Subject-Verb

Grammatically speaking, the subject and verb relationship in a sentence is the most important couple that has ever been paired. They dance together, and should one take a step to the left and the other spin to the right, the entire dance routine becomes chaos. The most basic rule of this partnership is Subject-Verb Agreement (SVA).

Even though SVA is an extremely basic concept (singular subject, singular verb; plural subject, plural verb), English grammar is known for its surprises. Tricky collective nouns, confusion surrounding the terms "either/or," and a multitude of other nuances can make proper SVA crucial between professional sounding writing and confusing mumblings.

1. The Basics of Matching

The Golden Rule (or, The Science of Pairing): At its heart, subject-verb agreement is math. You need to know the person, place, or thing doing the verb, then figure out how many there are: one or more.

Singular Subjects. A singular subject requires a singular verb. The singular present tense verbs, with a few exceptions that apply mostly to third person, mostly use an 's' for an ending. The dog barks. He runs fast.

Plural Subjects. A plural subject takes a plural verb. Again, with the exceptions-plural present tense verbs don't take an 's'. The dogs bark. They run fast.

2. The Great Distraction: Intervening Phrases

One common SVA error involves words placed between the subject and the verb. These 'distracters' will often start with phrases beginning with of, with, in addition to, or along with.

The Rule: Disregard the middleman. The verb must agree with the subject and not with the noun immediately before it.

Incorrect Sentence: The chest of chocolates are on the bed. (The verb mistakenly agrees with 'chocolates.')

Correct: The chest (subject) of chocolates is (verb) on the bed.

Correct: The mayor, along with his aides, expects a large turnout.

Pro Tip: Try crossing out the middle words. If the rest of the sentence still works and follows the rule, you know it is correct.

The chest ~~of chocolates~~ is on the bed.

3. Compound Subjects: "And" vs. "Or"

The type of conjunction that joins two or more subjects has a profound effect:

"And"- a force for the plural. When subjects are linked by 'and', they create a singular entity, and they function as if they are plural. Example: Sarah and James are going to the store. Example: A pencil and an eraser make drawing easier.

"Or"- the proximity rule: When 'or' or 'nor' connects two subjects, the verb only pays attention to the nearest subject. Example: Either the cookies or the cake is delicious. Example: Either the cake or the cookies are delicious. Example: Neither the manager nor the employees want to stay late.

4. The Mystery of Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns are words that don't mention to a particular thing or person. They are the "sly" subjects of English because many of them sound plural but are grammatically singular.

Always Singular

The following pronouns always take a singular verb, no matter how many people they seem to involve:

• Everyone, everybody, everything

• Someone, somebody, something

• Anyone, anybody, anything

• No one, nobody, nothing

• Each, either, neither

• Correct: Everyone (singular) enjoys a good movie.

• Correct: Each of the students (singular) has a unique talent.

• Correct: Neither of the options (singular) works for me.

• 
  

The "SANAM" Pronouns (Variable)

Some pronouns can be either singular or plural depending on what they refer to: Some, Any, None, All, Most.

• Singular: All of the pie (uncountable) was eaten.

• Plural: All of the pies (countable) were eaten.

• 
  

5. Collective Nouns: One Group or Many Members?

Collective nouns refer to a group of people (team, family, jury, audience, faculty, committee). In American English these are generally treated as singular as the group functions as a unit.

E.g. The team (unit) is practicing for the championship.

E.g. The committee (unit) meets every Tuesday.

However, if you want to draw attention to the individual members within the group, you can use a plural verb (this is more commonly done in British English).

E.g. The staff are arguing amongst themselves. (i.e. The members of staff are arguing).

6. Special Cases and Oddities

"There" and "Here"

When sentences begin with there or here, the subject appears after the verb. Therefore, you need to read to the end of the sentence to see what the subject is and make your verb choice accordingly.

Correct: There is (verb) a cat (subject) on the roof.

Correct: There are (verb) many reasons (subject) to stay.

Units of Measurement

Sums of money, periods of time and distance are often treated as units and therefore singular.

Example: Ten dollars (unit) is too much for a cup of coffee.

Example: Five miles (unit) is a long way to run.

Example: Three years (unit) is a long time to wait.

Gerunds

When a verb ending in -ing takes the place of a subject, it becomes a singular noun called a gerund.

Example: Running (singular) is my favorite hobby.

Example: Eating vegetables (singular) improves your health.

7. The "S" Trap: A Summary Table

One of the biggest hurdles for learners is that -s means "plural" for nouns but "singular" for verbs.

The goal of subject-verb agreement is not simply to dodge that embarrassing red pen that circles every subject and verb that do not align in an essay. Rather, subject-verb agreement is the difference between clear writing and confusing, convoluted writing. When the subject and verb "marry," the sentence will flow naturally, leaving the reader free to follow and absorb your thoughts, rather than getting tripped up by your grammar.

Take some time, the next time that you sit down to construct a sentence, to listen to the rhythm of the language. Find the true subject of your sentence, disregard any interrupters, and make sure that you choose a verb that works in perfect tandem. You might be talking about a singular "idea" that provokes a response or several "innovations" that truly revolutionizes the world; in either situation, the grammar will support your sentence.