Questions tagged [subject-verb-agreement]
A singular subject requires a singular verb form, whereas a plural subject requires the plural verb form.
806 questions
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Plurality in "A second set of motors [is/are] attached there"?
A typographer sent back some corrections:
My sentence: "A second set of motors are attached there".
His correction: "A second set of motors is attached there".
I checked on this ...
- 193
1
vote
2
answers
2k
views
Should I use "give" or "gives" in this statement:
Should I use "give" or "gives" in this statement:
Our team of Ag professionals, with countless years of experience, give you the kind of home field advantage that goes unmatched.
- 11
1
vote
4
answers
527
views
Subject verb agreement with collective noun
A bag of oranges that is ripe.
A bag of oranges that are ripe.
Should bag or oranges agree with the verb here?
I think are is the correct choice here because oranges are what's ripe in this case.
...
- 99
0
votes
1
answer
230
views
collective noun: "couple" subject verb agreement
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
how long the couple remain faithful is something questionable.
how long the couple remains faithful is something questionable.
- 1,912
1
vote
0
answers
152
views
Are subjects joined by “or” singular or plural?
When the or between the two subjects is exclusive I think people generally use the singular form:
I'm still not sure if pizza or curry is the best option.
But when considering a sentence with ...
- 129
1
vote
1
answer
579
views
If sentences like "make me understand", "makes me walk" is correct, then how "It makes me motivated to die" is correct?
First I like to say that I am not a native speaker and I beg pardon for my ignorance. Usually, I have seen a lot of examples like,
"It makes me walk", "Make me understand" etc.
...
- 179
0
votes
2
answers
37
views
"Their time on house cleaning and child care {comes/come} close second and third."
I'm not sure how to make the subject agree with the verb in this example:
Women spend about 80 minutes per day on cooking. Their time on house cleaning and child care comes close second and third.
...
- 127
1
vote
0
answers
273
views
Use of verb when "either" is used in the sentence
For the sentence:
Either the method used by the student or the techniques used by the teacher __________ a re-examination before we move ahead.
Will we use 'need' or 'needs' for the blank?
On ...
- 21
5
votes
1
answer
916
views
When you say "What classes is/are the homework for" do you use is or are?
I'm unsure, in the sentence, since the "to be" verb is applying to homework, but comes after a plural, which is used?
What classes is the homework for?
What classes are the homework for?
0
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Go or goes? What is correct and why
Does anyone that go/goes to my gym know/knows if they're open?
What to use and why.
Also is this correct: did anyone that go to my gym knew if they're open?
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
2k
views
He as well as I is/am/are brave
He as well as I is brave.
He as well as I am brave.
He as well as I are brave.
I think that 1 is correct. But I am confused about why 2 and 3 are not correct. What is the rule here?
- 74
0
votes
1
answer
42
views
Is it correct to use both verb-to-be and verb-to-have in an interrogative sentence?
Is the man you met good-looking and have a stable job?
Is it vegan and have high protein?
- 109
0
votes
1
answer
224
views
"In your home, what percentage of daily use products are made of plastic or have a high plastic content?"
In your home, what percentage of daily use products are made of plastic or have a high plastic content?
I happened to see this sentence in some survey. However, I think "what percentage of daily ...
- 107
0
votes
2
answers
69
views
Subject-verb agreement involving collective nouns
On subject-verb agreement involving collective nouns, I have read that BrE follows notional agreement, whereas AmE follows more grammatical agreement. For a long sentence, after the first noun, AmE ...
- 22.1k
0
votes
1
answer
340
views
The whole furniture here __ provided by IKEA [duplicate]
Should I use is or are?, Personally I think the correct answer is using is but I have a little doubt in my mind. Can someone help me out? Thank you
2
votes
1
answer
128
views
Big tiles make the floor look/looks bigger [duplicate]
Big tiles make the floor look bigger.
Big tiles make the floor looks bigger.
Which one is correct? According to my logic, the second verb of this sentence would be looks as its subject is the floor ...
- 341
3
votes
2
answers
160
views
who makes a lot of noise
A says: Our neighbors make a lot of noise.
B asks: Who make a lot of noise? Your neighbors above you or the ones below?
