Grammar Essentials (Handbook)
🔒 Log in to trackSubject-verb agreement (all rules and exceptions)
🔒 Log in to trackA singular subject takes a singular verb. A plural subject takes a plural verb. That rule is easy. The trap is finding the real subject. Extra phrases often stand between the subject and its verb. Strike them out first.
Find the real subject
Cover every phrase that starts with of, in, with and similar words. What is left is the subject.
Example: The quality of the apples is poor. The subject is quality, so the verb is singular.
These add-on words never change the subject's number: as well as, along with, together with, with, besides, in addition to, rather than, accompanied by, including, like, no less than. The verb agrees with the first subject.
The minister, along with his aides, was present.
Joined subjects
| Joined by | Verb agrees with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A and B | plural | Ravi and his sister are here. |
| A and B as one person or idea (one article) | singular | The secretary and treasurer has resigned. Bread and butter is my breakfast. |
| each / every before A and B | singular | Every boy and every girl was given a prize. |
| either ... or, neither ... nor, not only ... but also, or, nor | the nearer subject | Neither the teacher nor the students were late. |
Always singular
- Each, every, either, neither, everyone, someone, anyone, no one, nobody, everything take a singular verb: Each of the players has a kit.
- One of + plural noun: singular. One of my friends is a pilot.
- One of those + plural noun + who: plural. He is one of those people who never give up.
- The only one of ... who: singular. She is the only one of the girls who has passed.
- Many a + singular noun: singular. Many a man has tried.
- More than one + singular noun: singular. More than one student was absent.
- An amount as one unit: singular. Fifty rupees is too much. Ten km is a long way.
- A gerund, an infinitive or a noun clause as subject: singular. Walking is good exercise. What he said was false.
- Titles and names, even with a plural form: The United Nations is based in New York.
- A pair of, a series of, a set of + plural noun: singular. A pair of shoes was stolen.
Quantity words
- A number of = many, so plural. The number of = one figure, so singular. A number of cars were towed. The number of cars is rising.
- Half, part, some, all, most, plenty, a lot, the rest, per cent, fractions + of X: the verb agrees with X. Half of the cake is eaten. Half of the guests are here.
- The + adjective (a class of people): plural. The rich are not always happy.
- There or here + verb: the verb agrees with the noun that follows. There are many reasons.
- A relative pronoun takes the number of its owner word: I, who am your friend, will help.
Collective nouns
Team, committee, jury, family, staff, audience, crowd, board and government are collective nouns.
- One body acting together: singular verb. The team is strong.
- Members acting separately: plural verb. The team are arguing among themselves.
- The matching pronoun follows the same choice (its or their).
Quick lists
- Singular: news, mathematics, economics, measles, furniture, information, luggage, scenery.
- Plural: cattle, police, people, poultry, clergy, scissors, trousers, spectacles.
- Depends on the noun after of: all, some, most, half, a lot, plenty, the rest, two-thirds.
Tip: In a divided-part item, the error is nearly always in the verb part. Strike the of or as well as phrase, then test the verb.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
Head noun before an 'of' phrase
A phrase like the quality of, the list of, the bouquet of, or one of the sits before the verb.
Find the head noun: quality, list, bouquet, one.
Ignore the phrase that starts with of.
Match the verb to the head noun.
The word 'of' begins a description, not a second subject.
The bouquet of roses ___ on the table. (is / are / were / have)
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The head noun is 'bouquet'.
It is singular.
Choose 'is'.
is
Each, every, one of: fixed singular
The subject begins with each, every, everyone, everybody, either, neither or 'one of the ...'.
Check that the subject word is on the singular list.
Choose the singular verb even if a plural noun follows 'of'.
Reject the plural option that only sounds natural.
These words point to members one at a time, so the verb stays singular.
Each of the girls ___ given a certificate. (was / were / are / have)
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The subject word is 'each'.
