Subject – Verb Agreement

#	Rule	Examples
1.	together with along with have no Subject + accompanied by effect on + Verb as well as the verb in addition to	The actress, along with her manager and some friends, is going to a party tonight. Mr Robbins, accompanied by his wife and children, is arriving tonight.
2.	and	My closest colleague and best friend has recently divorced her husband. (My closest colleague is my best friend) = 1 person The heat and humidity deter tourists from visiting the country during the summer. (heat is not humidity) = 2 things Bread and butter is all that is provided with the tea. (this is a sandwich) Bread and butter are sold in the shop on the corner. (2 separate things) Your style and even your handwriting needs to be improved. (clarification – even your handwriting)
3.	Negative clarification	A boy, not a woman, is playing the part.
4.	Always singular any + singular nobody anybody no one any nothing either anything every or + some + singular each somebody everybody neither + someone everyone ~~nor~~ something everything	If either of you takes a vacation now, you will not be able to finish the work. Nobody works harder than John.
5.	None of None of the + uncountable + singular verb	None of the counterfeit money has been found.
6.	None of the + countable plural + plural verb	None of the students have finished the exam.
7.	No + singular noun + singular verb uncountable noun	No example is relevant to this case. No evidence is necessary.
8.	No + plural noun + plural verb	No examples are relevant to this case.
9.	Either / neither + or / nor either + or + plural noun + plural verb neither nor	Either John or his friends are going to the beach today. Neither John nor his friends are + ~~not~~ going to the beach today.
10.	either + noun or + singular noun + singular verb neither nor	Either John or Bill is going to the beach today. Neither John nor Bill is + ~~not~~ going to the beach today.
11.	or / nor + singular noun = singular verb or / nor + plural noun = plural verb	John or Josh is bringing the car. Buns or bread is expensive. The dog or the kids were making a racket downstairs.
12.	Gerund as subject Always singular	Dieting is very popular today. Not studying has caused him many problems.
13.	Number the number ‒ singular a number ‒ plural	The number of days in a week is seven. A number of students are going to the class picnic.
14.	Group nouns (congress, organization, army, class, etc.) The whole group – singular Individuals of a group – plural	My family are given presents. My family was surprised by the news. The crowd was wild with excitement. Our team is going to with the game. Our team discuss all the problems.
15.	Majority / minority Majority + no noun + singular verb Minority Majority + plural noun + plural verb Minority	The majority believes that we are in no danger. The majority of the students believe him to be innocent.
16.	Groups of animals ‒ singular	The block of birds is circling overhead. The herd of cattle is breaking away. A school of fish is being attacked by sharks.
17.	time money nouns + singular measurement	Twenty five dollars is too much. Fifty minutes is not enough.
18.	There + to be + depends on the first noun	There is a table and chairs. There have been a number of telephones. There was water and bottles on the floor where he fell.
19.	Many a, more than one + singular verb	Many a day has been passed in leisurely reading. More than one error was discovered in the wording of the document.
20.	One of those who + plural verb One of the few that	My daughter is one of those students, who like to study late at night. but My daughter is the only one of the students in her class who is likely to obtain a distinction in the English language.
21.	Titles + singular	“Great Expectations” is an exciting opera.
22.	fraction, percentage and quota indexes + the noun singular or uncountable = singular verb fraction, percentage and quota indexes + the noun plural = plural verb	A whopping 89 percent of the population lives in the coastal urban areas. Almost 75 percent of the people live on the North Island, and about a third of them are concentrated in the Auckland metropolitan area. Two-thirds of pizza has burnt. Two-thirds of all pizzas have burnt.