Is B's sentence correct in this context or should it be 'who makes'?
============...
- 3,149
1
vote
1
answer
177
views
sentence correction with either .... or
Either his parents or Pheroze is going to come today.
The author of the book suggests as :
Either Pheroze or his parents are going to come today. = OK
We know with ( either \ or and neither\ nor )...
0
votes
1
answer
249
views
Is it correct to say, "This is 1,000 people"?
An infographic in a BBC article reads, "What does 500,000 people look like?" followed by, "This is 1,000 people," instead of "These are 1,000 people." I can see that it ...
- 3
0
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Not all is? or not all are?
Not all countries _________ to produce high quality product.
a) can
b) is able
c) are able
d) been
- 45
0
votes
1
answer
105
views
Is this sentence correct? Is it correct to say 'is young women' instead of 'are young women'?
The new contract doesn't allow for extended maternity leave; therein lies the problem for the union, 60% of whose membership is young women.
Is this sentence correct? Is it correct to say 'is young ...
2
votes
2
answers
335
views
Forward or backward subject verb agreement
Which word should 'enable' agree here with. Should it be 'rule'(singular) or 'us'(plural)?
Using this rule enables us to do X.
Using this rule enable us to do X.
Another example where it's reversed -...
- 99
3
votes
1
answer
589
views
Passive construction with "swimming"
"Swimming is something I like to do"
I saw this posted on a forum for grammar, which stated that swimming is the verb and I is the subject. As the verb comes before the subject it is ...
- 31
2
votes
2
answers
62
views
Verb-subject agreement with "Which courses is everyone going for?" and "Which courses are everyone going for?"
I sometimes get confused whenever there are both singular and plural nouns in one sentence such as:
"Which courses is everyone going for this semester?"
"Which courses are everyone ...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
111
views
What verb form is correct in "The fuel of which is/are"?
Which of the sentence is correct?
The fuel of which is petrol and gas
The fuel of which are petrol and gas
Should there be is or are?
- 1,485
1
vote
1
answer
2k
views
In the sentence 'the students and instructors *each* hope for a new facility by next year, why is the subject considered to be plural?
I understand that it is an English rule that when 'each' or ' every' comes after a compound subject, a plural verb is used. What I cannot get my head around is that the sentence is still, in fact, ...
- 163
2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
hear someone cry vs hear someone crying
Last night I heard a lady cry/crying.
My book says the correct answer is cry.
.
Last night I heard a man scream/screaming.
My book says the correct answer is screaming.
.
I couldn't get it.
How do we ...
0
votes
1
answer
74
views
Subject-verb agreement of the verb "cast"
I was looking for the meaning of "cast" and I came across these examples from the Cambridge Dictionary:
to send light or shadow (= an area of darkness) in a particular direction:
• The moon ...
0
votes
1
answer
314
views
Each individual or group is/are [duplicate]
When using each combined with or , which is correct:
Each individual or group is happy.
Each individual or group are happy.
Each individual or group is filled with laughter.
Each individual or group ...
- 21
0
votes
0
answers
49
views
...furniture, books, "a laptop", paintings, and lamps are flying across the room
Men's clothes, designer furniture, books, a laptop, paintings, and lamps are flying across the room.
My question is if I can put a laptop among the things when I end the sentence with are? Does are ...
- 369
0
votes
0
answers
35
views
None of them "has" or "have" [duplicate]
Is "none" singular or plural? I understand it to mean no one which is obviously singular. But I have seen sentences like:
None of them have seen it
which equals:
No one of them have seen ...
user119042
0
votes
1
answer
111
views
How Gerund affects subject verb agreement?
Eating sweets __________ (is/ are ) tough.
Contesting elections ______ ( is / are ) tough .
[ Which one is the subject Eating/ Contesting or sweets / elections ?]
According to Cambridge Grammar of ...
- 163
0
votes
2
answers
4k
views
"Water and milk is/are" [duplicate]
When do we use a collection of uncountable nouns? Which form of the verb should we use? Singular or plural?
E.g.:
"Water and milk is/are essential."
"Courage and bravery is/are ...
