Subject/Verb Agreement

The subject must agree with the verb in number and person.

A simple subject is obviously either singular or plural.

NUMBER	Singular	A dog chases a cat.
	Plural	Dogs chase cats.

Remember that the present-tense verb often changes with respect to person (1st, 2nd, or 3rd).

PERSON	1st person	I chase my dog.
	3rd person	My dog chases cats.

A compound subject is usually plural.

Plural	The dog and the cat are fighting over the fish.
Plural	Bubba and Earlene are married.

Sometimes a subject that seems to be plural is actually singular.

WRONG	The first of the terrorists in the video were dressed like a woman.
Right!	The first of the terrorists in the video was dressed like a woman.

With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the verb agrees with the noun or pronoun that is closer to the verb.

NUMBER	Wrong	Neither the children nor their mother were smoking cigars.
	Right!	Neither the children nor their mother was smoking cigars.

NUMBER	Wrong	Either the students or their teacher are bringing cookies.
	Right!	Either the students or their teacher is bringing cookies.

Some indefinite pronouns (all, some, several, few, both, many) take a plural or singular verb, depending on when the pronoun refers to a countable or non-countable noun.

NUMBER countable	Wrong	All the men on the team likes beer.
	Right!	All the men on the team like beer.

NUMBER non-countable	Wrong	All beer in cans taste nasty.
	Right!	All beer in cans tastes nasty.

NUMBER countable	Wrong	Some of the boys in the class was sleeping.
	Right!	Some of the boys in the class were sleeping.

NUMBER non-countable	Wrong	Some of the rice were not cooked.
	Right!	Some of the rice was not cooked.

CAUTION: Test Alert!

Standardized tests, such as the ACT, will often throw a sentence at you with the subject separated from the verb with many other words and phrases. See the examples below to avoid being tricked.

TRICKY SUBJECTS	Wrong	Medical treatment with any of several antidepressants sometimes help people with depression.
	Right!	Medical treatment with any of several antidepressants sometimes helps people with depression.

TRICKY SUBJECTS	Wrong	Intense exercise in several popular video programs advertised on television commercials have become popular in our fitness-crazed society.
	Right!	Intense exercise in several popular video programs advertised on television commercials has become popular in our fitness-crazed society.