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2.2 Subject-Verb Agreement

Learning objectives.

  • Define subject-verb agreement.
  • Identify common errors in subject-verb agreement.

In the workplace, you want to present a professional image. Your outfit or suit says something about you when meeting face-to-face, and your writing represents you in your absence. Grammatical mistakes in your writing or even in speaking make a negative impression on coworkers, clients, and potential employers. Subject-verb agreement is one of the most common errors that people make. Having a solid understanding of this concept is critical when making a good impression, and it will help ensure that your ideas are communicated clearly.

Agreement in speech and in writing refers to the proper grammatical match between words and phrases. Parts of sentences must agree , or correspond with other parts, in number, person, case, and gender.

  • Number. All parts must match in singular or plural forms.
  • Person. All parts must match in first person ( I ), second person ( you ), or third person ( he, she, it, they ) forms.
  • Case. All parts must match in subjective ( I, you, he, she, it, they, we ), objective ( me, her, him, them, us ), or possessive ( my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, their, theirs, our, ours ) forms. For more information on pronoun case agreement, see Section 2.5.1 “Pronoun Agreement” .
  • Gender. All parts must match in male or female forms.

Subject-verb agreement describes the proper match between subjects and verbs.

Because subjects and verbs are either singular or plural, the subject of a sentence and the verb of a sentence must agree with each other in number. That is, a singular subject belongs with a singular verb form, and a plural subject belongs with a plural verb form. For more information on subjects and verbs, see Section 2.1 “Sentence Writing” .

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern. For example, in the third person singular, regular verbs always end in -s . Other forms of regular verbs do not end in -s. Study the following regular verb forms in the present tense.

Add an -es to the third person singular form of regular verbs that end in -sh , -x , -ch , and -s. (I wish/He wishes, I fix/She fixes, I watch/It watches, I kiss/He kisses.)

In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the first person singular and the first person plural.

In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the second person singular and the second person plural. In the singular form, the pronoun you refers to one person. In the plural form, the pronoun you refers to a group of people, such as a team.

In this sentence, the subject is mother . Because the sentence only refers to one mother, the subject is singular. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person singular form.

In this sentence, the subject is friends . Because this subject refers to more than one person, the subject is plural. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person plural form.

Many singular subjects can be made plural by adding an -s . Most regular verbs in the present tense end with an – s in the third person singular. This does not make the verbs plural.

On your own sheet of paper, write the correct verb form for each of the following sentences.

  • I (brush/brushes) my teeth twice a day.
  • You (wear/wears) the same shoes every time we go out.
  • He (kick/kicks) the soccer ball into the goal.
  • She (watch/watches) foreign films.
  • Catherine (hide/hides) behind the door.
  • We (want/wants) to have dinner with you.
  • You (work/works) together to finish the project.
  • They (need/needs) to score another point to win the game.
  • It (eat/eats) four times a day.
  • David (fix/fixes) his own motorcycle.

Irregular Verbs

Not all verbs follow a predictable pattern. These verbs are called irregular verbs . Some of the most common irregular verbs are be , have , and do . Learn the forms of these verbs in the present tense to avoid errors in subject-verb agreement.

Study the different forms of the verb to be in the present tense.

Study the different forms of the verb to have in the present tense.

Study the different forms of the verb to do in the present tense.

Complete the following sentences by writing the correct present tense form of be , have , or do . Use your own sheet of paper to complete this exercise.

  • I ________ sure that you will succeed.
  • They ________ front-row tickets to the show.
  • He ________ a great Elvis impersonation.
  • We ________ so excited to meet you in person!
  • She ________ a fever and a sore throat.
  • You ________ not know what you are talking about.
  • You ________ all going to pass this class.
  • She ________ not going to like that.
  • It ________ appear to be the right size.
  • They ________ ready to take this job seriously.

Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement

Errors in subject-verb agreement may occur when

  • a sentence contains a compound subject;
  • the subject of the sentence is separate from the verb;
  • the subject of the sentence is an indefinite pronoun, such as anyone or everyone ;
  • the subject of the sentence is a collective noun, such as team or organization ;
  • the subject appears after the verb.

Recognizing the sources of common errors in subject-verb agreement will help you avoid these errors in your writing. This section covers the subject-verb agreement errors in more detail.

Compound Subjects

A compound subject is formed by two or more nouns and the coordinating conjunctions and , or , or nor . A compound subject can be made of singular subjects, plural subjects, or a combination of singular and plural subjects.

Compound subjects combined with and take a plural verb form.

Compound subjects combined with or and nor are treated separately. The verb must agree with the subject that is nearest to the verb.

If you can substitute the word they for the compound subject, then the sentence takes the third person plural verb form.

Separation of Subjects and Verbs

As you read or write, you may come across a sentence that contains a phrase or clause that separates the subject from the verb. Often, prepositional phrases or dependent clauses add more information to the sentence and appear between the subject and the verb. However, the subject and the verb must still agree.

If you have trouble finding the subject and verb, cross out or ignore the phrases and clauses that begin with prepositions or dependent words. The subject of a sentence will never be in a prepositional phrase or dependent clause.

The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a prepositional phrase:

The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a dependent clause:

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to an unspecified person, thing, or number. When an indefinite pronoun serves as the subject of a sentence, you will often use a singular verb form.

However, keep in mind that exceptions arise. Some indefinite pronouns may require a plural verb form. To determine whether to use a singular or plural verb with an indefinite pronoun, consider the noun that the pronoun would refer to. If the noun is plural, then use a plural verb with the indefinite pronoun. View the chart to see a list of common indefinite pronouns and the verb forms they agree with.

The indefinite pronoun everybody takes a singular verb form because everybody refers to a group performing the same action as a single unit.

The indefinite pronoun all takes a plural verb form because all refers to the plural noun people . Because people is plural, all is plural.

In this sentence, the indefinite pronoun all takes a singular verb form because all refers to the singular noun cake . Because cake is singular, all is singular.

Collective Nouns

A collective noun is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and considers those people, places, or things one singular unit. Because collective nouns are counted as one, they are singular and require a singular verb. Some commonly used collective nouns are group , team , army , flock , family , and class .

In this sentence, class is a collective noun. Although the class consists of many students, the class is treated as a singular unit and requires a singular verb form.

The Subject Follows the Verb

You may encounter sentences in which the subject comes after the verb instead of before the verb. In other words, the subject of the sentence may not appear where you expect it to appear. To ensure proper subject-verb agreement, you must correctly identify the subject and the verb.

Here or There

In sentences that begin with here or there , the subject follows the verb.

If you have trouble identifying the subject and the verb in sentences that start with here or there ; it may help to reverse the order of the sentence so the subject comes first.

When you ask questions, a question word ( who , what , where , when , why , or how ) appears first. The verb and then the subject follow.

If you have trouble finding the subject and the verb in questions, try answering the question being asked.

Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following sentences. If there are no errors in subject-verb agreement, write OK . Copy the corrected sentence or the word OK on your own sheet of notebook paper.

My dog and cats chases each other all the time.

________________________________________________________________

The books that are in my library is the best I have ever read.

Everyone are going to the concert except me.

My family are moving to California.

Here is the lake I told you about.

There is the newspapers I was supposed to deliver.

Which room is bigger?

When are the movie going to start?

My sister and brother cleans up after themselves.

Some of the clothes is packed away in the attic.

Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following paragraph. Copy the paragraph on a piece of notebook paper and make corrections.

Writing at Work

Figure 2.5 Advertisement

Advertisement: Terra Services are dedicated to serving our clients' needs. We settles for nothing less than high quality work, delivered on time. The next time you needs assistance getting your project off the ground, contact Terra Services, where everybody know how important it is that you get the job done right.

Imagine that you are a prospective client and that you saw this ad online. Would you call Terra Services to handle your next project? Probably not! Mistakes in subject-verb agreement can cost a company business. Paying careful attention to grammatical details ensures professionalism that clients will recognize and respect.

Key Takeaways

  • Parts of sentences must agree in number, person, case, and gender.
  • A verb must always agree with its subject in number. A singular subject requires a singular verb; a plural subject requires a plural verb.
  • Irregular verbs do not follow a predictable pattern in their singular and plural forms. Common irregular verbs are to be , to have , and to do .
  • A compound subject is formed when two or more nouns are joined by the words and , or , or nor .
  • In some sentences, the subject and verb may be separated by a phrase or clause, but the verb must still agree with the subject.
  • Indefinite pronouns, such as anyone , each , everyone , many , no one , and something , refer to unspecified people or objects. Most indefinite pronouns are singular.
  • A collective noun is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and treats those people, places, or things one singular unit. Collective nouns require singular verbs.
  • In sentences that begin with here and there , the subject follows the verb.
  • In questions, the subject follows the verb.

Writing Application

Use your knowledge of subject-verb agreement to write one of the following:

  • An advertisement for a potential company
  • A memo to all employees of a particular company
  • A cover letter describing your qualifications to a potential employer

Be sure to include at least the following:

  • One collective noun
  • One irregular verb
  • One question

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Subject Verb Agreement Rules & Exercises (English Grammar)

Language Focus : Subject-Verb-Agreement

English Level : Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced

Worksheet Download :  subject-verb-agreement-worksheet.docx

Exercises : here

If the subject of a sentence (e.g. "I") doesn't match the verb (e.g. "are"), we say that the subject and the verb don't  agree . In other words, you have a subject-verb-agreement mistake (SVA), which is a common mistake for English language learners.

I made the above worksheet for my college students in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program. Students, you can do the practice exercises below .

A Review of Subject Verb Agreement Rules

In English, if the subject of a verb is the third-person singular ( He/She/It ), then the verb will have an ' s ' at its end. Here's an example with the verb like :

  • I like it. (First person singular)
  • You like it.  (Second person singular)
  • He like s it / She like s it / It like s it . (Third person singular)
  • We like it . (First person plural)
  • They like it.  (First person plural)
  • You like it.  (First person plural)

This is the rule for all verbs (jump/walk/read/etc).

Exception: BE

With the BE Verb , the first person singular is changed to ' am ' (present) and ' was ' (past), and the third person singular becomes ' is ' (present)' and ' was ' (past). See the table below.

Singular & Plural?

A singular noun is just one thing. It is a single thing. Here are singular nouns in the third person:

  • A dog (i s ...)
  • A candle (burn s ...)
  • The boy  (ha s ...)
  • The world  (turn s ...)

Uncountable nouns also use the same verbs as singular nouns. For example:

  • Love (i s ...)
  • Wine (taste s ...)
  • The water in the lake (feel s ...)

A plural noun is more than one thing. These plural subjects are the same as "They".

  • Dogs (are...)
  • Two candles (burn...)
  • The boys (have...)
  • People (live...)

Two singular nouns connected by AND makes a plural subject.

  • The man and the woman live here. (The man + the woman = they)
  • The reason she came here and the reason I came here are different. (two reasons = they)

Advanced Rules with Subject Verb Agreement

Here are some hints for the advanced exercises:

1. The closest word to the verb is not always the subject.

  • The leader of the students has long hair.

The head noun  of the phrase is "The leader." The prepositional phrase " of the students " modifies the subject. The full subject is The leader of the students . Is the subject singular or plural? It's singular (one), and the third person (the leader = she/he).

  • The bird in the trees was beautiful.

Similarly, the subject is  the bird in the trees . This is  one thing , so the verb will be 'was', not 'were'.

  • The man who bought a hundred houses is rich.

Again, the subject is ' The man (who bought a hundred houses) '. To find the subject, just look at the verb and ask yourself ( what ) is rich? The answer is the man (not the houses) is rich.

2. In inverted sentences, the verb agrees with the noun that comes after it.

An inverted sentence is when the subject comes after the verb. For example:

  • There is a problem . (verb = is , singular subject = a problem)
  • Here are your glasses . (verb = are, plural subject = your glasses)
  • Now comes the difficult part . (verb = comes, singular subject = the difficult part)
  • How important are the price, location, and size? (verb = are, plural subjects = price/location/size)

3. Everyone/Someone/Anyone/No one/etc are singular subjects.

Everyone refers to every  single person. These subjects agree with a verb in the third-person singular form.

  • Everyone is hungry.
  • Somebody lives here.

4. Phrases in parentheses () or between commas are not part of the subject.

  • The man, in addition to his daughter, lives here. (subject = the man)
  • The man (in addition to his daughter) lives here . (subject = the man)

A lesson on subject verb agreement

The house, which has several windows, is in the countryside.

There are several other rules as well that are not listed above. Try the exercises below and if you have any questions, please leave a comment .

Subject Verb Agreement Exercises

Subject verb agreement - beginner.

  • My teacher  is are  funny. He  likes like  to tell jokes. I think his jokes  is are  funny, and my friends  agrees agree .  Most of the students in my class  is are  boys. There  is are  not many girls in my school who  is are  my age. It  is are  weird. My friend  has have  a girlfriend. My parents always  asks ask  me if I have a girlfriend, by my answer  is are  always “No.”

Check Answers    

Subject Verb Agreement - Intermediate

  • Everyone  has have  problems in life. Countries also  has have  problems, and so  does do  the world. One of the greatest problems  is are  the growing population. The population in some countries  is are  huge. Both India and China  has have  populations of over one billion people.  Both  is are  growing, too.
  • A few of my friends  owns own  cars. One of my friends  is are  rich. Much of his money  comes come  from his parents. His parents  runs run  three companies that  sells sell  products. I don't know what kind of products the companies  deals deal  with or who their customers  is are .