- 1
-2
votes
1
answer
34
views
Verb agreements in two cases
Half of them is/are smart.
*If half refers to one, and them refers to two.
My heart and my heart is/are beating.
*If my heart and my heart refer to the same thing.
- 131
-1
votes
1
answer
46
views
"what the children need is good textbooks at the moment" or "what the children need are good textbooks at the moment"?
In the following sentence:
What the remote areas need __ education to children and what the children need __ good textbooks at the moment.
Should I fill both in with "is"? If I see "...
1
vote
1
answer
64
views
Is it possible to use a singular verb (makes) when the subject is plural?
Suppose that there is an online app which is interesting because of two main reasons:
Its beautiful graphics = X
Its pleasant music = Y
Now I want to tell someone that those two reasons make the app ...
user119042
0
votes
2
answers
2k
views
"Attract" or "Attracts"
I'm working on an SAT grammar test and the sentence I'm struggling with is:
This variety of tasks attract individuals with a broad range of experience.
The answer they marked correct is "...
opaque_dragon
2
votes
1
answer
790
views
When do we use "I says"?
In "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell, there is a usage of "I says" in several sentences. Is it a kind of talk of villagers or what?
Two examples are:
"I got up, with ...
- 181
0
votes
0
answers
19
views
Use of 'none of the' in a sentence [duplicate]
None of the 14 firms are going to be sold by the government.
is going
no improvement.
I think option 2 is correct but in the answer key it is option 1.
Now, I am confused with the use of none of the
- 139
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
Which is correct: "A group of kids was punished" or "A group of kids were punished"?
The first sentence sounds grammatically correct but really weird. Meanwhile, the second sentence sounds grammatically incorrect but much better.
- 857
18
votes
7
answers
8k
views
If I found two $5 bills on the ground, would it be acceptable to say "$10 are on the ground"?
If I found two $5 bills on the ground, would it be acceptable to say "$10 are on the ground"?
Is "Two $5 bills are on the ground" the ONLY acceptable sentence?
- 857
0
votes
2
answers
80
views
Should I use "make" or "makes" in this sentence? [duplicate]
In this sentence should I use make or makes?
Massive scale, along with rapid growth make/makes it different.
- 227
0
votes
2
answers
142
views
my tongue and my throat hurts or hurt?
According to subject-verb agreement rules, compound subjects with words joined by "and" take a singular verb if all the parts represent a single unit as in:
Macaroni and cheese is my ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
65
views
"The violence on TV shows are bad for childrens" or "The violence on TV shows is bad for childrens"
I'm confused with these two. Which of them is grammatically correct?
"The violence on TV shows are bad for childrens"
"The violence on TV shows is bad for childrens"
My teacher ...
- 11
0
votes
2
answers
45
views
"A better source of humour are the shared gripes that most workers face." Why not "is"?
This excerpt is from the Economist. The sentence "A better source of humour are the shared gripes that most workers face." Confuses me.
Of course, humour can be used, even by non-managers, ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
6k
views
"One of the most" VS "Some of the most"
My painstaking grammarphobia is making me pull my hair out trying to figure wrap my head around the usage of "one of the most" and "some of the most".
Take for example:
A cheetah ...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
150
views
It is something people has/have? [Subject-Verb Agreement]
It is something artists has to deal with.
It is something artists have to deal with.
What should the auxiliary here be? The sentence has both a singular and a plural subject before the verb.
I would ...
- 99
2
votes
2
answers
169
views
Singular and plural sentences
A large number of rare paintings were sold last year.
A large number of rare paintings was sold last year.
Which one of the sentences above is the correct one? If I consider that the verb to sell ...
- 23
0
votes
1
answer
29
views
''Its solid finish and colour also gives a chic addition to your kitchenware.''
Its solid finish and colour also gives a chic addition to your kitchenware.
Is it gives or give in the question because it is really confusing me?
- 1
20
votes
5
answers
6k
views
Why isn’t the third person singular used in “The Lord bless you”?
I saw the following statement within the Longman Dictionary:
The Lord bless you and keep you.
But I think it should be like below:
The Lord blesses you and keeps you.
Because The Lord is a single ...
- 719