Subject–Verb Concord: Rules, Formulas & Solved Examples

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What is Subject–Verb Concord?

Subject–Verb Concord, also called Subject–Verb Agreement, is the grammatical rule that requires a verb to match its subject in number (singular or plural) and, in certain cases, in person. The subject and the verb must agree with each other so that the sentence sounds grammatically correct and communicates meaning clearly.

Examples

• The student writes neatly. (singular subject, singular verb)
• The students write neatly. (plural subject, plural verb)
• Each member of the team is responsible for the result.
• The committee has approved the new proposal.

In every sentence, the form of the verb depends entirely on the subject that governs it — not on any other noun that may appear nearby.

Why is Subject–Verb Concord Important?

Every sentence depends on a correct match between its subject and its verb. A mismatch between the two — even a small one — changes a sentence from grammatically correct to incorrect, regardless of how clear the intended meaning might be.

Consider the following sentence.

The list of items ___ printed on the notice board.

The subject here is list, a singular noun, even though the phrase of items appears close to the verb. The correct sentence is therefore:

The list of items is printed on the notice board.

A sound understanding of Subject–Verb Concord supports:

• accuracy in written and spoken English.
• correct identification of the true subject in a sentence, especially when other nouns appear nearby.
• confident handling of collective nouns, indefinite pronouns and compound subjects.
• stronger performance in grammar-based and competency-based questions.
• clearer, more professional academic and formal writing.

Understanding Subject–Verb Concord

Every sentence contains a subject — the person, place, thing or idea that performs the action or about which something is stated — and a verb, which shows the action or state. The verb must always be selected according to the number of the subject.

A verb, therefore, changes its form depending on whether the subject is singular or plural.

Example

The gardener waters the plants every morning.

Part	Function
The gardener	Subject (singular)
waters	Verb (singular form)
the plants every morning	Object / Adverbial

Since gardener is singular, the verb takes the singular form waters.

Now consider another sentence.

The gardeners water the plants every morning.

Part	Function
The gardeners	Subject (plural)
water	Verb (plural form)
the plants every morning	Object / Adverbial

Here, the subject gardeners is plural, so the verb takes the base form water, without the -s ending.

Sentence Structure & Pattern

The basic pattern of Subject–Verb Concord in the present tense is as follows.

Singular Subject + Verb + s/es Plural Subject + Verb (base form)

Examples

• The child plays in the park. (singular)
• The children play in the park. (plural)
• She writes an essay every week. (singular)
• They write an essay every week. (plural)

The same principle applies with is/am/are, has/have and was/were.

Subject Type	Be-verb	Have-verb
Singular	is / was	has
Plural	are / were	have

Characteristics of Subject–Verb Concord

Before the individual rules are studied one by one, it helps to understand a few general features of how concord operates across different parts of a sentence.

1. Concord is most visible in the present tense.

Only the present tense clearly changes its form according to the subject. The past tense, apart from the verb be (was/were), stays the same regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural.

Examples

• The student writes carefully. → The students write carefully. (present tense changes)
• The student wrote carefully. → The students wrote carefully. (past tense unchanged)
• The guest was late. → The guests were late. (the verb ‘be’ still changes in the past tense)

2. Modal verbs never change according to the subject.

Words such as can, will, should, must and may remain identical whether the subject is singular or plural, so concord issues do not arise with them directly — attention instead shifts to the base verb that follows.

Examples

• The student can finish the task early.
• The students can finish the task early.

3. Agreement also involves person, not number alone, particularly with the verbs ‘be’ and ‘have’.

The forms am/is/are and has/have change according to whether the subject is first, second or third person, in addition to changing for number.

Person	Be-verb (present)	Have-verb
I (first person, singular)	am	have
You (second person)	are	have
He / She / It (third person, singular)	is	has
They / We (plural)	are	have

4. The grammatical subject may be a single word, a phrase, or an entire clause — the verb must still agree with it as a whole.