Subject Verb Agreement - Advanced

  • A number of my friends  loves love  riding bicycles, but neither my brother nor my sister  owns own  a bicycle. At 4 o'clock, either my mother or father  is are  coming to pick me up (in a car).
  • The pair of shoes on the floor  is are  mine. The shoes  was were  made in Italy. The 300 dollars I spent on them  was were  worth it.
  • Finding a job where you can learn new skills  takes take  a lot of effort. I have been looking for six months. Six months  is are  a long time. Not even one company that I applied to  has have  responded.
  • A lot of chicken  is are  eaten in America. As a consequence, a lot of chickens  is are  raised on farms. I know this because I study agriculture and economics. In fact, economics  is are  my favourite subject. I think that it, along with agriculture,  is are  fascinating.
  • A photograph of two children  sits sit  on the desk. Outside, there  is are  people and a cat on the street. Sitting on the roof of a building  is are  a big crow.
  • How useful this website and many other free ones for studying English   is are  ! This website (which I think is better than some others)  was were  founded in 2011.

Find a mistake? Have a question? Leave a comment below.

-- Subject Verb Agreement Worksheet & Exercises created by Matthew Barton (copyright) of Englishcurrent.com

English Current recommends Grammarly  as a learning tool to reduce English mistakes. If you found this page helpful, consider a donation to our hosting bill to show your support!

56 comments on “ Subject Verb Agreement Rules & Exercises (English Grammar) ”

Undoubtedly, very helpful to over come atleast insensible grammar mistakes.

Pay attention to the use of singular and plural

Very useful! Apparently now this is teaching standard. My teacher show this to us

really a awesome exercise. I don’t have anything to say . but reality it is very much good exercise. nice exercise it is very helpful and thankful for me . I have understand very well. thankyou very very much . again thanks…………………………………………………

A lot of chickens—— are is the answer. Though I cannot understand that how can we write are with a loy.

With quantifiers that indicate portion, such as ‘ a lot, a majority, some, all ‘ the verb will agree with the noun that comes after the quantifier. This is why we say ‘a lot of people have’ and not ‘a lot of people has’. English is fun, isn’t it? :)

Good worksheet

Your right, but I never passed any of the tests, I mean, I maked at least one mistake in the question answers. Yours truly, Rishita :)

Yes it helped to correct the mistakes, but it pointed out the mistakes, making it very easy to change the answers. Yours Sincerely, Rishita (From Anonymous)

I would say that this quiz is that hard for me, because I know proper verb to be use. For me to be able to answer if it is “is” ar “are” , “w/s” or ” without s”. I looked at the noun if it is plural or singular also if it is present or past. I know to my self that identifying the write word not easy because there’s things I didn’t know.

A very nice site, it helps me to more learn.

This exercises are not easy but I know this will have a big help for me to enhance my skills in English.

Some sentences made me confused but I know, this quiz will make me better understand all about the topic.

This quiz really made me think critically. There are some choices that made me think that it is correct but it was not. It test my skills in construction of sentences.

I can say that this quiz is hard but it is also a big help for me to develop my skills in constructing sentences.

Those exercises are fun to answer. It is so useful for me to improve my grammar more.

These exercises really tested my knowlegde about SVA.It was nice and very beneficial.I enjoyed answering it.

It’s was really helpful for me I’m in 8th standard and my exams starts from tomorrow

My brain squeezed a little bit.Confusing but it is useful and challenging.I love it.

It was a good diagnostic test, it really helps me a lot to read and understand the sentence. Thank you and Godbless

1.The writing of good essays need/needs creativity.

requires (see here: https://www.englishcurrent.com/grammar/difference-need-require-verbs/ )

I makes 2-3 mistakes in every subject verb agreement as beginner, intermidiate or Advance. I think, I have to be practice more.

Loving this website so far! It’s great for practice, and I really like how you categorized the difficulty level for the exercises :)

This test was great, I had an amazing experience with it and I won’t doubt it if it helps most people with their grammar

Thanks a lot. This exercise is very helpful to me . I gained knowledge from this exercise also it will help me while writing a paragraph on any topic .

How comes “A lot of chicken is eaten in America” and then “a lot of chickens are raised on farms”?

The first sentence talks about meat (an uncountable noun) and the second talks about an animal (countable noun).

Got it! Thank you ,sir.

it’s really helpful for me

It’s a nice test . It increases my vocabulary.

It is really helpful but if all the rules have been described so far it becomes more better for attempting.

I like this article it is extremely awesome and also easy.

This kind of test are the best form to learn for my skills in English.

Very nice exercise. But it would be better if you show why my answer is wrong also.

Beneficial exercise! But I have one question- Reema as well as Toby _ playing chess (love). what qill be the answer? add an explanation too, please!

Love. It is a plural subject (Reema as well as Toby = they).

the website is very good and benefit for me. thanks a lot.

This was an amazing test it really helped me in my language and reading test thank you.

You are beginning middle and my end!

wow it really great..this grammar exercise make my grammar more better than before…

A lot of chickens are eaten are eaten in America …should be the correct sentence in Number 3.

A lot of chickens are eaten in America… should be the correct sentence. .

Yes, that would be correct. However, the sentence in the exercise is “A lot of chicken” (uncountable, not plural). This is why the answer is ‘is’.

I HAVE THE SAME MISTAKE THANK YOU

it was easy every level btw how can it be founded in 2011

it should be found in 2011

To ‘found’ something is a verb that means to establish a business. I founded EnglishCurrent in 2011. In other words, it was founded in 2011.

Thank you! Expecting more such tasks.

It is very helpful !

I THINK IT IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL

I don’t understand “the 300 dollars I spent on them was worth it.” Why should I use was instead of were?

Hello. When talking about an amount of money, it requires a singular verb. For example, “1 million dollars is a lot of money.”

Idk if it’s too late to ask, but dollars is plural right? And, we spent them in the past… So shouldn’t the answer be were?

Hello. Yes, ‘dollars’ is plural, but as an exception, when talking about an amount of money, use a singular verb. For example, “1 million dollars is a lot of money.”

It is helpful

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Part Three Editing / Grammar Skills

Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement

Learning Objectives

  • To understand what subject-verb agreement means
  • To learn the strategies and ten rules in correctly using subject-verb agreement
  • To apply the strategies and rules of subject-verb agreement through multiple examples and exercises

snow-covered trees and houses

In the following ten sentences are about snow days, some verbs are bold-faced. If the bold-faced part in the sentence is correct, choose “correct”.  If not, choose the other answer. After you finish one sentence, you will get instant feedback on your answer before the next sentence. If you make mistakes, you can retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

II. Meaning of Subject-Verb Agreement

In English, a subject and its verb must match each other. When the subject is singular, a singular form of the verb is used. When the subject is plural, a plural form of the verb is used.

The subjects are boldfaced , and the verbs are underlined below.

  • Most students love snow days.
  • When the weather is too severe due to snow and ice, schools are canceled .
  • When that happens , students have a snow day.

III. Strategies for Subject-Verb Agreement

1. The best way to decide on the correct verb is to look back at the subject. Highlight the subject if necessary, as shown in the above examples.

2. When a subject looks complicated or unclear to you, turn it into a pronoun to see its singular/plural nature. That will help you decide on the verb.

  • In Chicago, there are usually a few snow days in most winters.

a few snow days → they (plural)

  • Though everyone has a day off, some teachers assign extra homework.

everyone → he or she (singular)               some teachers → they (plural)

  • The extra homework , like small projects, keeps the students busy and safe at home.

the extra homework → it (singular)

3. The ten common rules you will be learning in this unit will help you choose the correct verbs in most situations. Some rules may be different from how people speak in informal situations, but here you are focusing on formal, standard English usage.

  • None of my classmates enjoy driving in snow. (informal)
  • None of my classmates enjoys driving in snow. (formal)

4. Practice, practice, and practice while enjoying your journey of learning. Be conscious of the verbs you are using. It is fun to learn a different language, and it is empowering [1] to have the assurance [2] that you are using the language correctly in academic writing.

IV. Ten Common Rules of Subject-verb Agreement

Rule one. in general, a subject of singular nature takes the singular form of the verb. a subject of plural nature takes the plural form of the verb..

  • We like outdoors, and our puppy loves outdoors, too.
  • The cold weather always keeps us all indoors.

Rule Two. If a compound subject is used, understand it as “they” and use the plural form of the verb.

  • A wool scarf and a pair of earmuffs protect us from the biting cold.
  • Besides a warm coat, gloves and boots are also essential.
  • Both a jumper cable [3] and a blanket   are necessary to keep in the car.

Rule Three. When “or”, “either…or…”, or “neither…nor…” is in the subject, look at the part after “or” or “nor” to decide on the verb.

  • The GPS navigation or a detailed map is very helpful if we are driving to a new location.
  • The GPS navigation or printed directions are very helpful if we are driving to a new location.
  • Either a blanket or warm clothes keep us warm during long-distance driving on a wintery day.
  • Either warm clothes or a blanket keeps us warm during long-distance driving on a wintery day.
  • Sometimes neither loud music nor talkative passengers are able to keep the tired driver awake.
  • Sometimes neither talkative passengers nor loud music is able to keep the tired driver awake.

Exercise 1. The following paragraph is about winter fun in the McCormick Tribune Plaza in Chicago. Choose and highlight the correct verb in each sentence. Look at the subject carefully before you decide on the verb. If necessary, turn the subject into a pronoun to help you. The first one is an example. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

a person wearing ice skate

Rule Four. Many indefinite pronouns are singular. When such a pronoun is the subject, use the singular form of the verb.

Common indefinite pronouns include “everybody, everyone, everything, somebody, someone, something, nobody, no one, nothing, either of, neither of, one of, each of, none of”.

  • Anyone in Chicago understands how difficult it is to arrive on campus on time on snowy days.
  • One of my closest friends often comes fifteen minutes late because he is a new driver. “Better safe than sorry!” He always says.
  • Each of our professors allows a few extra minutes for students to arrive at the classroom.
  • Neither of my two courses counts attendance as part of the grade.
  • One time everyone was late except the professor!
  • Last week, none of the students was late. The whole class cheered as the professor started the lesson.

Rule Five. When “some”, “all”, or “most” is in the subject, the subject can be singular or plural. If the noun after these words is singular, use the singular form of the verb. If the noun is plural, use the plural form of the verb.

  • Some of the students do not have classes early in the morning, so they can sleep in.
  • There are no accidents on the road today as some of the snow has melted .
  • All of the drivers were safe at their destination this morning.
  • All of the snow was gone early this morning.
  • Most of the professors encourage extra home study when the classes are canceled due to severe weather.
  • Most of the extra work is optional for students.

Exercise 2. The following paragraph is about taking photos of the Bean in the Millennium Park in Chicago. Choose and highlight the correct verb in each sentence. Look at the subject carefully before you decide on the verb. If necessary, turn the subject into a pronoun to help you. The first sentence is an example. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

a woman taking photo of the Bean

Rule Six. When a collective noun is used as the subject and is understood as acting together as one unit in the context, it becomes “it” and is followed by a singular form of the verb. If that collective noun focuses on its individual parts, it becomes “they” and is followed by a plural form of the verb.

Examples of collective nouns include “family”, “class”, “team”, “crowd”, “committee [4] ”, “jury [5] ”, “choir [6] “, “audience [7] ”, etc.

  • The family is very quiet. The school is announcing a snow day on the radio.
  • The family are excited to be able to spend some time with each other at home.
  • Our team always works hard.
  • When the game was canceled due to snow, the team were not disappointed. They were excited to be able to visit each other’s homes.

If you are not sure, you can add a word like “members”.

Our team members always work hard. However, when the game was canceled due to snow, they were not disappointed. They were excited to be able to visit each other’s homes.

Rule Seven. When a gerund or an infinitive is used as a subject, use the singular form of the verb.

A gerund: verb + ing (It is not the same as the “verb + ing” in progressive tenses.)

An infinitive: to + base verb

  • Reading is my main activity on a snow day.
  • Postponing my homework till next week and dreaming of another snow day make me feel guilty but happy. (compound subject)
  • Finding a parking spot close to my classroom building is almost impossible as many spaces are covered by snow and become “unparkable”.
  • To secure a good parking space on campus around 10 am has been my struggle this semester.

Rule Eight. In a “There + a form of be” sentence, the verb depends on the noun after “be”.

  • There are many parking spaces on campus, but the snow blowers usually “park” some of the snow in those spaces.
  • Some students have no choice but park their cars in the employee parking areas. This happens more frequently when there is an important exam starting within ten minutes.
  • There have been times when I am late for an exam just because it takes too long to find parking.

Exercise 3. The following sentences are about winter fun in the Lincoln Park Zoo near Chicago. Choose and type the correct verb in each blank. Look at the subject carefully before you decide on the verb. If necessary, turn the subject into a pronoun to help you. You will get instant feedback on your answer.  When you finish the entire exercise, you may retry or see all the answers.

Webpage of Lincoln Park ZooLights

Rule Nine. Some nouns are always singular even though they end with an “s”, and some other nouns are always plural. Use verbs according to the nouns.

  • Cold air is fresh and crisp on a winter morning.
  • The United States is a country where I am spending the coldest winter in my life.
  • Young people like to venture out and enjoy skiing.
  • Scissors are indispensable [8] for a snow-day art project. ( A pair of scissors is indispensable. – Refer to Rule Ten below.)

Exercise 4. The following sentences are about winter fun in the Chicago Botanic Garden. Choose and type the correct verb in each blank. Look at the subject carefully before you decide on the verb. If necessary, turn the subject into a pronoun to help you. You will get instant feedback on your answer.  When you finish the entire exercise, you may retry or see all the answers.

Lights in Chicago Botanic Garden

Rule Ten. A subject and a verb may not always be side by side. When there is a prepositional phrase between them, cross out that the prepositional phrase.

A prepositional phrase is a phrase consisting of a preposition plus a noun, pronoun, etc.

examples: in the room, from him …

The prepositional phrases are crossed out below to help you locate the subjects more easily. You can see that the subjects and verbs do not change.

  • Many international students often find Chicago winter intolerably long and cold.
  • Many international students from warm countries often find Chicago winter extremely long and cold.
  • A reliable car is essential on snowy days.
  • A reliable car with good tires is essential on snowy days.
  • A car dealership installs snow tires for customers.
  • A car dealership on Golf Road near Harper campus installs snow tires for customers.

