English agreement: find the actual subject

Number belongs to the subject

In standard written English, the subject and its verb must agree in number. In the present tense, 'the learner writes' uses a singular subject, while 'the learners write' uses a plural subject. Finding the subject is more reliable than choosing whichever verb sounds closest to the nearest noun. A sentence can place several nouns between the subject and verb. Temporarily setting aside a describing phrase often makes the main grammatical relationship visible without changing the sentence's meaning.

Worked example: a phrase that distracts

Choose the verb in 'The list of requested documents is/are on the desk.' The subject is 'list,' which is singular. The phrase 'of requested documents' describes the list; it does not turn the subject into 'documents.' The correct sentence is 'The list of requested documents is on the desk.' Now compare 'The requested documents are on the desk.' Here documents really is the subject, so are is correct. The decision follows the structure of the sentence, not the topic it discusses.

Compound and indefinite subjects

Two distinct subjects joined by 'and' usually take a plural verb: 'Mara and Luis prepare the materials.' By contrast, indefinite pronouns such as 'each' and 'everyone' are grammatically singular: 'Each of the participants has a copy.' In that sentence, participants appears inside an of-phrase. For two singular alternatives, 'Either the secretary or the treasurer keeps the record' uses keeps. Mixed singular/plural alternatives can create awkward sentences; clear rewriting is often preferable, though a test may require applying the stated standard agreement convention.

The subject may appear after the verb

In 'There are three folders on the shelf,' the word there introduces the sentence; three folders determines the plural verb. In 'There is one folder on the shelf,' one folder requires is. Questions also move part of the verb before the subject: 'Does the adviser approve the plan?' The auxiliary does carries the singular agreement, so the main verb remains approve. 'Does the adviser approves' incorrectly marks the same grammatical job twice.

Agreement is not the only editing question

A sentence can have correct agreement and still be unclear. In 'Ana told Bea that her draft needed revision,' her could refer to either person. Replacing it with 'Ana's draft' or 'Bea's draft' resolves the ambiguity if the intended meaning is known. Do not invent that meaning when answering a comprehension question; identify the ambiguity instead. Modern standard usage also permits singular they in appropriate contexts, so do not reject it merely because its referent is one person.

• Locate the complete subject and then its main noun or pronoun.
• Separate subject number from nearby nouns in descriptive phrases.
• Check auxiliary verbs and the main verb together.
• Preserve the intended meaning when correcting a sentence.

Sources & further reading