Subjects And Verbs Agreement

A subject, along with the verb, completes a sentence. Every sentence must have a subject and a verb.

This lesson is a part of Onsego GED Prep.

Please wait...

1. Which word is the subject of this sentence?

Bob made his mother a writing desk in woodshop class.

A.Bob

B.mother

C.desk

D.class

Question 1 of 2

2. Which word is the subject of this sentence?

According to engineers, computers can give us an amazing amount of information about a car.

A.engineers

B.computers

C.information

D.car

Question 2 of 2

 Loading...

 

Video Transcription

The topic of Subject-verb agreement is regularly tested on the GED test.

The general rule is that singular subjects need singular verbs, and plural subjects require plural verbs.

However, this rule becomes trickier with the inclusion of indefinite pronouns, collective nouns, compound subjects, and intervening phrases.
Let’s talk about Indefinite Pronouns.
Most indefinite pronouns, such as “everyone,” “someone,” “nobody,” are singular and require singular verbs. However, few indefinite pronouns like “several,” “many,” “both,” are plural and require plural verbs.

For example:

• Incorrect: Everyone love pizza.
• Correct: Everyone loves pizza.
• Incorrect: Several employees is here for the meeting.
• Correct: Several employees are here for the meeting.

Now, let’s talk about Collective Nouns:
As discussed before, collective nouns (e.g., team, jury, crowd, etc.) are typically treated as singular in American English, especially when the group is acting as a single unit.
However, when the focus is on the individual members within the group, a plural verb can be used.

Then, we have Compound Subjects:
When subjects are joined by “and,” use a plural verb. But if the compound subject is joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb should agree with the subject closest to it.
For example:

• Correct: Apples and oranges are both fruits.
• Correct: Either the employees or the manager decides the schedule.

And finally, there are Intervening Phrases:
Phrases that come between the subject and the verb don’t affect agreement. The verb must still agree with the subject, not with a noun within the phrase.

For example:

• Incorrect: The box of pens were misplaced.
• Correct: The box of pens was misplaced.

Last Updated on September 19, 2025.