Common SubjectVerb Agreement Questions

Subjects and verbs must agree (be consistent) in terms of tense, number, person, and gender.

Achieving Tense Agreement: Past, Present, and Future

Tense refers to time, be it past, present, or future. Examples:

Yesterday, I wrote several e-mails to our customers. (past tense) I write to several customers each day. (present tense) Tomorrow, I will write to several customers. (future)

You must use the appropriate tense to reflect the correct time.

Using Progressive Forms of Verbs

In addition, each verb form has a perfect form meaning that the action expressed by the verb has been completed (perfected) at a particular point in time: past, present, or future. Thus, we can choose from past perfect, present perfect, or future perfect. The perfect tenses are formed by using what is called the present participle form of the verb along with a helperhave, has, or had. Examples:

At 4:00 yesterday afternoon, he had written four letters. (past perfect) Today he has written only two letters. (present perfect) By 2:00 tomorrow, he will have written all 15 letters. (future perfect)

Recognizing Other Changes in Verb Form

Whether the verb has a singular or a plural subject and whether the subject is in the first, second, or third person will usually affect the form of the verb. For example, notice the change in the verbs do, am, and was as the subject changes from first person to second person, from singular to plural, and so on: Subject I we you he/she/it they Do do do do does do Am am are are is are Was was were were was were

If youre a native English speaker, youve been using all these forms of verbs most of your life, and you use them correctly without much thought. The reason that this introduction to verbs is important to you is that it contains useful terms you should be familiar with before you study the guidelines that help you make proper choices of verb tense to fit each situation.

Following the Rules

In the next several pages we will describe some important rules for using verbs correctly. Rule 1: Use the Correct Verb Form Verbs have four basic forms: 1. 2. 3. 4. Present (also called the infinitive) Past Past participle (the have, has, or had form) Progressive or ongoing (-ing form)

We can put each verb on a chart such as the one that follows to show its present, past, past participle, and progressive forms.

Infinitive or Present run think go do lay lie sit set watch

Past ran thought went did laid lay sat set watched

Past Participle run thought gone done laid lain sat set watched

Present Participle or Progressive running thinking going doing laying lying sitting setting watching

We form present and past verbs by simply choosing the present or past forms. We form perfect tenses by choosing the past participle form and using it with have, has, or had (have run, has run, had run). Progressive verbs are formed by choosing the present participle form and using it with a being verb (was running, is running, will be running). We form perfect progressive verbs by combining have, has, or had with a being verb and the progressive form of the verb (had been running, has been running, will have been running). Rule 2: Express True Statements in Present Tense Statements that are still true must be expressed in the present tense. Statements that used to be true but that are no longer true because facts or circumstances have changed should be expressed in the past tense. Examples:

Ancient people thought the world was flat. (not true) Columbus knew the world is round. (a truth) I noticed that the report had many typographical errors. (the errors have been corrected) I noticed that the report introduces many new ideas. (the report still does introduce many new ideas)

Rule 3: Use Present Tense Infinitives After Past Tense Verbs Whenever a past tense verb is followed by another verb, that second verb must be an infinitive or present tense verb. Often the infinitive is accompanied by an infinitive marker the word to. Examples:

He didnt dare to swim after dark. I wanted him to go home early. I had hoped to be at the meeting.

When a past tense verb hasnt been used first, using to have been or a similar phrase is all right. Examples:

By this time tomorrow, I want to have finished the report. By the end of my career, I hope to have been recognized as an authority on the subject.

Rule 4: Make Subjects and Verbs Agree deciding whether youre talking:

Agreement is simply a matter of

1. About one person (singular) or about more than one person (plural). 2. About ourselves (first personI, we, etc.) or about the reader or listener (second personyou, your, etc.) or about someone else (third personhe, she, they, it, etc.). 3. About a woman, about a man, or about people or things in general, regardless of gender. Once youve decided exactly whom or what youre talking about in relation to these three characteristics (number, person, and gender), you must make sure all parts of each sentence agree with (are consistent with) all other parts of the sentence. A verb changes form to sound right with its subject, depending on whether the subject is singular or plural and on whether it is first person, second person, or third person. For example, notice how the verb write changes in these sentences, depending on the subject of each sentence:

I write a department management report every week. She writes a department management report every week. They write a department management report every week.

Subjectverb agreement (or lack of agreement) is usually very easy to hear, although it is sometimes tricky with the same kinds of subjects. The following rules will help you handle some potentially confusing agreement situations. Rule 5: Separate Subjects Joined with and Need a Plural Verb Unless the Two Subjects Are Not Really Separate Subjects Subjects joined with and can be singular or plural. The word and means about the same thing as a in mathit means both. Whenever you join two subjects with and, you are obviously talking about more than oneabout bothand have to use a plural verb. Examples:

Understanding English grammar and knowing how to use grammar effectively are important to a good communicator. The investment broker and her assistant were at the meeting yesterday.