Examples

• Reading improves vocabulary. (a single word acting as subject)
• What the committee decided remains unclear. (an entire clause acting as a singular subject)

Key Rules of Subject–Verb Concord

1. Singular Subject, Singular Verb

A singular subject takes a singular verb form.

Examples

• The teacher explains the lesson clearly.
• The artist paints beautiful landscapes.
• The bridge connects the two villages.

Note:  In the simple present tense, a singular subject requires a verb ending in -s or -es.

2. Plural Subject, Plural Verb

A plural subject takes a plural verb form, without the -s ending.

Examples

• The teachers explain the lesson clearly.
• The artists paint beautiful landscapes.
• The bridges connect several villages.

Note:  A plural verb in the present tense uses the base form of the verb.

3. Two Subjects Joined by ‘And’

Two singular subjects joined by and usually form a plural subject and take a plural verb.

Examples

• The captain and the coach discuss strategy before every match.
• Bread and butter are kept on the table.
• Honesty and hard work lead to success.

Exception When the two nouns joined by and refer to a single person, thing or idea, the verb remains singular.

Examples

• The Chairman and Managing Director is attending the meeting. (one person holding both roles)
• Slow and steady wins the race. (a single idea)
• Bread and butter is a simple breakfast. (regarded as one dish)

4. Subjects Joined by ‘Or’ / ‘Nor’ / ‘Either…Or’ / ‘Neither…Nor’

When two subjects are joined by or, nor, either…or or neither…nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.

Examples

• Either the manager or the employees are responsible for the delay.
• Neither the players nor the coach was satisfied with the result.
• Either she or her brothers are going to the exhibition.

Note:  This rule is sometimes called the rule of proximity — the verb takes the number of whichever subject stands closest to it.

5. Subjects Joined by ‘As Well As’, ‘Along With’, ‘Together With’, ‘In Addition To’

When the main subject is followed by phrases such as as well as, along with, together with or in addition to, the verb agrees only with the main subject, not with the noun that follows the phrase.

Examples

• The principal, along with the teachers, is visiting the exhibition.
• The captain, as well as the players, was praised for the victory.
• The manager, together with the staff, has organised the event.

Note:  Phrases beginning with these expressions add extra information but do not form part of the grammatical subject.

6. Collective Nouns

A collective noun refers to a group treated as a single unit — such as team, committee, family, jury, class or audience. Such nouns usually take a singular verb when the group acts as one unit, and a plural verb when the individual members are being emphasised.

Examples

• The committee has approved the new policy. (acting as a single unit)
• The committee have expressed different opinions on the matter. (members acting individually)
• The team is practising for the finals.
• The family were arguing among themselves about the plan. (individual members)

Note:  In most everyday CBSE-level usage, collective nouns are treated as singular unless the sentence clearly emphasises the individual members of the group.

7. Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns such as each, every, either, neither, everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, no one and nobody are treated as singular and take a singular verb.

Examples

• Each of the students has submitted the project.
• Everyone in the hall was silent during the announcement.
• Neither of the answers is correct.
• Nobody knows the exact reason for the delay.

Note:  Even when these pronouns are followed by a plural phrase such as of the students, the verb still agrees with the singular pronoun, not with the plural noun that follows.

8. Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable (non-count) nouns — such as information, furniture, advice, luggage, knowledge, news and equipment — do not have a plural form and always take a singular verb.

Examples

• The information provided is accurate.
• New furniture has been placed in the office.
• The advice given was extremely useful.

Note:  These nouns describe a mass or a concept rather than countable individual items, so no -s is added, and the verb remains singular.

9. Nouns Plural in Form but Singular in Meaning

Some nouns end in -s but are treated as singular because they refer to a single subject, discipline or unified concept — such as mathematics, physics, economics, civics, news, measles and mumps.

Examples

• Mathematics is taught by Mr Sharma this year.
• The news was broadcast at nine o’clock.
• Physics requires regular practice of numerical problems.

Note:  Although these words end in -s, they refer to a single subject or a single body of knowledge, so a singular verb is used.

