2) Subject - Verb Agreement

See, go – plural (subject) verb

Sees, goes- singular (subject) verb

Singular subjects take singular verbs. Plural subjects take plural verbs.

This is easy to do in simple sentences, but it may be challenging in complex sentences.

When the subject and verb are separated, you have to ignore what's in between and
just look at the subject and the verb. Usually the subject comes first in a sentence.

When the sentence order is reversed, you have to look carefully for the subject and verb to
be sure they agree.

Indefinite pronouns (everybody, everyone, anyone, anything) take a singular (subject)

verb. Just remember "-body", "-one", and "-thing.

The pronouns who, which and that can be either singular or plural.
E.g.: The questions that I am going to ask in the exams are going to be difficult.

It depends on the noun they are taking the place of. When those pronouns take the place of a
singular noun, they need a singular subject verb. When they take the place of a plural noun,
they need a plural subject verb.

Basic Rule. A singular subject (she, Bill, car, it) takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines),
whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb ( are, go, do, drive etc)

Example: The list of items is/are on the desk. (is)

If you know that list is the subject, then you will choose ‘is’ for the verb.

Rule 1. A subject will come before a phrase beginning with ‘of’. This is a key rule for
understanding subjects. The word ‘of’ is the culprit in many, perhaps most, subject-
verb mistakes. (Not always, refer Rule 8.)

Hasty writers, speakers, readers, and listeners might miss the all-too-common mistake in the
following sentence:

Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses lend colour and fragrance to the room.

Correct: A bouquet of yellow roses lends . . . (bouquet lends, not roses lend)

Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by ‘or’, ‘either/or’, or ‘neither/nor’ require a

singular verb.

Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Neither John nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiran or Nisha is helping today with stage decorations.
Rule 3. The verb in an ‘either/or’ or ‘neither/nor’ sentence agrees with the noun or
pronoun closest to it.

Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.

This rule can lead to bumps in the road. For example, if I is one of two (or more) subjects, it
could lead to this odd sentence:

Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I am going to the festival.

If possible, it's best to reword such grammatically correct but awkward sentences.

Better:
Neither she, I, nor my friends are going to the festival.

OR

She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.

Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural subject verb with two or more subjects when
they are connected by ‘and’.

Example: A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

But note these exceptions:

Exceptions: (Compound Nouns- a noun made up of two or more words.)

Breaking and entering is against the law. (entering= enter+ring, breaking= break+ring)
The bed and breakfast was good. (breakfast= break+fast)

In these sentences, (breaking and entering) and (bed and breakfast) are compound nouns.

Rule 5a. Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words like as along
as, with, as well as, besides, etc. These words and phrases are not part of the subject.
Ignore them and use a singular verb when the subject is singular.

Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Rule 5b. Parentheses are not part of the subject.

Example: Joe (and his trusted mutt) was always welcome.

If this seems awkward, try rewriting the sentence.

Rule 6. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.

Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Here are the keys.

NOTE:
The word there's, a contraction of there is, leads to bad habits in informal sentences
like there's a lot of people here today, because it's easier to say "there's" than "there are."
Take care never to use there's with a plural subject.

Rule 7. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when
considered as a unit.

Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
Five days a week is my work schedule.

BUT

Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills) were scattered on the floor.

Rule 8. With words that indicate portions—e.g., a lot, a majority, some, all—Rule 1 given
earlier in this section is reversed, and we are guided by the noun after of. If the noun
after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:
A lot of the cake has disappeared.
A lot of the cakes have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.
All of the cake is gone.
All of the cakes are gone.
Some of the cake is missing.
Some of the cakes are missing.

NOTE
In recent years, the SAT testing service has considered none to be strictly singular.
However, according to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage:
"Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. If in context it
seems like a singular, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are
acceptable beyond serious criticism." When none is clearly intended to mean "not one," it is
followed by a singular verb.

Rule 9. With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population, the
verb might be singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent.

Examples:
All of my family has arrived (OR) have arrived.
Most of the jury is here (OR) are here.
A third of the population was not (OR) were not in favour of the bill.
NOTE
Anyone who uses a plural verb with a collective noun must take care to be accurate—and
also consistent. It must not be done carelessly. The following is the sort of flawed sentence
one sees and hears a lot these days:
The staff is deciding how they want to vote.
Careful speakers and writers would avoid assigning the singular is and the
plural they to staff in the same sentence.

Consistent: The staff are deciding how they want to vote.

Rewriting such sentences is recommended whenever possible. The preceding sentence
would read even better as:

The staff members are deciding how they want to vote.

Rule 10. The word were replaces was in sentences that express a wish or are contrary
to a fact.

Example: If Joe were here, you'd be sorry.

Shouldn't Joe be followed by was, not were, given that Joe is singular? But Joe isn't actually
here, so we say were, not was. The sentence demonstrates the subjunctive mood, which is
used to express things that are hypothetical, wishful, imaginary, or factually contradictory.
The subjunctive mood pairs singular subjects with what we usually think of as plural verbs.

Examples:
I wish it were Friday.
She requested that he raise his hand.
In the first example, a wishful statement, not a fact, is being expressed; therefore, were,
which we usually think of as a plural verb, is used with the singular it.(Technically, it is the
singular subject of the object clause in the subjunctive mood: it were Friday.)

Normally, he raise would sound terrible to us. However, in the second example, where a
request is being expressed, the subjunctive mood is correct.

Note: The subjunctive mood is losing ground in spoken English but should still be used in
formal speech and writing.