Lesson 2: Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

📚 Introduction

Have you ever heard someone say: “She eat rice every day.”

It sounds strange, right?
That’s because the subject (she) and the verb (eat) do not agree.

In English, subjects and verbs are like dance partners — they must move together in the right rhythm. 💃🕺
If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular.
If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.

In this lesson, you’ll learn the simple (and fun!) rules that make your sentences sound correct and natural. Let’s dance with words!

🧠 Key Concepts and Explanations

1. What is Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)?

• It means the subject and the verb in a sentence must match (agree) in number.

• Singular Subject → Singular Verb

• Plural Subject → Plural Verb

Example:

2. Basic Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement

Rule 1: Singular Subjects Take Singular Verbs

If the subject is one person or thing, the verb usually adds -s or -es.

• Example:

  • She dances well.

  • A dog barks at strangers.

✅ Hint: Most singular present verbs end in -s!

Rule 2: Plural Subjects Take Plural Verbs

If the subject is more than one, the verb does NOT add -s.

• Example:

  • They dance well.

  • Dogs bark at strangers.

Rule 3: “I” and “You” Are Special

Even though I and You refer to single persons, they take plural verbs.

• Example:

  • I play football.

  • You run fast.

Rule 4: Words Between the Subject and Verb Do Not Change the Agreement

Ignore words between the subject and verb.

• Example:

  • The basket of fruits is on the table.
    (“basket” is the subject, not “fruits.”)

Rule 5: Compound Subjects Joined by “and” Take Plural Verbs

When two subjects are joined by and, use a plural verb.

• Example:

  • The boy and the girl are friends.

✅ Hint: “And” = more than one = plural verb!

Rule 6: Compound Subjects Joined by “or” or “nor” — Verb Agrees with the Nearest Subject

• Example:

  • Either the teacher or the students are in the hall.

  • Either the students or the teacher is in the hall.

✅ Hint: Look at the subject closest to the verb!

Rule 7: Indefinite Pronouns (like “everyone”, “someone”, “nobody”) Are Singular

Even though they sound like many people, they take singular verbs!

• Example:

  • Everyone likes chocolate.

  • Nobody knows the answer.

🧩 Special Table: Quick Concord Guide

📝 Step-by-Step Walkthroughs of Sample Problems

Sample 1
Question: Choose the correct verb:
“The boy ____ (play/plays) in the field.”

👉 Step 1: Subject = The boy (singular)
👉 Step 2: Singular subject → Singular verb (+s)
✅ Final Answer: “The boy plays in the field.”

Sample 2
Question: Correct the sentence:
“Neither the dog nor the cats runs outside.”

👉 Step 1: Closest subject = cats (plural)
👉 Step 2: Plural subject → Plural verb (“run”)
✅ Final Answer: “Neither the dog nor the cats run outside.”

Sample 3
Question: Choose the correct verb:
“Each of the girls ____ (has/have) a new dress.”

👉 Step 1: “Each” is an indefinite pronoun (singular).
👉 Step 2: Singular subject → Singular verb (“has”)
✅ Final Answer: “Each of the girls has a new dress.”

🎯 Practice Exercises

Practice A: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb.

1. The cat ______ (chase) the mouse.

2. My friends ______ (live) near the school.

3. Either the teacher or the students ______ (have) the key.

4. He ______ (walk) to school every morning.

5. You ______ (seem) very happy today.

Practice B: Identify if the sentence is Correct or Incorrect.

1. She go to the market every Sunday.

2. The books on the shelf is dusty.

3. Everyone loves holidays.

4. The boy and the girl are singing.

5. Neither John nor his brothers has arrived.

Practice C: Correct the mistakes.

“The dogs barks loudly every night.”

✅ Correction: __________________________________

📝 Practice Answers

Practice A:

1. chases (The cat = singular)

2. live (Friends = plural)

3. have (students = plural and nearest)

4. walks (He = singular)

5. seem (You always takes plural verb)

Practice B:

1. Incorrect → (should be “She goes…”)

2. Incorrect → (should be “The books are dusty.”)

3. Correct

4. Correct

5. Incorrect → (should be “Neither John nor his brothers have arrived.”)

Practice C:

✅ Correction:
“The dogs bark loudly every night.”
(Dogs = plural, so plural verb “bark.”)

🔁 Recap

In this lesson, you learned:

• Subjects and verbs must agree in number.

• Singular subjects take singular verbs (with -s), and plural subjects take plural verbs.

• “I” and “You” are special — they use plural verbs.

• Be careful with compound subjects (“and”, “or”, “nor”) and indefinite pronouns (“everyone”, “nobody”).

Mastering this skill will make your English speaking and writing clear, correct, and confident!

🪞 Reflection Prompt

📝 Write 5 short sentences about your daily activities.
Make sure the subject and verb agree in each one!
Example:

“My mother cooks breakfast every morning.”

Check: Are your subjects and verbs dancing well together? 💃🕺