10. Nouns Always Used in the Plural Form

Certain nouns — usually referring to objects made of two joined parts — are always treated as plural, such as scissors, trousers, spectacles, jeans, shorts and binoculars.

Examples

• The scissors are kept in the top drawer.
• These trousers fit perfectly.
• His spectacles were broken during the match.

Note:  When such nouns are preceded by a pair of, the verb agrees with pair, which is singular.

Example A pair of scissors is placed on the table.

11. ‘A Number Of’ and ‘The Number Of’

The phrase a number of means several or many, and it takes a plural verb. The phrase the number of refers to a specific total or count, and it takes a singular verb.

Examples

• A number of students have volunteered for the cleanliness drive.
• The number of students in the class is forty-two.

Note:  This distinction depends entirely on whether the article used is a or the.

12. Subject Separated from the Verb by a Phrase

When a phrase or a clause comes between the subject and the verb, the verb must still agree with the actual subject, not with the noun closest to it.

Examples

• The box containing old books is kept in the attic.
• The results of the survey have been published.
• One of the main reasons for the delay is heavy traffic.

Note:  Words such as of, with, including, together with and as well as, along with the phrases that follow them, are not part of the grammatical subject.

13. Inverted Sentence Order — ‘There is / There are’

In sentences beginning with there, the verb agrees with the noun that follows it, since there itself is not the true subject.

Examples

• There is a beautiful garden behind the school.
• There are several reasons for the change in schedule.
• There has been no response to the notice so far.

Note:  The noun placed immediately after the verb determines whether is/are or has/have should be used.

14. Relative Pronoun as Subject

When a relative pronoun such as who, which or that functions as the subject of a clause, the verb agrees with the noun (the antecedent) to which the pronoun refers.

Examples

• The student who studies regularly performs well in examinations.
• The students who study regularly perform well in examinations.
• This is one of the schools that offer excellent sports facilities.

Note:  In the phrase one of the ___ that, the verb generally agrees with the plural noun, since that refers back to the group, not to one.

15. Percentages, Fractions and Quantities

With percentages, fractions and expressions of quantity, the verb agrees with the noun that follows the phrase of.

Examples

• Fifty per cent of the work is already completed.
• Two-thirds of the students have submitted their projects.
• A large portion of the funds has been utilised.

Note:  Sums of money, distances, weights and periods of time, when regarded as a single amount, generally take a singular verb.

Example –Five hundred rupees is a reasonable price for the book.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Incorrect Usage	Correct Usage
The bouquet of flowers were placed on the table.	The bouquet of flowers was placed on the table.
Each of the players have received a medal.	Each of the players has received a medal.
Neither of the answers are correct.	Neither of the answers is correct.
The news were shocking for everyone.	The news was shocking for everyone.
A number of complaints has been received.	A number of complaints have been received.
The number of accidents have increased this year.	The number of accidents has increased this year.
There is many reasons for the delay.	There are many reasons for the delay.
Mathematics are a compulsory subject.	Mathematics is a compulsory subject.
The committee were unanimous in their decision.	The committee was unanimous in its decision. (acting as one unit)

Note:  Most errors in Subject–Verb Concord occur because the verb is made to agree with the noun standing closest to it rather than with the actual grammatical subject.

Frequently Confused Cases

This section looks at a few cases that do not fit neatly under a single rule and are worth learning as individual points.

1.‘None’ as Subject

None may take a singular or a plural verb, depending on whether it refers to a single item or several items in the context.

Examples

• None of the food was left after the party.
• None of the guests have arrived yet.

2. Titles, Names and Single Entities

Titles of books, films, and names of countries or organisations are treated as singular, even when they appear plural in form.

Examples

• ‘The Panchatantra Tales’ is a well-known collection of stories.
• The United States has signed the agreement.

Special Cases & Exceptions

Some sentences bring more than one rule together at the same time. In such cases, one rule usually takes priority over the others. Working through a few combined examples step by step builds the judgement needed for error-spotting and editing questions, which frequently test more than a single isolated rule.

