English Grammar · University Presentation
A foundational rule of English grammar — explored.
Section 01 — Definition
Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that states the subject and the verb in a sentence must match in number.
Simply put: if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular. If a subject is plural, its verb must be plural. They have to "agree" with each other to make a sentence grammatically correct.
Section 02 — Importance
In complex sentences, proper agreement helps the reader identify exactly who is performing the action — preventing confusion before it starts.
In academic and professional settings, correct grammar builds trust. Agreement errors distract the audience and make the speaker seem careless.
Native speakers are subconsciously tuned to these rules. When agreement breaks, a sentence sounds "clunky" and interrupts communication.
Section 03 — Core Rules (Part 1 of 2)
A singular subject takes a singular verb (usually ending in 's'), and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
When two subjects are connected by "and", they form a plural unit and need a plural verb.
When subjects are joined by "or" or "nor", the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.
Section 03 — Core Rules (Part 2 of 2)
Words like everyone, somebody, each, either, nobody sound plural but are grammatically strictly singular.
Nouns representing a group (team, family, committee) generally take singular verbs because the group acts as one unit.
In sentences starting with "Here" or "There", the true subject hides after the verb.
Section 04 — Verb Types
Finite Verbs
Show tense and must agree with the subject in person and number. They are fully bound by subject-verb agreement rules.
Non-Finite Verbs
Do not act as the main verb of a clause. They never change to agree with the subject — they are always neutral.
Notice how tries / try (finite) changes with the subject, but to escape (non-finite) stays exactly the same. Agreement rules simply do not apply to non-finite verbs.
Subject-Verb Agreement · Summary
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