Exercise 5. The following sentences are about winter fun in the Chicago Theatre District. Highlight the correct verb in each sentence. Look at the subject carefully before you decide on the verb. If necessary, turn the subject into a pronoun to help you. The first sentence is an example. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

rows of red chairs in a theater

V. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 6. The following paragraph is about museums in Chicago. There are seven more errors in the use of subject-verb agreement (not including the example). Remember to locate the subject first in each sentence. Then Identify the verb error and correct it. The first one is an example.

Visiting Chicago Museums in Winter

dinosaur fossil display at Field Museum

           Museums in Chicago is (are ) famous . There is more than sixty of them ! They provide numerous educational and recreational indoor activities, especially in winter. There are always something for everyone. People of all ages like to go there and have fun. For example, the Field Museum have displays from ancient cultures to the most modern scientific discoveries. One of the most popular exhibits is the largest Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton Sue. The Museum of Science and Industry is another well-known place. Every winter, it have a special exhibit called Christmas around the World and Holidays of Light. This event started in 1942 with one single tree but have expanded into an annual holiday tradition since then. Visitors see a four-story Grand Tree with forty smaller trees around it. The trees represents celebrations from cultures around the world. No doubt, museums in Chicago keep people warm, safe, and entertained during harsh winters.

Exercise 7. The following paragraph about winter fun at home is adapted from a paragraph in an earlier unit. There are six more errors in the use of subject-verb agreement (not including the example). Remember to locate the subjects first. Then identify the verb errors and correct them. The first one is an example.

Zootopia movie in a home theater

Winter Fun at Home

          Winters in some areas of America is (are) very cold. Many people have to stay home, but they do not need to miss fun. The first interesting thing they can do is to make home a fun zone. For instance, they can set up a simple but comfortable home theatre with just a TV and a couch. A bag of popcorn and a cup of hot chocolate adds to a feeling of warmth and relaxation no matter how heavily it is snowing outside. Second, they can make household chores into a competition. Every week, they have a cleaning game. The older child vacuum the carpet, the younger child dust the furniture, and the parents clean the kitchen appliances. They can rotate being the judge and deciding on the prizes. Children are usually happier to do housework when it is fun. Lastly, they can continue with physical activities at home. If they have a treadmill or stationary bike at home, that will be great. However, it is still fine without it. On the Internet, there is many fitness programs with no required equipment, so everyone can choose what he or she like to do. One person can choose aerobics, and another can do tai chi. Winters can be long, but they do not have to be boring. It depend on the people to find fun things to do at home.

Exercise 8. In the following paragraph about winter dining in Chicago, there are ten more errors in the use of subject-verb agreement (not including the example). Remember to locate the subjects first. Then identify the verb errors and correct them. The first one is an example.

Winter Dining in Chicago

two igloos

          As cold as Chicago winters are, there is ( are ) always many fun things to do both indoors and outdoors for everyone. Everyone are able to find activities to his or her liking. Young people loves ice-skating in the McCormick Tribune Plaza and photo shooting in the Millennium Park. Children delight [9] in light gazing in the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Many people like to stay indoors. Watching a play in the Chicago Theater District or visiting Sue in the Field Museum guarantee a warm and safe outing.  There are also many restaurants in Chicago. Believe it or not, there are outdoor dining in the deep cold. “From heated [10] igloos [11] to enclosed patios to rooftop bars , there are tons of outdoor dining.” One of the restaurants are Beatrix Fulton Market. It offer covered [12] igloos and heated greenhouses. Each greenhouse hold two to four customers and have a dinning time limit of one and a half hours. The igloo dining booking fee costs $150. Neither the food nor the drinks is included in this fee. Eating there is expensive, but the dining experience will be unforgettable. If anyone are interested, it is important to check for updates at https://www.choosechicago.com/blog/dining/open-patio-rooftops-dining-chicago/.

The information about indoor dining, along with the quote, was adapted from the above website. Last accessed on January 15, 2021.

Exercise 9. Choose two of the topics to write a paragraph each. Pay attention to the subject-verb agreement.

  • What are different ways you have fun in winter?
  • What are popular places in your native country where people like to spend the winter?
  • What safe winter driving tips would you like to share?
  • What are different ways children enjoy snow days?
  • Have you had a snow day? If so, what did you do?

  NSNT Practice

a pen writing in a notebook

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts for Writing in Appendix A. ( Open Appendix A here. ) Choose two topics to write a paragraph each. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then revise and edit your paragraphs. Pay attention to the subject-verb agreement in each sentence. You are encouraged to share your writing with your partner and help each other improve.

Vocabulary Review

a page in a dictionary

The words here have appeared in this unit.  The best way to learn them is to guess the meaning of each word from the context.  Then hover your computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

  • A subject and its verb must match each other.
  • The following strategies will help you use subject-verb agreement correctly:
  • Identify the subject first.
  • Turn a complicated subject into a pronoun to see its singular/plural nature before deciding on the verb.
  • Understand the rules.
  • Keep practicing.
  • The following are ten common rules in subject-verb agreement:
  • In general, a subject of singular nature takes the singular form of the verb. A subject of plural nature takes the plural form of the verb.
  • If a compound subject is used, understand it as “they” and use the plural form of the verb.
  • When “or”, “either…or…”, or “neither…nor…” is in the subject, look at the word after “or” or “nor” to decide on the verb.
  • When an indefinite pronoun is the subject, use singular form of the verb.
  • In sentences with “some”, “any”, “all”, or “most” as the subject, if the noun after these words is singular, use the singular form of the verb. If the noun is plural, use the plural form of the verb.
  • When a collective noun is used as the subject and is understood as acting together as one unit in the context, it becomes “it” and is followed by a singular form of the verb. If that collective noun focuses on its individual parts, it becomes “they” and is followed by a plural form of the verb.
  • When a gerund or an infinitive is used as a subject, use the singular form of the verb.
  • In “There + a form of be” sentences, the verb depends on the noun after “be”.
  • Some nouns are always singular, and some are always plural. Use verbs according to the singular or plural nature of the nouns.
  • When there is a prepositional phrase between the subject and the verb, cross out that the prepositional phrase when you look for the subject.

Media Attributions

  • snow-covered trees and houses © Photo by Cloris Ying on Unsplash
  • person wearing ice skate © Photo by Kelli McClintock on Unsplash
  • a woman taking photo of the Bean © Photo by Laura Blanshard on Unsplash
  • Webpage of Lincoln Park ZooLights
  • Lights in Chicago Botanic Garden © Photo by Steven Aguilar on Unsplash
  • rows of red chairs in a theater © no available is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
  • dinosaur fossil display at Field Museum © Photo by Chris Nguyen on Unsplash
  • Zootopia movie in a home theater © Photo by Chauhan Moniz on Unsplash
  • two igloos © Photo by Aleksandra Sapozhnikova on Unsplash
  • a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
  • a page in a dictionary © Pixabay
  • empowering: adjective, feeling powerful ↵
  • assurance: noun, the feeling of being sure ↵
  • a jumper cable: noun phrase, a wire to jump start a car when the car battery is not working ↵
  • committee: noun, a group of people selected to work on a special task ↵
  • jury: noun, a group of people in the court to decide whether a person is guilty of a crime ↵
  • choir: noun, an organized group of singers ↵
  • audience: noun, a group of people watching or listening, such as in a movie theater or sport game ↵
  • indispensable: adjective, absolutely necessary, essential ↵
  • delight: verb, enjoy ↵
  • heated: adjective, warm, with heating on ↵
  • igloo: noun, a "house" made of ice and snow ↵
  • covered: adjective, having a roof or lid ↵

Building Academic Writing Skills Copyright © 2022 by Cui, Lin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

write a three paragraph essay about the rules of sva

Subject-Verb Agreement: Rules, Common Mistakes, Examples

write a three paragraph essay about the rules of sva

Subject-Verb Agreement is a rule that states that the verb must take the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be in plural form. 

In essay writing, subject-verb agreement can:

  • Either make or break your grade or essay score
  • Show you professor or instructor that your grammar skills are at an A+ or a C level
  • Make your writing come across as mature and competent or immature and incompetent

Here is a simple guide to understanding subject-verb agreement once and for all. 

An Example to Illustrate the Basic Rule

Let’s look at an example right away to illustrate the basic rule:

What is really boring in this sentence – the class or the reading and writing assignments ? 

Let’s recall the anatomy of any sentence:

Sentence = Subject + Verb (+ optional Object)

A sentence can exist only when a subject does , is , or has something. Let’s ask a few questions about our example:

What is the subject of the sentence (in other words, what is it really about)?

It’s about ‘A class.’

What is the class doing (or having, or being)? 

It {has the most reading and writing assignments} and {is boring}.

But which is the MAIN verb here? In other words, what is the author really trying to say about the class? 

Here’s a hint: after removing which of these verbs will the sentence no longer exist? Remember the rule about sentences:

Sentence = Subject + Verb

So, let’s experiment and remove the first verb (together with everything that is attached to it):

Does the sentence work? Well, if we use the correct verb form, it will work:

And now let’s experiment and remove the second verb:

Just read the sentence aloud and see if it feels complete. 

I hope you did read it aloud and noticed that it is no longer a sentence, but a sentence fragment. In other words, it has become only a part of the sentence.

And why did that happen? It happened because the Subject no longer has a Verb. Therefore, what is the Verb in this sentence? It is the verb to be .

Let’s highlight it in bold in our example:

Now we know that the subject is the class , and the verb is the word ‘are .’ Can you say or write the following:

In fact, when you write it in your word processor, you’ll get a blue underline, or something like that, to bring your attention to it. 

What is wrong with this sentence? The Subject and the Verb are not in agreement. Why? Because the Subject is in singular form, and the Verb is plural.

So, what should we do in order to fix the problem?

We can either change the Subject to the plural or the Verb to the singular:

And it’s really our choice which we would prefer, because both ways work.

So, let’s look at the two versions of the complete corrected example:

(Note that the verb ‘ to have ’ must also agree with the subject.)

Using the Correct Number with Singular Indefinite Pronouns

Let’s learn how to avoid a very common subject-verb agreement error that people make all the time – using the verb of the wrong number in sentences with singular indefinite pronouns.

And what are singular indefinite pronouns?

Singular indefinite pronouns are such words as Each , Somebody , Anybody , Something , Everybody , or Nothing .

Let me give you a couple of examples of mistakes people make. 

In this sentence, the verb “ love ” is plural, and that’s wrong because it refers to the subject “ everybody ,” which is singular.

Check out this sentence: 

This one actually has two problems – the verb “ get ” that is plural and the pronoun “ they ” which is also plural. But the problem is that the subject “ each ” is singular.

Here’s a sentence written correctly: 

The subject “ somebody ,” which is a singular indefinite pronoun, is singular. Meaning, it is one, not many. And therefore the verb “ pays ” must also be singular, which it is.

Here are some more examples of correct usage. Note that each verb is in the singular form. 

Watch out for this common error, and you’ll stand out in your writing and speech, because too many people make this mistake.

Here’s a detailed video of this lesson:

Avoiding a Common Compound Subject Mistake

Let’s learn how to avoid another very common subject-verb agreement error that people make all the time.

Here is an example from a writer whom I happen to like a lot:

What is wrong with this sentence?

Well, it has what’s called “a compound subject,” which is a subject that consists of two separate concepts – “ life ” and “ business .”

In this case, the subjects are connected with the word AND, and this makes the compound subject plural .

Now, “ life ” is singular. And so is “ business .” However, together, united by the word AND, they are plural. They are not one thing but two things.

And a plural subject must have a plural verb.

And so we have:

Here’s a short video of this lesson, if you’re a visual learner:

Avoiding a Common Mid-Sentence Phrase Mistake

This is another very common error – using the verb of the wrong number in sentences with mid-sentence phrases.

Here’s an example: 

Let me ask you – what is the subject of this sentence? If you said “ the causes ,” you are correct.

And what is the verb ? Well, there is only one verb in this sentence – “ remains .”

But what is the subject’s number? “ The causes ” are plural. They are many, not one. 

And therefore, the verb that refers to it must also be plural: 

“ Remains ” unknown is incorrect because it is singular. 

But what was it that threw this student off? You see, when a sentence contains another phrase in the middle, the noun in the phrase is often confused with the subject.

In the sentence above, “ of the disaster ” is a mid-sentence phrase. 

Note that the sentence works without this phrase if you take it out: 

And when you put the phrase in, make sure that your verb still agrees with the subject, not with the noun in the phrase.

In this example, the verb “ remain ” must agree with the subject “ the causes ,” not with the noun “ disaster ” in the mid-sentence phrase. This sentence is about “ the causes ,” not about “ the disaster .”

Watch out for this common error, and you’ll stand out in your writing and speech, because so many people make this mistake.

Here’s a video lesson on this example:

Subject-verb agreement is a concept that has a little over a dozen separate but related rules. Here’s a very good article that outlines them:

14 Subject Verb Agreement Rules

Hope this was helpful!

Tutor Phil is an e-learning professional who helps adult learners finish their degrees by teaching them academic writing skills.

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Writing Explained

What is Subject-Verb Agreement? Definition, Examples of English SVA

Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » What is Subject-Verb Agreement? Definition, Examples of English SVA

Subject-verb agreement definition: Subject-verb agreement includes matching the subject with the correct form of a verb.

What is Subject-verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement means that the subject and the verb must agree in case and in number.

When a writer uses a singular noun , he must use a verb that is conjugated to match singular nouns.

When a writer uses a plural noun , he must use a verb that is conjugated to match plural nouns.

Subject-verb Agreement Examples

verb subject agreement

  • I walk. (singular)
  • You walk. (singular and plural)
  • He/She/It walks. (singular)
  • We walk. (plural)
  • They walk. (plural)

Incorrect Examples:

  • They walks.

Subject-Verb Agreement in Different Constructions

For simple sentences, subject-verb agreement isn’t difficult to figure out.

