Subject-Verb Agreement

Level B1 · Nouns & Quantity

Subjects aren't always a single noun with an obvious number, and the verb has to agree with what actually functions as the subject, not with the noun that happens to be nearby. This topic pulls together the agreement rules that don't already have their own dedicated page: compound subjects joined by and, or, or nor; quantity expressions like a number of and the number of; and indefinite pronouns like everybody or nobody. (For each and every, see the dedicated Each vs Every topic; for group nouns like team, family, and government, see Collective Nouns.)

Different subject types call for different agreement rules:

• Two subjects joined by and are a compound subject and normally take a plural verb, even if each part is singular on its own: The singer and the dancer are ready; My brother and my sister live in Paris.
• Two subjects joined by or, nor, either...or, or neither...nor take a verb that agrees with the nearer subject — the one immediately before the verb — not necessarily a plural: Neither the teacher nor the students are ready (students is nearer, plural); Neither the students nor the teacher is ready (teacher is nearer, singular); Either you or he is responsible (he is nearer, singular).
• A number of + plural noun means 'several' or 'many' and takes a plural verb: A number of people are waiting outside. The number of + plural noun refers to the count itself — a single quantity — and takes a singular verb: The number of unemployed people is rising.
• Indefinite pronouns like everybody, everyone, somebody, someone, nobody, and everything always take a singular verb, even though they can refer to many people: Everybody is here; Nobody knows the answer.

The most common mistake is defaulting to a plural verb after or/nor just because two subjects are joined, without checking which one is actually nearer the verb. Neither the teacher nor the students is ready is wrong because students (plural) is the nearer subject, so it should be are. Neither the students nor the teacher are ready is equally wrong because teacher (singular) is nearer, so it should be is. A second frequent error is confusing a number of with the number of — A number of people is waiting and The number of people are rising are both backwards; a number of behaves like many and needs a plural verb (A number of people are waiting), while the number of refers to the count itself and needs a singular verb (The number of people is rising).

Look for or, nor, either, or neither joining two subjects of different number, and check which one sits immediately before the verb — that's the one that decides agreement. Look for a number of versus the number of before a plural noun (a number of takes a plural verb, the number of takes a singular verb). And look for indefinite pronouns like everybody, everyone, somebody, or nobody as the subject — they always take a singular verb.

Practice

Compound Subjects: And, Or, Nor · A Number Of, The Number Of & Indefinite Pronouns