Adapted from The Grammar Book. Retrieved from http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/subjectVerbAgree.asp
and from Towson University Online Writing Support. Retrieved from http://www.towson.edu/ows/moduleSVAGR.htm
Subject–Verb Agreement Rules for Scientific Writing
In sentence composition, one of the most important sets of writing guidelines pertains to the relationship between a sentence’s subject(s) and verb(s). In formal scientific writing, this subject-verb relationship is specified by one basic subject-verb rule and 23 special-case rules. This blog post lists and illustrates these rules.
The Basic Rule of Subject-Verb Agreement
A verb must agree with its subject in both person and number.
A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
Examples:
Hyoscyamine / has been used for children on a short-term basis.
singular subject / singular verb
Standards / facilitate monitoring for cardiac dysrhythmias.
plural subject / plural verb
Rules 1–8: Conjunctions
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
Rule 1 Compound subjects connected by and
Rule 2 Singular subjects connected by or or nor
Rule 3 Appositives and parenthetical expressions
CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS
Rule 5 Either–or / neither–nor: Two singular subjects
Rule 6 Either–or / neither–nor: Compound subject with “I” as one of the subjects
Rule 8 Either and neither as subjects
Rules 9–13: Nouns
Rule 11 Singular nouns ending in –s requiring singular verbs
Rule 12 Singular nouns ending in –s requiring plural verbs
Rule 13 Plural nouns ending in –a
Rules 14–20: Words or Phrases Between a Subject and a Verb
Rule 14 Non-essential phrases between the subject and the verb
Rule 15 Adjectival prepositional phrases between a subject and a verb
Rule 16 Singular indefinite pronouns (e.g., anyone, anybody, each)
Rule 17 Plural indefinite pronouns (e.g., both, few, many, others, several
Rule 18 Words that indicate portions
Rule 19 number of, variety of, majority/minority of
Rules 21–23: Other Subject–Verb Agreement Rules
Rule 21 Verbs in the Subjunctive Mood
Rule 23 Expletives: here and there
Rules 1–8: Conjunctions
Rule 1 Compound subjects connected by and
When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.
Patient safety and pain management are essential.
Both cohort participants and community surveillance components were represented in the samples.
Exception:
If two singular subjects denote the same person or thing, use a singular verb (see Rule 4).
Rule 2 Singular subjects connected by or OR nor
Two singular subjects connected by or OR nor require a singular verb. The subjects will be either nouns or pronouns.
Motoko or Omaimah is the charge nurse.
Rule 3 Appositives and expressions enclosed by em dashes or parentheses
Appositives and intervening explanatory expressions do not affect subject–verb agreement.
The president and chief executive officer / is Dr. Louise Silverman.
singular subject appositive singular verb
Several factors, including age and weight, may affect the intervention’s outcome.
plural subject plural verb
Other demographic characteristics—such as low socioeconomic status—are associated with preterm delivery.
plural subject plural verb
A non-medical exemption (e.g., for work requirements) is offered by most states.
singular subject singular verb
Subject–verb agreement is never affected by a subject complement. (A subject complement follows a linking verb and renames or describes the subject.)
The intervention / is regular sleep, diet, and exercise.
sing. subject sing. verb pl. subject complement
Rule 5 Either–or/neither/nor: Two singular subjects
Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb.
Neither Randa nor Yasmin is the charge nurse.
Either Ghada or Yoo Mi performs the procedure.
Rule 6 Either–or/neither/nor: Compound subject with “I” as one of the subjects
When “I” is one of the two subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor, put “I” second and follow it with the singular verb am.
Neither Kaihura nor I am refuting the findings.
Or
Neither Kaihura nor I refute the findings.
Rule 7 Or, either/or, neither/nor, OR not only–but also: Compound subject with singular and plural subjects
When or, either/or, neither/nor, or not only-but also join the parts of a compound subject, the verb must agree with the subject nearer to the verb:
Either this pediatric patient or her parents are circumventing the procedure.
Not only the nurses but also the unit clerk prefers the new schedule.
(Note: “Or” is a coordinating conjunction, but for special cases in which “or/nor” rules are identical to “either/neither” rules, or/nor are discussed in this CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTION section.)
Editing hint: When a singular subject and plural subject are connected by either/or or neither/nor, you may consider putting the plural subject last and using a plural verb.
Either Paul or the other surgical technicians prepare the incision site.
Neither this test nor the others were positive.
Rule 8 Either and neither as subjects
When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs.
Neither of the hospitalists is available.
Either of the CNSs is capable of delivering the presentation.
Rules 9–13: Nouns
Collective nouns such as family, committee, panel, team and staff may be either singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence.