  • John is leaving.
  • They are leaving.

These sentences are incredibly simple, which means it’s also incredibly simple to determine the correct subject and verb case.

Subject and verb agreement can be tricky, however, when the construction of the subject changes.

Let’s take a look at some of those tricky constructions.

With More Than One Subject Connected by “And”

agreement verb

  • Drake and Drew ARE playing soccer.
  • Drake, Drew, and Danny ARE playing soccer.
  • Cats and dogs DO NOT play together well.
  • My friends and I ARE playing soccer.

With More Than One Singular Subject Connected by “Or”

When there is more than one singular noun as the subject and the nouns in the subject are connected with “or,” a singular verb must be used.

  • Drake or Drew IS playing soccer.
  • A cat or dog IS making noise outside.

Agreement with Contractions

and subject verb agreement

Examples with “don’t:”

  • I do not = I don’t (singular)
  • You do not = You don’t (singular and plural)
  • He/She/It does not = He/She/It doesn’t (singular)
  • We do not = We don’t (plural)
  • They do not = They don’t (plural)

When Phrases Come Between the Subject and Verb

When a phrase interrupts the subject and the verb, the verb must agree with the subject regardless of the phrase.

  • The man who plays soccer IS handsome.
  • The men who play soccer ARE handsome.
  • That toy, which I found in the oven, IS ruined.

Non-count Noun

subject verb agreement all

  • Mathematics IS a difficult course for me.
  • My luggage IS packed and ready to go.
  • This environment IS congested.
  • Civics IS not my favorite course.

Sentences With There Are, There is, Here Are, Here is .

When a writer begins sentences with “there” or “here,” the verb agreement must match the words that follow. If a singular noun follows, use a singular verb. If a plural noun follows, use a plural verb.

  • There IS a ghost in our attic.
  • There ARE ghosts in our attic.
  • Here IS the ghost.
  • Here ARE the ghosts.

Tricky Words to Determine Agreement

Some writers may find that matching indefinite pronouns with the appropriate subject and verb can be difficult.

Some tricky indefinite pronouns that are always singular include:

  • Each one IS identified.
  • Someone IS asking.
  • Everyone IS talking at once.

Some tricky indefinite pronouns that are always plural include:

  • All ARE identified.
  • Some ARE talking.
  • All ARE asking.

Collective Nouns

help with subject verb agreement

  • The group MAKES a decision.
  • The people MAKE a decision.

Summary: Subject-verb Agreement Rules

Define subject-verb agreement: the definition of subject-verb agreement is the requirement that a subject and verb of a clause must match in person and in number.

In summary, subjects and verbs should always have the appropriate agreement, whether singular or plural.

While some can be tricky, it is unacceptable to match a singular subject with a plural verb and vice versa.

Writing Center Home Page

OASIS: Writing Center

Grammar: subject-verb agreement, subject–verb agreement rules.

Key : subject = yellow, bold ; verb = green, underline

Subjects and verbs must agree in number. In addition to the explanations on this page, also see the post on Subject—Verb Agreement .

Example: She writes every day. Exception: When using the singular "they," use plural verb forms. Example: The participant expressed satisfaction with their job. They are currently in a managerial role at the organization.

Example: They write every day.

Sometimes, however, it seems a bit more complicated than this.

Example: The doctoral student and the committee members write every day.

Example : The percentage of employees who called in sick and the number of employees who left their jobs within 2 years   are reflective of the level of job satisfaction.

Example: Interviews are one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of participants.

Example: An assumption is  something that is generally accepted as true and  is an important consideration when conducting a doctoral study.

Example: The student , as well as the committee members, is excited.

Example: The student with all the master’s degrees is very motivated.

Example: Strategies that the teacher uses to encourage classroom participation include using small groups and clarifying expectations.

Example: The focus of the interviews was nine purposively selected participants.

Example: The chairperson or the CEO approves the proposal before proceeding.

Example: The student or the committee members write every day.

Example: The committee members or the student writes every day.

Example: Each of the participants  was willing to be recorded.

Example:  Neither   alternative hypothesis  was  accepted.

Example: I will offer a $5 gift card to  everybody who  participates  in the study.

Example: No one   was  available to meet with me at the preferred times.

Example: Education   is  the key to success.

Example: Diabetes affects many people around the world.

Example: The information obtained from the business owners was relevant to include in the study.

Example:   The research I found on the topic was limited.

Example: The earnings  for this quarter  exceed  expectations.

Example: The proceeds  from the sale  go  to support the homeless population in the city.

Example: Locally produced goods   have the advantage of shorter supply chains.

Example: There is  little  administrative support .

Example: There are many factors  affecting teacher retention.

Example: The group meets every week.

Example: The committee agrees on the quality of the writing.

However, the plural verb is used if the focus is on the individuals in the group. This is much less common.

Example: The committee participate in various volunteer activities in their private lives.

Subject–Verb Agreement Video Playlist

Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.

  • Grammar for Academic Writers: Advanced Subject–Verb Agreement (video transcript)
  • Common Error: Subject–Verb Agreement (video transcript)

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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

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Ever get "subject/verb agreement" as an error on a paper? This handout will help you understand this common grammar problem.

This handout gives you several guidelines to help your subjects and verbs agree.

1. When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and , use a plural verb.

2. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or or nor , use a singular verb.

3. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by or or nor , the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearer the verb.

4. Doesn't is a contraction of does not and should be used only with a singular subject. Don't is a contraction of do not and should be used only with a plural subject. The exception to this rule appears in the case of the first person and second person pronouns I and you . With these pronouns, the contraction don't should be used.

5. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb. The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.

6. The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a singular verb.

7. Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require singular verbs.

Note: The word dollars is a special case. When talking about an amount of money, it requires a singular verb, but when referring to the dollars themselves, a plural verb is required.

8. Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs. (There are two parts to these things.)

9. In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there are," the subject follows the verb. Since "there" is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows.

10. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but that are considered singular and take a singular verb, such as group, team, committee, class, and family.

This sentence is referring to the individual efforts of each crew member. The Gregg Reference Manual provides excellent explanations of subject-verb agreement (section 10: 1001).

11. Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb is too.

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2.2: Subject-Verb Agreement

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Learning Objectives

  • Define subject-verb agreement.
  • Identify common errors in subject-verb agreement.

In the workplace, you want to present a professional image. Your outfit or suit says something about you when meeting face-to-face, and your writing represents you in your absence. Grammatical mistakes in your writing or even in speaking make a negative impression on coworkers, clients, and potential employers. Subject-verb agreement is one of the most common errors that people make. Having a solid understanding of this concept is critical when making a good impression, and it will help ensure that your ideas are communicated clearly.

Agreement in speech and in writing refers to the proper grammatical match between words and phrases. Parts of sentences must agree, or correspond with other parts, in number, person, case, and gender.

  • Number. All parts must match in singular or plural forms.
  • Person. All parts must match in first person ( I ), second person ( you ), or third person ( he, she, it, they ) forms.
  • Case. All parts must match in subjective ( I, you, he, she, it, they, we ), objective ( me, her, him, them, us ), or possessive ( my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, their, theirs, our, ours ) forms. For more information on pronoun case agreement, see Section 2.5.1 “Pronoun Agreement” .
  • Gender. All parts must match in male or female forms.

Subject-verb agreement describes the proper match between subjects and verbs.

Because subjects and verbs are either singular or plural, the subject of a sentence and the verb of a sentence must agree with each other in number. That is, a singular subject belongs with a singular verb form, and a plural subject belongs with a plural verb form. For more information on subjects and verbs, see Section 2.1 “Sentence Writing” .

Singular: The cat jumps over the fence. Plural: The cats jump over the fence.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern. For example, in the third person singular, regular verbs always end in -s . Other forms of regular verbs do not end in -s. Study the following regular verb forms in the present tense.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Complete the following sentences by writing the correct present tense form of be , have , or do . Use your own sheet of paper to complete this exercise.

  • I ________ sure that you will succeed.
  • They ________ front-row tickets to the show.
  • He ________ a great Elvis impersonation.
  • We ________ so excited to meet you in person!
  • She ________ a fever and a sore throat.
  • You ________ not know what you are talking about.
  • You ________ all going to pass this class.
  • She ________ not going to like that.
  • It ________ appear to be the right size.
  • They ________ ready to take this job seriously.

Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement

Errors in subject-verb agreement may occur when

  • a sentence contains a compound subject;
  • the subject of the sentence is separate from the verb;
  • the subject of the sentence is an indefinite pronoun, such as anyone or everyone ;
  • the subject of the sentence is a collective noun, such as team or organization ;
  • the subject appears after the verb.

Recognizing the sources of common errors in subject-verb agreement will help you avoid these errors in your writing. This section covers the subject-verb agreement errors in more detail.

Compound Subjects

A compound subject is formed by two or more nouns and the coordinating conjunctions and , or , or nor . A compound subject can be made of singular subjects, plural subjects, or a combination of singular and plural subjects.

Compound subjects combined with and take a plural verb form.

Two singular subjects: Alicia and Miguel ride their bikes to the beach. Two plural subjects: The girls and the boys ride their bikes to the beach. Singular and plural subjects: Alicia and the boys ride their bikes to the beach.

Compound subjects combined with or and nor are treated separately. The verb must agree with the subject that is nearest to the verb.

Two singular subjects: Neither Elizabeth nor Rianna wants to eat at that restaurant. Two plural subjects: Neither the kids nor the adults want to eat at that restaurant. Singular and plural subjects: Neither Elizabeth nor the kids want to eat at that restaurant. Plural and singular subjects: Neither the kids nor Elizabeth wants to eat at that restaurant.

Two singular subjects: Either you or Jason takes the furniture out of the garage. Two plural subjects: Either you or the twins take the furniture out of the garage. Singular and plural subjects: Either Jason or the twins take the furniture out of the garage. Plural and singular subjects: Either the twins or Jason takes the furniture out of the garage.

If you can substitute the word they for the compound subject, then the sentence takes the third person plural verb form.

Separation of Subjects and Verbs

As you read or write, you may come across a sentence that contains a phrase or clause that separates the subject from the verb. Often, prepositional phrases or dependent clauses add more information to the sentence and appear between the subject and the verb. However, the subject and the verb must still agree.

If you have trouble finding the subject and verb, cross out or ignore the phrases and clauses that begin with prepositions or dependent words. The subject of a sentence will never be in a prepositional phrase or dependent clause.

The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a prepositional phrase:

The students with the best grades win the academic awards. The puppy under the table is my favorite.

The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a dependent clause:

The car that I bought has power steering and a sunroof. The representatives who are courteous sell the most tickets.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to an unspecified person, thing, or number. When an indefinite pronoun serves as the subject of a sentence, you will often use a singular verb form.

However, keep in mind that exceptions arise. Some indefinite pronouns may require a plural verb form. To determine whether to use a singular or plural verb with an indefinite pronoun, consider the noun that the pronoun would refer to. If the noun is plural, then use a plural verb with the indefinite pronoun. View the chart to see a list of common indefinite pronouns and the verb forms they agree with.

Singular: Everybody in the kitchen sings along when that song comes on the radio.

The indefinite pronoun everybody takes a singular verb form because everybody refers to a group performing the same action as a single unit.

Plural: All the people in the kitchen sing along when that song comes on the radio.

The indefinite pronoun all takes a plural verb form because all refers to the plural noun people . Because people is plural, all is plural.

Singular: All the cake is on the floor.

In this sentence, the indefinite pronoun all takes a singular verb form because all refers to the singular noun cake . Because cake is singular, all is singular.

Collective Nouns

A collective noun is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and considers those people, places, or things one singular unit. Because collective nouns are counted as one, they are singular and require a singular verb. Some commonly used collective nouns are group , team , army , flock , family , and class .

Singular: The class is going on a field trip.

In this sentence, class is a collective noun. Although the class consists of many students, the class is treated as a singular unit and requires a singular verb form.

The Subject Follows the Verb

You may encounter sentences in which the subject comes after the verb instead of before the verb. In other words, the subject of the sentence may not appear where you expect it to appear. To ensure proper subject-verb agreement, you must correctly identify the subject and the verb.

Here or There

In sentences that begin with here or there , the subject follows the verb.

Here is my wallet ! There are thirty dolphins in the water.

If you have trouble identifying the subject and the verb in sentences that start with here or there ; it may help to reverse the order of the sentence so the subject comes first.

My wallet is here! Thirty dolphins are in the water.

When you ask questions, a question word ( who , what , where , when , why , or how ) appears first. The verb and then the subject follow.

Who are the people you are related to? When am I going to go to the grocery store?

If you have trouble finding the subject and the verb in questions, try answering the question being asked.

When am I going to the grocery store? I am going to the grocery store tonight!

Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)

Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following sentences. If there are no errors in subject-verb agreement, write OK . Copy the corrected sentence or the word OK on your own sheet of notebook paper.

________________________________________________________________

Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)

Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following paragraph. Copy the paragraph on a piece of notebook paper and make corrections.

Dear Hiring Manager, I feels that I am the ideal candidate for the receptionist position at your company. I has three years of experience as a receptionist in a company that is similar to yours. My phone skills and written communication is excellent. These skills, and others that I have learned on the job, helps me understand that every person in a company helps make the business a success. At my current job, the team always say that I am very helpful. Everyone appreciate when I go the extra mile to get the job done right. My current employer and coworkers feels that I am an asset to the team. I is efficient and organized. Is there any other details about me that you would like to know? If so, please contact me. Here are my résumé. You can reach me by e-mail or phone. I looks forward to speaking with you in person. Thanks, Felicia Fellini

Writing at Work

Advertisement: Terra Services are dedicated to serving our clients' needs. We settles for nothing less than high quality work, delivered on time. The next time you needs assistance getting your project off the ground, contact Terra Services, where everybody know how important it is that you get the job done right.

