Subject - Verb
- Subject and verb Must agree on one another in number (singular or plural).
She is a teacher.
They are engineers.
- A clause or phrase between Subject and Verb does not change the number of the Subject.
A group of people is playing football.
- Singular indefinite pronoun subjects ( each, one, no one, nobody, nothing, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody, something, everyone, everybody, everything) take singular verbs.
Nothing is impossible.
- Plural indefinite pronoun subjects (several, both, few, many ) take plural verbs.
Both do a good deal of work around the office.
- Some indefinite pronoun subjects (some, any, none, all, most ) may be either singular or plural. The rule is: With uncountable >> use singular, with countable >> use plural.
Some of the sugar is on the floor.
Some of the students are late.
- Subjects joined by AND are always plural.
You and I are friends.
- " Either...or", "Neither....nor", the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.
Either his parents or he is invited to the party.
Neither you nor I am right.
- Collective nouns ( group, jury, team, crowd...) may be singular or plural depend on the meaning.
The team is heading for practice this afternoon. ( The team is a unit >> singular)
The team are eating with their families tonight. (indicates more individually >> Plural)
- Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular verb ( ex: news, physics, mumps, ...)
Mumps is a contagious disease.
- Plural form subject with singular or plural meaning take a singular or plural meaning, depend on meaning. (EX: politics, economics,....)
Politics is an interesting subject.
The politics of the situation were complicated.
- Plural form subjects with a plural meaning take plural verb ( Ex: trousers, scissors,...)
The scissors are on the table.
Note: The pair of scissors is on the table.
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