Agrement between subject and verb
The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb. The choice of the singular or plural form of the verb depends not only on the singular or plural form of the subject but also on the singular or plural meaning of the subject. The subject that is plural in form but singular in meaning (physics) takes a singular verb.
The subject that is singular in form but plural in meaning (people) takes a plural verb.
The singular form? He talks. Therefore, “ talks” is singular. "They talk. Therefore, “talk” is plural.
“V+ing” ve “to+V” yapıları tekildir.
The verb agrees with the subject in person and number:
I work.
We /You work.
My brother works.
My brothers work.
In the past tense, main verbs (regular and irregular) use the same verb forms for all persons:
I worked. I knew.
We /You worked. We /you knew.
My brother worked. My brother knew.
My brothers worked.
The verb “be” has more forms for agreement with the subject in person and number:
I am.
He /She /It is.
We /You /They are.
My brother is.
My brothers are.
I /He /She /It was.
We /You /They were.
My brother was.
My brothers were.
The subject in the singular requires the verb in the singular. The subject in the plural requires the verb in the plural.
My sister is a doctor. She is a doctor.
This book is interesting. It is interesting.
These books are interesting. They are interesting.
I am a teacher. You are a student. We are teachers. You are students.
His daughter likes cartoons. She likes cartoons.
His daughters like cartoons. They like cartoons.
First find the subject and then make the verb agree with the subject.
Her favorite food is sandwiches. Sandwiches are her favorite food.
The can of olives is on the kitchen table. The cans of olives are on the kitchen table.
How long have the TV’s nature documentaries been going?
TV'nin doÄŸa belgeselleri ne zamandan beri devam ediyor?
For at least 40 years, I should think.
Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Some collective nouns are generally used with a singular verb (the bourgeoisie, the proletariat). Some other collective nouns are generally used with a plural verb (the police, the militia, the clergy).
At that time the bourgeoisie was mostly excluded from active political life.
The police are looking for the robbers.
Some collective nouns (family, team, committee, crew, public, board, jury, staff) take a singular or plural verb depending on the meaning. If a group of people is regarded as a unit, the singular form of the verb is used. If the members of a group are regarded separately, the plural form of the verb is used.
Her family is large. Her family is rich.
Her family are discussing this problem now.
The committee has adopted the plan.
The committee have different opinions on this issue.
The reading public is dissatisfied with his latest novel.
The public are not allowed in this section of the museum.
Her family members are discussing this problem now.
The committee members have different opinions on this issue.
Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence.
The staff is in a meeting. (“Staff “is acting as a unit here.)
The staffs are in disagreement about the findings. (“The staffs” are acting as separate individuals in this example.)
The sentence would read even better as: The staff members are in disagreement about the findings.
The expression “the number “is followed by a singular verb while the expression a number is followed by a plural verb.
The number of people we need to hire is thirteen.
A number of people have written in about this subject.
Some nouns ending in “s/es” are plural in form but singular in meaning, for example, news, mathematics, physics, measles. Such nouns require a singular verb.
The latest news is not very encouraging.
Physics has always been a difficult subject for me.
Names of countries, organizations, companies ending in plural s/es are singular in meaning and require a singular verb.
The United States is a large country.
The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated European countries.
The United Nations was formed in 1945.
Nouns that may present a problem for language learners in terms of agreement between the subject and the predicate (for example, sheep, deer, fish, money, aircraft, headquarters, statistics, mumps) are described in Irregular Plural Nouns.
Subject with “and”
If the subjects are connected by "and", the plural form of the verb is used.
The dictionary and the grammar book are on the writing desk.
Tom, Anna, and Maria are my neighbors.
You and he were friends just a year ago.
Her doctor and her lawyer have already left.
A car and a bike are my means of transportation.
Subject (both of them) are plural:
Anna has got two sisters. Both of them are married.
Both the newspaper and the magazine are in the desk drawer.
If the subjects connected by "and" are regarded as a unit or an action, the singular form of the verb is used.
Strawberries and cream is my favorite dessert.
Titles of books, films, shows
Titles of books, films, shows, and the like are treated as singular and agree with a singular verb.
Romeo and Juliet is a play by Shakespeare.