Imagine that you are a prospective client and that you saw this ad online. Would you call Terra Services to handle your next project? Probably not! Mistakes in subject-verb agreement can cost a company business. Paying careful attention to grammatical details ensures professionalism that clients will recognize and respect.

Key Takeaways

  • Parts of sentences must agree in number, person, case, and gender.
  • A verb must always agree with its subject in number. A singular subject requires a singular verb; a plural subject requires a plural verb.
  • Irregular verbs do not follow a predictable pattern in their singular and plural forms. Common irregular verbs are to be , to have , and to do .
  • A compound subject is formed when two or more nouns are joined by the words and , or , or nor .
  • In some sentences, the subject and verb may be separated by a phrase or clause, but the verb must still agree with the subject.
  • Indefinite pronouns, such as anyone , each , everyone , many , no one , and something , refer to unspecified people or objects. Most indefinite pronouns are singular.
  • A collective noun is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and treats those people, places, or things one singular unit. Collective nouns require singular verbs.
  • In sentences that begin with here and there , the subject follows the verb.
  • In questions, the subject follows the verb.

Writing Application

Use your knowledge of subject-verb agreement to write one of the following:

  • An advertisement for a potential company
  • A memo to all employees of a particular company
  • A cover letter describing your qualifications to a potential employer

Be sure to include at least the following:

  • One collective noun
  • One irregular verb
  • One question

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Subject-Verb Agreement: 12 Rules & Examples

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  • Updated on  
  • Feb 6, 2024

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subjects-verb agreement forms a significant part of any statement that you make. So, if you aim to perfect grammar , you need to memorize the rules that apply when you put together a subject and a verb. These rules are collectively popular as subject-verb agreement.

We agree that these agreement rules can be a bit tricky and complicated but once you learn them, you will use verbs in their correct form with ease. So, go through them, and you are ready to ace any test on the subject-verb agreement like a grammar nazi .

This Blog Includes:

Analysis with examples, 1. a singular subject goes with a singular verb, 2. a plural subject goes with a plural verb, 3. subjects joined by ‘and’ go with a plural verb, 4. a conjunction connects singular and plural subjects, 5. a sentence contains both a singular and a plural pronoun, 6. using “do not” and “does not” in sentences, 7. verb always agree with subject in sentences with additional phrases, 8. words like ‘each’, ‘every’ and ‘no’ are followed by singular verb, 9. mass nouns like civics and dollars are followed by singular verb, 10. plurale tantum uses plural verb, 11. collective nouns take on singular verb, 12. if the subject is singular, the verb will also be singular, subject-verb agreement exception rules, compound subjects, singular indefinite pronouns, plural indefinite pronouns, noun phrase as subject, collective nouns, inverted subjects, titles of single entities, subject-verb agreement exercise for practise.

Also Read: Learn English Grammar from Scratch

What is a Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement, also known as “ subject-verb concord ,” is the matching of a sentence’s subject and verb in tense, aspect, and mood (abbreviated as TAM ), which translates to number, person, and gender.

Except for pronouns , English does not utilise grammatical gender, and only the verb changes depending on whether it is in the first, second, or third person. That means, the majority of English subject-verb agreement is based on quantity:

  • If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular;
  • Whereas, if the subject is numerous, the verb must be plural.

When the subject follows the verb (especially in sentences beginning with the expletives “there is” or “there are” ), special care determines the subject and makes certain that the verb agrees with it.

For example , if you use a single subject ‘ He ‘ then the single verb ‘ is ‘ would appear:

‘He is talking too much. The two subjects and verbs must align to ensure agreement.’

Even this can be perplexing because the first-person singular (“I climb the fence”) has the identical verb pattern as the first-person plural (“We climb the fence”) .

Subject-verb agreement in English, besides the verb “ be “, adapts verbs to the third-person singular (“It climbs the fence”).

12 Subject-Verb Agreement Rules with Examples

Let’s begin with the 12 most common and important rules of Subject-Verb Agreement:

Note:- Subject = underlined | Verb = Italicized

In this statement, Sohra is singular and therefore will take on a singular verb i.e., plays. 

The second rule of Subject-Verb Agreement is as follows: A plural subject goes with a plural verb.

In this statement, ‘They’ is a plural pronoun and therefore will take on a plural verb i.e., play. 

Learn all about Active and Passive Voice: Rules & Exercises

The next rule of Subject-Verb Agreement says that if you connect in a sentence two or more nouns or pronouns using “and” then the verb will be plural. 

In this statement, there are two nouns Rahul and Anekha connected by “and” and therefore the verb used is plural i.e., “are”. 

In this statement, there are two nouns and therefore the verb used is plural i.e., sing. 

The next rule of Subject-Verb Agreement focuses on the use of or/nor. If in a sentence two or more nouns or pronouns are connected using “or/nor” then the verb used will be singular.  

In this statement, the two nouns class teacher and principal are connected using “or” and therefore the verb used is singular i.e. sanctions. 

Quiz Your Inner Grammar Nazi With this Grammar Test

In this rule of Subject-Verb Agreement, when a sentence contains both a singular and a plural pronoun, the verb used will be according to the pronoun closer to the verb. 

In this statement, the plural noun “friends” is closest to the verb and therefore will be plural i.e., meet. 

A singular pronoun uses “does not” and a plural one uses “do not”. But there is an exception to this rule. This rule of Subject-Verb Agreement explains that “Do not” is used with the singular pronouns “I” and “You” instead of “do not” as it ideally should be. 

In this statement, she is singular and therefore, the verb will not be used. 

In this statement, ‘They’ is plural and therefore, the verb ‘do not’ will be used. 

In this statement, I am a singular pronoun but ‘do not’ will be used along with it instead of does not. And that’s why it’s an exception. 

Also Learn about Subject vs Predicate: Types, Examples, Practice Questions

In case a sentence has an additional phrase, the verb should always agree with the subject of the statement and not be influenced by the pronouns or nouns of the additional phrase. 

In this statement, “this book” is the subject and it’s singular. Therefore, the verb used will also be singular i.e., “is” and not “are”. 

The next rule of Subject-Verb Agreement is about the use of each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one as words which are singular in nature and therefore will always follow a singular verb. 

In this statement, “each one” is used and therefore, the singular verb “is” will be used. 

In this statement, “neither” is used and therefore, the singular verb “is” will be used. 

Here are the English Grammar Tenses rules with Examples

Mass nouns like civics, mathematics , dollars, measles, and news which cannot be counted use singular verbs under the rules of Subject-Verb Agreement.

In this statement, the mass noun “mathematics” is used along with a singular verb i.e., is. 

In English, there is a set of nouns called Plurale Tantum which doesn’t have a singular form like trousers, scissors, pants, etc. Such nouns always use a plural verb. 

In this statement, black trousers refer to a single object but use the plural verb i.e., are. 

Here are the Best English Grammar Books: To Master Your Proficiency

In this rule of Subject-Verb Agreement, collective nouns like class, committee, family, group, etc. take on singular verbs. 

In this statement, history class is a collective noun and therefore the singular noun “starts” will be used along with it. 

The number of subjects is not influenced by expressions like accompanied by, in addition to or including. If the subject is singular, the verb will also be singular and it will remain so irrespective of such expressions. 

In this statement, the subject “Neha” is singular and therefore the verb used is also singular i.e., “is”. The phrase accompanied by has no impact on the verb. 

Also Read: All about Regular and Irregular Verbs

  • “ Neither” and “either” require singular verbs even though they seem to be referring to two separate things.
  • When a sentence compounds a positive and a negative subject and only one is plural, the verb should agree with the positive subject.
  • “Anyone,” “everyone,” “someone,” “no one,” and “nobody” always require singular verbs.
  • Words that indicate portions of a whole, such as “Percent,” “fraction,” “some,” “none,” and “remainder,” require a singular verb only if the object of the preposition is singular.
  • “Who,” “that,” and “which” can be singular or plural, according to the noun directly in front of them.
  • The phrase introduced by “as well as” or “along with” modifies the earlier word but doesn’t compound the subjects.
  • Modifiers between the subject and verb do not affect whether the verb is singular or plural.

Quick Read: 5+ Golden Rules for Prepositions in English Grammar

15+ Examples of Subject-Verb Agreement

We move on to make a comprehensive list of examples of subject-verb agreement.

Subject-Verb Agreement

  • Sugar and flour are needed for the recipe.
  • Neither my mom nor my sisters know how to swim.
  • The creator and producer are arriving soon
  • Something feels wrong here.
  • Everybody enjoys a good cup of tea.
  • Each does a good job at work.
  • Several have reached the hotel.
  • The bag of cookies was eaten.
  • Both have had bad phases in life.
  • The causes of this accident are poor driving and indiscipline.
  • The bed and table I got at the showroom look nice in here.
  • The members of the football team are pleased with the performance.
  • The crowd is cheering.
  • The jury has made an unfair decision.
  • The majority has the authority most of the time.
  • How are the friends taking the bad news?
  • There are stones in my bag.
  • Game of Thrones is a very long book to read.

So, these are the major rules of subject-verb agreement. We hope you understand every rule. Now it’s time to test your knowledge. Solve these questions and let’s see how many of them you get right on the first go. 

  • John and his brother (is/are) playing football. 
  • Aryan (do not/does not) like to play basketball. 
  • Either of you (have/has) stolen the book. 
  • Your pants (is/are) in the top shelf. 
  • My family (belongs/belong) to the Mahou tribe. 
  • Mr, Swamy as well as his family (is/are) quite humble. 
  • Mary (sing/sings) very well. 
  • The novel, including all the essays (take/takes) about two hours to read. 
  • They (eat/eats) lunch together everyday. 
  • The players as well as the coach (want/wants) to win. 
  • My parents ( lives/live ) in Australia.
  • Do anyone ( knows/know ) where the grocery store is?
  • The little boy ( do not/does not ) like apples for some reason.
  • Kavita and her sister ( is/are ) here to see you.
  • You (has/have) brought all that I had asked for.

Ans: The subject is a thing which we are talking about like-

1. Tina is reading a book. 2. Sofia is eating an Apple. 3. Ram is dancing. 4. Riya is playing 5. Tarun is doing his HW on pc 6. Tushar is writing a letter to his Granny

Ans: Complete subject, simple subject, and compound subject.

Ans: The Collins Dictionary defines “concord” as the manner a term has a form appropriate for the number or gender of the noun or pronoun it refers to. The singular verb form and the singular pronoun “she,” for instance, are in agreement in the sentence “She hates it.”

With this blog, we hope that you understand what Subject-Verb Agreement rules are and how they are applied. This was all about nouns and pronouns. You can also follow Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs.

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Subject-Verb Agreement Rules and Examples

Subject verb agreement – ever heard of the term? Well, here is a chance to learn what subject verb agreement means, what the term ‘concord’ refers to and the rules to help you understand how it works. Also check out the subject verb agreement examples given and try out the exercises on subject verb agreement to have a clear idea of what it is and how it has to be used to frame perfect sentences.

Table of Contents

What is subject-verb agreement – meaning and definition, rules of subject-verb agreement with examples.

  • Examples of Subject-Verb Agreement

Check Your Understanding of Subject-Verb Agreement

Frequently asked questions on subject-verb agreement in english.

The term ‘subject-verb agreement’, just like the name suggests, refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb . This is mainly with reference to singular and plural nouns /pronouns that act as subjects. According to the Collins Dictionary, “concord refers to the way that a word has a form appropriate to the number or gender of the noun or pronoun it relates to. For example, in ‘She hates it’, there is concord between the singular form of the verb and the singular pronoun ‘she’.”

The general rule of subject-verb agreement according to Garner’s Modern English Usage is “to use a plural verb with a plural subject, a singular verb with a singular subject. This rule holds true for most cases. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Check out the next section to learn how verbs have to be conjugated in order to agree with the subject.

The concept of subject-verb concord matters the most when using the present tenses . The simple past and simple future tenses have the same verbs used irrespective of the subject in the sentence. Knowing and following the rules of subject-verb agreement will help you write error-free sentences. Go through the following rules and also go through the examples to understand how each rule is applied.

The first rule is what we have already discussed – the use of a singular verb with a singular subject and a plural verb with a plural subject. The subject can be a noun , a pronoun or even a noun phrase. If it is a pronoun, the subject-verb agreement is done with reference to the person of the pronoun .

For example:

  • Rachel spends her free time listening to music. (Singular subject with singular verb)
  • Blaine and Kurt play the piano. (Plural subject with plural verb)
  • She likes to have a dessert after every meal. (Third person singular pronoun with singular subject)

When using the ‘be’ form of verbs, there is an exception. In this case, the verb is used according to the number and person of the subject. Check out the following table to see how it works with different pronouns.

Furthermore, when used with other nouns and noun phrases , the rule applies. The same works even with simple past, present continuous and past continuous tenses when the ‘be’ form of verbs are used as the principal verb/ helping verb . Check out the following examples to understand.

  • Santana is a singer.
  • The girls are waiting for you.
  • We were happy with the review of our first movie.
  • Michael Jackson’s songs are still enjoyed by millions.
  • I was reading the latest book by Rudyard Kipling.

The use of ‘have’ and ‘has’ in the present perfect tense , the present perfect continuous tense and as a main verb is also dependent on the subject. All singular subjects use ‘has’ and all plural subjects use ‘have’.

  • I have a younger brother.
  • You have taken the wrong cut.
  • Swetha has a pet dog.
  • William Shakespeare has written around 37 plays.
  • Finn has been waiting to talk to you about the test results.

Compound subjects combined using the conjunction ‘and’ take a plural verb.

  • Krish and Radha are on their way to the airport.
  • Caren, Sheela and Akash have completed their assessments.

When more than one noun is joined by the conjunction ‘or’, the subject is considered to be singular and a singular verb is used.

  • Celery or spring onion works fine.
  • Your mom or dad has to be here in an hour.

Sentences with pronouns such as anybody, anyone, no one, somebody, someone, everybody, everyone, nothing and nobody are treated as singular subjects and will therefore use a singular verb.