'Each' is singular.
was
Nearer subject for neither ... nor
Two subjects are joined by neither ... nor, either ... or or not only ... but also, and they differ in number.
Find the subject nearer the verb.
Match the verb to that subject alone.
Ignore the farther subject.
The nearer subject decides the verb, whatever the other subject is.
Neither the manager nor the workers ___ present. (were / was / is / has)
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The nearer subject is 'the workers'.
It is plural.
Choose 'were'.
were
Collective nouns and special singular subjects
The subject is a collective noun (committee, team), an -ics subject, 'more than one ...' or an amount (ten kilometres).
Check the special singular list.
A group acting as one unit takes a singular verb.
Ignore the plural look of the nearest noun.
These subjects name one unit or one idea, whatever their shape.
More than one student ___ selected. (was / were / have / are)
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'More than one' is followed by a singular noun.
The verb is singular.
was
A number of and the number of
The subject starts with 'a number of' or 'the number of' followed by a plural noun.
Read the first word: a or the.
A number of means many, so use a plural verb.
The number of means one figure, so use a singular verb.
The word before 'number' shows whether you count many things or one figure.
The number of cars on the road ___ rising every year. (is / are)
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The phrase is 'the number of'.
It stands for one figure.
Use the singular 'is'.
is
Half, some, all + of X
The subject is half, some, all, most, a lot or a fraction followed by 'of' and a noun.
Find the noun after 'of'.
Singular or uncountable noun: singular verb.
Plural noun: plural verb.
These words are only quantities; the noun after 'of' shows the number.
Half of the guests ___ already here. (is / are)
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The noun after 'of' is 'guests'.
It is plural.
Use 'are'.
are
The rich, and one of those who
The subject is 'the + adjective' (the rich, the poor) or the phrase 'one of those ... who'.
'The + adjective' names a class of people: plural verb.
In 'one of those + plural noun + who', the who-clause is about the group.
So use a plural verb after 'who'.
The verb agrees with the group, not with the word 'one'.
He is one of those students who ___ hard every day. (work / works)
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'Who' stands for 'those students'.
That group is plural.
Use 'work'.
work
Shortcuts that save time
Draw a line through every phrase that starts with a preposition (of the boys, in the box, with his friends). Also strike every add-on phrase (as well as, along with, together with). What stays before the verb is the true subject.
The captain, together with his players, ___ felicitated. (was / were)
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Strike 'together with his players'.
Now read: 'The captain ___ felicitated'.
One captain, so singular: 'was'.
was
For either ... or, neither ... nor, not only ... but also, or and nor, look only at the subject next to the verb. Put the plural subject second so the plural verb sounds natural.
Either the players or the coach ___ responsible. (is / are)
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Find the subject nearer the verb: 'the coach'.
It is singular.
Use 'is'.
is
The number is one figure, so it is singular. A number means many, so it is plural. Memory hook: A = Abundant.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Matching the verb with the noun just before it: The list of items are ready.
Match the head noun: The list of items is ready.
Treating as well as or along with like and, and using a plural verb.
The verb agrees with the first subject: The principal, as well as the teachers, was present.
Using a plural verb after each, every, either or neither.
Use a singular verb: Each of the girls was given a prize.
Using a singular verb after one of those who.
The who-clause describes the whole group: one of those people who never give up.
Treating people, police and cattle as singular.
They take a plural verb: The police are here.
Using a plural verb for a sum of money or a distance treated as one amount.
Use a singular verb: Fifty rupees is too much.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
Strike the of, with or as well as phrase; the head noun decides the verb.
each, every, everyone, either, neither: singular verb.
neither ... nor, either ... or: the verb follows the nearer subject.
A number of: plural. The number of: singular.
more than one, many a, amounts, mathematics, news, titles: singular.
half, some, all, most + of X: the verb agrees with X.
The error in a divided-part item usually sits in the verb part.
Practice: 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 5 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.