Make me agree!

If you use a singular noun, then you must use a singularverb.

If you use a plural noun, then you must use a plural verb.

This is called agreement.

Consider these simple sentences:

  1. Megan is going into town. Megan is only one, so the verb form for one person must be used.
  1. The boys are going into town. The boys are plural, so the plural form of the verb must be used.

Try these examples, putting in the agreeing verb:

  1. She ______going to the seaside.
  1. Fred and his mum ______going to get new shoes.
  1. We ______playing football.
  1. Jonathan ______the cinema.

Those examples are easy. It gets more difficult when you use a more complicated sentence. The thing to remember is that it is the subject of your sentence which mustmatch the verb. In the examples above, Megan is the subject of the first sentence and the boys are the subjects of the second one.

Look at these examples:

  1. Most of the noises in here are caused by the plumbing.
  1. Most of the noise in here is caused by the plumbing.

In sentence 1) a plural noun (noises) must have a plural verb to match (are), but in sentence 2), the noun (noise) is singular, therefore it takes a singular verb (is).

If unsure, always decide what the subject of the sentence is. Subject and main verb must always agree.

In these sentences, the subject has been underlined:

  • Shakespeare is one of our most famous playwrights.
  • Milkshakes come in different flavours.
  • When it is time for bed, my niece always hides.

Look at a piece of your own writing. Underline in pencil the subject of some of your sentences. Check with a partner. Do your verbs match?

Advanced verb/subject agreement

In more complex sentences, the subject of the sentence might be a phrase, for example the name of a poem, so you can write:

‘The Ancient Mariner’ uses some effective images.

The dragons of Wales have red scales.

Confusion arises when the phrase added includes a plural

A stock of new books has been ordered.

Because the subject is singular (‘a stock’) the verb must agree with it (‘has’) and not the word ‘books’, which is only describing the subject. Some collective nouns are singular, such as group, audience, class etc. They need a singular verb form.

Try these examples. Add the verb, using the present tense form:

  1. Not one of these students ______handed in their book.
  2. A flock of birds ______flying over the school.
  3. A whole host of daffodils ______growing in the woods.
  4. The audience ______enjoying the production.
  5. The grounds of our school ______lovely in the spring.
  6. A group of friends ______coming to my party.
  7. The branches of my tree ______budding with shoots.
  8. The teachers in the staff room ______having their lunch.
  9. The books in the library ______on shelves.
  10. The class ______studying poetry.

Check your answers with a partner.

Self-assessment

Are you…

  1. Clear on verb agreement? (You got all your examples correct.)
  1. Not quite clear and need more practice? (You got a few wrong). If so, complete corrections and re-read rules.
  1. Still confused? (You got them mostly wrong). If so, re-read rules, ask for help if needed, complete corrections and give yourself a target to review the examples in a week’s time.

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