English
Guidelines for Subject-Verb Agreement

• A singular subject requires a singular verb; eg., The shopping mall opens at 9 a.m.
• A plural subject requires a plural verb; eg., On the customer’s bill, several items seem to be missing.
• A verb agrees with its subject regardless of prepositional phrases that may intervene; eg., The list of party supplies is extensive.
• A verb agrees with its subject regardless of intervening phrases introduced by as well as, in addition to, such as, including, together with, and similar expressions; eg., An important letter, together with some sensitive documents, was misplaced.
• A verb agrees with its subject regardless of the location of the subject; eg., There is one of the boys about whom you asked. (The subject is one.) In the next room are many beautiful art objects. (The subject is objects.)
• Subjects joined by and require a plural verb; eg., The tone and wording of the memo are persuasive.
• Subjects joined by or or nor may require singular or plural verbs. Make the verb agree with the closer subject; eg., Neither the group report nor the presentation is ready. (The singular verb is agrees with presentation, the closer of the two subjects.)
• The following indefinite pronouns are singular and require singular verbs: anyone, anybody, anything, each, either, every, everyone, everybody, everything, many a, neither, nobody, nothing, someone, somebody, and something; eg., Either of the cars you have shown us is acceptable.
• Collective nouns may take singular or plural verbs, depending on whether the members of the group are operating as a unit or individually; eg., Our project team agrees with the contract terms. The faculty is divided on this issue, or the faculty are divided on this issue. (To be clear, however, this sentence sounds better recast: The faculty members are divided on this issue.)
• Organization names and titles of publications, although they may appear to be plural, are singular and require singular verbs; eg., Yarrow, Anderson, and Clarke, Inc., has hired a new accountant. How to be a Millionaire is again sold out at the bookstores.