Edmonds CC Writing Center | MUK 113 Finding and Fixing Subject/Verb Agreement Errors
425.640.1750 | www.edcc.edu/lsc
The subject is an abstract idea
(Examples: justice, patriotism, friendship, honor, number)
Error: The number of students in each class vary. (Agreement error: number = singular / vary =
plural)
Correction: The number of students in each class varies.
The subject ends in an –s but is singular in meaning
(Examples: mathematics, physics, economics, ethics)
Error: Mathematics prepare students for many different careers. (Agreement error:
Mathematics = singular / prepare = plural)
Correction: Mathematics prepares students for many different careers.
The subject is an indefinite pronoun
(Examples: anyone, everyone, each, everybody, nothing, everything)
Error: Everyone have to take a health class to earn an AA degree. (Agreement error: Everyone =
singular / have = plural)
Correction: Everyone has to take a health class to earn an AA degree.
The subject is an uncountable noun
(Examples: rice, water, grass, money, snow, time)
Error: Time seem to go quickly during a test. (Agreement error: time = singular / seem = plural)
Correction: Time seems to go quickly during a test.
Subject agrees with the nearest noun in paired conjunctions
(Examples: either—or / neither—nor / not only—but also / not—but)
Error: Neither Sam nor his friends wants to miss graduation. (Agreement error: friends = plural
/ wants = singular)
Correction: Neither Sam nor his friends want to miss graduation.
Correction 2: Neither his friends nor Sam wants to miss graduation.
Sentence Practice
Please identify and correct all the subject/verb agreement errors.
1. Trang, Eric, and Carlos enjoys reading and writing essays in their English 101 class.
2. They also plans to take Math 97 next quarter.
3. There is many other classes they want to take together because they has formed a study
group.
4. Everyone are welcome to join their study group if they wants to.
5. The students who joins the study group needs to meet every Friday.
For More Practice
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University has several resources—try them out!
Making Subjects and Verbs Agree
(click the link above or go to owl.purdue.edu/owl, click on General Writing, then
Grammar, then select Subject/Verb Agreement)
Subject/Verb Agreement Exercises
(click the link above or go to owl.purdue.edu/owl_exercises, click on Sentence
Structure, select Subject-Verb Agreement)