Subject-Verb Agreement

🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)

Rapid summary for last-minute revision before your exam.

A verb must match its subject in number (singular/plural) and person (first, second, third). In the present tense, a singular subject takes a verb ending in -s/-es (He runs), while a plural subject takes the base form (They run).

Indefinite pronouns like each, everyone, nobody, either, neither are always singular and take a singular verb: Everyone is here.
Ignore phrases between the subject and verb; they do not change the number: The box of chocolates is on the table.
With either…or / neither…nor, the verb agrees with the nearest subject: Neither the teacher nor the students are absent.

Subject type	Verb form	Example
Singular	Verb + -s/-es	The boy runs fast.
Plural	Base verb	The boys run fast.
Indefinite pronoun	Singular verb	Each of the girls is present.

🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)

Standard content for students with a few days to months.

Definition and Scope

Subject-verb agreement, also called concord, is the rule that the verb in a clause must reflect the number and person of its subject. This rule governs all finite verbs in the present tense and is the most tested grammar skill in NCEE English error-spotting items.

The Core Rule

A singular subject takes a singular verb form, and a plural subject takes a plural verb form. In present-tense English, singular verbs typically end in -s (writes, plays, goes), while plural verbs use the base form (write, play, go). Pronouns must agree too: I am, You are, He/She/It is, We/They are.

Indefinite Pronouns

Words such as each, every, anyone, everyone, somebody, nobody, either, and neither are grammatically singular. Even when they precede a plural noun in a phrase (e.g., each of the boys), the verb remains singular: Each of the boys is here.

Intervening Phrases

Prepositional phrases, relative clauses, and appositives placed between the subject and verb do not alter the subject’s number. The verb must agree with the true subject, not the nearest noun. Example: The box of chocolates is on the table (not are).

Pattern	Rule	Example
Compound subject with and	Plural verb	Tom and Jerry are friends.
or / nor joining subjects	Verb agrees with nearest subject	Either the dog or the cats make noise.
Collective noun (unit)	Singular verb	The team is winning.
Collective noun (members acting separately)	Plural verb	The team are arguing among themselves.
Noun ending in -s but singular in meaning	Singular verb	The news is frightening.

Common Traps in NCEE Sentence Items

Inverted sentences: the subject comes after the verb (Here comes the bus). Do not let the introductory word mislead you.
Titles, sums, and labels: treated as singular (Hamlet is a tragedy; Fifty naira is too much).
Subject vs. subject complement: the verb agrees with the subject, not the complement (The students are the cause, not The students is the cause).
Cross-check the true subject before choosing a verb.
Watch for -s ending on nouns that are actually singular (news, mathematics, physics).
Insert the verb into the blank mentally before deciding between is/are or has/have.

🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)

Comprehensive coverage for students on a longer study timeline.

Edge Cases and Tricky Constructions

Beyond the basic rule, NCEE items often exploit the following structures:

Each of / One of + plural noun: the head is each or one, which is singular, so the verb is singular (Each of the candidates has submitted a form).
Either…or / Neither…nor: when the two subjects differ in number, the verb matches the nearer subject (Neither the students nor the teacher is absent if teacher is nearer; Neither the teacher nor the students are absent if students is nearer).
Relative clauses: pronouns like who, which, that must agree with their antecedents, not the nearer noun (She is one of the teachers who mark strictly — the relative clause refers to teachers, hence plural).
There is / There are: the verb agrees with the true subject that follows (There are five students; There is a problem).

Worked Example

Neither the principal nor the teachers (is / are) attending the meeting tomorrow. The verb must agree with the nearest subject, which is teachers (plural). The correct choice is are: Neither the principal nor the teachers are attending the meeting tomorrow.

Connections to Adjacent Topics

Subject-verb agreement links directly to pronoun-antecedent agreement (the same antecedent rules govern both), to tense consistency (concord must hold regardless of tense), and to parallelism in compound subjects joined by and, where the verb must be plural regardless of singular elements.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Correction	Why
The team are playing well (unit acting as one)	The team is playing well	Collective noun used as a unit takes singular verb
Everyone are ready	Everyone is ready	Indefinite pronoun is singular
The box of chocolates are here	The box of chocolates is here	The subject is box, not chocolates
The news are bad	The news is bad	News is singular in meaning despite the -s

Practice Prompts

Choose the correct verb: Each of the participants (has / have) submitted a form.
Spot the error: The committee are divided on the issue, but the chairman has the final say.

Exam Strategy for NCEE English

With roughly 3% of the paper, agreement items usually appear as 1–2 sentence-completion or error-spotting questions. Allocate under 30 seconds per item: locate the true subject, ignore intervening phrases, then apply the matching rule. Always test both singular and plural forms in your head before selecting the answer.

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Subject-Verb Agreement