The two subjects in each sentence could be split and used in two separate sentences (this time with singular verbs, of course) without modifying the wording of the subjects themselves, as shown here:

Understanding English grammar is important to a good writer. and Knowing how to use grammar effectively is important to a good writer.

Likewise:

The investment broker was at the meeting yesterday. and Her assistant was at the meeting yesterday. Sometimes, a single subject happens to have the word and in it:

My friend and associate (the same person) Ham and eggs (one menu item)

These are singular subjects (subjects that identify just one person or thing) that have the word and in them. Thus, we could construct the following sentences using singular verbs. Examples:

My friend and associate is attending the meeting. (We could not separate my friend and associate into separate sentences without adding another my before associate.) Ham and eggs is my favorite breakfast. (Ham and eggs is one breakfast dishone menu item. Thus, we would not communicate the same idea if we said Ham is my favorite breakfast and eggs are my favorite breakfast.)

Separate subjects joined with and need a plural verb. But if the two subjects are not really separate subjects, we use a singular verb. Rule 6: When Two or More Subjects Are Joined with or, the Subject Closest to the Verb Determines Whether the Verb Should Be Singular or Plural When we join two plural subjects with or (or nor), as in the books or the tapes, the subject closest to the verb determines whether the verb should be singular or plural. For example,

The book (singular) or the tapes (plural) were (plural) sent. The books (plural) or the tapes (plural) were (plural) sent. The books (plural) or the tape (singular) was (singular) sent. The book (singular) or the tape (singular) was (singular) sent.

When you join a singular subject and a plural subject with or, put the plural subject last so that the sentence will have a plural verb. Doing so will make the sentence sound more natural. Examples:

The Smiths or John is coming. (sounds awkward) John or the Smiths are coming. (sounds more natural)

Rule 7: Prepositional Phrases Do Not Affect Agreement Between the Subject of the Sentence and the Verb Often a singular subject will be followed by a prepositional phrase that contains a plural word as the object of the preposition. Prepositional phrases do not affect agreement between the subject of the sentence and the verb. We can mentally block out the entire prepositional phrase from the sentence while we decide whether to use a singular or a plural verb. For example, notice the plural words that are objects of the prepositions of, in, and at in the following sentence parts:

An examination of the records. . . The spectator in the bleachers. . . The worker at the controls. . .

When a verb follows such plural words, many of us understandably (but mistakenly) make the verb plural (as in the worker at the controls are. . .). But the plural word (controls) that follows the preposition is not the subject of the verb that followsthe singular subject that precedes the prepositional phrase is the subject (the worker at the controls). Thus, the sentence should read: The worker at the controls is. . .).

Rule 8: Singular Subjects Such as Each and Either Are Always Singular Subjects such as each, either, neither, and everyone, followed by prepositional phrases containing plural words (each of the men, either of the children), can be thought of as really meaning each one and either one. These are always singular. Examples: anybody anyone any one nobody no one anything each either nothing one every everybody everyone somebody someone every one everything neither some one something

Thus, we use singular verbs with them:

Each of the men is applying for the promotion. Either of the children sings well. Neither of the applicants was qualified for the position. Something is wrong here.

Rule 9: Collective Subjects Can Be Used with Either Singular Verbs or Plural Verbs Depending on the Meaning Subjects that describe collections of people or things are called collective subjects. Examples: committee jury family class group crowd team staff audience

Such collective subjects can be used with either singular verbs or plural verbs depending on whether we want to tell the receiver that only one thing (a single unit) is involved in the action or that at least two persons or things (individuals) are involved in the action. For example, if we wish to make an announcement on behalf of all our family members and want to show our readers or listeners that our announcement is really being made by all family members, we would say:

The family are happy to announce Mom and Dads fiftieth wedding anniversary.

But if the family is being talked about as a single unit instead of as individual family members, we write:

The family is living in Lockport, New York.

Some verbs name actions that require only one performer; other verbs name actions that must be performed by more than one. Example: The action named by the verb argue requires more than one performer because it takes two to argue. Thus, we write or say:

The team are arguing about who will be chosen for the award. (Although this is correct, most people would probably say, the team members. . . because it sounds more natural.)

If the team members are united in arguing with the coach, we can talk about the team as a single unit:

The team is arguing with the coach about who will be chosen for the award.