Special Subject – Verb Agreement Rules

1. Phrases and clauses which come between the subject and the verb do not change the number of the subject:

The picture of his classmates pleases him.

2. Some pronouns take singular verbs even though the pronouns may seem plural in meaning. These pronouns include:

anybody anyone anything

nobody no one nothing

somebody someone something

everybody everyone everything

each either neither

Everybody likes this pie.

3. When subjects are joined by either/or, neither/nor, not only/but also, the verb agrees with the closer subject:

Not only the teacher but also the students are going to the conference.

4. When subjects are joined be and, or by both/and they take a plural verb:

Both Ann and Fred are coming tonight.

5. None, all, some, any, most, majority and other similar expressions can take either a singular or a plural verb depending on the noun that comes after them:

None of the sugar was eaten. None of the students were pleased.

6. Several, both, many, few are plural words which need plural verbs:

Few were present at the last meeting.

7. A number of requires a plural verb. The number of requires a singular verb:

A number of my friends were here last night.

The number of books is limited.

8. In sentences beginning with it, the verb should be singular:

It is his problems at work that are bothering him.

9. In sentences beginning with there or here, the verb agrees with the real subject, which comes after the verb:

Here are the pictures you wanted.

10. A pair of, a flock of, a herd of, and other expressions indicating group of things or animals take singular verbs even though nouns used with them will be plural:

A pair of swans mates for life.

11. The verbs in relative clauses agree with the nouns that their head relative words replace:

The professor and the students, who were working together, wrote this article.

12. Some nouns which look plural are really singular and take singular verbs. These words include: news, politics, mathematics etc.:

Linguistics is his major.

13. Some nouns which look singular are really plural and take plural verbs. These nouns include those for which the singular and the plural form are the same:

The magazine series are all located in the reference section of the library.

This television series is a popular one.

14. Expressions showing quantities of time, money, weight, and volume look plural but take singular verbs:

Three days is enough time to finish this project.

15. Nouns that refer to a country or a nationality can be singular or plural. When one of these words refers to a language, it is singular; when to the people of a country, it is plural:

French is a difficult language.

The French are interesting people.

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