Subject-Verb Agreement
Remember!
Verbs must agree with their subjects in number: A singular subject requires a singular verb, and a plural subject requires a plural verb.
Present tense verbs with a single subject add -s to the base.
- Julia walks her dog each morning.
Present tense verbs with a plural subject do not add -s.
- My children walk to school every day.
A verb may have more than one subject. More than one subject for the same verb is called a compound subject.
- Cole and Remy walk to school every day.
Treat a compound subject like a plural subject and do not add -s to the verb.
- My wife and I walk to the church usually.
A collective noun is considered singular if it names the group as a whole. It is considered plural if it refers to the group’s members as individuals.
- A wolf pack hunts as a group.
- The orchestra are tuning their instruments.