REVIEWING

SUBJECT – VERB
AGREEMENT
OBJECTIVES
The Objectives of this Module are:

 to improve one’s ability to practice Correctness of

Grammar.
 to familiarize the trainees with Subject-Verb
Agreement
(SVA) Rules.
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
1)The Importance of Applying Subject-
Verb Agreement Rules to Practice
Correctness of Grammar
2) Subject-Verb Agreement Rules
The Importance of S-V Agreement Rules

• Practically, all sentences have a SUBJECT and a

VERB
• Essential for correct grammar
• Good indicator of English competency
What is subject-verb agreement?

It is the matching of singular subjects with

singular verbs and matching plural
subjects with plural verbs.

SINGULAR SUBJECT SINGULAR VERB

PLURAL SUBJECT PLURAL VERB

SINGULAR PLURAL
 SUBJECTS VERBS

Singular -s / -es +s / +es

Plural +s / +es -s / -es

Review of Subjects and Verbs

SUBJECT: noun or pronoun

account, agents, customer, you, it, she, they

VERB: expresses an action or state of being

go, register, suggest, act, become, is, was

Mrs. Thorpe gets the ball.

SUBJECT VERB
Steps to find Subject-Verb Agreement:

The client ( is / are ) happy with the service he got.

STEP 1: Identify the main subject and verb.

STEP 2: Determine if the main subject is singular or plural.

STEP 3: Match the form of the main verb with the main subject’s form.
Subject – Verb Agreement Rules
 1. Verbs agree with their subjects in number.
A singular subject will always have a singular verb and a
plural subject will always have a plural verb.

The customer is always right.

The customers are always right.

-S RULE:
Most subjects that are plural end in “s”.
Plural verbs DO NOT end in “s”.
A typical customer uses his credit card to purchase items online.

Most customers use their credit cards to purchase items online.

The exceptions are “I” and “YOU.”

TIP:
DOESN’T is a contraction of does not and should be
used only with a singular subject.

He doesn’t want to speak to another representative.

DON’T is a contraction of do not and should be used

only with a plural subject.

They don’t want to speak to another representative.

The exceptions are “I” and “YOU.”

You don’t want to speak to another representative.

 2. As a general rule, use a PLURAL verb with two
or more subjects when they are connected by
the word “AND”
Mr. Sander’s billing address and home address are not the same.

When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are

connected by ‘OR’ or ‘NOR’, use a singular verb.

The billing address or home address is used for account verification.

Let’s Practice!
a. An old friend and colleague of ours (is, are) coming for the
holidays.
b. Customer Satisfaction and a low AHT (is, are) our priority.
3. When a compound subject contains both a
singular and a plural noun or pronoun
joined by OR or NOR, the verb should agree
with the part of the subject that is nearer the
verb.

Neither the contact agents nor Mr. Samuel knows about the error code.
1 2

Either Mr. Samuel or the contact agents know about the error
code.
1 2
Let’s Practice!

a. Neither of the agents (is, are) in here.

b. Either an air-conditioner or an electric fan (completes,
complete) the amenities of this room.
c. Neither the contact agents nor Miss Smith (know,
knows) about the typographical error in the email.
d. Either Toby or Kristen (are, is) ready for the call
simulation.
e. Either Jerome or I (have, has) seen the presentation.
4. When both positive and negative subjects are in
the same sentence, the verb should take after the
positive subject.

Ex.: a. The shift managers, not the CEO (check, checks)

your attendance.
b. Robert, not Sheryl and Tom, (go, goes) through the
exercises with the participants.
5. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject
and the verb.
The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the
phrase.

Expressions such as “together with”, “including”, “accompanied

by”, “in addition to”, or “as well as” do not change the number
of the subject.
If the subject is singular, the verb is too.
People who call from Texas are complaining about a particular error code.
subject

The woman with three cancelled orders is calling about another concern.
subject

The mailing instructions, including a signed disclaimer are found at the back.
subject
Let’s Practice!

• The trainee, as well as the trainer, (has, have) learned

from foundation training.
• Sutherland, along with other call centers, (has, have)
served millions all over the world by providing technical
support.
• Nobody, except technical support agents, (is, are)
allowed to answer technical concerns.
• The phone, including it’s accessories, (is, are) to be
sent back to the warehouse.
• Mr. Keats, together with his wife, (is, are) going to order
a three-piece luggage set.
6. The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone,
everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody,
someone, and no one are singular and require a
singular verb.
Each of these JanSport bags is durable and affordable.

Let’s Practice!

• Each of the contact agents on the floor (is, are) responsible for
every caller’s issue.
• Someone from the Escalations Team (is, are) asking for a
credit.
• Anyone who complains (deserves, deserve) to be treated
fairly.
7. “None, any, all, most, some” can either be
singular or plural depending on the subject.
All of the issues were resolved.

Most of the issue was resolved.

8. “Both, few, several, many”, always require a

plural verb.
subject

Very few of the customers order around this time.

Several calls can’t come through during peak hours.

subject
Let’s Practice!
a. None (is, are) left of the Yellow Cab Pizza.
b. None of the web pages (is, are) readable.
c. Most of the queue (has, have) been answered.
d. Some of the issues (has, have) already been
resolved.

e. Several members (has, have) commented about their

improved customer service experience.

f. Many of the agents (live, lives) outside Metro Manila.

9 . Some nouns may look and sound plural
because they end with an “s”, but they take
singular verbs.

economics statistics mathematics

logistics physics news

The news is on at 6 PM.

* Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears

require plural verbs.
There are two parts to these things.

Those trousers are made of wool.

 10. Titles of books, movies, etc., always require a
singular verb.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is sold online together with a free mug.
TITLE

The Dances with Wolves DVD Special comes with a 20 % discount.

TITLE

11. Adjectives used as nouns are always plural

therefore requiring plural verbs.
The article “the” should precede the adjective.

The homeless need help from the government.

subject

The poor are suffering.

subject
12. Amount, distances, measurements, and time
always require a singular verb.
Two hours is spent for call simulation.

Seven hundred dollars is pretty expensive for a hand bag.

13. Fractions and percentages take after the noun

given after them.
M
Eighty percent of the calls are from Buffalo, New York.

M
Eighty percent of the call was about a policy complaint .
14. “A number of” requires a plural verb; “the
number of” requires a singular verb.

Examples:

a. The number of applicants for contact agents in Sutherland

(has, have) continuously risen for the past six months.
b. A high number of good comments about the new product (is,
are) coming out.
c. A number of customers (call, calls) the hotline to commend
agents.
 15. Collective nouns like “family, army, orchestra,
crowd, audience, herd, flock, team, staff” require a
singular verb if they are taken as a whole or
collectively; and plural when the individual
members are thought of as acting separately.
C SV
The committee is made up of eight members.
PV
C
The committee lead very different lives in private.

Let’s Practice!
a. The team of contact agents (prepares, prepare) solutions for its
clients’ calls.
b. The class (come, comes) from different regions.
c. The jury (is, are) not able to come to a decision.
d. In regard to details, the council (was, were) strongly divided.
WORKSHOP

LET’S PRACTICE!