English Language Topic
Subject-Verb Agreement
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Study focus - 3 things
- The verb must match the subject in number: singular with singular, plural with plural
- Do not let extra words between the subject and verb trick you
- Present tense verbs often add -s with singular subjects, like 'she walks'
Section 1The basic rule
Subject-verb agreement means the subject and verb must match. A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. Here's the trick: find the real subject before choosing the verb.
Section 2Present tense trap
In the simple present tense, singular subjects often use verbs ending in -s or -es. We say 'The student writes' but 'The students write'. Easy to mix up — the -s goes on the verb for singular subjects, not plural ones.
Section 3Words in between
Extra words between the subject and verb do not change the subject. 'The box of mangoes is heavy' uses 'is' because the subject is 'box', not 'mangoes'. This is one of the most common exam slip-ups.
Section 4Compound subjects
Two subjects joined by 'and' usually take a plural verb. 'Jayden and Amara are ready' is correct because two people are doing the action. If the joined words name one thing, the verb may be singular, like 'rice and peas is my favourite dish'.
Examples
Choose the correct verb: 'The boy with the blue notebooks ____ early.' Options: arrive / arrives
The correct answer is 'arrives'. The subject is 'boy', which is singular, so the present-tense verb needs -s.
Correct this sentence: 'The students from Kingston enjoys the debate.'
It should be 'The students from Kingston enjoy the debate.' The subject is 'students', which is plural, so use 'enjoy'.
Now let's water it
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