Subject-Verb Agreement

Overview

Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammar concept that appears consistently in the MP TET Language II (English) paper. Questions test whether candidates can identify correct verb forms that match their subjects in number and person. This topic carries significant weightage because errors in agreement are common in written and spoken English, and teachers must master this concept to teach it effectively.

The core principle is simple: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. However, the complexity arises with intervening phrases, collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, and compound subjects. MP TET questions typically present sentences with tricky constructions where the subject is separated from the verb or where the grammatical number of the subject is not immediately obvious.

Mastering this topic requires understanding both the rules and the exceptions. You must be able to identify the true subject of a sentence, ignore distracting phrases, and apply the correct verb form—skills directly tested in error-spotting and fill-in-the-blank questions.

---

Key Concepts

• **Basic Rule**: Singular subjects require singular verbs (adds -s/-es in present tense); plural subjects require plural verbs (base form). Example: "He walks" vs "They walk."

• **Intervening Phrases**: Words between the subject and verb do not change the agreement. The subject, not the object of a preposition, determines the verb. Example: "The box of chocolates *is* on the table."

• **Compound Subjects with 'and'**: Two subjects joined by 'and' generally take a plural verb. Exception: When they refer to a single entity ("Bread and butter *is* my breakfast").

• **Either/Or, Neither/Nor**: The verb agrees with the subject nearest to it. Example: "Neither the teacher nor the students *were* present."

• **Collective Nouns**: Words like team, committee, family, class take a singular verb when acting as a unit, plural when members act individually. Example: "The team *is* ready" vs "The team *are* arguing among themselves."

• **Indefinite Pronouns**: Some are always singular (everyone, someone, each, either, neither); some are always plural (both, few, many, several); some depend on context (all, some, none, most).

• **Inverted Sentences**: In questions and sentences beginning with 'there' or 'here', identify the true subject that follows the verb. Example: "There *are* many reasons for this."

• **Titles and Amounts**: Titles of books, films, and amounts of money/time take singular verbs. Example: "Three thousand rupees *is* a large sum."

---

Formulas / Key Facts

| Rule | Singular Verb | Plural Verb | |------|---------------|-------------| | Each, every, either, neither | ✓ | | | Everyone, someone, anybody, nothing | ✓ | | | Both, few, many, several | | ✓ | | All, some, most, none | Depends on noun that follows | | | Subject + along with/as well as/together with | Agrees with first subject | | | Either...or / Neither...nor | Agrees with nearest subject | | | A number of | | ✓ | | The number of | ✓ | | | News, mathematics, physics, economics | ✓ (singular despite -s ending) | | | Scissors, trousers, spectacles | | ✓ (always plural) |

**Key Fact**: "None" can be singular or plural depending on context. "None of the cake *is* left" (singular) vs "None of the students *have* arrived" (plural).

---

Worked Examples

**Example 1**: Choose the correct verb. *The quality of the mangoes (was/were) not good.*

**Solution**: Step 1: Identify the subject → "quality" (not "mangoes") Step 2: "of the mangoes" is a prepositional phrase—ignore it Step 3: "Quality" is singular → singular verb **Answer**: The quality of the mangoes **was** not good.

---

**Example 2**: Spot the error. *Neither the principal nor the teachers was informed about the meeting.*

**Solution**: Step 1: "Neither...nor" construction → verb agrees with nearest subject Step 2: Nearest subject is "teachers" (plural) Step 3: Verb should be plural **Answer**: Neither the principal nor the teachers **were** informed about the meeting.

---

**Example 3**: Fill in the blank. *Each of the boys ______ given a prize.* (was/were)

**Solution**: Step 1: "Each" is the subject (indefinite pronoun, always singular) Step 2: "of the boys" is a prepositional phrase—ignore it Step 3: Singular subject requires singular verb **Answer**: Each of the boys **was** given a prize.

---

**Example 4**: Choose the correct option. *Bread and butter ______ my favourite breakfast.* (is/are)

**Solution**: Step 1: "Bread and butter" refers to a single food item, not two separate things Step 2: When two nouns joined by 'and' form a single concept, use singular verb **Answer**: Bread and butter **is** my favourite breakfast.

---

Common Mistakes

• **Mistake**: Matching the verb with the nearest noun instead of the true subject.

*Wrong*: "The list of items are on the desk." **Fix**: Identify the head noun ("list" is singular). Correct: "The list of items *is* on the desk."

• **Mistake**: Treating "along with," "as well as," "together with" like "and."

*Wrong*: "The captain, along with his team, are travelling." **Fix**: These phrases do not make a compound subject. The verb agrees with the first noun. Correct: "The captain, along with his team, *is* travelling."

• **Mistake**: Using plural verbs with "everyone," "each," "nobody."

*Wrong*: "Everyone have finished their work." **Fix**: These indefinite pronouns are always singular. Correct: "Everyone *has* finished their work."

• **Mistake**: Confusing "a number of" with "the number of."

*Wrong*: "A number of students has failed." **Fix**: "A number of" = many (plural verb); "The number of" = the count (singular verb). Correct: "A number of students *have* failed."

• **Mistake**: Using plural verbs with uncountable nouns or subjects like news, mathematics.

*Wrong*: "The news are very disturbing." **Fix**: "News" is always singular despite ending in -s. Correct: "The news *is* very disturbing."

---

Quick Reference

• **Prepositional phrases between subject and verb → ignore them; find the real subject.**

• **Each, every, either, neither, everyone, someone, anybody, nothing → always singular.**

• **Either/or, neither/nor → verb matches the nearest subject.**

• **A number of → plural verb; The number of → singular verb.**

• **Collective nouns → singular when acting as a unit, plural when acting individually.**

• **Subjects joined by 'and' → usually plural, unless they name one thing (e.g., rice and curry).**