We examined how a family in crisis / adapts to stress.
sing. subject sing. verb
The staff / is in a meeting.
sing. subject sing. verb
In these examples, “family” and “staff” act as units.
Less commonly, the plural is used if the author wishes to highlight the fact that the group comprises individual members. In the following examples, health team and staff are acting as separate individuals.
My family have never agreed on treatment options.
plural subject plural verb
The health team do not concur on a treatment plan.
singular subject plural verb
Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time.
Ten thousand dollars is a high price.
Two weeks is the maximum for that care plan.
Rule 11 Singular nouns ending in –s requiring singular verbs
Plural nouns ending in -s:
Nouns such as diabetes, measles, civics, mathematics, and news require singular verbs.
Diabetes is a chronic disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood.
Measles is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a paramyxovirus.
Rule 12 Singular nouns ending in –s requiring plural verbs
Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs. (Note that these instruments and tools have two working parts.)
Cooley forceps are a type of atraumatic tissue forceps.
Bandage scissors are included in the kit.
Note also:
A pair of bandage scissors is included in the kit.
Rule 13 Plural nouns ending in –a
Some nouns of foreign origin have plural forms that end in a.
The data indicate that the H1N1 flu is contagious.
These phenomena are not new.
Rules 14–20: Words or Phrases Between a Subject and a Verb
Rule 14 Non-essential phrases between the subject and the verb
A non-essential phrase that comes between a sentence’s subject and the verb does not influence subject–verb agreement. The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.
The participant, along with her family, completes the survey.
Diet, as well as lack of exercise, contributes to hypertension.
Examples of such phrases include or begin with (a) simple prepositions (e.g., besides, including, and with); (b) complex prepositions (e.g., along with, as well as, in addition to, and together with); and (c) accompanied by. Ignore these expressions when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb.
Rule 15 Adjectival prepositional phrase between the subject and the verb
In most cases, adjectival prepositional phrases that come between a subject and a verb do not affect subject–verb agreement.
The morale of clinicians is the focus of this staff survey.
The climate in these cities is conducive to respiratory illness.
Agreement between the patient and her APN was necessary for optimizing the patient’s adherence to medication regimen.
However, see Rules 18–20 for exceptions to Rule 15.
Rule 16 Singular indefinite pronouns (e.g., anyone, anybody, each)
Singular indefinite pronouns—such as anyone, anybody, each, either, everybody, everyone, every one, neither, nobody, someone, and somebody—require singular verbs.
Each of the respondents signs a consent form.
Every one of the students has passed the examination.
Note: Everyone is one word when it means everybody. Every one is two words when the meaning is each one.
Rule 17 Plural indefinite pronouns (e.g., both, few, many, others, several)
Plural indefinite pronouns—such as both, few, many, others, several—require plural verbs.
Both of the respondents have signed a patient confidentiality form.
Many of the students have passed the examination.
Rule 18 Words that indicate portions
Words that indicate portions include percentages (e.g., 34%), fractions (a quarter of, three fifths), and quantifiers (e.g., none, some, all). A quantifier is a type of adjective used to refer to an amount or quantity( e.g., some, a few, several, almost all, none, no, not any, few, not many).
Prepositional phrases following indefinite pronouns usually do not influence verb number (see Rule 15). Exceptions to Rule 15 are indefinite pronouns and quantifiers (e.g., percent, fraction, part, some, all, most, more, none, part, remainder). To determine whether to use a singular or plural verb with sentences containing such indefinite pronouns, look at the noun in the of phrase that follows the pronoun (i.e., look at the object of the preposition of). If the noun is singular, use a singular verb; If the noun is plural, use a plural verb.
If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb.
If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.
Seventy-six percent of the solution remains.
Solution is the object of the preposition.
A quarter of the oximeters need recalibration.
Oximeters is the object of the preposition.
Other examples:
One third of the residents receive vaccinations.
All of the treatment is complete.
All of the supplies are replaced.
Some of the article has been cited.
Some of the injuries are serious.
None of the linen was contaminated.
None of the interventions were successful.
Notes on none: The pronoun none is often used in place of no one or not one. Logic would seem to dictate that if a sentence’s subject is “none,” its verb should be singular, because none means less (or fewer) than one; however, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition (and most grammarians) now hold that none can be singular or plural. In fact, none now more commonly used as plural, as in the following two examples:
Thirty study participants have attempted the test, but none have completed it.
The clinicians speak Cantonese; none speak Mandarin.
In the following example, “none” is singular and requires a singular verb:
All of the oxygen was depleted; none remains in the cylinder. (where “none” refers to “dietary formula”)
A simple substitution test can help to determine whether “none” (as a sentence’s subject) should be singular or plural:
- None is singular if not one or no one may be substituted for it.