Case 1: Collective Noun + Phrase Between Subject and Verb

Sentence: The team of young cricketers ___ (has/have) qualified for the state finals.

• Step 1: Identify the true subject. The phrase of young cricketers sits between the subject and the verb, so it is set aside first (Rule 12).
• Step 2: The true subject is team, a collective noun.
• Step 3: Since the team is acting as a single unit — qualifying together as one entity — the collective noun takes a singular verb (Rule 6).
• Correct sentence: The team of young cricketers has qualified for the state finals.

Case 2: Indefinite Pronoun + Compound Structure

Sentence: Neither of the two students ___ (has/have) completed the assignment.

• Step 1: The structure neither of the… signals an indefinite pronoun functioning as the subject (Rule 7), not the plural noun students that follows it.
• Step 2: Indefinite pronouns such as neither, either and each are always treated as singular, regardless of the plural noun in the following phrase.
• Correct sentence: Neither of the two students has completed the assignment.

Case 3: ‘As Well As’ + Collective Noun

Sentence: The audience, as well as the performers, ___ (was/were) moved by the tribute.

• Step 1: The phrase as well as the performers is an added phrase, not part of the grammatical subject (Rule 5), so the verb must agree only with audience.
• Step 2: Audience is a collective noun. Since the sentence describes a shared, unified reaction, it is treated as singular (Rule 6).
• Correct sentence: The audience, as well as the performers, was moved by the tribute.

Case 4: ‘There is/are’ + Uncountable Noun

Sentence: There ___ (is/are) enough information available for the report.

• Step 1: In sentences beginning with there, the verb agrees with the noun that follows it, not with there itself (Rule 13).
• Step 2: The noun that follows is information, an uncountable noun that always takes a singular verb (Rule 8).
• Correct sentence: There is enough information available for the report.

Key Takeaway

When more than one rule appears to apply, the first step is always to strip away any distracting phrase and locate the true grammatical subject. Once the actual subject is identified, only one rule usually governs the verb form — the challenge lies in finding that subject correctly, not in memorising exceptions separately.

Quick Decision Checklist

Before selecting a verb, working through the following questions in order helps in identifying the correct form quickly, especially under examination conditions.

1. Is there a phrase or clause between the subject and the verb? If so, that phrase is ignored, and the word before it is treated as the subject.
2. Is the subject an indefinite pronoun (each, everyone, neither, nobody, and similar words)? If so, a singular verb is required, regardless of any plural noun nearby.
3. Are two subjects joined by ‘and’? If they refer to two separate things, a plural verb is required; if they refer to one combined idea, a singular verb is required.
4. Are two subjects joined by ‘or’/’nor’? The verb agrees with whichever subject stands nearer to it.
5. Is the subject a collective noun (team, jury, family, committee)? A singular verb is used if the group acts as one unit; a plural verb is used if individual members are being emphasised.
6. Does the sentence begin with ‘there’? The verb agrees with the noun that follows, not with ‘there’.
7. Is the noun uncountable, or plural in form but singular in meaning (news, mathematics)? A singular verb is required.

Working through these steps in sequence — rather than reacting to the noun that simply looks closest to the verb — is the most reliable way to avoid the errors most frequently tested in CBSE grammar questions.

Summary & Quick Revision

Subject Type	Verb Form
Singular subject	Singular verb
Plural subject	Plural verb
Two subjects joined by ‘and’ (referring to different things)	Plural verb
Two subjects joined by ‘and’ (referring to one idea/person)	Singular verb
Subjects joined by ‘or’/’nor’	Verb agrees with nearer subject
Subject followed by ‘as well as’ / ‘along with’	Verb agrees with main subject
Collective noun (as one unit)	Singular verb
Collective noun (as individual members)	Plural verb
Indefinite pronouns (each, everyone, nobody, etc.)	Singular verb
Uncountable nouns	Singular verb
Nouns plural in form, singular in meaning	Singular verb
Nouns always plural (scissors, trousers, etc.)	Plural verb
‘A number of’	Plural verb
‘The number of’	Singular verb
‘There is / There are’	Verb agrees with the noun that follows

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Choose the correct verb form to complete each sentence.

