What is subject-verb agreement?
Subject-verb agreement means the subject and verb in a sentence must match in number. (singular subject → singular verb; plural subject → plural verb)
• Basic Rule
Singular vs. Plural:
She runs fast. (singular)
They run fast. (plural)
• Indefinite Pronouns:
Singular: Everyone, Somebody, Each, Nothing, etc.: singular verb
→
Everyone wants cake.
Plural: Few, Many, Several, Both: plural verb
→
Many were invited.
• Compound subjects:
Joined by "and": plural
→
Tom and Jerry are friends.
• Joined by "or" / "nor": verb agrees with the closer subject
→
Neither the teacher nor the students are ready.
• Collective nouns (team, group, family, etc.): usually singular in American English
→
The team wins every game.
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