Mastering Subject-Verb Agreement rules is essential for scoring high in the English Language section of competitive exams such as SSC, Banking, CUET, Railway, and State PSCs. In particular, error spotting, sentence improvement, and fill-in-the-blanks questions frequently test these concepts. Although basic grammar rules seem simple, competitive exams intentionally present tricky sentence structures in which candidates misidentify the real subject and select the wrong verb.
Therefore, understanding these rules with proper examples and formulas can significantly improve your accuracy. Below are the top 15 Subject-Verb Agreement rules, explained with clear examples and formulas, to ensure you never lose marks on these high-yield topics.
1. Words Connected by “As Well As”, “Along With”, and “Together With”
First, two subjects joined by phrases like as well as, along with, together with, in addition to, accompanied by, or with must have the verb agree with the nearest subject.
Formula: First Subject + (along with / as well as / together with) + Second Subject + Verb matching First Subject
❌ Incorrect: The captain, along with his team members, were present at the stadium.
✅ Correct: The captain, along with his team members, was present at the stadium.
2. Either… Or / Neither… Nor / Not Only… But Also
Connect subjects by either… or, neither… nor, or not only… but also; the verb must agree with the second subject.
Formula: Either/Neither + Subject 1 + Or/Nor + Subject 2 + Verb matching Subject 2
❌ Incorrect: Neither the manager nor the employees was available.
✅ Correct: Neither the manager nor the employees were available.
3. “A Number Of” vs. “The Number Of”
Educators frequently test this Subject-Verb Agreement rule in error-spotting questions.
- A number of means “many” and takes a plural verb.
- The number of refers to a specific count and takes a singular verb.
❌ Incorrect: A number of students has applied for the exam.
✅ Correct: A number of students have applied for the exam.
✅ Correct: The number of applicants has increased this year.
4. Distances, Weight, Time, and Sums of Money
In English usage, writers treat time, distance, measurement, or money as a single unit, so a singular verb follows.
❌ Incorrect: Ten kilometers are a long distance to walk.
✅ Correct: Ten kilometers is a long distance to walk.
5. Indefinite Pronouns (Everyone, Somebody, Each, Neither)
In addition, indefinite pronouns such as each, every, everyone, someone, somebody, nobody, either, and neither are grammatically singular and require a singular verb.
❌ Incorrect: Each of the candidate have submitted their admit card.
✅ Correct: Each of the candidates has submitted their admit card.
6. Collective Nouns (Jury, Committee, Team, Audience)
Next, collective nouns take a singular verb when acting as a unified group. However, they may take a plural verb, particularly in British English, when the members act individually or express disagreement.
7. Nouns That Look Plural But Are Singular
Likewise, names of subjects (Physics, Mathematics, Economics), diseases (Measles, Rickets), games (Billiards, Darts), or book titles may look plural because they end in “-s”. Nevertheless, they generally follow singular Subject-Verb Agreement rules when referring to a single subject, disease, game, or title.
❌ Incorrect: Mathematics are a difficult subject for many aspirants.
✅ Correct: Mathematics is a difficult subject for many aspirants.
8. Nouns That Are Always Plural
On the other hand, nouns representing items with two parts (scissors, trousers, spectacles, pliers, binoculars) or certain groups (cattle, people, police, gentry) generally take a plural verb.
❌ Incorrect: The police has caught the culprit.
✅ Correct: The police have caught the culprit.
Exception: If you use the phrase ‘a pair of’, the verb agrees with the singular subject ‘pair’.
✅ Correct: A pair of spectacles is kept on the table.
9. Sentences Starting with “There” or “Here”
Similarly, in sentences beginning with there or here, the subject often appears after the verb. Therefore, always look beyond the introductory word to identify the real subject before choosing the appropriate verb.
❌ Incorrect: There is many reasons for exam stress.
✅ Correct: There are many reasons for exam stress.
10. Fractions and Percentages
Furthermore, when using fractions (one-third of, half of) or percentages (50% of), the verb generally agrees with the noun that follows the fraction or percentage.
Fraction + Uncountable Noun: One-third of the work has been completed. (Singular)
Fraction + Countable Noun: Two-thirds of the students have passed. (Plural)
11. “One of the” + Plural Noun + Relative Pronoun (Who/Which/That)
❌ Incorrect: He is one of those officers who does his duty honestly.
✅ Correct: He is one of those officers who do their duty honestly.
✅ Correct: He is the only one of the officers who does his duty.
12. “More Than One” Rule
Although the phrase “more than one” implies a plural quantity, it generally takes a singular noun and a singular verb because of its grammatical structure.
❌ Incorrect: More than one candidate were selected.
✅ Correct: More than one candidate was selected.
✅ Correct: More candidates than one were selected.
13. “Many A” vs. “A Great Many”
Similarly, the expressions many a and a great many follow different agreement patterns.
- Many a takes a singular noun and a singular verb.
- A great many / A good many takes a plural noun and a plural verb.
✅ Correct: Many a student has failed due to poor time management.
✅ Correct: A great many students have cleared the tier-1 exam.
14. Uncountable Nouns (Information, Advice, Equipment, Furniture)
In the same way, uncountable nouns such as furniture, advice, information, equipment, luggage, news, and machinery generally cannot be made plural in their ordinary meanings and take a singular verb.
❌ Incorrect: All the information were shared by the commission.
✅ Correct: All the information was shared by the commission.
15. Hypothetical Conditions (“If I Were”)
Finally, in conditional sentences expressing imaginary or contrary-to-fact situations, use were regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural.
❌ Incorrect: If I was the Prime Minister, I would change the exam system.
✅ Correct: If I were the Prime Minister, I would change the exam system.
Quick Summary Table for Revision✍️
To conclude, the following table provides a quick overview of the most important rules for last-minute revision.
| Rule Pattern | Subject Type | Verb Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| A number of | Plural noun | Plural verb | A number of candidates have registered. |
| The number of | Plural noun | Singular verb | The number of seats is limited. |
| Along with / As well as | Two subjects | Matches first subject | She, as well as her friends, is going. |
| Either… Or | Two subjects | Matches the nearer subject | Either the teacher or students were wrong. |
| Each / Every | Singular pronoun or subject | Singular verb | Each of the answers was checked. |
Moreover, what are transition words and how to use them?
Authored by Suresh Kumar.
Additionally, the piece was reviewed by Nokari Editorial Team (Divyesh).
Additionally, Published: 25 October 2026.
Last Updated: 25 October 2026
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