reminders. This site is going to be a = great=20 resource in our homeschool!
Nann Dunne on April 5, 2012 = 7:04 pm=20

@Janey: I believe it has to do with interpretation or maybe with = taking the=20 sentence out of context.
If you make the verb singular, = you=E2=80=99re saying that=20 you=E2=80=99re an eccentric who does not tweet. But you=E2=80=99ve = distanced yourself from the=20 =E2=80=9Cbody=E2=80=9D of those eccentrics who do not tweet. You could = be any type of=20 eccentric. Does that help?
Sally on April 5, = 2012 11:25=20 pm=20

Nann is correct here.

Another way of expressing her point (and Mark=E2=80=99s) is to = write =E2=80=9CSome=20 eccentrics do not tweet. I am one of those.=E2=80=9D
Toby on April 6, 2012 1:31 am =

In 10, I would change that to simply =E2=80=9CSeveral hats are = outside in the=20 rain=E2=80=9D.
richmond on April = 6, 2012=20 6:10 pm=20

@ susan #16 is perfectly correct. I am one of those eccentrics = implies=20 others besides me, so a plural verb goes. As you can see in #17 the = article=20 =E2=80=98the=E2=80=99 is used, I am the only one of my
friends = which means no one else=20 except for me, so a singular verb should follow.
Precise Edit on April 6, 2012 = 7:21 pm=20

#16 is correct. Here=E2=80=99s why.

1. =E2=80=9CWho=E2=80=9D is a third person subject pronoun for both = singular and plural=20 antecedents.
ex: Who is that girl? (used as a singular = pronoun)
ex: Who=20 are those girls? (used as a plural pronoun)

2. In #16, the antecedent of =E2=80=9Cwho=E2=80=9D is = =E2=80=9Ceccentrics,=E2=80=9D which is plural, so=20 =E2=80=9Cwho=E2=80=9D is being used as a plural pronoun.

3. As a subject pronoun, =E2=80=9Cwho=E2=80=9D requires a verb. = Here, the verb is either=20 =E2=80=9Cdo=E2=80=9D or =E2=80=9Cdoes.=E2=80=9D

4. Now that we know that =E2=80=9Cwho=E2=80=9D is being used as a = third person plural=20 pronoun, we find the matching verb form. In the third person plural, = the verb=20 form is =E2=80=9Cdo.=E2=80=9D

Another way to look at this (maybe the easier way):
The = antecedent for=20 =E2=80=9Cwho=E2=80=9D is =E2=80=9Ceccentrics.=E2=80=9D As in all = cases, the antecedent and pronoun are (should=20 be) interchangeable.
Example: Bob is nice. I like him. = =E2=80=93> Bob is nice. I=20 like Bob.

Because pronouns and antecedents are interchangeable, we can put=20 =E2=80=9Ceccentrics=E2=80=9D in place of =E2=80=9Cwho,=E2=80=9D and = the choice between =E2=80=9Cdo=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9Cdoes=E2=80=9D = becomes=20 clear. We would say, =E2=80=9Ceccentrics do not = tweet.=E2=80=9D
[Yes, in the example, we=20 need to use "who" to introduce the restrictive clause, but the = principle still=20 works.]
agussatoto on = April 9, 2012=20 12:06 am=20

Check these out:

those eccentrics do not tweet. i do not tweet. they and i do not = tweet. we=20 are eccentrics who do not tweet. it means there are eccentrics who = tweet. i am=20 an eccentric and i do not tweet. i am an eccentric who DOES/DO NOT = tweet???? I=20 am one of those eccentrics who do not tweet OR I am one of those = untweeting=20 eccentrics. Those eccentrics do not tweet and I am one of them. More=20 confused?
GBryceYukon on April 9, 2012 = 3:04 pm=20

agussatoto said, in part: =C2=ABthose eccentrics do not tweet. i do = not tweet.=20 they and i do not tweet. we are eccentrics who do not tweet. it means = there=20 are eccentrics who tweet=E2=80=A6.=C2=BB

I disagree with the last sentence. Certainly there are eccentrics = who tweet=20 =E2=80=93 perhaps they are British train-spotters who tweet what they = spot =E2=80=93 but those=20 are not the eccentrics under discussion.

To me, =E2=80=9CI am one of those eccentrics who do not = tweet=E2=80=9D means that ALL=20 people who do not tweet are eccentric. It is defining non-tweeters as=20 eccentric, not commenting on the larger group of people who are = eccentric in=20 other ways.

I am one who has never tweeted in his life except in an effort to = talk to=20 certain birds, but I do love trains!
Pat T on April = 10, 2012 12:53=20 pm=20

The Chicago Manual of Style has this to offer (16th ed., 5.59):

=E2=80=9CA relative pronoun takes its number from its antecedent. . = . . if =E2=80=9Cone=E2=80=9D is=20 part of a noun phrase with a plural noun such as =E2=80=98one of the = few=E2=80=99 or =E2=80=98one of=20 those,=E2=80=99 the relative pronoun=E2=80=99s antecendent us usually = not =E2=80=98one=E2=80=99 but the noun=20 in the genitive construction {one of the few countries that cultivate=20 farm-raised fish as a staple}{she is one of those people who are = famous just=20 for being famous}. Always read carefully, though; in some = constructions like=20 these the antecedent is still =E2=80=98one=E2=80=99 {he is the one = among them who is=20 trustworthy}.=E2=80=9D

I would say that this interpretation supports Mark=E2=80=99s #16 = and=20 #17.
Angelin L on August 15, 2012 = 1:50 pm=20

According to grammarians, Wren & Martin in =E2=80=98High School = English Grammar=20 and Composition=E2=80=99, (120th edition 1987), when the Subject of = the verb is a=20 relative pronoun, the verb should agree in number with the antecedent = of the=20 relative.

Therefore, going by this, the verb =E2=80=98do=E2=80=99 agreeing = with the antecedent=20 (eccentrics) of the relative pronoun =E2=80=98who=E2=80=99 is = correct.

Relative pronouns referring to plural antecedents generally require = plural=20 verbs.

20 Rules About Subject-Verb Agreement

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