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Subject-verb agreement
Before understanding subject-verb agreement, we will see what the subject and verb are.
The Subject is the doer of an action in a sentence, and the verb is an action or state in the sentence.
Subject-verb agreement states that both should be either singular or plural.
If the subject is singular, the verb used should also be singular, but if the subject is plural, the verb used should also be plural.
This rule is a general rule for verb-subject agreement.
There are some exceptions to this rule. Actually, it seems like a paradox where we can say that it is an exception to the rule, but in reality, if we think in detail about the above rule of verbs agreeing with the subjects in number, let’s see some rules for subject-verb agreement.
1: When two singular verbs are connected by and, it needs a plural verb. Example: Sana and Sara are playing
Turkey and Iran are her favorite places.
But in a few cases, two singular verbs are joined by and use a singular verb, because in those cases, the two subjects, person, or object used are considered one.
Example: Bread and butter is his only food.
Time and tide waits for none.
2: When two singular subjects are joined by or, or nor we use singular verbs.
Example: Neither tea nor water was found in the house.
Either the cat or mouse has been there, but in the case of a singular and plural subject joined by or or nor the verb agrees with the plural subject, and it must be preceded by the plural subject.
3: If there are subjects of different persons (first person, second person, third person) joined by or or nor the verb, then it agrees with the nearer subject in the sentence.
Example: Neither I nor you are to be blamed either.
He or she is mistaken.
4: Either, neither, many, each, everyone these words must be followed by a singular verb.
Example: Many men has done so.
Everyone of the teachers likes to read
5: plural in form but are singular regarding their meaning; with such nouns, a singular verb is used.
Example: Mathematics is my favorite subject.
News is spread by him.
6: It is opposite to the above rule and states that a noun in singular form with a plural meaning should use a plural verb.
For example, one dozen of Apple are enough.
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