Subject-verb agreement
Subject-verb agreement means the verb must match its subject in number: singular subjects take singular verbs ('she works'), plural subjects take plural verbs ('they work'). Long noun phrases, collective nouns, and quantifying expressions like 'the number of' and 'a number of' can hide the true subject and cause verb-choice errors even at advanced levels.
The rule
How subject and verb match
Singular subject
singular noun/pronounverb+s (present) / is / was
The manager checks the figures every morning.
Plural subject
plural noun/pronounverb (no -s) / are / were
The managers check the figures every morning.
'The number of' + plural noun
singular verb, 'the number' itself is the subject
The number of complaints has fallen this year.
'A number of' + plural noun
plural verb, means 'several/many'
A number of complaints have been resolved.
Indefinite pronoun subject
everyone/everybody/each/either/neithersingular verb
Each of the flights was delayed.
Inside a sentence
The managersingular nounchecksverb+s (present)the figures every morning.
The numbersubject (singular)of complaintsnot the subjecthas fallensingular verbthis year.
- subject
- main verb
Which one do I need?
Singular or plural verb?
Every answer at a glance
Singular verb (is, has, works)
Each, every, neither and words like everyone and nobody are grammatically singular, even when of + a plural noun follows.
Everyone in the class has a copy of the reading passage.
Singular verb: the number has
The number is the subject, one figure, so the verb is singular even though a plural noun follows it.
The number of overseas students has risen steadily since 2015.
Plural verb: a number of... have
A number of means several or many, so the verb agrees with the plural noun after it.
A number of residents have objected to the new car park.
Singular verb: one of... is
The subject is one, not the plural noun after of, so the verb is singular.
One of the main causes of congestion is poor public transport.
there are / there were
After there, the verb agrees with the noun that follows it. A plural noun takes are or were.
There are three main stages in the production of olive oil.
there is / there was
A singular or uncountable noun after the verb takes is or was: there is a reason, there is evidence.
There is growing evidence that screen time affects sleep.
Plural verb (are, have, work)
Two subjects joined by and make a plural subject, so the verb is plural.
Rising rents and low wages make city life hard for young people.
Agree with the nearer subject
With or, nor, either...or and neither...nor, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.
Neither the manager nor the trainees were told about the change.
Singular verb (is, has, verb + s)
The main noun is singular. An of... or who... part between it and the verb does not change the number.
The quality of the roads in rural areas is still poor.
Plural verb (are, have, no -s)
The main noun is plural, so the verb takes no -s, even if a singular noun sits just before the verb.
The results of the survey show a clear preference for online shopping.
Singular verb (uncountable)
Uncountable nouns such as information, advice, equipment and news always take a singular verb.
The information on the council website is out of date.
Singular, or plural in British English
Treat the group as one unit (singular) or, in British English, as its members (plural). Then keep later verbs and pronouns the same.
The government has announced its plans for a new high-speed railway.
How to use subject-verb agreement
What is subject-verb agreement?
A verb must match its subject in number: a singular subject (one person or thing) takes a singular verb, and a plural subject (more than one) takes a plural verb. In the present simple, this shows up as the third-person -s ending: 'he works' but 'they work'.
Most learners apply this correctly in short sentences, but errors multiply once the subject gets longer, less obvious, or grammatically singular despite sounding like a group, the situations this lesson focuses on.
- My colleague speaks three languages fluently.singular subject → verb + s
- My colleagues speak three languages fluently.plural subject → no -s
- My colleague speak three languages fluently.→ speaks, singular subject needs the -s ending
Why do long subjects cause agreement errors?
In a long noun phrase, the true subject is often not the noun closest to the verb. Prepositional phrases and relative clauses can sit between the subject and its verb, and the brain tends to match the verb to whichever noun it just heard, not the real subject.
To find the real subject, strip away everything between the main noun and the verb, including any 'of', 'with', or 'who/which' phrase, and check what remains.
- The list of items on the shelves is surprisingly long.subject = 'list' (singular), not 'items'
- The choices available to first-year students are limited.subject = 'choices' (plural)
- The cost of the repairs were higher than we expected.→ was, the subject is 'cost' (singular), not 'repairs'
'The number of' or 'a number of', singular or plural verb?
'The number of' is itself the subject (a single, countable figure) so it always takes a singular verb, even though a plural noun follows it: 'The number of students has grown.' 'A number of' works differently: it functions as a quantifier meaning 'several' or 'many', so it takes a plural verb that agrees with the plural noun that follows.
This pair is one of the most tested agreement traps in English, precisely because the two phrases look almost identical but behave in opposite ways.
