Subject-Verb Agreement (Complete Detailed Notes)

📌 Day 9 – Subject-Verb Agreement (Complete Detailed Notes)

🔷 Introduction

Definition: Subject-Verb Agreement is the grammatical rule that states that a verb must agree with its subject in number (singular or plural) and in person.

If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular.

If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.

This rule is essential for correct sentence formation and is frequently tested in competitive examinations such as IBA STS, NTS, PPSC, and FPSC.

🔵 Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement

Rule No	Description	Examples
1	A singular subject takes a singular verb.	The boy runs fast. She sings beautifully. The teacher explains clearly.
2	A plural subject takes a plural verb.	The boys run fast. The teachers explain the lesson. The players practice daily.
3	Third-person singular subjects (he, she, it) require the verb to end in -s or -es in the present tense.	He writes neatly. She watches television. It works properly.
4	The pronouns I, you, we, and they take the base form of the verb in the present tense.	I work hard. They play football. We study daily.
5	Two subjects joined by “and” take a plural verb.	Ali and Ahmed are friends. The manager and the staff are present. Tea and coffee are available.
6	When two nouns joined by “and” refer to a single person or idea, they take a singular verb.	Bread and butter is my breakfast. Slow and steady wins the race. Rice and curry is my favorite dish.
7	“Each” takes a singular verb when used before a singular noun.	Each student has a book. Each player is ready. Each child receives a gift.
8	“Every” takes a singular verb.	Every house has a gate. Every worker needs rest. Every student is present.
9	“Each of” and “Every one of” take singular verbs.	Each of the students is responsible. Every one of the books is useful.
10	“Either” and “Neither” used alone take singular verbs.	Either boy is correct. Neither student was late.
11	In “either…or” and “neither…nor” constructions, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.	Neither Ali nor his friends are coming. Neither the teachers nor the principal is available.
12	Indefinite pronouns such as everyone, someone, anyone, nobody take singular verbs.	Everyone is ready. Someone has called you. Nobody knows the answer.
13	Indefinite pronouns such as many, few, and several take plural verbs.	Many students are absent. Several problems remain unsolved.
14	“Some,” “all,” and “half” take singular or plural verbs depending on the noun that follows.	Some milk is spoiled. Some students are absent. All the work is complete. All the players are ready.
15	Uncountable nouns take singular verbs.	Information is important. Advice is helpful. Furniture is expensive. Knowledge is power.
16	Collective nouns usually take singular verbs.	The team is winning. The class is silent. The family lives here.
17	Collective nouns take plural verbs when members act individually.	The team are arguing among themselves. The committee are divided in their opinions.
18	“There is” and “There are” agree with the real subject.	There is a book on the table. There are many books on the table.
19	“A number of” takes a plural verb.	A number of students are absent. A number of issues remain unresolved.
20	“The number of” takes a singular verb.	The number of students is increasing. The number of cases is rising.
21	“One of” followed by a plural noun takes a singular verb.	One of the boys is missing. One of the books is torn.
22	“More than one” takes a singular verb.	More than one student is absent. More than one person has complained.
23	“A pair of” takes a singular verb.	A pair of shoes is missing. A pair of scissors is on the table.
24	Titles of books, subjects, and movies take singular verbs.	Mathematics is difficult. “Hamlet” is a famous play.
25	Amounts of money, time, and distance take singular verbs when considered as a unit.	Five hundred rupees is enough. Two hours is sufficient. Ten kilometers is a long distance.
26	“Not only… but also” follows the rule of proximity.	Not only Ali but also his friends are coming. Not only the students but also the teacher is responsible.
27	“As well as” does not affect the verb; the verb agrees with the first subject.	Ali as well as his friends is ready. The teacher as well as the students is present.
28	Fractions and percentages agree with the noun that follows them.	Fifty percent of the work is complete. Fifty percent of the students are absent.
29	Words such as majority, minority, jury may take singular or plural verbs depending on meaning.	The majority is in favor of the decision. The majority are divided in opinion.
30	Relative pronouns (who, which, that) take verbs according to their antecedents.	The boy who is playing is my brother. The students who are absent will be fined. She is one of the students who are selected.

📝 Practice Section

Correct the following sentences:

• Each of the players are ready. → Each of the players is ready.
• The number of students are increasing. → The number of students is increasing.
• Neither Ali nor his brother are present. → Neither Ali nor his brother is present.
• A number of books is missing. → A number of books are missing.
• Fifty percent of the students is absent. → Fifty percent of the students are absent.

🏠 Homework Task (Day 9 Assignment)

• Write 15 sentences using different rules of Subject-Verb Agreement.
• Make 10 MCQs based on Subject-Verb Agreement.
• Identify the subject and verb separately in 10 complex sentences.
• Create 5 sentences using “either…or” and “neither…nor”.
• Write 5 sentences using fractions or percentages.