Welcome to Advanced English Lab! Have you ever found yourself hesitating between “One of my friends is fun” and “One of my friends are fun”? You are not alone. Subject-verb agreement is one of the most fundamental—and tricky—aspects of English grammar.
The core rule is simple: the verb must agree with the subject in number (singular or plural). However, English loves exceptions! Between compound subjects, tricky indefinite pronouns, and nouns that look plural but act singular, there are plenty of traps for even advanced learners.
In this comprehensive guide, we break down 10 essential rules of subject-verb agreement with clear explanations, colorful examples, and practical tips. By the end, you will never second‑guess your subject‑verb pairs again!
🎯 The Golden Rule
“The verb agrees with the subject.”
First, find the verb (the action). Then, ask who or what is performing that action to find the subject. Once you have the subject, choose the correct verb form.
- ✅ He plays baseball. (Singular subject → singular verb)
- ✅ They play baseball. (Plural subject → plural verb)
Now, let’s dive into the 10 challenging rules that make English interesting!
📘 Rule 1: Subjects with “And” (Compound Subjects)
When you have two subjects joined by and, the verb is usually plural. However, if the two nouns form a single entity (one unit), the verb becomes singular.
| Rule | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plural Verb | Two different subjects. | Tom and Jerry are best friends. |
| Singular Verb | Single entity (one dish, one concept). | Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite sandwich. |
✍️ More Examples
- 🟦 Plural: My brother and sister are coming to the party. (Two different people)
- 🟩 Singular: Fish and chips is a popular dish in the UK. (One dish)
- 🟩 Singular: Gin and tonic is a common cocktail. (One drink)
- 🟦 Plural: Her dog and his cat need different kinds of care. (Two animals)
🎨 Pro Tip
Ask yourself: Are they separate items or one combined item? If you can picture them as “one thing,” use a singular verb.
📗 Rule 2: Either/Or & Neither/Nor (The Proximity Rule)
When using either/or or neither/nor, the verb agrees with the subject that is closer to it.
✍️ Examples
“Neither the child nor the parents are sleeping.”
(Parents is closer → plural verb.)
“Neither the parents nor the child is sleeping.”
(Child is closer → singular verb.)
🎨 Practice Makes Perfect
- Either the cat or the dogs are making noise. (Dogs is closer)
- Neither John nor his friends are coming. (Friends is closer)
- Either the children or the babysitter is responsible. (Babysitter is closer)
- Neither the driver nor the passengers were injured. (Passengers is closer)
🎯 Key Takeaway
Always look at the noun immediately preceding the verb. That noun dictates the verb form!
📕 Rule 3: Nouns Ending in “S” That Are Actually Singular
Some nouns look plural because they end in -s, but they are actually singular. Treat them as singular subjects!
| Category | Examples | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Subjects | Mathematics, Physics, Economics | Mathematics is interesting. |
| Activities | Gymnastics, Aerobics, Athletics | Gymnastics is difficult. |
| Diseases | Measles, Mumps, Diabetes | Diabetes affects many people. |
| Countries | United States, Philippines, Netherlands | The United States is a large country. |
| Other | News, Politics, Series | The news was surprising. |
✍️ Examples
- ✅ Mathematics is my favorite subject.
- ✅ The news was worse than we expected.
- ✅ Politics requires public speaking skills.
❌ Common Mistake
“The news are surprising.” → ❌ Incorrect
“The news is surprising.” → ✅ Correct
📙 Rule 4: Expressions of Time, Money, Distance & Weight
When a plural number is used as a single unit (e.g., 30 minutes, $5, 7 days), it takes a singular verb.
✍️ Examples
- ✅ 30 minutes is all I need to get ready.
- ✅ $5 is too much for this coffee.
- ✅ 7 days is too short for a vacation.
- ✅ Five years is a long time.
⚠️ Watch Out!
If the expression focuses on the individual items rather than the whole unit, use a plural verb.
- ✅ The monthly payments of $100 were difficult to manage. (Focus on the payments themselves, not the total sum.)
📘 Rule 5: Nouns That Refer to Many Items (Collective Quantifiers)
Nouns like pair, set, bunch, bouquet, and suite refer to a collection of items but are treated as singular because they represent one collective unit.
| Noun | Example |
|---|---|
| Pair | This pair of shoes is uncomfortable. |
| Set | That set of tools is great for home repairs. |
| Bunch | That bunch of bananas is too ripe. |
| Bouquet | The bouquet of roses is beautiful. |
✍️ More Examples
- This pair of headphones is wireless.
- A set of golf clubs was left in the trunk.
🔥 Exception
If the collective noun itself is plural (e.g., bunches), use a plural verb.
- Five bunches of grapes are needed to make one bottle of wine.
📗 Rule 6: Fractions and Percentages
With fractions (½, ⅓, ¾) and percentages, the verb agrees with the noun that follows “of”.