  • Nobody has understood anything.
  • Everyone was happy with the outcome.
  • Nothing fits me well.
  • No one finds the movie interesting.

For sentences using ‘either..or’ and ‘neither..nor’, the verb should agree with the noun or pronoun that comes just before it.

  • Neither Ricky nor Gina is here yet.
  • Either the teacher or the students have to take an initiative to keep the classroom clean.
  • Neither the children nor their parents are aware of the consequences.

When sentences have subjects like police, news, scissors, mathematics, etc. (nouns that are plural by default), the verb used should be plural.

  • The news of demonetisation shocks the entire nation.
  • The police have been looking for the culprits.

When a negative sentence is written, the ‘do’ verb is used and it has to match the subject.

  • The children do not like working out trigonometry problems.
  • My father does not work at the bank anymore.

Interrogative sentences also take the help of the ‘do’ verb. As far as the subject-verb agreement of interrogative sentences is concerned, the first verb (‘be’ verb or ‘do’ verb) has to be aligned with the subject of the sentence.

  • Do you read thriller novels?
  • Doesn’t she know you already?
  • Is Tina happy with the new house?
  • Were you looking for me?
  • Has Sharon submitted her final project yet?

When you have sentences that begin with ‘here’, ‘there’, ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘those’, ‘these’, etc., always remember that the subject follows the verb and therefore the verb has to be conjugated with reference to the subject.

  • Here is your book.
  • There lies your shirt.
  • That was a great movie.
  • There have been many changes in the timetable.

Abstract nouns and uncountable nouns are considered as singular subjects, so make sure you use a singular verb along with it.

  • Honesty is the best policy.
  • Love makes people do crazy things.
  • Good friendship keeps your mind and body healthy.

When the subject refers to a period of time, distance or a sum of money, use a singular verb.

  • 1267 kilometres is too long for us to travel in half a day.
  • 10 years is not considered optimum to go on the water slide.
  • Don’t you think 1000 rupees is a little too much for a portrait?

The next rule is based on the use of collective nouns as subjects. Remember that when you have a collective noun as the subject of the sentence, the verb can be singular or plural based on the sentence and the context.

  • My family is settled in Australia.
  • All groups of participants have arrived .

In sentences that have adjectives such as ‘all’, ‘a lot of’, ‘lots of’ or ‘some’ are used along with nouns to form a phrase that acts as the subject of the sentence, the verb is used according to the noun just before it.

  • All of my dresses have become tight.
  • A lot of food is left out.
  • Some of the books are torn and damaged.

When a sentence begins with ‘each’ or ‘every’ as the subject, it is considered singular and so the verb has to be singular too.

  • Each student has been asked to provide a consent letter.
  • Every teacher, parent and student is expected to work together.

When you are using a sentence to express a wish or a sentence expressing a request, verbs are used a little differently from other sentences.

  • I wish I were a bird.
  • If you were here, I would not be sad.
  • We request that everyone make their choices now.

Furthermore, go through the article on tenses to learn how verbs are conjugated according to the tense of the sentence.

Go through the following sentences, analyse if the underlined verb agrees with its subject and make changes if necessary.

1. One of the plates are broken.

2. The seven children from Chennai has been selected for the final round of the quiz.

3. Neither the children nor the teacher has reached yet.

4. Sheena and her sister is here to see you.

5. A lot of food choices was given.

6. My parents lives in New Zealand.

7. Don’t you think 4 days are a little too long?

8. Do anyone know where the lift is?

9. The little girl do not like mangoes for some reason.

10. You has brought all that I had asked for.

Here are the answers for the exercise. Go through them to find out how many of them you got right.

1. One of the plates is broken.

2. The seven children from Chennai have been selected for the final round of the quiz.

3. Neither the teacher nor the children have reached yet.

4. Sheena and her sister are here to see you.

5. A lot of food choices were given.

6. My parents live in New Zealand.

7. Don’t you think 4 days is a little too long?

8. Does anyone know where the lift is?

9. The little girl does not like mangoes for some reason.

10. You have brought all that I had asked for.

What do you mean by subject-verb agreement?

The term ‘subject-verb agreement’, just like the name suggests, refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb. This is mainly with reference to singular and plural nouns/pronouns that act as subjects.

What is the definition of subject-verb concord?

According to the Collins Dictionary, “concord refers to the way that a word has a form appropriate to the number or gender of the noun or pronoun it relates to. For example, in ‘She hates it’, there is concord between the singular form of the verb and the singular pronoun ‘she’.”

Give 5 examples of subject-verb agreement.

Here are 5 examples of subject-verb agreement for your reference.

  • She likes to have a dessert after every meal.

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Subject-Verb Agreement

1. what is subject-verb agreement.

When writing and speaking in present tenses , the subjects and verbs in a sentence need to be in the same form, or, “agree” with each other, and that’s called subject -verb agreement ( SVA ). Subjects and verbs have single and plural forms, and it’s important not to mix them up. All sentences need a subject and a verb to be complete, but if they don’t match, the sentence won’t make sense!

2. Examples of Subject-Verb Agreement

Overall, subject-verb agreement is a very simple idea. For subjects and verbs to agree, the numbers need to agree.

For instance, if a person is riding a bike, you need to express that one person rides one bike. So, to write in singular, you need to add “s” to the base form of the verb:

  • Sally rides her bike to school.
  • Sally ride her bike to school.

Now, if Sally and Sam, or “friends,” are riding bikes, there are two or more nouns, so we use the plural form. For plural, you just use the base form of the verb (ride):

  • Sally and Sam ride their bikes to school.
  • Friends ride their bikes to school.
  • Sally and Sam rides their bikes to school.
  • Friends rides their bikes to school.

3. Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement

Present tense nouns and verbs have singular and plural forms. There are some special cases, for instance, pronouns (like I and you) have their own rules. Also, as you probably already know, the verb “to be” is special, and also has some of its own rules.

a. Singulars

Singular subjects need singular verbs.

Singular nouns do not have an “s”, but singular verbs need an “s”

  • The girl walk s to work.
  • A snail move s slowly.
  • That cat like s sleeping.
  • My sister help s other.
  • Likewise, plural subjects need plural verbs.
  • Plural nouns have an “s”, but plural verbs do not.

Here are some examples:

Girl s walk to work. Snail s move slowly. Cat s like sleeping. Sister s help others.

This chart can help you remember common subject-verb combinations for singulars and plurals.

c. Special Case: Personal Pronouns

Most words follow the normal subject-verb agreement rules—except some personal pronouns. Even though I and you are singular, they require a plural verb.

d. Special Case: the verb “to be”

As you know, the verb “to be” is special. This chart will remind you of its proper forms:

4. Types of Subject-Verb Agreement Situations

There are many types of situations where subject-verb agreement follows specific rules. Below are eight of the most common.

a. Compound subjects (two or more nouns joined by “and”) are always plural:

  • Sally and Sam walks walk to school together .
  • Carrots and peas is are gross
  • Dogs and cats run fast.
  • Moms and Dads teach their kids new things.

b. A compound subject made of two singular subjects joined together by “or” and “nor” (usually combine with either/neither) need singular verbs:

  • Neither Sally nor Sam ride rides a bike to school.
  • Neither the dog nor the cat eats fish.
  • Either Sally or Sam are is coming to help.
  • Either the dog or the cat is eating the cheese.

To check for mistakes, you can leave out the first half of the subject, and the subject and verb will still agree:

  • Neither Sally nor Sam rides a bike to school.
  • Neither the dog nor The cat eats fish.

c. When plural or mixed plural/singular subjects are in a neither/nor or either/or situations, the verb agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it:

  • Either the foxes or the rabbit likes carrots.
  • Either the rabbit or foxes like carrots.
  • Neither my chickens nor my duck sleeps outside.
  • Neither my duck nor my chickens sleep outside.

Again, you can check this by cutting out the other half of the subject:

  • Either the foxes or The rabbit likes carrots.
  • Either the rabbit or Foxes like carrots.

d. The word “of” often causes confusion about subject-verb agreement. When you have A of B , (a box of cookies, a collection of books, groups of people, swarms of bees) the verb matches A .

  • The box of cookies smells delicious.
  • The boxes of cookies smell delicious.
  • A collection of books is a great thing to have.
  • Collections of books are great things to have.

A is the true subject, even though it contains B . To check to see if a subject and verb agrees in this situation, you can remove the “of B”, and it should sound correct:

  • The box smells delicious.
  • The boxes smell delicious.

e. Phrases or clauses ( purple ) between subjects and verbs DO NOT change the tense of the verb. It still needs to agree with the main noun of the subject:

  • The dog with lots of fleas is very itchy.
  • The dogs with the brown fur are very soft.
  • That cup , as well as all the mugs , breaks easily.
  • Those cups , as well as that mug , break easily.

To double-check this grammar situation, you can remove the phrase , and the sentence should still work:

  • The dog is very itchy
  • The dogs are very soft.

f. The word doesn’t ( does not ) can only be used with a singular subject, and the word don’t ( do not ) can only be used with plural subjects:

  • The snail doesn’t move quickly.
  • Snails don’t move quickly.
  • The alligator doesn’t eat vegetables.
  • Alligators don’t eat vegetables.

g. Collective nouns (groups of people) are considered singular, so they use singular verbs. But, if you break these groups down into members, THEN you need a singular verb:

  • The Smith family is famous in this neighborhood.
  • The kids in the Smith family are famous in this neighborhood.
  • A wolf pack runs through the forest each night.
  • The leaders of the wolf pack run through the forest each night.
  • The local soccer team wins every game.
  • Players on the local soccer team win every game.
  • Town council elects the new governor.
  • Members of the town council elect the new governor.

h. These special words are all singular and need singular verbs, even though some of them seem like plurals: each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone.

  • Everybody likes pizza.
  • Anybody likes pizza.
  • Each one likes pizza
  • Neither likes pizza.

There is an exception here, for the word “ each .” If “ each ” follows a plural noun, then it needs a plural verb, but alone “ each ” is singular:

  • The kids each like pizza.
  • They each like pizza.
  • Each likes pizza.

5. How to Avoid Mistakes

The basic idea being subject-verb agreement is easy: singulars + singulars, plurals + plurals. Still, people mix them up all the time. Here are some key rules to remember when you are checking your own subject-verb agreement:

  • Singular subjects must have singular verbs
  • Plural subjects must have plural verbs
  • Usually, a mix of singular and plural creates subject-verb disagreement .
  • There are special cases where singles and plurals mix, like with personal pronouns.
  • The verb “to be” is special and often changes with the subject

Let’s review with a couple more simple examples:

  • My grandma likes knitting.       Correct SVA
  • My grandma like knitting.       Incorrect SVA
  • Grandmas like knitting.       Correct SVA
  • Grandmas likes knitting.       Incorrect SVA

Here’s one last easy tip to help tell if subjects and verbs agree: Simply read the sentence out loud to yourself! When subjects and verbs disagree, it almost always sounds really awkward.

Test your Knowledge

a. do/do not

b. do not/do

c. they both need “s”

c. they both need 's'

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Manuscript Drafting: Why is Subject-Verb Agreement Important?

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In academic writing, grammar and sentence construction are of paramount importance. While this is also true for informal pieces of writing, grammar mistakes in academic writing can instantly reduce the credibility of the author.

One way of avoiding such errors in academic writing is using Trinka . Trinka is world’s first grammar checker and language enhancement tool, custom-built for academic writing. Its robust AI can identify and correct advance grammar errors, including subject-verb disagreement.

It is important to ensure that subjects and verbs always agree with each other. The relationship between subjects and verbs lie at the heart of grammatically correct English writing . Subject-verb agreement unifies a sentence and makes it easier to understand.

Subject-Verb Agreement in Academic Writing

A subject denotes the person or thing that acts, whereas a verb denotes the existence, action or occurrence. For instance:

George played. She brushed her hair. He reviewed for the exams. Christine renewed her license.

In each of these sentences, it is clear to the reader who performed the action. It is also clear what they did. The subject-verb agreement in each of these sentences is clear and the reader is not left wondering who did the action and what they did. It becomes clear that subject-verb agreement is essential and even critical in all forms of English writing. Why should you care? Well, for starters, the purpose of writing is to get your message across and this won’t be possible if your reader doesn’t understand what you are trying to say. Secondly, it is always a good idea to practice proper grammar in writing because it makes you credible.

Writing Conventions Involving Subject-Verb Agreements

The first rule in making your subjects and verbs agree is that the subject has to match with the verb. Since there are many forms of subjects and verbs, this isn’t as simple as it sounds. In general, if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural as well:

Joshua talks. (Singular) The women talk. (Plural)

Regular verbs written in the present tense  when converted to plural omit the use of s at the end of each verb. In the past tense, however, verbs do not change:

I played. (Singular) They played. (Plural)

The trick to making your subject and verb agree with each other is to identify the quantity of your subject and match the verb to it. Alternatively, you can also check the subject-verb agreement using Trinka .

However, there are phrases which are not as easily calculated. For instance:

Everyone changes their mind. No one greets the waiter. No one saves the day.

The previous sentences denote indefinite pronouns. In these instances, it is good to remember that anyone, everybody, everyone, nobody, no one, and someone are always taken as singular and they need to be accompanied by singular verbs. It’s always tempting to think that everybody is a plural subject. However, it refers to singulars in that it refers to each and every person in a crowd. Therefore, it is singular. On the other hand, indefinite pronouns like all or some can either be singular or plural.

All of the dogs barked. Some of the bees landed on the flower.

All and some can refer to things that cannot be counted, and therefore agree with singular verbs:

All of the air escaped. Some of the water spilled.

Subject-Verb Agreements in Instances

Many nouns seem like plural nouns, and these are instances where anomalies in the English language can be observed. These nouns look plural but actually count as singular nouns. Improving your writing requires understanding these instances to ensure grammatical correctness.

The party starts at 9 o’clock. The crowd cheers on. The team remains calm.

