Subject-Verb Agreement: The Cases That Cause Mistakes

Ignore the words in between

When a phrase separates the subject from the verb, the verb still agrees with the subject, not with the nearest noun.

Wrong: The list of changes are on your desk. Right: The list of changes is on your desk. (The subject is 'list'.) Right: The managers in the Berlin office were notified.

A quick technique is to cross out the phrase mentally: 'The list ... is on your desk.'

Each, every, either, neither and one

These words refer to individuals one at a time, so they take singular verbs, even when followed by a plural phrase.

Each of the applicants was interviewed. One of the files is missing. Neither of them has replied.

In casual speech people often say 'neither of them have', but in formal writing, singular is the safer choice.

Subjects joined by and, or and nor

Two subjects joined by 'and' are usually plural. Subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor' follow the one closest to the verb.

The designer and the developer are meeting today. Either the manager or the engineers are responsible. Either the engineers or the manager is responsible.

If the order sounds awkward, put the plural subject last, or rewrite the sentence.

Collective nouns

Words such as team, committee, staff and family name a group. In American English they usually take a singular verb when the group acts as one unit. British English more often uses a plural verb when the members act individually.

The committee has approved the plan. (American usage) The committee have not yet agreed among themselves. (a common British usage)

Choose one approach and stay consistent within the document.

Sentences that start with 'there'

In 'There is' and 'There are', the real subject comes after the verb, and the verb must match it.

There are three options on the table. There is one problem we still have to solve.

Amounts, titles and subjects that look plural

Expressions of money, time and distance are treated as a single unit: 'Ten dollars is enough.' The titles of books, films and companies are singular, even when they look plural: 'The Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia.' Subjects such as news, mathematics and economics take singular verbs.

A fast self-check

For every verb in your draft, ask: who or what is doing this? Say that noun on its own, find whether it is one thing or several, and then check that the verb matches. It adds a few seconds per sentence but removes the most common source of agreement errors.

FAQ

Q. Is 'none' singular or plural?

Both are accepted. 'None' can mean 'not one', which is singular, or 'not any', which can be plural. Use whichever sounds natural, and keep to singular in formal writing if you prefer a strict reading.

Q. Does 'a number of' take a singular or plural verb?

'A number of' takes a plural verb ('A number of problems were reported'), while 'the number of' takes a singular verb ('The number of problems is growing').

Q. Why do I make agreement mistakes in long sentences?

The verb gets pulled toward the closest noun, which may not be the subject. Cross out the phrase between the subject and verb to see what the verb should match.