Agreement of The Verb with
The Subject

Agreement of The Verb with The Subject :



A verb must agree with its subject in number and in person.

1. Dr. Ray has office hours from 8 am to 12 noon.
   
   Subject : Dr. Ray – Singular
   
   Predicate : has - Singular
   
   
   
2. Robert and I play squash every Sunday.
   
   Subject : plural
   
   Predicate : plural
   
   
   
3. Ram, Abdul and Gani Singh are there working.
   
   Subject - Ram, Abdul and Gani Singh – Plural
   
   Predicate - are working - Plural.
   
   
   
4. They go to school.
   
   Subject – They - plural
   
   Predicate – go - plural
   
   
   
5. She and her friend have arrived.
   
   Subject - She and her friend - plural
   
   Predicate - have arrived - plural
   
   If two singular nouns refer to the same person or thing, the verb is singular.
   
   
   
6. The Secretary and Cashier is on duty.
   
   The Secretary and Cashier - one person - subject - singular
   
   is - singular verb
   
   
   
7. The Secretary and the Cashier are on duty.
   
   The Secretary and the Cashier - Two persons - The Secretary + the Cashier - Plural - subject
   
   are - plural - verb – predicate
   
   
   
8. By the death of Indira Gandhi, a great statesman and patriot was lost to India.
   
   A great statesman and patriot - subject - singular - refers to Indira Gandhi
   
   was lost - verb – singular By the death - Preposition Phrase
   
   of Indira Gandhi - Preposition Phrase
   
   to India - Preposition Phrase
   
   
   
9. The orator and the patriot are dead.
   
   plural subject - The orator and the patriot
   
   are dead – predicate – plural verb
   
   
   
10. The orator and patriot is dead.
    
    Singular subject - The orator and patriot
    
    Singular verb - is dead
    
    1. He and I are well.
    2. You and I have done our work.
    3. Men and women do their job.
    
    Note : plural subject has plural verb.
    
    If two subjects together express one idea, the verb may be in the singular.
    
    
    
11. Fish and chips is getting very expensive.
    
    Fish and chips - one item of food – singular
    
    is getting – verb – singular
    
    
    
12. War and Peace is the longest book I've ever read.
    
    War and Peace - one book - singular
    
    is the longest book – verb – singular
    
    
    
13. Bread and milk is his only food.
    
    Bread and milk - one item of food - singular
    
    is his only food – verb – singular
    
    
    
14. I won't go into details. But the long and the short of it was that we missed the plane.
    
    the long and the short of it - general result - expressed in a few words - singular
    
    was - – verb – singular
    
    
    
15. Slow and steady wins the race.
    
    slow and steady - regular and patient work - expressed in a few words - singular
    
    wins – verb – singular
    
    
    

Agreement of The Verb with The Subject

Agreement of The Verb with The Subject To HOME PAGE

The Grammar Index