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
SINGULAR NOUNS ENDING IN S
Some nouns are singular in meaning though plural in form; examples are athletics, mathematics, news, physics, and economics. These nouns normally take a singular verb.
News of the merger is on page 4 of the Chronicle. Economics has been called the dismal science.
Some of these nouns, however, may be either singular or plural, depending on the sense in which they are used.
Politics is the refuge of both idealists and scoundrels, [singular]
but His politics were far from admirable. [plural]
SUBJECTS WITH A SUBJECT COMPLEMENT
Whether a subject complement is singular or plural does not affect the verb; the verb agrees with the subject, not the complement.
The topic of his report was rivers. [The subject of the sentence is topic, not rivers.]
What is on my mind today is rivers. |The subject of the sentence is the clause What is on my mind today]
TITLES
A book or other work with a plural title requires a singular verb.
Bartlctt's Familiar Quotations was stolen from the reference room. The Best Years of Our Lives is one of my favorite films.
IDIOMS
Some idioms, such as many a, conventionally take a singular verb, although the form may seem plural. If in doubt, consult a dictionary.
Many a soldier was wounded that day. but Many soldiers were wounded that day'
