Key: Subject = yellow, bold; verb = green, rule 3 underlined. The verb in a sentence or, either/or, or neither is in agreement with the noun or pronoun closest to it. Example: She writes every day. Exception: If you use the singular «they», use plural forms. Example: The participant expressed satisfaction with his or her work. You currently hold a leadership role within the organization. Some nouns are always singular and indefinite. When these nouns become subjects, they always adopt singular verbs. 5. Don`t be misled by a sentence that is between the subject and the verb.
The verb is in agreement with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the sentence. A number of + noun is a plural substreff, and it takes a plural subb. The number of + noun is a singular subject, and it takes a singular verb. The word that exists, a contraction from there, leads to bad habits in informal phrases like There are many people here today because it is easier «there is» than «there is». Be careful never to use a plural theme. 17. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular form of the verb. However, if they are linked by «and», they take the plural form. 3. If a composite subject contains both a singular and plural noun or pronouns related by or or nor, the verb must correspond to the part of the subject that is closest to the verb. Singular subjects require singular verbs, while plural subjects require plural verbs. The verbs «To be» change the most depending on the number and person of the subject.
Other verbs do not change much depending on the subject, with the exception of verbs in the present simple. .