- None is plural if no persons or any of a group of things or people may replace none—that is, when none applies to more than one—or if not any are can replace none:
Examples:
He received no reward, and none was expected.
Because in the example above, none refers to the singular “reward,” the singular verb is used.
None [no persons] are more insecure than victims in hostage situations.
Because in the example above, none refers to the plural “victims,” the plural verb is used.
Rule 19 Number of, variety of, majority/minority of
A number of, a variety of, and a majority of normally (but not always) take a plural verb; the number of, the variety of, and the majority of normally (but not always) take a singular verb.
A number of diabetes patients are obese.
The number of obese diabetes patients is unknown.
Majority–minority as subjects; majority of, minority of
Grammarians differ in their opinions of whether majority and minority are singular, plural, or collective. Citing Fowler (1965), Celce-Murcia and Larsen Freeman (1999) note that both majority and minority have three meanings:
- When majority or minority is used in an abstract or generic sense that relates to numerical superiority—whether human or non-human—majority and minority are singular.
The great majority rides public transportation to work.
Note: “rides” in singular.
- When majority or minority is used in a sense in which one of two or more sets is numerically greater (majority) or lesser (minority), majority and minority may be singular, plural, or collective.
The majority has been vaccinated/have been vaccinated.
In the example above, the verb could be either singular or plural.
- When majority or minority is used in a specific sense that refers to most (i.e., majority) or to less than half (i.e., minority) of an explicit set of individuals, majority or minority is plural.
A large majority of this population speak Tagalog.
In the example above, “this population” is an explicit set of individuals.
When the pronoun who, that, or which is the subject of a verb in the middle of the sentence, the pronoun is either singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of the the pronoun.
Case 1. who, that, or which immediately following the subject:
An individual who is physically fit can perform CPR longer.
Individuals who are physically fit can perform CPR longer.
Case 2. who, that, or which immediately following and modifying a subject complement:
Marge is the charge nurse who writes the reports.
The word in front of who, “charge nurse,” is a subject complement. Because “charge nurse” is singular, the sentence requires the singular of the verb writes.
Case 3. who, that, or which immediately following the noun–object of an of the phrase:
He is one of the technicians who calibrate the monitoring equipment.
The word in front of who—technicians—is the noun–object of the of the phrase. The noun-object technicians is plural; therefore, use the plural verb calibrate.
These participants are assigned to one of the groups that receive the intervention.
The word in front of that—groups—is the noun–object of the of the phrase. The noun-object groups is plural; therefore, use the plural verb receive.
Rules 21–23: Other Subject–Verb Agreement Rules
Rule 21: Verbs in the Subjunctive Mood
In English grammar, a sentence’s “mood” indicates the author’s (or speaker’s) attitude about a sentence’s factuality, veracity, and certainty. English has five moods, one of which is the subjunctive mood. In formal writing, a special subject–verb agreement rule applies to the use of the subjunctive mood.
Subjunctive mood—defined. The subjunctive mood is used to describe conditions that are contrary to fact or improbable. Instances of the subjunctive mood are most often found in a clause beginning with the word if. The subjunctive mood is also found in clauses following a verb that expresses a doubt, a wish, regret, request, demand, or proposal.
Verbs associated with the subjunctive mood. Verbs typically followed by clauses that take the subjunctive include ask, demand, determine, insist, move, order, pray, prefer, recommend, regret, request, require, suggest, and wish.
In English, the form of the verb in subjunctive mood and in declarative mood (also known as “indicative” mood) are ordinarily identical:
Declarative mood:
Access-related bloodstream infection was used to approximate CLABSI.
Subjunctive mood:
If this population were not adaptable, it could not surmount barriers to care.
Notice that in the preceding sentence example, the subjunctive mood is expressed through the use of a singular subject, “population,” and a plural verb, “were.”
For more information on the use of subjunctive mood in sentences, click here: The Subjunctive Mood in Scientific Writing.
Arithmetic operations take the singular.
Three plus nine equals twelve.
Four minus seven is negative three.
Sentences beginning with there are are usually in inverted order. Be sure the verb agrees with the subject. The sentence’s subject is never “there.” Note: As introductory expletive phrases in sentences, “There is . . . ,” “There are . . . ,” and “It is . . .” carry little meaning and should be avoided when possible. Note also that in such sentences beginning with here or there, the subject follows the verb.
Example:
Here the staff nurse uses good judgment.
Example:
There are three beds to change.
Better:
Three beds require changing.
Example:
There is a new laboratory technician in the department.
Better:
The department has hired a new laboratory technician.
