VI. Subject/Verb and Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement

A. Subject/Verb Agreement

1. When the Subject is made up of two or more nouns connected by the word “AND”, use a plural verb.

• Susan and her friends are at the fair.

2. When two or more singular nouns are connected by “OR” or “NOR”, use a singular verb.

• Neither the book nor the pen is in the drawer.

3. When a singular and a plural noun are connected by “OR” or “NOR”, the verb should agree with the one CLOSEST to it.

• My mom or my aunts call my grandma every day.

• My aunts or my mom calls my grandma every day.

4. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb.

• One of the boxes is open.• The people who listen to Madonna are few.• The teacher, unlike her students, likes grammar.

5. Tricky singular words: each, each one, neither, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, nobody, somebody, someone, no one. They require singular verbs.

• Each of these hot dogs is juicy.• Everybody knows Mr. Jones.• Either is correct.

6. Special Cases• Nouns like civics, mathematics, dollars, and

news require singular verbs.• Dollars: singular when referring to the amount

of money, plural when referring to the dollars themselves.

• Nouns like scissors and trousers require plural verbs.

7. In sentences that begin with “There is…” or “There are…”, the verb agrees with what follows the verb.

• There are many questions.• There is a question.

8. Collective Nouns: words that imply more than one person but are considered singular and require a singular verb. (group, team, committee, class, family)

• The team runs during practice.• The committee decides how to proceed.

UNLESS…you are talking about all of the members of the team, faculty, etc…then you use a plural verb.• The team run in their new shoes.• The committee decide how they will proceed.

9. Expressions such as “with,” “together with,” “including,” “accompanied by,” ”in addition to,” or “as well” do not change the number of the subject.

• The President, accompanied by his wife, is traveling to India.• All of the books, including yours, are in that box.

B. Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement

1. Numbera. Singular noun needs a singular pronoun, plural noun

needs a plural pronoun• If a student parks in the parking lot, he or she

needs a parking permit hanging from his or her mirror.

• If students park in the parking lot, they need a parking permit hanging in their mirrors.

• Tricky words: everybody, anybody, anyone, each, neither, nobody, someone, a person, etc.—are singular

2. Persona. Don’t switch between first, second, and third

• When a person comes to class, he or she should have his or her homework ready.

• NOT: When a person comes to class, you should have your homework ready.

3. Refer clearly to a specific noun.b. Don’t be vague or ambitious

• NOT: Although the motorcycle hit the tree, it was not damaged. (Is "it" the motorcycle or the tree?)

• NOT: I don't think they should show violence on TV. (Who are "they"?)

• NOT: Vacation is coming soon, which is nice. (What is nice, the vacation or the fact that it is coming soon?)