(But: Romeo and Juliet are the main characters of this play.)
The Three Musketeers is a novel by Alexandre Dumas.
(But: The Three Musketeers are comrades of D'Artagnan, the main hero of the novel.)
Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides, or not. Ignore these expressions when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb.
Subject with "either...or; neither...nor" (either /or, neither /nor)
If the subjects are connected by "or; nor; either...or; neither...nor", the verb agrees in number with the nearest subject.
Marie or her sister is going to bring my books tomorrow morning.
Either Tim or Mike has to stay here.
Either the suspect or the witnesses are lying.
Neither the refrigerator nor the stove works.
Neither you nor he has the right to say such things.
Neither the teacher nor the students were able to explain it.
Neither Jenny nor the others are available.
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.
The serving bowl or the plates go on that shelf.
When “I” is one of the two subjects connected by “either/or” or “neither /nor”, put it second and follow it with the singular verb “am”.
Neither she nor I am going to the festival.
When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs.
Neither of them is available to speak right now.
Either of us is capable of doing the job.
The pronouns “each, everyone, every one, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody“ are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be misled by what follows of.
Each of the girls sings well.
Every one of the cakes is gone.
Note: Everyone is one word when it means everybody. Everyone is two words when the meaning is each one.
Prepositional phrases come between a subject and its verb:
Everyone in the fraternity has his own set of prejudices.
Each of the rowers takes her turn at rowing.
Every one of the fraternity members has his own set of prejudices.
The woman in the car parked in front of the bank across the street.
Sometimes the pronoun “who, that, which” is the subject of a verb in the middle of the sentence. The pronouns “who, that, which” become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. So, if that noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.
He is the scientist who writes the reports.
The word in front of who is scientist, which is singular. Therefore, use the singular verb writes.
He is one of the men who do the work.
The word in front of who is a man, which is plural. Therefore, use the plural verb do.
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Subject after "there is; there are"
The subject is placed after the verb in the structure "there is, there are" which is used when you want to say “what” is in some place.
There is a table in the room. A table is in the room.
There are two books on the table.Two books are on the table.
There was a car in front of the house. A car is in front of the house.
If the compound subject stands after the predicate expressed by "there is; there are" (there was; there were, etc.), the verb usually agrees in number with the nearest subject.
There is a book and a newspaper on the table.
There is a book, a newspaper, and two magazines on the table.
There are two magazines and a book on the table.
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
If subject is “Infinitive Phrase”:
To become a good manager requires a good theoretical background as well as practical experience.
Indicate portions
“Percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, and so forth” —look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.
Examples:
Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared. (Pie is the object of the preposition of.) Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared. (Pies is the object of the preposition.)
One-third of the city is unemployed. One-third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone. All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing. Some of the pies are missing.
None of the garbage was picked up.
None of the sentences were punctuated correctly.
Of all her books, none have sold as well as the first one.
All is true.
The phrases "accompanied by; as well as; along with; together with; including"
The phrases "accompanied by; as well as; along with; together with; including" following the subject do not change the number of the subject. They are not taken into consideration when choosing the singular or plural form of the verb to agree with the subject.
The actress, accompanied by friends and fans, is traveling in Asia now.
The players, as well as the coach, are down with the flu.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.
The teacher, as well as the students, is willing to participate in the contest.
The text of this lecture, together with additional materials, is offered in Chapter 11.
A list of foreign words, including foreign proper names, is at the end of the book.
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Subject-Verb Inversion
In questions (routinely):
Have you eaten breakfast yet? Are you ready?
In expletive constructions:
There were four basic causes of the Civil War. Here is the book.
In attributing speech (occasionally, but optionally):
"Help me!” cried Farmer Brown.
To give prominence or focus to a particular word or phrase by putting the predicate in the initial position:
Even more important is the chapter dealing with ordnance.
When a sentence begins with an adverb or an adverbial phrase or clause: Seldom has so much been owed by so many to so few.
In negative constructions:
I don't believe a word she says, nor does my brother. Come to think of it, neither does her father.
After so:
I believe her; so does my brother.
For emphasis and literary effect:
Into the jaws of Death, / into the mouth of Hell / Rode the six hundred.
