Subject Verb Agreement Notes

The ability to identify Subject verb agreement errors can be an important skill to carry into GMAT. Another way to eliminate is another way to get to the right answer.

• Look for the Obvious disguise using an 'of' construct.

Eg. Houses of that wealthy rich man who made his money by selling dirt are up for auction.

• And Vs. Other Additive Constructs.

And, joins the subjects, making a plural verb required. How ever other additive constructs like,

• as well as
• accompanied by
• together with
• along with
• including

etc. Do not aggregate the subjects. So the required verb form depends on the 'Actual Subject'

Eg. Joe as well as his buddies is going skiing.

• Neither...Nor, Either...Or, or

The number of the noun closest to the verb form determines the number of the verb.

Eg. Neither Joe nor his buddies are going skiing.

• Collective Nouns

Collective nouns are deemed singular. Examples are; administration, army, orchestra, class, crowd, faculty etc.

Eg. Our army is kicking enemy's ass at the Jammu border.

• Indefinite pronouns

They are usually singular. Examples are, Anyone, someone, anybody, anything, no one, nothing. We can generalize it to , ___one, ___thing and ___body are always singular.

Eg. Everybody is eating lunch.

Some, Any, None, All, Many, [SANAM]Could be singular or plural depending on the context.

Eg.

Some money is saved in a CD.

Some of the cars are black.

• Each & Every

Each and Every are deemed singular.

Eg. Each of these pretty red roses, handpicked by the iron maiden, is rotten.

Note: This rule applies only if Each or Every comes before the subject. If it comes after the subject, the number of the subject will determine the number of the verb.

Eg. They each are getting a new car.

• Numerical Words and Phrases

1. 'The number of' is Singular
2. 'A number of' is Plural.

Eg.

The number of cars involved in that crash is 2.

A number of cars were involved in that crash.

Majority, minority, plurality : Could be deemed singular or plural depending on the context.

Eg.

A minority of the opposing factions are ready for peace talks. But the majority is opposing.

• Subject Phrase

Some cases the whole subject may be tangled in a Phrase. Subject phrases are deemed singular.

Eg. Whatever they want to do is fine with the government.

Complexity thou name is SC!!

The direction in which the Earth and the other solid planets-Mercury, Venus, and Mars-spins were determined from collissions with giant celestical bodies in the early solar system.

Here in the tiny section underlined are three major mistakes. Two Subject-Verb agreement problems and one idiom.

The direction is the subject for the verb 'were' , Mistake no 1.

Earth and the other solid planets-Mercury, Venus, and Mars is the subject for verb spins, : Mistake No 2.

determined from collissions : Mistake no 3, Wrong idiom !!!