Basic Agreement Rules
The foundation of Subject-Verb Agreement (SVA) lies in matching the grammatical number of the subject (singular or plural) with the verb form, particularly in the present tense.
1. The Present Tense -S Rule
One of the most common SVA mistakes is adding or forgetting the -s ending on verbs in the present simple tense.
Rule: A singular verb in the present tense ends in -s or -es. A plural verb in the present tense does not end in -s.
- Singular Subject: The train departs at 9:00 AM.
- Plural Subject: The trains depart at 9:00 AM.
WARNING Do not confuse noun plurals with verb plurals:
- Nouns become plural by adding -s (apple -> apples).
- Verbs become plural by removing -s (runs -> run).
2. Pronoun and Verb Chart (Present Tense)
Here is how pronouns align with verbs in the present simple tense:
| Pronoun / Person | Verb “To Be” | Verb “To Have” | Verb “To Do” | Regular Verbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I (1st singular) | am | have | do | read |
| You (2nd person) | are | have | do | read |
| He/She/It (3rd singular) | is | has | does | reads |
| We (1st plural) | are | have | do | read |
| They (3rd plural) | are | have | do | read |
Examples in Sentences:
- He likes chocolate. (3rd person singular subject + verb with -s).
- They like chocolate. (Plural subject + verb without -s).
- I am a teacher.
- She has a new car.
3. Past Tense SVA Rules
For most verbs in the past tense, subject-verb agreement is not an issue because the verb form remains identical for both singular and plural subjects.
- Example: She walked home. / They walked home. (The verb walked is the same).
However, the verb to be has separate singular and plural forms in the past tense (was vs. were):
| Subject | Past Verb Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I, He, She, It (Singular) | was | He was tired. |
| You, We, They (Plural) | were | They were tired. |
Complete Sentence Examples
Here are more examples of basic subject-verb agreement:
- My brother plays football on weekends.
- The children love playing in the park.
- This book contains interesting stories.
- These books contain interesting stories.
- He has been working all night.
- We have visited London twice.
- She was reading a novel when I called.
- They were studying for the test.
Next, we will explore Agreement with Compound Subjects to learn how to deal with subjects connected by and, or, neither, and either.