Subject verb agreement is a mouthful, but it’s not overly complicated once you understand the words individually.
What is subject-verb agreement?
Despite the clunky phraseology, we can interpret subject-verb agreement literally: actions always follow subjects in number in sentences.
The count (or number of sentence subjects) is what subjects and verbs must “agree” on.
Subject-verb agreement, explained
For a subject and verb to agree in number, they must use their correct singular or plural form. If the subject is plural, the action (read: verb) must be the same. Verbs take after or “agree” with subjects, not vice versa.
Grammar Rule #1 of SVA (subject-verb agreement): Actions follow the number of people in sentences, not vice versa.
This makes sense when you stop to reflect on it. Only one person or multiple people act at any given time, both in life and in English grammar.
9 rules of subject-verb agreement
| Grammar rule | Example |
| Number #1: Singular subjects use singular verb forms | |
| Number #2: Plural subjects use plural verb forms | They were eating lunch quietly before being rudely interrupted. |
| Number #3: Sentences with two or more subjects connected by and use plural verb forms | A car and a bike are my main modes of transportation. |
| Number #4: Singular subjects joined by or, either/or, or neither/nor use singular verbs | Neither Ashley nor John is available to help with the move. |
| Number #5: Noncount nouns or mass nouns (large sums, concepts, fields of study) use singular verbs | Education is the key to success. |
| Number #6: Collective nouns use a singular verb form (an army, fleet, or unit taken as a whole), unless one part of the collective is specified. | |
| Number #7: Plural-only nouns use plural verb forms | |
| Number #8: When a phrase or clause separates the subject and verb, the verb matches the subject | The dog, along with its puppies, is sleeping. |
| Number #9: Indefinite pronouns like “everyone,” “each,” and “everybody” take singular verbs | Everyone is here. |
This could sound tedious, but trust me when I tell you that subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammar rule. Understanding it will improve your writing, communication, and maybe even your appreciation of English grammar!
Subject-verb agreement in sentences
| Grammar rule | Example |
| There is a dog barking on the street. (singular subject = single action) 2. There are dogs barking on the street. (plural subjects = plural actions) | |
| 3. There is dogs barking on the street (incorrect) 4. There are dog barking on the street. (incorrect) 5. There are dogs barking on the street. (correct) | |
| 6. Most of the cake have disappeared. (incorrect) 7. Most of the cake has disappeared. (correct) | |
A cake is a singular noun (and subject), = singular verb. This is why the sentence is incorrect (‘most of the cake have disappeared‘).
‘Have‘ is present tense plural (first person/second person singular/plural). Because the sentence mentions only one cake, the correct verb form is has, e.g., ‘most of the cake has disappeared.’
Two cakes cannot disappear when there was only a single cake to begin with. To say it one last time (so it gets stuck in your head), one subject = one action. Plural subjects = plural actions.
Read more articles
- Active vs. Passive Voice (Explained, With Examples)
- When to Use ‘Weren’t’ or ‘Wasn’t’? A Guide
- When to Use ‘A’ or ‘An’ (What’s an Article?)
- What is the Past Tense? (Forms of the Past Tense)
Sources
- P.C. Wren High School English Grammar and Composition.
- The Subjunctive Mood, Blue Book of Grammar, Accessed May 28, 2025