It should be noted that if the members of the noun are not acting in unity as a group, then the noun should be treated as plural and matches with a plural verb.

After the movie, viewers exit their seats. The jury are hesitant about the plaintiff.

However, not all such collective nouns become plural. For instance:

Thousands of voters attend. The moviegoers line up.

When in doubt, you can add a modifying word or use a different word entirely:

Members of the party enter the building. The moviegoers enter the cinema.

Nouns that denote amounts of time, money, and distance are treated as singulars:

Eight thousand dollars is more than I will pay for a bag. Nine kilometers was the most I could run. Twelve hours was a long time to wait.

However, fractions are singular if they are used to modify singular nouns. They are plural if they are used to modify plural nouns:

A fourth of the audience did not like the performance. Fifty percent of the book is composed of pictures.

Using neither or either is always accompanied by singular verbs:

Neither of the dogs is black. Either the restaurant or the café is fine with me.

Too many conventions to remember? You can always opt for Trinka to get your writing corrected for all these rules of subject-verb agreement.

How Subject-Verb Agreements Affect Academic Writing

Using these conventions is important for proper English writing. In academic writing, neglecting subject-verb agreements has serious consequences. These include not getting your message across, confusing your readers, and reducing your credibility. Academic writing is characterized by perfect syntax, sentence structure, and grammar. These things cannot be ignored and you need to pay attention to your subject-verb agreements when writing your manuscript.

It’s not as easy as it sounds, but not as hard as it looks either. However, it is essential and even critical for you to master. Study these rules and you’ll be on your way.

Avoiding such errors is easy with Trinka . Trinka goes a step ahead to correct difficult grammar errors unique to academic writing that other grammar checker tools don’t, so you can focus more on your ideas, and write confidently.

Do you get confused when using subject-verb agreements? How difficult or easy do you find to implement these rule? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

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For example, in this sentence: “In academic writing, grammar and sentence construction is of paramount importance,” the verb should be ARE, because the sentence has a compound (plural) subject of grammar AND sentence construction.

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There is a grammar rule that says that when the subjects in the compound subject are of similar ideas, the verb should be singular. That could be the reason for the “is” in the sentence you mentioned. An example of this “Crime and violence is…” rather than “Crime and violence are… ” Those are similar ideas.

* Either and neither are not always accompanied by singular verbs. They follow the rule of proximity. Therefore, if a singular subject is closer to the verb, then the verb would be singular, but if a plural subject is closer to the verb, then the verb would be plural.

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Agreement: Subject and Verb: Part Two

Agreement: Subject and Verb

  • By English Essay Writing Tips

Subject-Verb Agreement

by Owen Fourie

~ Part One ~

The proper use of English grammar is essential in all your writing. This category will attempt to clear up some issues that are confusing to many.

Verbs must have subjects

Agreement is a good thing in every area of life, especially in English sentences. You cannot have a complete sentence without a subject and a verb. The verb is commonly defined as an action word, but I recently heard a better definition: “A verb is something with a subject.” These two things go together to contribute to a complete sentence, and they must be in agreement.

The verb tells you about the subject. It speaks of the subject’s action or condition:

  • The dog (subject) barks (verb speaking of the dog’s action).
  • The girls (subject) seem (verb speaking of the girls’ state) healthy.

In the above examples, there is agreement between subject and verb. This agreement would not be there if we were to say:

  • The dog bark.
  • The girls seems healthy.

If you read these two sentences aloud, a person whose mother tongue and first language is English will hear the error immediately.

The rule for subject-verb agreement

Subject-verb agreement is determined by the number of the subject. The number of the subject is its singularity or its plurality. If the subject is singular, the verb must agree and be singular too. If the subject is plural, the verb must agree and be plural too.

The rule is stated in this way:

A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb.

  • The dog (singular subject) barks (singular verb).
  • The girls (plural subject) seem (plural verb) healthy.

Don’t think of the word barks in the first example as a noun and regard it as plural (one bark, two barks). Here, it is a verb–a singular verb. Let’s extend the examples:

  • Singular subject and verb: The dog barks.
  • Plural subject and verb: The dogs bark.
  • Singular subject and verb: The girl seems healthy.
  • Plural subject and verb: The girls seem healthy.

Let’s use the Be Verbs (singular: is , are ; plural: was , were ) in these examples:

  • The dog was barking.
  • The dogs were barking.
  • The girl is healthy.
  • The girls are healthy.

This is a basic introduction to subject-verb agreement. There are some areas that cause confusion, and we’ll consider these in the next post .

If you need help with any grammar problem, ask here. How are you learning English Grammar? How useful are grammar textbooks to you? How would you describe them–clear, confusing, boring? Do you have any useful insights? What are your particular struggles? Your comments, observations, and questions are welcome.

Here are more articles to help you with English words , grammar , and essay writing .

Copyright © 2010 by English Essay Writing Tips www.englishessaywritingtips.com

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Posted on 13th October 2017

Writing a Three-Paragraph Essay

By Elise Barbeau

Sally Baggett holds a master’s in literature. She enjoys inspiring students, cooking with her family, and helping others achieve their dreams.

Just like there is more than one way to skin a cat (or so they say), there is more than one way to write an essay. One is not required to produce a perfectly formatted five-paragraph essay every time one composes a piece of writing. There is another type of essay you can write that may just be simpler than the traditional style: the three-paragraph essay. This type of essay might be beneficial for beginning writers as it offers the organizational structure of a longer essay without requiring the length. It also offers a challenge to more advanced writers to condense their points.

The Parts of the Essay and Its Benefits

As with most essays, the three-paragraph essay has three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Yet with this type of essay–unlike its five-paragraph counterpart–each one of these sections has only one paragraph. The three-paragraph essay, therefore, might be ideal for young writers or those who are currently mastering the English language.

Another benefit to the three-paragraph essay could be that it requires you to condense your supporting points into just one, which can be a good exercise. If you had to choose only one point to convince a reader to agree with you, what would it be?

After performing some light prewriting, such as brainstorming or writing an outline, students can move right into composing the essay. While this process is similar across the board for writing academic papers, the three-paragraph essay is unique in that the body will take up less space in the finished product.

An outline for this essay might look like this :

  • Background Points
  • Thesis Statement
  • Supporting fact 1
  • Supporting fact 2
  • Transition Sentence
  • Re-statement of Thesis
  • Summary of Main Point
  • Challenge to the Reader

Paragraph One: Introduction

As with most formal essays, the three-paragraph essay begins with an introduction paragraph. Such paragraphs must, obviously, introduce the reader to your idea and, in most cases, convince the reader that this essay is worth reading. To craft a strong introduction, be sure to open with a solid hook. You want to draw in readers so they are compelled to engage with your writing.

A hook can be something compelling such as a question, a powerful quote, or an interesting fact. Introduction paragraphs also usually contain background information that assists the reader in understanding your topic, perhaps defining it or explaining an important part. Finally, you want to include a thesis statement. Even though your essay only has three paragraphs, there still needs to be a purpose to the writing.

You could structure your introduction paragraph according to this outline :

  • Hook: Is there no solution for dumping waste in the ocean?
  • Explain why trash is dumped in the ocean
  • Statistics about dumping trash in the ocean
  • Thesis Statement: Dumping waste in the ocean is a problem because it spells disaster for the ecosystem, leading to problems on land.

This structure is not mandatory, though it might be useful in the long run for organizing your thoughts.

Paragraph Two: Body

The second paragraph, as we have discussed, is the one and only body paragraph. This paragraph bears the burden of communicating support for the thesis statement all on its own. As such, it may take more than one rough draft to get this paragraph to communicate everything you want it to.

Your body paragraph needs to underscore the thesis statement. Create a topic sentence for this body paragraph that communicates this and also transitions from the introduction into the body. For example, your body paragraph topic sentence based on the outline above could be:

One of those problems might play itself out as food scarcity where humans live.

This topic sentence reiterates the thesis and moves the reader into a body paragraph that contains a supporting point: that damage to the ocean’s ecosystem could lead to food scarcity. Within the body paragraph, you can quote different sources that support this point.

Again, this paragraph does not have room to contain everything that a full five-paragraph essay might. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fit in some strong evidence to convince your reader to see your perspective, such as is accomplished through quotes and analysis. Don’t forget to end with a strong transition sentence to move the reader seamlessly into the conclusion.

Paragraph Three: Conclusion

The final paragraph in an essay is usually the conclusion. The three-paragraph essay is no exception. In this essay, the conclusion can be just as long as the other two paragraphs, and it can drive home the point made in the thesis statement and body paragraph. As with most conclusion paragraphs, this paragraph ought to restate the thesis in different words. It should then summarize what was stated in the body paragraph before challenging the reader in some way, whether in thought or action.

Editing Before Turning It In

One thing to be sure of in this type of essay (as in any other) is to polish it. Make it flow well. In other words, revise it!

Before beginning the revision process, take a break from your writing so that you can look at it with fresh eyes. Once you start revising, hunt not only for grammar and punctuation errors but for ways to make the writing flow better. Take a look at the sentences at the beginning and end of each paragraph. Do these sentences contain transition words? Do these paragraphs link to each other? Transition words or phrases like “Likewise,” “In spite of,” or “In addition to” can ensure that your paragraphs are coherent. There are also other services that will automatically proofread you paper.

If you used any sources (i.e. websites, books, videos, etc.) to help support your points and write your paper, you need to cite them! Most teachers will ask you to create a bibliography in MLA format . Others may have you one in APA format , or create references in Chicago style. Ask your teacher for guidance on what citation style they prefer.

Final Thoughts

Don’t forget that you aren’t limited to using this type of essay for just persuasion. You can also use it to relate a narrative tale, using the three parts as the beginning, middle, and end of a story. You can use this to craft an informative essay. See if other types of essays–such as a process analysis or an evaluation–will fit inside the three-paragraph essay format.

In many ways, the three-paragraph essay is similar to the five-paragraph essay. They both make a solid point using an introduction, body, and conclusion. This simpler essay only requires that you condense your points into one body paragraph, perhaps only one supporting point, before reaching a conclusion. Again, this can make a good exercise for beginning English writers, but can also make a challenge for a more advanced writer to select their strongest supporting points.

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11 Rules for Essay Paragraph Structure (with Examples)

How do you structure a paragraph in an essay?

If you’re like the majority of my students, you might be getting your basic essay paragraph structure wrong and getting lower grades than you could!

In this article, I outline the 11 key steps to writing a perfect paragraph. But, this isn’t your normal ‘how to write an essay’ article. Rather, I’ll try to give you some insight into exactly what teachers look out for when they’re grading essays and figuring out what grade to give them.

You can navigate each issue below, or scroll down to read them all:

1. Paragraphs must be at least four sentences long 2. But, at most seven sentences long 3. Your paragraph must be Left-Aligned 4. You need a topic sentence 5 . Next, you need an explanation sentence 6. You need to include an example 7. You need to include citations 8. All paragraphs need to be relevant to the marking criteria 9. Only include one key idea per paragraph 10. Keep sentences short 11. Keep quotes short

Paragraph structure is one of the most important elements of getting essay writing right .

As I cover in my Ultimate Guide to Writing an Essay Plan , paragraphs are the heart and soul of your essay.

However, I find most of my students have either:

  • forgotten how to write paragraphs properly,
  • gotten lazy, or
  • never learned it in the first place!

Paragraphs in essay writing are different from paragraphs in other written genres .

In fact, the paragraphs that you are reading now would not help your grades in an essay.

That’s because I’m writing in journalistic style, where paragraph conventions are vastly different.

For those of you coming from journalism or creative writing, you might find you need to re-learn paragraph writing if you want to write well-structured essay paragraphs to get top grades.

Below are eleven reasons your paragraphs are losing marks, and what to do about it!

11 tips for perfect paragraphs

Essay Paragraph Structure Rules

1. your paragraphs must be at least 4 sentences long.

In journalism and blog writing, a one-sentence paragraph is great. It’s short, to-the-point, and helps guide your reader. For essay paragraph structure, one-sentence paragraphs suck.

A one-sentence essay paragraph sends an instant signal to your teacher that you don’t have much to say on an issue.

A short paragraph signifies that you know something – but not much about it. A one-sentence paragraph lacks detail, depth and insight.

Many students come to me and ask, “what does ‘add depth’ mean?” It’s one of the most common pieces of feedback you’ll see written on the margins of your essay.

Personally, I think ‘add depth’ is bad feedback because it’s a short and vague comment. But, here’s what it means: You’ve not explained your point enough!

If you’re writing one-, two- or three-sentence essay paragraphs, you’re costing yourself marks.

Always aim for at least four sentences per paragraph in your essays.

This doesn’t mean that you should add ‘fluff’ or ‘padding’ sentences.

Make sure you don’t:

a) repeat what you said in different words, or b) write something just because you need another sentence in there.

But, you need to do some research and find something insightful to add to that two-sentence paragraph if you want to ace your essay.

Check out Points 5 and 6 for some advice on what to add to that short paragraph to add ‘depth’ to your paragraph and start moving to the top of the class.

  • How to Make an Essay Longer
  • How to Make an Essay Shorter

2. Your Paragraphs must not be more than 7 Sentences Long

Okay, so I just told you to aim for at least four sentences per paragraph. So, what’s the longest your paragraph should be?

Seven sentences. That’s a maximum.

So, here’s the rule:

Between four and seven sentences is the sweet spot that you need to aim for in every single paragraph.

Here’s why your paragraphs shouldn’t be longer than seven sentences:

1. It shows you can organize your thoughts. You need to show your teacher that you’ve broken up your key ideas into manageable segments of text (see point 10)

2. It makes your work easier to read.   You need your writing to be easily readable to make it easy for your teacher to give you good grades. Make your essay easy to read and you’ll get higher marks every time.

One of the most important ways you can make your work easier to read is by writing paragraphs that are less than six sentences long.

3. It prevents teacher frustration. Teachers are just like you. When they see a big block of text their eyes glaze over. They get frustrated, lost, their mind wanders … and you lose marks.

