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Agreeing in Number with the Closest Subject: 

 

Subjects joined with a correlative conjunction, agree with the closest subject. In this case, the verb must agree with the subject that is closest to it.

Both the girl and the boy knows how to play hockey. 

Notice that boy is singular and so is the verb. 

Either the unruly quarterback or the cheerleaders were responsible for the act. 

Quarterback is singular, but the verb must agree with the closest subject which is cheerleaders.

Cheerleaders is plural as is the verb form. 

-s or -es for One or the Other: 

With regular verbs, often all that is required to make the subject agree with the verb is the addition of -s or -es to the verb. 

As a general rule:

  • When the subject is plural, the verb will not take an -s or -es ending. The girls  walk to the party.
  • When the subject is singular, the verb needs that s- or -es ending. The girl  walks to the party.
(HINT:  Think of this case as the one or other case. The -s or -es ending can only appear either on the subject or the verb - NEVER ON BOTH.   No:  The girls walks...) 
Verb First? 
  • In some types of questions, the verb appears first:
Is she at school? 
The subject appears later in the sentence, so you'll have to read ahead in the sentence to make certain that both subject and verb agree:

 

No:   Is the baseball team players here yet? (The subject is players and is plural, therefore, the verb must be plural)  
Yes:  Are the baseball team players here yet? 
  • As you know, expletives postpone the subject of the sentence with ambiguous words like "it" and "there".
There is    a need for more thought on the matter. 

 

The subject need (singular) dictates that the verb for that introductory phrase agree in number. Is is an agreeing singular verb. 

There are    many people talking about the subject.

The postponed subject people is plural, and so is the agreeing verb. 

It is    the right time for action.

It (singular) always receives the singular verb form. 

Getting Verbs & Indefinite Pronouns to Agree: 

As a general rule, most indefinite pronouns do require singular verbs, while both and many always require a plural verb 

 

Everybody is happy. 

Both disks were damaged.

Someone has the remote control.

Is anything in the refrigerator rotten?

  However, certain words, like  any, many, none, and some may either require a singular or plural verb. The sentence will govern the form in each separate case.

Has any of them gone home yet?

  The verb has is singular in form because the phrase any of them refers to them as individuals. 

  Any delays were her fault.

The subject delays is plural. Any does not seem to affect that number in this example. Thus, the verb is plural. 

Verbs & Collective Ideas: 

 

Numerous items that can be referred to as one unit  or a group are considered collective nouns (family, team, audience, group, etc...) 

 If the whole is the subject, the verb must also be singular:

Our neighborhood has a citizen patrol unit.

However, if individual parts of the collective are the subject, the verb must be plural. 
 Singular Objects as Plural Subjects 
  • Some words that refer to singular items, but have a plural form, like scissors, take a plural verb.

  Where are my eyeglasses?

My black jeans are hanging over the chair.

Thanks are in order. 
  • Similarly, amounts (of time, money, distance, etc...) and certain titles, despite their plural endings, required the singular verb form:

Two miles   is not that far to walk.

Statistics   is a difficult course.

Ten dollars   is the club's entrance fee. 

Linking Verbs & Subject Agreement: 
  •  Linking Verbs directly link the subject of the sentence to its complement in the sentence:

  A car is a great means of transportation.

A car and means, both singular in number, are linked by a singular verb (is). 

(HINT: Remember that the subject, object, or complement of a sentence can not be found in a prepositional phrase. Do you see the prepositional phrase in the sentence above?) 
 
  • But what happens when a single subject is linked to a plural complement or a plural subject is linked to a singular complement?

The door sill and wall flat   are   part of the stage right set.

 Door sill and wall flat  are two separate items that are connected to a singular complement (part). Because the subject is plural, the verb is plural as well. The verb must always agree with the subject regardless of the complement.

Notice the re-written example now with a singular subject:

Part of the stage-set   is the door sill and wall flat.