✍️ Examples
- Two-thirds of the pie was eaten. (Agrees with pie → singular)
- Half of the students are attending. (Agrees with students → plural)
- 80% of the employees were working remotely. (Agrees with employees → plural)
- Three-quarters of the land is covered in trees. (Agrees with land → singular)
🎨 Quick Memory Trick
Ignore the fraction/percentage. Look at the noun after “of.” That noun tells you if the verb is singular or plural.
📕 Rule 7: Conjunctions (As Well As, Together With, Along With)
When using phrases like as well as, together with, along with, accompanied by, not to mention, the verb agrees with the main subject—not the additional phrase.
✍️ Examples
- The artist, along with her students, is displaying her work. (Main subject: artist → singular)
- The managers, together with the staff, are attending the meeting. (Main subject: managers → plural)
- The singer, not to mention the band members, is performing tonight. (Main subject: singer → singular)
- The mayor, as well as his advisors, was present. (Main subject: mayor → singular)
🎯 Pro Tip
Cross out the extra phrase (e.g., along with her students) to find the true subject. If the sentence still makes sense, you will know which verb to use!
📙 Rule 8: Indefinite Pronouns (Everyone, Someone, Nothing)
Indefinite pronouns like everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, no one, nobody, nothing, everything, anything are always singular.
✍️ Examples
- Everyone knows the rules of the game.
- Something feels strange about that house.
- Someone has stolen my wallet.
- Everybody is waiting for the announcement.
- Nothing is more important than family.
⚠️ Warning!
Even though everybody refers to many people, it is a singular pronoun. Treat it as he or she.
📘 Rule 9: Quantifiers (All, Some, Most, None, Plenty)
With quantifiers like all, some, most, none, plenty, enough, the verb agrees with the noun that follows the quantifier.
| Quantifier | Noun After | Verb Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most | Cake (Singular) | Singular | Most of the cake was eaten. |
| Most | Applicants (Plural) | Plural | Most of the applicants are qualified. |
| None | Money (Singular) | Singular | None of the money was recovered. |
| Plenty | People (Plural) | Plural | Plenty of people are interested. |
| A lot | Work (Singular) | Singular | A lot of work is unfinished. |
| Enough | Players (Plural) | Plural | Enough of the players are ready. |
🎨 Rule of Thumb
Ignore the quantifier. Look at the noun that comes right after it (usually after “of”).
📗 Rule 10: Expressions with “One” (One of, More than one)
Expressions like one of, more than one, and the only one of require a singular verb.
✍️ Examples
- More than one car was involved in the accident.
- One of the neighbors complains frequently.
- More than one person was offended by his comment.
- One of the students is funny.
🎨 Memory Trick
The word one is singular, so the verb must also be singular!
📊 Summary Table: The 10 Rules at a Glance
| Rule | Focus | Verb Form |
|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣ | Subjects with “and” | Usually Plural (unless single entity) |
| 2️⃣ | Either/Or, Neither/Nor | Agrees with the closer subject |
| 3️⃣ | Nouns ending in -s (but singular) | Singular |
| 4️⃣ | Time, Money, Distance, Weight | Singular (as a unit) |
| 5️⃣ | Pair, Set, Bunch (Collective nouns) | Singular |
| 6️⃣ | Fractions & Percentages | Agrees with noun after “of” |
| 7️⃣ | As well as, Together with | Agrees with the main subject |
| 8️⃣ | Indefinite Pronouns (Everyone, etc.) | Singular |
| 9️⃣ | Quantifiers (Most, All, etc.) | Agrees with noun after quantifier |
| 🔟 | One of, More than one | Singular |
🧩 Quick Review Quiz
Test your knowledge with these tricky questions!
| Question | Your Answer | Correct Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Either the doctor or the nurses ______ attending. | are | ✅ are (agrees with nurses) |
| $30 ______ all I have in my wallet. | is | ✅ is (unit of money) |
| More than one candidate ______ considered. | was | ✅ was (Rule 10) |
| Everyone ______ excited about the trip. | is | ✅ is (Indefinite pronoun) |
| Macaroni and cheese ______ my comfort food. | is | ✅ is (single entity) |
| The pair of sunglasses ______ missing. | is | ✅ is (collective noun) |
| One-third of the cookies ______ burnt. | are | ✅ are (agrees with cookies) |
| Politics ______ public speaking skills. | requires | ✅ requires (singular noun) |
| The dog along with its puppies ______ playing. | was | ✅ was (main subject dog) |
🏁 Final Words of Encouragement
Subject-verb agreement can seem overwhelming with 10 rules to memorize. However, native speakers don’t memorize these rules consciously—they develop an ear for them through practice.
The more you read, write, and speak, the more natural these rules become. When you are unsure, apply the tips from this guide:
- Check for proximity (Rule 2).
- Identify the main subject (Rule 7).
- Look at the noun after “of” (Rules 6 & 9).
Stick with it, and soon, choosing between is and are will feel as natural as breathing!
📚 Want to perfect your English grammar? Visit www.advancedenglishlab.com for expert lessons, interactive exercises, and advanced learning resources!
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