Subject-Verb Agreement Rules: 20 Important Rules with Examples and Error Spotting Practice for SSC Exams

The verb in a sentence must agree with its subject in number and person. This rule, called subject-verb agreement or concord, is the base of most error spotting questions in SSC exams. This guide on subject-verb agreement for SSC gives the 20 most important rules in a table with examples, followed by solved questions, tricks and practice questions.

Basic Rule

A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb. In the present tense, a singular verb usually ends in -s or -es (He plays, She goes), and a plural verb has no -s (They play).

20 Important Rules

Tricky Points

• After “one of the”, the noun is plural but the verb is singular: “One of the books is missing.”
• After “one of those who”, the verb is plural: “He is one of those who are always late.”
• With “the majority”, the verb is singular if it means the group and plural if it means the persons.
• “Not only… but also” works like “or”: the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
• The words “police”, “cattle” and “people” take a plural verb.
• “Each of” always takes a singular verb even when followed by a plural noun.

Solved Examples

Example 1. Find the error: “Neither of the two girls have finished the work.”
Correct: Neither of the two girls has finished the work.

Example 2. Fill in the blank: A number of students ____ absent today.
Answer: are.

Example 3. Fill in the blank: The number of students in the class ____ forty.
Answer: is.

Example 4. Find the error: “The news are very shocking.”
Correct: The news is very shocking.

Example 5. Find the error: “The teacher, as well as the students, were present.”
Correct: The teacher, as well as the students, was present.

Example 6. Fill in the blank: Neither the manager nor his assistants ____ aware of the matter.
Answer: were (nearer subject is plural).

Example 7. Find the error: “One of my friends are a doctor.”
Correct: One of my friends is a doctor.

Quick Tips

• Find the real subject and ignore the words between the subject and the verb.
• Learn the nearer-subject rule for or and nor.
• Remember the plural-looking singular words like news and mathematics.
• Learn the difference between a number of and the number of.

Quick Revision Points

• And joins subjects into a plural; or, nor use the nearer subject.
• Each, every, either and neither take a singular verb.
• As well as, with and along with follow the first subject.
• A number of is plural; the number of is singular.
• Collective nouns are singular as a unit.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Correct: “Each of the players have a bat.”
   Answer: Each of the players has a bat.
2. Fill in: Mathematics ____ difficult for him.
   Answer: is
3. Fill in: The police ____ searching for the thief.
   Answer: are
4. Correct: “Either of the roads are blocked.”
   Answer: Either of the roads is blocked.
5. Fill in: Ram, along with his friends, ____ going to the zoo.
   Answer: is
6. Fill in: Neither the boys nor the girl ____ present.
   Answer: was
7. Fill in: The poor ____ always been helped by her.
   Answer: have
8. Correct: “Ten rupees are a small amount.”
   Answer: Ten rupees is a small amount.
9. Fill in: Many a man ____ fallen into this trap.
   Answer: has
10. Correct: “The team have won the trophy.” (team as a unit)
    Answer: The team has won the trophy.

How to Practise This Chapter

Practise 10 questions every day and write the steps on paper. Then attempt timed sets from our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the English notes page, read the previous topic Tenses and the next topic Direct and Indirect Speech.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is subject-verb agreement?

It is the rule that the verb must agree with the subject in number and person.

Which verb is used with each and every?

A singular verb.

Which verb is used with either and neither?

A singular verb (without a following plural of-phrase being treated as the subject).

How do I use the verb with or and nor?

The verb agrees with the subject nearest to it.

What is the rule for as well as?

The verb agrees with the first subject.

Is news singular or plural?

Singular.

What is the difference between a number of and the number of?

A number of takes a plural verb; the number of takes a singular verb.

Do collective nouns take singular or plural verbs?

Singular when taken as a unit and plural when members are taken separately.

Which verb follows one of the?

A singular verb.

Are police and cattle singular or plural?

Plural.

Is subject-verb agreement asked in SSC?

Yes. It is the most frequent topic in error spotting.

What are common mistakes?

Taking the nearest noun as the subject instead of the real subject, and using a plural verb with each and either.