Maintaining Subject-Verb Agreement

Issues:

--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.

Some, Any, All, None, and Most 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 need to have their I.D. tags. (plural)

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.

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

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

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

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

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

PREPOSITIONS

about before by inside over as

above behind during into through like

across below except of to

among beneath for off toward

around beside from on under

at between in onto with