- The number of remote workers has doubled since 2020.'the number of' → singular verb
- A number of remote workers have raised concerns about isolation.'a number of' = several → plural verb
- The number of applicants have increased this month.→ has increased, 'the number of' is the singular subject
Why do 'everyone', 'each' and 'somebody' take a singular verb?
Indefinite pronouns like everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, nobody, anyone and each are grammatically singular in English, even though they often refer to a whole group of people. Native intuition can pull towards a plural verb because the meaning feels plural, but the grammar stays singular.
'Each' behaves the same way whether it stands alone or is followed by 'of + plural noun'; the noun after 'of' never becomes the subject.
- Everyone in the audience was silent during the announcement.
- Each of the applicants has a different background.'each' is the subject, not 'applicants'
- Everybody agree that the meeting ran too long.→ agrees, 'everybody' is always singular
Collective nouns: one team or many players?
Collective nouns (team, family, staff, government, committee, audience) name a group but can be treated as one unit (singular) or as its individual members (plural). American English almost always treats them as singular: 'The team is training hard.' British English allows either, often choosing plural when the members' individual actions matter: 'The team are training hard.'
Whichever choice you make, stay consistent for the rest of the sentence; don't switch between singular and plural pronouns for the same collective noun.
- The company is relocating its headquarters to Manchester.US-style singular, consistent with 'its'
- The family are arguing about where to spend their holiday.UK-style plural, consistent with 'their'
- The staff is unhappy about their new schedule.→ 'its new schedule' (singular throughout) or 'The staff are unhappy about their new schedule' (plural throughout)
What verb do you use with 'or' and 'nor'?
When two subjects are joined by 'or', 'nor', or 'either...or' / 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it, not the one further away. This proximity rule differs from 'and', which always creates a plural subject and a plural verb.
This distinction rarely comes up in casual speech, but it appears in more formal writing and in IELTS Task 2 arguments that weigh two possible subjects against each other.
- Neither the teacher nor the students were ready for the fire drill.verb agrees with the nearer subject 'students' (plural)
- Either the manager or her assistant is going to sign the contract.nearer subject 'assistant' is singular
- Neither the players nor the coach were happy with the result.→ was, the nearer subject 'coach' is singular
Common mistakes with subject-verb agreement
Find what is wrong in each one, then open it to check.
1The list of items on the table are long.What's wrong? Show the fix
The list of items on the table is long.
The subject is 'list' (singular), not 'items'; the prepositional phrase 'of items on the table' does not change the verb's number.
2The number of applicants have increased this year.What's wrong? Show the fix
The number of applicants has increased this year.
'The number of' is itself the singular subject; the verb agrees with 'number', not with the plural noun 'applicants'.
3A number of students was absent today.What's wrong? Show the fix
A number of students were absent today.
'A number of' functions as a quantifier meaning 'several', so it takes a plural verb agreeing with the plural noun that follows.
4Everyone have finished their homework.What's wrong? Show the fix
Everyone has finished their homework.
Indefinite pronouns like everyone, everybody and someone are grammatically singular, so they take a singular verb even though they refer to multiple people.
5Each of the students have a laptop.What's wrong? Show the fix
Each of the students has a laptop.
'Each' is the subject and is always singular, regardless of the plural noun 'students' that follows 'of'.
6The government is planning new reforms, and they hope to reduce unemployment.What's wrong? Show the fix
The government is planning new reforms, and it hopes to reduce unemployment.
Once a collective noun is treated as singular ('is planning'), every later verb and pronoun referring to it must also stay singular; mixing 'it' and 'they' is the error, not the initial choice itself.
7Neither of the answers are correct.What's wrong? Show the fix
Neither of the answers is correct.
'Neither' is singular by itself; the plural noun after 'of' does not change the verb, though plural verbs are common informally.
Practise
Write your own
Write a sentence of your own with subject-verb agreement, about you, your studies or your town.
Subject-verb agreement in IELTS
Speaking
- In Part 3 discussion answers, long subjects like 'the increase in the number of people using public transport' often derail agreement under pressure; pause briefly to locate the true subject before choosing the verb. Examiners register consistent agreement as part of Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
- Indefinite pronouns such as everyone/everybody are common in Part 3 opinion statements ('Everyone has their own opinion on this'), keep the verb singular even when the idea itself feels plural.
Writing
- Task 1 relies constantly on 'the number of X has/have' patterns to describe data; mixing up 'the number of' (singular) and 'a number of' (plural) is one of the most frequent accuracy errors examiners see.
- In Task 2, collective nouns like 'the government' or 'society' should stay consistent within a paragraph; pick singular or plural once, and don't drift into the other partway through an argument.