Finding and Fixing Subject / Verb Agreement Errors
What’s a Subject / Verb Agreement Error?
The subject of a sentence is the actor/idea of a sentence. The verb is the action or state of being of
the subject. Subjects and verbs need to agree in number, which is known as singular or plural. A
Subject-Verb Agreement Error occurs when the subject and verb of a sentence do not agree in
number.
Singular Subject + Singular Verb = Agreement
Plural Subject + Plural Verb = Agreement
How do I find and fix Subject / Verb Agreement Errors? A Subject / Verb Agreement Error can
occur in the following types of sentences:
Words separate the subject and verb
Error: One of my friends like to cook Italian food. (Agreement Error: One = singular / like =
plural)
Correction: One of my friends likes to cook Italian food.
The verb in the adjective clause doesn’t match the noun it’s referring to.
Error: The people who lives next door asked me to get their mail. (Agreement Error: people =
singular / lives = plural)
Correction: The people who live next door asked me to get their mail.
The verb comes before the subject
Error: There is many reasons to disagree about politics. (Agreement Error: reasons = plural / is
= singular)
Correction: There are many reasons to disagree about politics.
Error: Leading the club meeting today is Akiko and Jose. (Agreement Error: Akiko and Jose =
plural / is = singular)
Correction: Leading the club meeting today are Akiko and Jose.
The subject is a list of two or more nouns*
Error: Microsoft, Starbucks and Boeing hires technical graduates from Edmonds Community
College. (Agreement Error: Microsoft, Starbucks and Boeing = plural / hires = singular)
Correction: Microsoft, Starbucks and Boeing hire technical graduates from Edmonds
Community College.
*An Exception: Items that are often linked together as a unit can either be singular or plural in
number. For example spaghetti and meatballs is plural if the two items are seen as separate items,
but spaghetti and meatballs is singular if the two items are seen as one combined unit.
Writing Center MUK 113 Phone 425-640-1750 Email: tutoring@edcc.edu