To prevent teacher frustration, you need to ensure there’s plenty of white space in your essay. It’s about showing them that the piece is clearly structured into one key idea per ‘chunk’ of text.

Often, you might find that your writing contains tautologies and other turns of phrase that can be shortened for clarity.

3. Your Paragraph must be Left-Aligned

Turn off ‘Justified’ text and: Never. Turn. It. On. Again.

Justified text is where the words are stretched out to make the paragraph look like a square. It turns the writing into a block. Don’t do it. You will lose marks, I promise you! Win the psychological game with your teacher: left-align your text.

A good essay paragraph is never ‘justified’.

I’m going to repeat this, because it’s important: to prevent your essay from looking like a big block of muddy, hard-to-read text align your text to the left margin only.

You want white space on your page – and lots of it. White space helps your reader scan through your work. It also prevents it from looking like big blocks of text.

You want your reader reading vertically as much as possible: scanning, browsing, and quickly looking through for evidence you’ve engaged with the big ideas.

The justified text doesn’t help you do that. Justified text makes your writing look like a big, lumpy block of text that your reader doesn’t want to read.

What’s wrong with Center-Aligned Text?

While I’m at it, never, ever, center-align your text either. Center-aligned text is impossible to skim-read. Your teacher wants to be able to quickly scan down the left margin to get the headline information in your paragraph.

Not many people center-align text, but it’s worth repeating: never, ever center-align your essays.

an infographic showing that left-aligned paragraphs are easy to read. The infographic recommends using Control plus L on a PC keyboard or Command plus L on a Mac to left align a paragraph

Don’t annoy your reader. Left align your text.

4. Your paragraphs must have a Topic Sentence

The first sentence of an essay paragraph is called the topic sentence. This is one of the most important sentences in the correct essay paragraph structure style.

The topic sentence should convey exactly what key idea you’re going to cover in your paragraph.

Too often, students don’t let their reader know what the key idea of the paragraph is until several sentences in.

You must show what the paragraph is about in the first sentence.

You never, ever want to keep your reader in suspense. Essays are not like creative writing. Tell them straight away what the paragraph is about. In fact, if you can, do it in the first half of the first sentence .

I’ll remind you again: make it easy to grade your work. Your teacher is reading through your work trying to determine what grade to give you. They’re probably going to mark 20 assignments in one sitting. They have no interest in storytelling or creativity. They just want to know how much you know! State what the paragraph is about immediately and move on.

Suggested: Best Words to Start a Paragraph

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: Writing a Topic Sentence If your paragraph is about how climate change is endangering polar bears, say it immediately : “Climate change is endangering polar bears.” should be your first sentence in your paragraph. Take a look at first sentence of each of the four paragraphs above this one. You can see from the first sentence of each paragraph that the paragraphs discuss:

When editing your work, read each paragraph and try to distil what the one key idea is in your paragraph. Ensure that this key idea is mentioned in the first sentence .

(Note: if there’s more than one key idea in the paragraph, you may have a problem. See Point 9 below .)

The topic sentence is the most important sentence for getting your essay paragraph structure right. So, get your topic sentences right and you’re on the right track to a good essay paragraph.

5. You need an Explanation Sentence

All topic sentences need a follow-up explanation. The very first point on this page was that too often students write paragraphs that are too short. To add what is called ‘depth’ to a paragraph, you can come up with two types of follow-up sentences: explanations and examples.

Let’s take explanation sentences first.

Explanation sentences give additional detail. They often provide one of the following services:

Let’s go back to our example of a paragraph on Climate change endangering polar bears. If your topic sentence is “Climate change is endangering polar bears.”, then your follow-up explanation sentence is likely to explain how, why, where, or when. You could say:

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: Writing Explanation Sentences 1. How: “The warming atmosphere is melting the polar ice caps.” 2. Why: “The polar bears’ habitats are shrinking every single year.” 3. Where: “This is happening in the Antarctic ice caps near Greenland.” 4. When: “Scientists first noticed the ice caps were shrinking in 1978.”

You don’t have to provide all four of these options each time.

But, if you’re struggling to think of what to add to your paragraph to add depth, consider one of these four options for a good quality explanation sentence.

>>>RELATED ARTICLE: SHOULD YOU USE RHETORICAL QUESTIONS IN ESSAYS ?

6. Your need to Include an Example

Examples matter! They add detail. They also help to show that you genuinely understand the issue. They show that you don’t just understand a concept in the abstract; you also understand how things work in real life.

Example sentences have the added benefit of personalising an issue. For example, after saying “Polar bears’ habitats are shrinking”, you could note specific habitats, facts and figures, or even a specific story about a bear who was impacted.

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: Writing an ‘Example’ Sentence “For example, 770,000 square miles of Arctic Sea Ice has melted in the past four decades, leading Polar Bear populations to dwindle ( National Geographic, 2018 )

In fact, one of the most effective politicians of our times – Barrack Obama – was an expert at this technique. He would often provide examples of people who got sick because they didn’t have healthcare to sell Obamacare.

What effect did this have? It showed the real-world impact of his ideas. It humanised him, and got him elected president – twice!

Be like Obama. Provide examples. Often.

7. All Paragraphs need Citations

Provide a reference to an academic source in every single body paragraph in the essay. The only two paragraphs where you don’t need a reference is the introduction and conclusion .

Let me repeat: Paragraphs need at least one reference to a quality scholarly source .

Let me go even further:

Students who get the best marks provide two references to two different academic sources in every paragraph.

Two references in a paragraph show you’ve read widely, cross-checked your sources, and given the paragraph real thought.

It’s really important that these references link to academic sources, not random websites, blogs or YouTube videos. Check out our Seven Best types of Sources to Cite in Essays post to get advice on what sources to cite. Number 6 w ill surprise you!

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: In-Text Referencing in Paragraphs Usually, in-text referencing takes the format: (Author, YEAR), but check your school’s referencing formatting requirements carefully. The ‘Author’ section is the author’s last name only. Not their initials. Not their first name. Just their last name . My name is Chris Drew. First name Chris, last name Drew. If you were going to reference an academic article I wrote in 2019, you would reference it like this: (Drew, 2019).

Where do you place those two references?

Place the first reference at the end of the first half of the paragraph. Place the second reference at the end of the second half of the paragraph.

This spreads the references out and makes it look like all the points throughout the paragraph are backed up by your sources. The goal is to make it look like you’ve reference regularly when your teacher scans through your work.

Remember, teachers can look out for signposts that indicate you’ve followed academic conventions and mentioned the right key ideas.

Spreading your referencing through the paragraph helps to make it look like you’ve followed the academic convention of referencing sources regularly.

Here are some examples of how to reference twice in a paragraph:

  • If your paragraph was six sentences long, you would place your first reference at the end of the third sentence and your second reference at the end of the sixth sentence.
  • If your paragraph was five sentences long, I would recommend placing one at the end of the second sentence and one at the end of the fifth sentence.

You’ve just read one of the key secrets to winning top marks.

8. Every Paragraph must be relevant to the Marking Criteria

Every paragraph must win you marks. When you’re editing your work, check through the piece to see if every paragraph is relevant to the marking criteria.

For the British: In the British university system (I’m including Australia and New Zealand here – I’ve taught at universities in all three countries), you’ll usually have a ‘marking criteria’. It’s usually a list of between two and six key learning outcomes your teacher needs to use to come up with your score. Sometimes it’s called a:

  • Marking criteria
  • Marking rubric
  • (Key) learning outcome
  • Indicative content

Check your assignment guidance to see if this is present. If so, use this list of learning outcomes to guide what you write. If your paragraphs are irrelevant to these key points, delete the paragraph .

Paragraphs that don’t link to the marking criteria are pointless. They won’t win you marks.

For the Americans: If you don’t have a marking criteria / rubric / outcomes list, you’ll need to stick closely to the essay question or topic. This goes out to those of you in the North American system. North America (including USA and Canada here) is often less structured and the professor might just give you a topic to base your essay on.

If all you’ve got is the essay question / topic, go through each paragraph and make sure each paragraph is relevant to the topic.

For example, if your essay question / topic is on “The Effects of Climate Change on Polar Bears”,

  • Don’t talk about anything that doesn’t have some connection to climate change and polar bears;
  • Don’t talk about the environmental impact of oil spills in the Gulf of Carpentaria;
  • Don’t talk about black bear habitats in British Columbia.
  • Do talk about the effects of climate change on polar bears (and relevant related topics) in every single paragraph .

You may think ‘stay relevant’ is obvious advice, but at least 20% of all essays I mark go off on tangents and waste words.

Stay on topic in Every. Single. Paragraph. If you want to learn more about how to stay on topic, check out our essay planning guide .

9. Only have one Key Idea per Paragraph

One key idea for each paragraph. One key idea for each paragraph. One key idea for each paragraph.

Don’t forget!

Too often, a student starts a paragraph talking about one thing and ends it talking about something totally different. Don’t be that student.

To ensure you’re focussing on one key idea in your paragraph, make sure you know what that key idea is. It should be mentioned in your topic sentence (see Point 3 ). Every other sentence in the paragraph adds depth to that one key idea.

If you’ve got sentences in your paragraph that are not relevant to the key idea in the paragraph, they don’t fit. They belong in another paragraph.

Go through all your paragraphs when editing your work and check to see if you’ve veered away from your paragraph’s key idea. If so, you might have two or even three key ideas in the one paragraph.

You’re going to have to get those additional key ideas, rip them out, and give them paragraphs of their own.

If you have more than one key idea in a paragraph you will lose marks. I promise you that.

The paragraphs will be too hard to read, your reader will get bogged down reading rather than scanning, and you’ll have lost grades.

10. Keep Sentences Short

If a sentence is too long it gets confusing. When the sentence is confusing, your reader will stop reading your work. They will stop reading the paragraph and move to the next one. They’ll have given up on your paragraph.

Short, snappy sentences are best.

Shorter sentences are easier to read and they make more sense. Too often, students think they have to use big, long, academic words to get the best marks. Wrong. Aim for clarity in every sentence in the paragraph. Your teacher will thank you for it.

The students who get the best marks write clear, short sentences.

When editing your draft, go through your essay and see if you can shorten your longest five sentences.

(To learn more about how to write the best quality sentences, see our page on Seven ways to Write Amazing Sentences .)

11. Keep Quotes Short

Eighty percent of university teachers hate quotes. That’s not an official figure. It’s my guestimate based on my many interactions in faculty lounges. Twenty percent don’t mind them, but chances are your teacher is one of the eight out of ten who hate quotes.

Teachers tend to be turned off by quotes because it makes it look like you don’t know how to say something on your own words.

Now that I’ve warned you, here’s how to use quotes properly:

Ideal Essay Paragraph Structure Example: How To Use Quotes in University-Level Essay Paragraphs 1. Your quote should be less than one sentence long. 2. Your quote should be less than one sentence long. 3. You should never start a sentence with a quote. 4. You should never end a paragraph with a quote. 5 . You should never use more than five quotes per essay. 6. Your quote should never be longer than one line in a paragraph.

The minute your teacher sees that your quote takes up a large chunk of your paragraph, you’ll have lost marks.

Your teacher will circle the quote, write a snarky comment in the margin, and not even bother to give you points for the key idea in the paragraph.

Avoid quotes, but if you really want to use them, follow those five rules above.

I’ve also provided additional pages outlining Seven tips on how to use Quotes if you want to delve deeper into how, when and where to use quotes in essays. Be warned: quoting in essays is harder than you thought.

The basic essay paragraph structure formula includes: 4-6 sentence paragraphs; a clear topic sentence; useful explanations and examples; a focus on one key idea only; and references to two different academic sources.

Follow the advice above and you’ll be well on your way to getting top marks at university.

Writing essay paragraphs that are well structured takes time and practice. Don’t be too hard on yourself and keep on trying!

Below is a summary of our 11 key mistakes for structuring essay paragraphs and tips on how to avoid them.

I’ve also provided an easy-to-share infographic below that you can share on your favorite social networking site. Please share it if this article has helped you out!

11 Biggest Essay Paragraph Structure Mistakes you’re probably Making

1.  Your paragraphs are too short 2.  Your paragraphs are too long 3.  Your paragraph alignment is ‘Justified’ 4.  Your paragraphs are missing a topic sentence 5 .  Your paragraphs are missing an explanation sentence 6.  Your paragraphs are missing an example 7.  Your paragraphs are missing references 8.  Your paragraphs are not relevant to the marking criteria 9.  You’re trying to fit too many ideas into the one paragraph 10.  Your sentences are too long 11.  Your quotes are too long

Chris

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons
  • Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 17 Adversity Examples (And How to Overcome Them)

4 thoughts on “11 Rules for Essay Paragraph Structure (with Examples)”

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Hello there. I noticed that throughout this article on Essay Writing, you keep on saying that the teacher won’t have time to go through the entire essay. Don’t you think this is a bit discouraging that with all the hard work and time put into your writing, to know that the teacher will not read through the entire paper?

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Hi Clarence,

Thanks so much for your comment! I love to hear from readers on their thoughts.

Yes, I agree that it’s incredibly disheartening.

But, I also think students would appreciate hearing the truth.

Behind closed doors many / most university teachers are very open about the fact they ‘only have time to skim-read papers’. They regularly bring this up during heated faculty meetings about contract negotiations! I.e. in one university I worked at, we were allocated 45 minutes per 10,000 words – that’s just over 4 minutes per 1,000 word essay, and that’d include writing the feedback, too!

If students know the truth, they can better write their essays in a way that will get across the key points even from a ‘skim-read’.

I hope to write candidly on this website – i.e. some of this info will never be written on university blogs because universities want to hide these unfortunate truths from students.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Regards, Chris

' src=

This is wonderful and helpful, all I say is thank you very much. Because I learned a lot from this site, own by chris thank you Sir.

' src=

Thank you. This helped a lot.

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