1. UWF Writing Lab Rules of
Thumb for SUBJECT/VERB
AGREEMENT
from
Real Good Grammar, Too
by Mamie Webb Hixon
Created by April Turner

2. Rule 1
• Use a verb ending in –s if your subject is a he,
she, or it.
• Singular subjects include, but are not limited to,
these:
– Singular nouns:
• A list of phone numbers is available.
• A major problem is smokers.
– Singular indefinite pronouns:
• Each of us has a key.
– Subjects preceded by each , every , or many
a:
• Every Tom, Dick, and Harriet has an opinion.

3. Singular Subjects, cont.
– Subjects preceded by the number of :
• The number of students attending college is very
high.
– Titles/names of companies, books, plays,
movies, etc.:
• The Centers for Disease Control is in Atlanta,
Georgia.
– Gerunds:
• Recycling telephone directories helps save landfill
space each year.
– Relative pronouns referring to singular
antecedents:
• Ora is the only one in the group who smokes .
– Subjects joined by or, nor, either…or, or
neither…nor :
• Neither the players nor the coach was present.

4. Rule 2
• Use a verb that does not end in –s if your
subject is a they.
• Plural subjects include, but are not limited
to, these:
– Subjects joined by or, nor, either…or, or
neither…nor:
• Neither the coach nor the players were present.
– Plural indefinite pronouns:
• Both of us have a key.

5. Plural Subjects, cont.
– Plural nouns:
• The scissors are lying on the desk.
– Subjects preceded by a number of:
• A number of students are majoring in law.
– Relative pronouns referring to plural
antecedents:
• He is one of the millions of people who smoke.

6. Rule 3
• Ignore prepositional phrases:
– A list of phone numbers is available.
• Ignore there and here at the beginning of a
sentence:
– There are three books on the censored list.
• Ignore appositives:
– They each have a ticket.
• Ignore words synonymous with the subject:
– Clothes are her passion . Her passion is
clothes .

7. Rule 4
• Some subjects may be singular or plural
depending on the meaning of the subject.
– Some of the food is cold.
– Some of the vegetables are cold.
– The cast was congratulated.
– The cast were practicing their lines.
– Fifteen minutes is a long time.
– Fifteen minutes remain .
– Statistics is a difficult course.
– Divorce statistics are alarmingly high.

8. Let’s Practice!!!
• The sheriff along with two of her deputies
(were, was) checking licenses at the North
Road exit.
• WAS
• Some of the lots in our subdivision (was, were)
not for sale.
• WERE
• Here (is, are) the transistors and diodes that
you purchased for your repair shop.
• ARE
• Genetics (is, are) very difficult for beginning
students to understand.
• IS

9. More Practice!!!
• The number of girls in my football club (was,
were) surprising.
• WAS
• A number of the swimmers (is, are) going to the
state competition.
• ARE
• There (is, are) some error messages showing
up in my program.
• ARE
• Neither Betty nor Jane (type, types) more than
fifty words per minute.
• TYPES

10. More Practice!!!
• The number of girls in my football club (was,
were) surprising.
• WAS
• A number of the swimmers (is, are) going to the
state competition.
• ARE
• There (is, are) some error messages showing
up in my program.
• ARE
• Neither Betty nor Jane (type, types) more than
fifty words per minute.
• TYPES