Grammar for college writing
Subject-Verb Agreement
Use this page when you are not sure whether a verb needs -s, or whether to use is or are.
What subject-verb agreement means
Every English sentence has a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a verb (what the subject does or is). In the present tense, the verb changes to match the subject. This match is called agreement.
- The student works on weekends. One student, so the verb ends in -s.
- The students work on weekends. More than one student, so the verb has no -s.
An agreement error rarely stops a reader from understanding you. But it happens in many sentences, so readers notice it. Most agreement follows one main rule.
- Subject:
- the person or thing that does the action or is described.
- Verb:
- the word that shows the action or the state, such as work, is, or has.
- Singular:
- one. a student, the article, research
- Plural:
- more than one. students, the articles, people
The main rule
In the present tense, when the subject is one person or thing (or he, she, or it), the verb ends in -s. For every other subject, it does not.
| Subject | Most verbs | be | have | do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | work | am | have | do |
| you, we, they, plural nouns | work | are | have | do |
| he, she, it, one person or thing | works | is | has | does |
In most sentences, the -s goes on the noun or the verb, not both. The student works. The students work.
In the past tense, agreement matters only for be: I was, he was, it was, but you were, we were, they were.
Finding the real subject
Most agreement errors happen because the subject is hard to find. Watch for these five situations.
- Words between the subject and the verb. Cover the extra words. The cost of textbooks is high. The subject is cost, not textbooks.
- Words such as each, every, everyone, and one of. These are singular. One of my classes meets online. Everyone needs a break.
- Sentences that start with There. The subject comes after the verb. There are two reasons. There is one reason.
- Two subjects joined by and. Together they are plural. My job and my classes take most of my time.
- Uncountable nouns and -ing subjects. These are singular. Research shows that sleep helps memory. Working full time is difficult.
Example: agreement in a paragraph
This paragraph comes from a student’s essay. Each number matches a note below it.
Many students at community colleges work1 while they take classes. Research shows2 that this is common. The number of hours that students work each week varies3 a lot. There are4 two main reasons for this. First, each student has5 different costs. Second, balancing a job and classes takes6 careful planning.
- A plural subject. The subject is students, so the verb has no -s.
- An uncountable noun. Research is singular, so the verb ends in -s.
- Words between. The subject is number. Cover of hours that students work each week, and you see The number varies.
- There + verb. The subject comes after the verb: two main reasons. It is plural, so the verb is are.
- Each. Each student means one student at a time, so the verb is has.
- An -ing subject. The subject is the whole activity: balancing a job and classes. One activity is singular, so the verb is takes.
Three common problems
1. People is plural
People has no -s, but it means more than one person. Write People are and Some people think. Do not write “People is” or “people thinks.” Children, men, and women work the same way.
2. No -s after does, doesn’t, or a helping verb
The helping verb shows the agreement. The main verb stays in its base form.
| Not this | Write this |
|---|---|
| She doesn’t works on Fridays. | She doesn’t work on Fridays. |
| Does the article explains the cause? | Does the article explain the cause? |
| He can speaks three languages. | He can speak three languages. |
3. The subject is far from the verb
Long subjects are common in college writing. Find the main noun, and match the verb to it.
- The results of the survey show a clear pattern. The main noun is results.
- The author of these two articles argues that cost matters most. The main noun is author.
Phrases you will use often
You can learn these phrases as whole pieces. The agreement is already correct.
- To use a sourceThe author argues that .Research shows that .The data suggest that .
- To give reasonsThere are two reasons for .One of the main reasons is .
- To write about groupsMany students .Each student needs .Some people believe that .
Many instructors and style guides treat data as plural (the data show). In everyday English, people also use it as singular (the data shows). In a course that uses APA style, use the plural.
Practice
Choose the correct verb.
- My manager (give / gives) me a new schedule every Monday.
- The price of the books (is / are) too high for many students.
- There (is / are) three sources in my essay.
- Each of the students (has / have) a different topic.
- People in my program (study / studies) together on Thursdays.
- Writing clear sentences (take / takes) practice.
Then correct this sentence: “The restaurant have many customers, and the manager don’t likes long lines.”
Show suggested answers
- gives My manager is one person.
- is The subject is price. Cover of the books.
- are The subject comes after the verb: three sources, which is plural.
- has Each is singular. Cover of the students.
- study People is plural.
- takes The subject is one activity: writing clear sentences.
Corrected sentence: The restaurant has many customers, and the manager doesn’t like long lines. Restaurant and manager are each one thing, so the verbs are has and doesn’t. After doesn’t, the main verb has no -s.
Next step
Try this with your own writing
- Choose one paragraph from a draft.
- Underline every present-tense verb.
- For each verb, ask: what is the subject? Cover any words between them.
- Is the subject one thing? Then the verb needs -s (or is, has, does).
More practice
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a writing site from Purdue University. Many college classes use it.