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.
-
Dr. Ray has office hours from 8 am to 12 noon.
Subject : Dr. Ray – Singular
Predicate : has - Singular -
Robert and I play squash every Sunday.
Subject : plural
Predicate : plural -
Ram, Abdul and Gani Singh are there working.
Subject - Ram, Abdul and Gani Singh – Plural
Predicate - are working - Plural. -
They go to school.
Subject – They - plural
Predicate – go - plural -
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. -
The Secretary and Cashier is on duty.
The Secretary and Cashier - one person - subject - singular
is - singular verb -
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 -
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 -
The orator and the patriot are dead.
plural subject - The orator and the patriot
are dead – predicate – plural verb -
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. -
Fish and chips is getting very expensive.
Fish and chips - one item of food – singular
is getting – verb – singular -
War and Peace is the longest book I've ever read.
War and Peace - one book - singular
is the longest book – verb – singular -
Bread and milk is his only food.
Bread and milk - one item of food - singular
is his only food – verb – singular -
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 -
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
The Grammar Index
