Subject verb agreement is one of the most basic rules in English grammar, yet it is also one of the easiest to get wrong once a sentence becomes a little more complex. A verb that clearly matches its subject in a short sentence can suddenly cause confusion when other words, phrases or tricky subject types get in the way.
This article explains the basic rule of subject verb agreement, the exceptions and tricky cases that cause the most mistakes, and gives exercises with answers so you can check your understanding.
What is subject verb agreement?
The basic rule
Subject verb agreement means that a verb must match its subject in number: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
Example: The dog barks loudly. (singular subject, singular verb) The dogs bark loudly. (plural subject, plural verb)
Why it matters
Getting subject verb agreement wrong is one of the errors that stands out most clearly to a reader or listener, even when the rest of a sentence is otherwise correct, because it affects a core grammatical relationship rather than a minor word choice.
Subject verb agreement rules
Rule 1: Ignore words between the subject and the verb
The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun that sits between the subject and the verb, often inside a prepositional phrase.
Example: The basket of apples is on the table. (the subject is “basket,” not “apples”)
Rule 2: Two subjects joined by “and” usually take a plural verb
Example: Tom and Jerry are best friends.
Exception: if the two nouns joined by “and” refer to a single idea or person, the verb is singular.
Example: Bread and butter is my favorite breakfast.
Rule 3: Subjects joined by “or” or “nor” agree with the nearer subject
Example: Neither the teacher nor the students were ready. Neither the students nor the teacher was ready.
Rule 4: Indefinite pronouns
Most indefinite pronouns, such as everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, nobody, each and either, take a singular verb, even when the meaning feels plural.
Example: Everyone is invited to the party. Each of the students has a laptop.
A few indefinite pronouns, such as both, few, many and several, take a plural verb.
Example: Both are correct.
Rule 5: Collective nouns
Collective nouns such as team, family, staff, committee and audience usually take a singular verb when the group acts as one unit, and can take a plural verb when members are considered individually, particularly in British English.
Example: The team is playing well this season. The team are arguing among themselves about the decision.
Rule 6: Subjects with “each” or “every”
When a subject is introduced by each or every, the verb is singular, even if the subject sounds like more than one thing.
Example: Every student has a textbook. Each book and pen belongs to the school.
Rule 7: There is / There are
The verb agrees with the noun that follows “there,” not with “there” itself.
Example: There is a book on the desk. There are three books on the desk.
Rule 8: Titles, amounts and time periods
Titles of books, movies or organizations, as well as expressions of amount, distance, time or money, are usually treated as a single unit and take a singular verb.
Example: “Great Expectations” is a novel by Charles Dickens. Ten dollars is too much for this item. Five years is a long time to wait.
Rule 9: Subjects that look plural but are singular
Some nouns end in -s but are grammatically singular, such as news, mathematics, physics and economics.
Example: The news is encouraging. Mathematics is her favorite subject.
Common mistakes in subject verb agreement
- Matching the verb to the nearest noun instead of the real subject. For example, writing The list of items are on the table instead of The list of items is on the table, because the writer matches “are” to “items” rather than to the subject “list.”
- Treating indefinite pronouns like “everyone” as plural. Writing Everyone are here instead of Everyone is here.
- Using a plural verb with collective nouns without considering the intended meaning. Writing The team are winning when American English convention would prefer The team is winning, unless the context calls for individual members acting separately.
- Forgetting to check “there is / there are” against the noun that follows. Writing There is many reasons instead of There are many reasons.
- Misapplying the “and” rule to a single combined idea. Writing Fish and chips are my favorite meal instead of Fish and chips is my favorite meal, when the phrase refers to one dish.
Subject verb agreement exercises
The following subject verb agreement exercises cover the rules above in a mix of formats.
Exercise 1: Choose the correct verb
- Each of the boys ______ (has / have) a bicycle.
- The committee ______ (is / are) meeting tomorrow to discuss the budget.
- Neither the manager nor the employees ______ (was / were) informed about the change.
- There ______ (is / are) several reasons for the delay.
- Mathematics ______ (is / are) taught every day in this school.
Sample answers: 1. has – 2. is – 3. were – 4. are – 5. is
Exercise 2: Find and correct the error
- The box of chocolates are on the shelf. → correct to is.
- Everybody have finished the test. → correct to has.
- Ten years feel like a short time when you look back. → correct to feels.
Exercise 3: Subject verb agreement quiz
Choose whether the sentence is correct or incorrect, and correct it if needed.
- Bread and butter are her favorite snack. – Incorrect → is
- The news are on at six o’clock. – Incorrect → is
- Both of the answers are correct. – Correct
- Every student and teacher was present at the event. – Correct
Practicing with worksheets and other materials
A structured subject verb agreement worksheet usually mixes the exercise types above: multiple choice, error correction and short quizzes, sometimes grouped by rule so you can focus on one tricky case at a time, such as indefinite pronouns or collective nouns. Many teachers look for subject verb agreement exercises pdf files or printable subject verb agreement worksheets they can hand out in class or assign as homework, since a printed format makes it easy to collect and mark student work. Regular subject verb agreement practice with a worksheet or a short quiz, rather than only reading the rules once, helps the exceptions become automatic over time.
If you are preparing teaching material, a subject verb agreement PPT typically presents each rule on its own slide with one or two examples, followed by a short practice slide, which mirrors the structure used in this article and works well for a classroom review session.
Why subject verb agreement matters in writing and exams
In formal writing and in exams such as IELTS Writing, subject verb agreement errors are one of the issues examiners are trained to notice under the Grammatical Range and Accuracy criterion, since they affect basic sentence accuracy rather than style. A single agreement error is unlikely to change a band score on its own, but a pattern of repeated errors, especially with tricky cases such as collective nouns or indefinite pronouns, signals limited control of grammar even when vocabulary and ideas are strong. Reviewing your own writing specifically for subject verb agreement, separately from checking spelling or vocabulary, is a practical way to catch these errors before submitting a piece of writing.
Subject verb agreement follows one basic principle: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. Most mistakes happen not with simple sentences, but with tricky cases such as indefinite pronouns, collective nouns, phrases between the subject and the verb, and “there is / there are” structures. Reviewing the rules above alongside regular exercises helps these exceptions become second nature.
See also: Auxiliary verb: Meaning, types, list and examples
Frequently asked questions of subject verb agreement
What is the basic rule of subject verb agreement?
The basic rule is that a verb must match its subject in number: singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. Most subject verb agreement mistakes come from tricky exceptions to this basic rule rather than from the rule itself.
Do collective nouns like “team” and “family” take a singular or plural verb?
It depends on the intended meaning and on the variety of English you are using. When the group acts as a single unit, a singular verb is standard, especially in American English, as in “The team is winning.” When individual members are acting separately, a plural verb can be used, which is more common in British English, as in “The team are arguing among themselves.”
Why is “everyone” followed by a singular verb even though it refers to many people?
“Everyone,” like other indefinite pronouns such as “everybody,” “someone” and “each,” is grammatically treated as singular in English, regardless of how many people it logically refers to. This is simply a grammatical convention, so the correct form is “Everyone is here,” not “Everyone are here.”
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