Subject Verb Agreement Rules: Quick Answer
Subject–verb agreement means the verb must match its subject in number (singular or plural) and person. A singular subject takes a singular verb (The report is ready); a plural subject takes a plural verb (The reports are ready). In competitive exams the difficulty is never the basic rule; it is spotting the real subject when words such as as well as, along with, one of, each, either…or or a long phrase sit between the subject and the verb.
Key exam takeaway: Find the true subject first, cross out everything between it and the verb, then match. Many "spot the error" options in SSC and bank papers can be checked with this one habit.
"Spot the Error", "Improvement of Sentences" and "Fill in the Blanks" are all named in the English syllabus of the SSC CGL 2026 and SSC CHSL 2026 notices, and subject–verb agreement is tested inside all three. With SSC CHSL Tier 1 from 30 November to 31 December 2026 and SSC CGL Tier 2 tentatively in December 2026 (official SSC notices), this is a high-return topic to revise this month.
The 20 Rules at a Glance
| No. | Rule | Correct example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Two subjects joined by and take a plural verb | Ravi and Meena are cousins. |
| 2 | And joining two words for one person/thing takes a singular verb | The poet and novelist has arrived. / Bread and butter is my breakfast. |
| 3 | Each/Every before subjects joined by and → singular | Every boy and every girl was given a book. |
| 4 | As well as, along with, together with, with, besides, in addition to → verb agrees with the first subject | The captain, along with his players, was honoured. |
| 5 | Either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also → verb agrees with the nearer subject | Neither the manager nor the clerks were present. |
| 6 | Either/Neither/Each/Every one of + plural noun → singular verb | Neither of the answers is correct. |
| 7 | One of + plural noun → singular verb | One of my friends lives in Pune. |
| 8 | One of those who/that → plural verb (the verb agrees with those) | She is one of those officers who work late. |
| 9 | A number of → plural; The number of → singular | A number of candidates were absent. The number of candidates was low. |
| 10 | Many a + singular noun → singular verb | Many a student has failed this test. |
| 11 | Collective noun acting as one unit → singular | The jury has given its verdict. |
| 12 | Collective noun whose members act separately → plural | The jury were divided in their opinions. |
| 13 | Nouns plural in form but singular in meaning → singular | The news is good. Mathematics is my favourite subject. |
| 14 | Pair nouns (scissors, trousers, spectacles) → plural; but a pair of → singular | These scissors are blunt. A pair of scissors is on the table. |
| 15 | Amounts of time, money, distance as one sum → singular | Ten kilometres is a long walk. Five lakh rupees is a big loan. |
| 16 | The + adjective for a class of people → plural | The rich are not always happy. |
| 17 | Fractions/percentages → verb agrees with the noun after of | Sixty per cent of the work is done. Sixty per cent of the workers are women. |
| 18 | There is/There are → verb agrees with the noun that follows | There are two errors in this sentence. |
| 19 | Relative pronoun (who, which, that) takes the verb of its antecedent | He is the officer who checks the files. |
| 20 | Titles of books, films, names of countries → singular | The Arabian Nights is a classic. The United States has a federal system. |
Rules That Trap Most Candidates (With Explanations)
Rule 4: "As well as" does not make the subject plural
The teacher, as well as the students, was late. The phrase after as well as is extra information; the subject is the teacher. A quick test: cover the phrase between the commas and read the sentence again.
Rule 5: The nearer subject decides
Either the players or the coach is to blame. / Either the coach or the players are to blame. Exam tip: when one subject is plural, place it nearer the verb in your answer, as the second sentence does; it sounds natural and is correct.
Rule 7 vs Rule 8: "One of" vs "One of those who"
- One of the files is missing. The subject is one.
- He is one of those leaders who inspire others. The clause who inspire describes those leaders, so the verb is plural. Exams that test this usually give the singular "inspires" as the error.
Rule 9: "A number of" vs "The number of"
A number of means "many" and takes a plural verb. The number of refers to a figure and takes a singular verb. This pair appears often in bank and SSC papers because the two look almost the same.
Rules 11–12: Collective nouns
Words such as team, committee, family, jury, audience, government take a singular verb when the group acts as one. When the sentence shows the members acting separately (often with their), use a plural verb: The committee are arguing among themselves. Keep the pronoun consistent: The team has won its match, not their match.
