TACHS: Subject-verb agreement: find the real subject
Match every verb to its true subject, even when a phrase full of other nouns sits between them.
How do I pick the right verb when a plural noun sits right next to a singular subject?
Short answer
Find the word the sentence is really about, set aside any phrase that starts with of, in, on or with, and match the verb to that word alone.
Know first: Finding the verb in a sentence, Singular and plural nouns
Step 1 of 5
The verb matches its subject, not the nearest noun
A singular subject takes a singular verb: the dog barks, the list is. A plural subject takes a plural verb: the dogs bark, the lists are. That part is easy when the subject sits right next to the verb.
It gets harder when a describing phrase comes between them. In The jar of buttons, the phrase of buttons only tells you which jar. The subject is still jar, so the verb is is or was.
Agreement questions are built around that gap. The noun closest to the verb is usually the wrong number, and it pulls your ear toward the wrong verb.
| Subject | Number | Example |
|---|---|---|
| each, one, neither, either, everyone | Singular | Each of the singers has a solo. |
| both, several, few, many | Plural | Several of the lights were off. |
| Two subjects joined by and | Plural | The rake and the shovel are in the shed. |
| A subject plus along with or as well as | Number of the first subject | The pilot, along with two attendants, is aboard. |
| There is / There are | The noun after the verb | There are two exits. |
When you are unsure, swap in it or they for the subject and listen.
Step 2 of 5
Cross out the phrase, then read the pair
Worked example: A basket of peaches
Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.
- AThe basket of ripe peaches were left on the porch.
- BThe basket of ripe peaches was left on the porch.
- CThe basket of ripe peaches have been left on the porch.
- DThe basket of ripe peaches are left on the porch.
- 1
Find the verbs
The choices use were, was, have been and are. Everything else is the same, so the question is only about the verb.
- 2
Find the subject
What was left on the porch? The basket. Of ripe peaches tells which basket, so cross it out.
- 3
Read the pair
The basket was left sounds right and keeps the past tense. That is choice B.
- 4
See why the other choices are there
A, C and D all use plural verbs. They match peaches, the plural noun sitting right before the verb, which is exactly the trap the question sets.
Answer
B. The basket of ripe peaches was left on the porch.
Wrong: The pilot, along with two attendants, are aboard.
Right: The pilot, along with two attendants, is aboard.
Along with does not work like and. The attendants sit inside a describing phrase, so the subject is still one pilot.
Step 3 of 5
Check the true subject in every sentence
Check yourself · Question 1
Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.
Answer: C
Each is singular, so it takes has. The phrase of the dancers does not change that.
Trap answer: Neither of the songs were ready for the concert.
A singular word that sounds plural
- Why it looks right
- Neither points to two songs, and songs sits right before the verb, so a plural verb feels natural.
- Why it's wrong
- Neither means not one and not the other. It is singular, and the plural noun is only inside the phrase.
- The right answer
- Neither of the songs was ready for the concert. In this question, only C has a matching pair: Each of the dancers has a costume for the finale.
Check yourself · Question 2
Which verb correctly completes the sentence? The coach, along with her two assistants, ___ the bus schedule each week.
Answer: B
Cross out along with her two assistants. The coach checks matches one subject and keeps the routine present tense.
Find the wrong step
A student fixes this sentence: There is three trays of muffins on the counter.
- 1
Finds the verb: is.
- 2
Decides the subject is There, so the singular verb is can stay.
What went wrong
There is never the subject. In a there is sentence, the subject comes after the verb. Here it is trays, which is plural.
- 3
Leaves the sentence unchanged.
The fix
Look after the verb for the subject: There are three trays of muffins on the counter.
Common mistake
Fixing the number but changing the time: turning The list of chores were long into The list of chores is long.
- Why it's tempting
- Is does fix the agreement, so the job feels finished.
- Do this instead
- The sentence was about the past. The correct fix is was, which is singular and still past.
Step 4 of 5
What to remember
Remember
- Find the verb, then ask who or what is doing it.
- Cross out phrases starting with of, in, on, with or along with. The subject is never inside them.
- Each, one and neither are singular. Two subjects joined by and are plural.
Step 5 of 5
Practice on a real question
Use what you just learned on this question, then check the explanation.
Try another one
In your own words
In the practice question, which noun was the real subject, and which nearby noun was trying to pull the verb the wrong way?