Compound Subjects with and
Compound Subjects with or or nor
Inverted Order (Verb before Subject)
Indefinite Pronouns
Relative Pronouns (who, which, that)
Collective Subjects
Subjects with Identical Singular and Plural Forms
Singular Nouns Ending in s
Subjects with a Subject Complement
Titles
Idioms
COMPOUND SUBJECTS WITH OR OR NOR
A compound subject with two or more singular elements connected by or or nor requires a singular verb.
English 1A or English 10A fulfills the requirement.
A compound subject with a singular and a plural element joined by or or nor requires that the verb agree with the element nearer to it.
Neither the office manager nor the secretaries were there.
but
Neither the secretaries nor the office manager was there.
Either they or I am going to write the report.
but
Either I or they are going to write the report.
INVERTED ORDER (VERB BEFORE SUBJECT)
Don't let inverted word order fool you into making an agreement error.
From this work has (have) come several important improvements. [The subject of the verb is improvements, not work. Compare "Several important improvements have come from this work."]
Sentences beginning with there or here can also cause agreement problems because the subject follows the verb.
There is a virus in this computer. [Virus is the subject; therefore, it takes a singular verb, is.]
On Halloween, there was (were) a ghost, an astronaut, a witch, and a pirate on our front steps, along with one very tired parent. [Even though each element of the com pound subject— ghost, astronaut, witch, pirate —is singular, the compound subject is plural and so requires a plural verb: were. Compare "A ghost, an astronaut, a witch, and a pirate—along with one very tired parent— were on our front steps."] Flitting among the flowers [there] were (was) the most beautiful ruby-throated hummingbird I had ever seen. [In some inverted sentences there is understood rather than expressed.]
Questions also typically invert the usual subject-verb order.
What are the three subjects that you like most? [Compare "The three subjects that you like most are what?"]
What is the one subject that you like most? [Compare "The one subject that you like most is what?"]
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
Indefinite pronouns include all, any, each, jew, many, most, none, one, and some. They are singular when they refer to a mass noun (flour in the following examples). They are plural when they refer to a count noun (books in the following examples).
All of the flour is mixed in next.
All of the books need labels.
Most of the flour has been contaminated.
Most of the books are Hank's.
None is singular with mass nouns, but either the singular or the plural is generally acceptable with count nouns.
None of the flour is to be used.
None of the books are shelved correctly.
or
None of the books is shelved correctly.
The indefinite pronouns each and one art usually singular.
Each of these videos has to be catalogued.
One of the raffle tickets was lost.
RELATIVE PRONOUNS (WHO, WHICH, THAT)
A verb following a relative pronoun (such as who, which, or that) agrees in number with the noun to which the relative pronoun refers (its antecedent).
This is one of those poems that require careful analysis. [The relative pronoun that refers to poems (plural).]
but This is a poem that requires careful analysis. [That refers to poem (singular).]
COLLECTIVE SUBJECTS
Collective subjects take singular verbs when the group is thought of as a unit and take plural verbs when the individuals are thought of separately. (See also collective nouns.)
How long does a couple wait or a marriage license in this state? [singular]
The couple have finally agreed on a June wedding, [plural]
The number of committee members was six. [When the word number refers to a specific number, it is singular]
A number of people were waiting for the announcement. [When number means an approximate number, it is plural.]
Subjects expressing measurement, weight, mass, or total otten take singular verbs even when the subject word is plural in form. Such subjects are treated as a unit.
Four years, is the normal duration of a college education.
Sixty dollars is the cost of one credit hour.
Some collective nouns, such as trousers and scissors, are always plural.
His trousers were torn by the machine.
but
A pair of trousers is on order.
SUBJECTS WITH IDENTICAL SINGULAR AND PLURAL FORMS
A few nouns, such as series, have the same form in both the singular and plural
A series of meetings was planned, [singular]
Two series of meetings were planned, [plural]
