Maintaining Subject-Verb Agreement

Maintaining subject-verb agreement is a requirement in college and professional writing. Below are the issues that can spell trouble.

I. Prepositions and prepositional phrases

One of the best ways to begin understanding the in’s and out’s of subject-verb agreement—actually one of the best ways of avoiding a range of English grammar and usage nightmares--is to spend a few minutes working with prepositions.

You’ll recognized prepositions immediately. A group of the most common is in the box below. A preposition is seldom if ever alone in a sentence—it is most often followed by an object. From the preposition to its object is called a prepositional phrase.

Commonly Used Prepositions

about	at	by	like	through
above	before	during	near	throughout
across	behind	except	of	to
after	below	for	off	toward
against	beneath	from	on	under
among	beside	in	onto	until
around	between	inside	over	with
as	beyond	into	since	without

Here are examples of prepositional phrases with their objects underlined:

The cars on the freeway are heading into the tunnel.

In the room the women come and go.

I found the box below the stairs.

Identifying prepositional phrases is important to subject-verb agreement because the object of a preposition is not the subject of a sentence, so it cannot choose the verb form. Because of this, the best thing to do when checking subject-verb agreement is to first find the prepositional phrases in a sentence and temporarily cross them out. Then check the subject-verb agreement.

Here’s how it works: Pretend that the italicized prepositional phrases in the sentences below are invisible.  With this in mind, choose the correct verb.

The flakes in the cereal (is, are) soggy.

The growth of the trees (is, are) exceptional.

The people in the room by the door (is, are) getting anxious.

Since the objects of the prepositional phrases above (cereal, trees, and door) can choose which verb form to use, the subjects of these sentences are really flakes, growth, and people, so the verb forms have to agree with them.

Hint: When checking your subject-verb agreement, it’s best to cross out the prepositional phrases, make the verb choice without them, and then place them back into the sentence.

Below is an exception to the prepositional phrase rule:

When Some, Any, All, None, and Most are subjects, they do not ignore their prepositional phrases.  In fact, the words in the prepositional phrases following them determine whether we consider them singular or plural.

None of the pie is missing. (singular)

None of the people are here. (plural)

All of the sugar is in the cupboard. (singular)

All of the pets are housebroken. (plural)

II. Words that end in –one, -body, or -thing

--one, --body, and –thing subjects are ALWAYS singular.  Thus

No one            Nobody           Nothing    

Someone         Somebody      Something

Anyone           Anybody        Anything

Everyone        Everybody     Everything

are ALWAYS singular and require an s verb in the present tense.

III. Neither, either, every, and each are considered singular when used alone:

So it’s . . .

Neither of the girls (is, are) the winner.

Either of the contestants (is, are) qualified.

Every student (was, were) in attendance.

Each teacher (has, have) a special way of relating.

IV. There and Here

There and Here can NEVER be subjects so they cannot choose the verbs that follow them.   In sentences beginning with There and Here  look after the verbs that follow them for the subjects.

There (is, are) an elephant in the room.

There (is, are) elephants in the room.

Here (is, are) your cookie

Here (is, are) your cookies

The rule still applies even when contracting there or here with the “being” verbs (is, are, was, were):

(There’s There’re) an elephant in the room.

(There’s There’re) four elephants in the room

(Here’s, Here’re) your cookie.

(Here’s, Here’re) your cookies.

V. Either and Neither

Either and Neither are considered singular no matter how goofy it sounds.

So it’s

Either of the boys (is, are) a good choice.

Neither of the girls (was, were the winner.

VI. Either___or and Neither___nor

Either ____ or and Neither ___ nor sentences use the subject closest to the verb to choose the verb.

VII. Double Subjects

Watch for double subjects.  If the subject contains the word “and,” it is usually plural

The boys and Jan (is, are) coming to the movie. (plural because of the “and”)

Dan and Bill (was, were) in attendance. (plural because of the “and”)

VIII. Common Expressions that we consider invisible

Phrases beginning with the prepositions as well as, in addition to, accompanied by, together with, and along with do NOT make a singular subject plural.

So it’s

Bob, as well as most of the choir, (is, are) singing off-key.

Naomi, together with Ruth and Ester, (is, are) here for the lecture.

Godzilla, along with Mothdra, (has, have) terrorized Japan for years.