Subject-Verb Agreement

Find the Controlling Word

Agreement follows the grammatical subject, not the nearest noun: The box of old files belongs upstairs. Subjects joined by and are normally plural. With either...or and neither...nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject in standard edited English. Each, either, neither, everyone, and nobody are singular; both, few, many, and several are plural. In there is/are, there is not the subject: There are three reasons.

Pronouns also agree with clear antecedents. Singular they is standard when gender is unknown, irrelevant, or nonbinary: Each applicant should submit their portfolio. Worked example: The list of requested materials are online is incorrect because the head list is singular; use is.

Why This Matters: Use language structure and context to choose clear, accurate sentences in academic and everyday writing.

What You Need to Know

Subject-verb agreement means the subject and verb in a sentence must match in number:

• Singular subject → Singular verb
• Plural subject → Plural verb

🧠 Memory Trick

"One takes S, one doesn't"

• Singular nouns usually DON'T end in -s: nurse, patient
• Third-person singular simple-present verbs usually add -s: she walks; compare I walk and they walk

"The nurse walks" (singular + singular) "The nurses walk" (plural + plural)

Basic Rules

Rule 1: Singular Subject = Singular Verb

With he/she/it in the simple present, most verbs add -s

• The nurse checks vitals.
• The patient is sleeping.
• She administers medication.

Rule 2: Plural Subject = Plural Verb

Plural verb usually does NOT end in -s

• The nurses check vitals.
• The patients are sleeping.
• They administer medication.

Tricky Situations

1. Words Between Subject and Verb

Ignore interrupting phrases — verb agrees with subject, not nearby noun

✓ "The nurse, along with two assistants, is here." (Subject = nurse, singular)

✓ "The results of the test are normal." (Subject = results, plural)

2. Compound Subjects with "And"

Usually plural

✓ "The doctor and the nurse are in the room."

3. Compound Subjects with "Or" / "Nor"

Verb agrees with the CLOSER subject

✓ "Neither the nurses nor the doctor is available." ✓ "Neither the doctor nor the nurses are available."

4. Indefinite Pronouns

• Everyone is present.
• Few are absent.
• Some of the medication is missing. (medication = singular)
• Some of the pills are missing. (pills = plural)

5. Collective Nouns

Usually singular (when acting as one unit)

• The staff is meeting today.
• The team has arrived.

Avoid dialect ambiguity: British and American usage differ for some collective nouns. When emphasizing individuals, write “The staff members are disagreeing among themselves.”

6. "There" and "Here" Sentences

Verb agrees with the subject that follows

• There is a patient waiting. (patient = singular)
• There are patients waiting. (patients = plural)

✏️ Worked Examples

Example 1: Basic Agreement

Problem: "The nurse (walk/walks) through the hallway."

Step 1 — Find the subject. Ask: who is doing the action? → nurse. That's our subject.

Step 2 — Is the subject singular or plural? Nurse is one person. That's singular.

Step 3 — Match the verb to the subject. Singular subject → singular verb. With he, she or it in the simple present, most verbs add -s; this is not a rule for every singular subject or tense.

• walk → no -s ending → plural verb
• walks → has -s ending → singular verb

Step 4 — Choose the singular verb: walks

Answer: "The nurse walks through the hallway."

🏥 TEAS Tip: It feels backwards, but most simple-present verbs add -s with he/she/it, but not with I/you/we/they. "She walks" (singular) vs. "They walk" (plural).

Example 2: Interrupting Phrase

Problem: "The results of the blood test (indicate/indicates) anemia."

Step 1 — Find the subject. Read carefully — there are two nouns here: results and test. Which one is the subject?

Step 2 — Identify and mentally cross out the interrupting phrase. "Of the blood test" is a prepositional phrase — it's extra information tucked between the subject and verb. Cross it out: ~~"The results ~~of the blood test~~ (indicate/indicates) anemia."~~

Step 3 — Now it's clear: the subject is results. Is that singular or plural? Results is plural (many results).

Step 4 — Plural subject → plural verb. Indicate has no -s → plural verb. Indicates has -s → singular verb.

Step 5 — Choose the plural verb: indicate

Answer: "The results indicate anemia."

Why the wrong answer is tempting: "Test" is right next to the blank, so your brain wants to say "test indicates." But test isn't the subject — it's part of the interrupting phrase. Always find the true subject first.

Example 3: Either/Or

Problem: "Either the patient or the family members (sign/signs) the consent."

Step 1 — This sentence uses or to connect two subjects: "the patient" and "the family members."

Step 2 — Remember the Or/Nor Rule: the verb agrees with the subject closer to the verb. Which subject is closer to the verb? family members — it comes right before (sign/signs).

Step 3 — Is "family members" singular or plural? It's plural (more than one person).

Step 4 — Plural subject → plural verb: sign (no -s ending)

Answer: "Either the patient or the family members sign the consent."

To see why the rule makes sense: Try flipping the order: "Either the family members or the patient signs the consent." Now the patient (singular) is closer → singular verb. The closer subject controls the verb.

Example 4: Indefinite Pronoun

Problem: "Everyone on the unit (need/needs) training."

Step 1 — Find the subject: everyone. That's an indefinite pronoun — a pronoun that refers to an unspecified group of people.

Step 2 — Check your indefinite pronoun rules. Everyone is on the "always singular" list — along with someone, anyone, no one, each, every, either, and neither.

Step 3 — Singular subject → singular verb. Needs has the -s ending → singular verb.

Answer: "Everyone needs training."

Why this trips people up: "Everyone" feels plural because it refers to a group of people. But grammatically, it's singular. Think of it like this: each and every person is doing something individually. Same idea: "Each of the nurses has a badge" — each one, individually, has a badge.

💡 Pro Tips

• Find the subject first — ignore phrases between subject and verb
• Trust "everyone," "someone," "each" — always singular
• "Or" and "nor" — look at the subject CLOSER to the verb
• Collective nouns — usually singular unless emphasizing individual actions
• On the TEAS: Watch for interrupting phrases designed to confuse you

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Tricked by nearby nouns: "The box of supplies is here" (box is subject, not supplies)
• Compound subjects: "Anxiety and depression are common" (two things = plural)
• Indefinite pronouns: "Each of the patients has a chart" (each = singular)
• There/Here sentences: "There are many reasons" (reasons = plural)

Quick Reference

Singular → Singular Verb

Plural → Plural Verb

Always Singular Pronouns

everyone, someone, anyone, no one, each, every, either, neither

Or/Nor Rule

Verb agrees with the closer subject

Subject-verb agreement mastered! 💪 Next up: Pronoun Usage