1. The basket of apples __________ (is/are) placed near the door.
2. Each of the participants __________ (has/have) received a certificate.
3. Neither the teacher nor the students __________ (was/were) informed about the change.
4. Mathematics __________ (is/are) considered a difficult subject by many.
5. A number of trees __________ (has/have) been planted this year.
6. The number of absentees __________ (is/are) increasing steadily.
7. There __________ (is/are) several ways to solve this problem.
8. The quality of the products __________ (has/have) improved significantly.

Answers

1. is
2. has
3. were
4. is
5. have
6. is
7. are
8. has

Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Answer

1. The jury __________ divided in its opinion.

a) is

b) are

c) were

d) have

2. Everyone in the hall __________ silent when the results were announced.

a) was

b) were

c) have been

d) are

3. Either the manager or the staff __________ responsible for the error.

a) is

b) are

c) has

d) were

4. A pair of scissors __________ lying on the table.

a) is

b) are

c) were

d) have

5. Two-thirds of the audience __________ satisfied with the performance.

a) was

b) were

c) is

d) has

Answers

1. a) is
2. a) was
3. b) are
4. a) is
5. b) were

Exercise 3: Error Correction

Each sentence contains an error in Subject–Verb Concord. Rewrite it correctly.

1. The list of items are printed on the board.
2. Each of the students have submitted the assignment.
3. Neither of the answers are correct.
4. The news were shocking for everyone.
5. A number of complaints has been received.
6. The number of accidents have increased this year.
7. There is many reasons for the delay.
8. Mathematics are a compulsory subject.

Answers

1. The list of items is printed on the board.
2. Each of the students has submitted the assignment.
3. Neither of the answers is correct.
4. The news was shocking for everyone.
5. A number of complaints have been received.
6. The number of accidents has increased this year.
7. There are many reasons for the delay.
8. Mathematics is a compulsory subject.

Exercise 4: Rewrite the Sentences as Directed

Rewrite each sentence, changing the subject as instructed and adjusting the verb accordingly.

1. The student completes the project on time. (Change ‘student’ to ‘students’.)
2. The committee has approved the plan. (Change to emphasise individual members disagreeing.)
3. There is a solution to this problem. (Change ‘a solution’ to ‘several solutions’.)
4. A number of guests has arrived. (Correct the verb without changing the subject.)
5. Neither the coach nor the players was ready. (Correct the verb according to the rule of proximity.)

Answers

1. The students complete the project on time.
2. The committee have expressed differing opinions on the plan.
3. There are several solutions to this problem.
4. A number of guests have arrived.
5. Neither the coach nor the players were ready.

Exercise 5: Identify the Rule Applied

Read each sentence and identify which rule of Subject–Verb Concord applies.

Write one of the following:

Collective Noun | Indefinite Pronoun | Rule of Proximity | Uncountable Noun | Phrase Between Subject and Verb | There is/are

1. Each of the players has received new equipment.
2. The information provided is accurate.
3. There are many opportunities for growth.
4. The basket of mangoes is kept on the table.
5. Either the students or the teacher is responsible.
6. The team is celebrating its victory.

Answers

1. Indefinite Pronoun
2. Uncountable Noun
3. There is/are
4. Phrase Between Subject and Verb
5. Rule of Proximity
6. Collective Noun

Exercise 6: Competency-Based Question

Read the notice given below and complete the paragraph that follows by choosing the correct options.

Notice: Inter-House Cultural Fest

‘A number of events (i) __________ been planned for the fest. Each student (ii) __________ expected to participate in at least one event. The committee in charge of arrangements (iii) __________ finalising the schedule, and there (iv) __________ still a few slots open for registration.’

(i)

A. has

B. have

C. was

D. is

(ii)

A. are

B. is

C. were

D. have

(iii)

A. are

B. is

C. were

D. have been

(iv)

A. is

B. has

C. are

D. was

Answers

(i) B

(ii) B

(iii) B

(iv) C

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