Rule 13: Words that end in -s but are singular
News, mathematics, physics, economics (the subject), civics, measles, mumps take singular verbs. Politics and statistics take a singular verb as subjects of study (Statistics is a tough paper) but plural when they mean individual figures or views (These statistics are outdated).
15 Solved Questions (SSC and Bank Pattern)
Find the part with the error, or choose the correct option. Original questions by BookOfExams.
Q1. The principal, along with the teachers, (A) / were present (B) / at the annual function. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (B). Use was; the subject is the principal (Rule 4).
Q2. Neither the minister nor his secretaries (A) / was aware (B) / of the new rule. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (B). Use were; the nearer subject secretaries is plural (Rule 5).
Q3. One of the most important reasons (A) / for the delay are (B) / the shortage of staff. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (B). Use is; the subject is one (Rule 7).
Q4. A number of applications (A) / has been received (B) / for the post. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (B). Use have been received (Rule 9).
Q5. Every man and every woman (A) / have the right (B) / to vote. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (B). Use has (Rule 3).
Q6. The news of the floods (A) / were broadcast (B) / on all channels. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (B). News is singular: was broadcast (Rule 13).
Q7. Many a soldier (A) / have laid down (B) / his life for the nation. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (B). Use has laid down (Rule 10).
Q8. My spectacles (A) / is lying (B) / on the table. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (B). Use are lying (Rule 14).
Q9. Twenty years (A) / are a long time (B) / to wait for justice. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (B). A period treated as one unit takes is (Rule 15).
Q10. The poor (A) / needs more help (B) / from the government. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (B). The poor means poor people: need (Rule 16).
Q11. Forty per cent of the students (A) / has opted (B) / for science. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (B). The noun after of is plural: have opted (Rule 17).
Q12. There is (A) / many reasons (B) / for his success. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (A). Use There are (Rule 18).
Q13. She is one of those employees (A) / who always reaches (B) / the office on time. (C) / No error (D) Answer: (B). Use reach; the antecedent is those employees (Rule 8).
Q14. Choose the correct option: The committee ___ submitted its report. (a) have (b) has (c) are (d) were Answer: (b) has. The committee acts as one unit, confirmed by its (Rule 11).
Q15. Choose the correct option: Bread and butter ___ his usual breakfast. (a) are (b) were (c) is (d) have been Answer: (c) is. Two words for one dish (Rule 2).
3-Step Method for Agreement Questions in the Exam
| Step | What to do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Underline the verb in each part | were present |
| 2 | Find its true subject by removing phrases (along with…, of the…, as well as…) | The principal |
| 3 | Match number and person; check pronouns later in the sentence agree too | The principal… was… his |
Then check the second favourite error type, tense, using our sentence improvement rules for SSC CGL, and the full list of grammar errors in error spotting rules for bank exams.
Subject Verb Agreement FAQs
Is it "neither of them is" or "neither of them are"?
In formal and exam English, neither of them is. Neither means "not one" and takes a singular verb.
Does "as well as" take a singular or plural verb?
The verb agrees with the subject before as well as. The director as well as the actors is… is correct.
Is "the team are" ever correct?
Yes, when the members act separately: The team are arguing about the captaincy. When the team acts as one, use is/has.
Is "news" singular or plural?
Singular. The news is good.
How many subject–verb agreement questions come in SSC CGL?
SSC does not publish topic-wise counts. Agreement errors are tested within Spot the Error, Sentence Improvement and Fill in the Blanks, which are all in the official English syllabus.
Practice Next for SSC and Bank English
- Mocks: SSC CGL Tier 1 similar paper, 12 Sep 2025 shift 2 (English), SSC CGL Tier 1 similar paper, 13 Sep 2025 shift 2 (English), SSC CHSL English sectional mock 01
- Related notes: Active and passive voice rules, Direct and indirect speech rules
- Plan: SSC CGL Tier 2 preparation strategy 2026, SSC CGL reading comprehension
Sources: SSC CGL 2026 notice (English syllabus, para 13.11.3); SSC CHSL 2026 notice (para 13.10.1); SSC notice dated 01.10.2026. Rules and questions are BookOfExams teaching material. Last checked 7 November 2026.