Subject-Verb Agreement

You already know that verbs must agree with their subjects in number. At this mastery level, you will tackle the trickiest agreement patterns that appear in examinations -- rules involving phrases like "neither of", "the number of", "none of", and inverted sentences beginning with "here" or "there".

What You'll Learn

At this level, you will learn:

• How to handle "either of", "neither of", "none of", and "each of" constructions
• The difference between "the number of" (singular) and "a number of" (plural)
• Agreement in inverted sentences starting with "here" and "there"
• How to identify the true subject when interrupting phrases try to mislead you

When to Use

1. "Either of / Neither of" sentences: "Neither of the students has submitted the assignment."
2. "The number of" vs "A number of": "The number of participants has increased." / "A number of participants have arrived."
3. "None of" sentences: "None of the water is contaminated." / "None of the books are missing."
4. Here/There constructions: "Here comes the bus!" / "There are many hawker centres in Singapore."
5. Subjects separated by interrupting phrases: "The bouquet of roses was delivered this morning."

How to Form

"Either of" and "Neither of"

When either of or neither of is followed by a plural noun, the verb is singular because you are referring to one out of two.

"The number of" vs "A number of"

"None of"

"None of" can take a singular or plural verb depending on what follows it.

Note: In examinations, "none of + plural noun" is typically treated as singular when you want to emphasise "not even one". When in doubt, choose the singular verb.

Here / There Constructions (Inverted Sentences)

In sentences beginning with "here" or "there", the subject comes after the verb. Look ahead to find the true subject.

Interrupting Phrases

These phrases sit between the subject and the verb but do not change the subject's number. Cross them out mentally to find the true subject.

Key Rules

1. "Either of / Neither of" takes a singular verb: "Either of" and "neither of" refer to one out of two, so the verb is singular. "Neither of the candidates is suitable."

2. "Either...or / Neither...nor" -- verb agrees with the nearest subject: When the two subjects differ in number, the verb matches whichever subject is closest to it. "Neither the students nor the teacher was informed." / "Neither the teacher nor the students were informed."

3. "The number of" is singular; "A number of" is plural: "The number of" refers to a count (one number), so it takes a singular verb. "A number of" means "several" and takes a plural verb.

4. "None of" -- match the noun that follows: With uncountable nouns, use a singular verb. With plural countable nouns, a singular verb is safer in examinations (emphasising "not one"), though a plural verb is also acceptable in general usage.

5. "Here/There" -- find the real subject after the verb: "Here" and "there" are not subjects. Look at what comes after the verb to decide singular or plural. "There are many reasons for this decision."

6. Interrupting phrases do not change the verb: Phrases such as "together with", "as well as", "along with", "in addition to", and "accompanied by" do not create compound subjects. The verb agrees with the original subject before the interrupting phrase.

7. "Each of / Every one of" is always singular: Even though "each of the boys" refers to multiple boys, "each" singles them out one by one. "Each of the pupils has received a certificate."

8. "One of" is always singular: The subject is "one", not the plural noun that follows. "One of the books is missing from the shelf."

Common Mistakes

Clue Words

Singular verb clues

either of, neither of, each of, every one of, one of, the number of, much of, none of (+ uncountable)

Plural verb clues

a number of, both of, few of, many of, several of

Tricky phrases (do NOT change subject number)

together with, as well as, along with, in addition to, accompanied by, not to mention

Inverted-sentence starters (look AFTER the verb for the true subject)

here, there

Tip: When you see a long phrase between the subject and the verb, draw a line through it. Whatever is left before the gap is your true subject. Match the verb to that word alone.

Practice Tips

1. Cross out the interrupters: When you spot phrases like "together with", "as well as", or "along with", mentally bracket or cross them out. The verb must agree with the subject before the interrupting phrase.

2. Flip inverted sentences: If a sentence starts with "here" or "there", rearrange it in normal order first. "There are many reasons" becomes "Many reasons are there" -- now it is clear that the subject is plural.

3. Memorise the "number" pair: "The number of = singular" and "A number of = plural." The article at the start ("the" vs "a") is the giveaway. If you see "the", think of one specific number (singular). If you see "a", think of "several" (plural).

4. Apply the "not even one" test for "none of": Rephrase "none of" as "not even one of" to check whether it sounds right with a singular verb. "Not even one of the students has failed" -- singular works.

Quick Reference