Subject-Verb Agreement in English

We know the basic principle that singular subjects need singular verbs and plural subjects need plural verbs. Therefore we know,

• My book is new & my books are new.
• My sister reads novels & my sisters read novels.

However all subject-verb agreement principles are not that easy. We will deal with that topic here.

Indefinite pronouns like anyone, everyone, everybody, someone, no one are always singular and they need singular verbs.

•  Someone has left his book here.
• Everyone associated with the project is proud about its successful completion.
• Everybody is here. (Everybody certainly feels like more than one person and hence we may tend to use plural verb, but it is actually singular and hence requires a singular verb)

The subject each is always singular and hence will require a singular verb.

• Each of the employees is responsible for the successful completion of the project.

The verb that follows pronouns such as some and all is determined by whether the pronoun is referring to something COUNTABLE or not. Countable subjects need plural verb and uncountable subjects need singular verb.

• Some of my books are old.
• Some of the grain was ruined by the flood.

(Books are countable hence a plural verb, while grain is not countable hence a singular verb)

None is generally considered singular, but it can also be used as plural pronoun.

• None of the representatives is honest OR none of the representatives are honest.

With fractional and decimal expressions, the verb will be determined by what is being measured – is it COUNTABLE or not.

• Two-fifths of the grain is ruined. (Grain is not countable, hence singular verb)
• One-half of the employees were trustworthy. (Employees is countable, hence a plural verb)

When either and neither appear as a subject alone (without or and nor) they are considered singular, though the subject seems to be two things.

• Neither of these answers appears to be satisfactory.
• My company will offer me extra pay or will allow me to take a compensatory day off. Either is fine with me.

However when either and neither act as correlative conjunctions (that is when they combine two subjects), the subject that is CLOSER TO THE VERB determines whether to use singular or plural form of a verb.

• Neither the principal nor the teachers are at fault (the plural subject teachers is close to the verb, so the plural verb are)
• Neither the teachers nor the principal is at fault (the singular subject principal is close to the verb so the singular verb is)
• Either the members or the leader has to take the responsibility.
• Either the leader or the members have to take the responsibility.

At times many modifiers may come between a subject and its verb, but they must not confuse the agreement between the subject and its verb. For example,

• The leader, though he has not been successful in completing many projects and has not been the favourite of most of the team members, is still in charge of the project.

If your sentence combines a positive subject and a negative subject and one is singular, the other is plural, the verb must agree to the positive subject.

• The teachers of the department but not the principal have decided not to teach on a hartal day.
• It is the speaker, not his words, that has provoked the listeners.