Learn subject-verb agreement: all the rules with examples, from and/or subjects to collective nouns, the number of, and one of those who, with a 20-sentence exercise and answers for SSC, HSC, admission, and job exams.
Read this sentence: “The list of items are on the desk.” It sounds fine, does it not? But it is wrong. The subject is ‘list’, which is singular, not ‘items’, so it should be “The list of items is on the desk.” That is the whole game of subject-verb agreement: the verb must match its real subject in number, and exams love to hide the real subject behind other words. Learn the rules in this lesson, and you will spot the trap every time. It is one of the most tested topics from SSC up to job exams.
এই বাক্যটি পড়ো: “The list of items are on the desk।” শুনতে ঠিকই লাগে, তাই না? কিন্তু এটি ভুল। subject হলো ‘list’, যা singular, ‘items’ নয়। তাই হবে “The list of items is on the desk।” এটাই subject-verb agreement এর পুরো খেলা: verb কে তার আসল subject এর সাথে number এ মিলতে হয়, আর পরীক্ষা প্রায়ই আসল subject কে অন্য শব্দের পেছনে লুকিয়ে রাখে। তাহলে চলো, শুরু করা যাক।
What is Subject-Verb Agreement?
Subject-verb agreement means the verb must agree with its subject in number, that is, a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb (verb কে subject এর number অনুযায়ী মিলতে হয়)।
Subject-verb agreement এর অর্থ verb কে তার subject এর সাথে number এ মিলতে হবে, অর্থাৎ singular subject নেয় singular verb, আর plural subject নেয় plural verb।
Remember one twist: in the present tense, it is the singular verb that takes an ‘s’, not the plural. See our lessons on the present indefinite tense and number.
একটি বিষয় মনে রেখো: present tense এ singular verb এ ‘s’ যোগ হয়, plural এ নয়।
Examples:
- The boy runs fast. (singular subject, singular verb)
- The boys run fast. (plural subject, plural verb)
Rule 1: Ignore the Words Between Subject and Verb
Words that come between the subject and the verb, especially a phrase starting with ‘of’, do not change the verb. Find the real subject.
subject আর verb এর মাঝে বসা শব্দ, বিশেষ করে ‘of’ দিয়ে শুরু হওয়া phrase, verb কে বদলায় না। আসল subject খুঁজে বের করো।
Examples:
- The quality of the apples is poor. (subject = quality)
- A bouquet of roses was on the table. (subject = bouquet)
Rule 2: Subjects Joined by ‘and’
Two or more subjects joined by ‘and’ usually take a plural verb.
‘and’ দিয়ে যুক্ত দুই বা ততোধিক subject সাধারণত plural verb নেয়।
Examples:
- Rahim and Karim are good friends.
- Salt and water are sold here.
But if the two subjects refer to one person or one idea, use a singular verb.
তবে দুটি subject যদি একই ব্যক্তি বা একই ভাব বোঝায়, তাহলে singular verb বসে।
Examples:
- Rice and curry is my favourite meal. (one dish)
- The poet and philosopher is dead. (one person)
Rule 3: Subjects Joined by ‘or’ or ‘nor’
Two singular subjects joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘either…or’, or ‘neither…nor’ take a singular verb. If one subject is singular and the other plural, the verb agrees with the nearer one.
‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘either…or’, ‘neither…nor’ দিয়ে যুক্ত দুটি singular subject singular verb নেয়। একটি singular আর অন্যটি plural হলে, verb কাছের subject অনুযায়ী বসে।
Examples:
- Neither Rahim nor Karim was present.
- Neither the teacher nor the students were present. (nearer = students)
- Either you or he is at fault.
Rule 4: ‘As well as’, ‘With’, ‘Along with’
Phrases like ‘as well as’, ‘along with’, ‘together with’, ‘in addition to’, and ‘with’ are not the same as ‘and’. The verb agrees with the first (main) subject only.
‘as well as’, ‘along with’, ‘together with’, ‘in addition to’, ‘with’ এর মতো phrase ‘and’ এর মতো নয়। verb শুধু প্রথম (মূল) subject অনুযায়ী বসে।
Examples:
- The teacher, as well as the students, is present.
- Rahim, along with his friends, has arrived.
Rule 5: Indefinite Pronouns Take a Singular Verb
Words like each, every, everyone, everybody, someone, anyone, nobody, either, and neither are singular and take a singular verb.
each, every, everyone, everybody, someone, anyone, nobody, either, neither এর মতো শব্দ singular এবং singular verb নেয়।
Examples:
- Everyone is ready for the exam.
- Each boy has a pen.
- Neither answer is correct.
Also, ‘each of’, ‘one of’, ‘either of’, and ‘neither of’ followed by a plural noun still take a singular verb.
আর ‘each of’, ‘one of’, ‘either of’, ‘neither of’ এর পরে plural noun থাকলেও singular verb বসে।
Examples:
- Each of the boys is present.
- One of the girls sings well.
- Neither of the plans works.
Rule 6: ‘All’, ‘Some’, ‘Most’, ‘None’, ‘Half’
These words are singular or plural depending on the noun they refer to. With an uncountable noun, use a singular verb; with a plural countable noun, use a plural verb. This links to countable and uncountable nouns.
এই শব্দগুলো তাদের উল্লেখ করা noun অনুযায়ী singular বা plural হয়। uncountable noun এর সাথে singular verb, আর plural countable noun এর সাথে plural verb বসে।
Examples:
- Some of the water is dirty. (uncountable)
- Some of the apples are rotten. (countable plural)
- Half of the cake is gone. / Half of the students are absent.
Rule 7: Collective Nouns
A collective noun (team, family, jury, committee, class, crowd) takes a singular verb when the group acts as one unit, and a plural verb when the members act separately.
Collective noun (team, family, jury, committee, class, crowd) দলটি এক ইউনিট হিসেবে কাজ করলে singular verb, আর সদস্যরা আলাদাভাবে কাজ করলে plural verb নেয়।
Examples:
- The team is playing well. (one unit)
- The committee are divided in their opinions. (separate members)
Rule 8: Plural in Form, Singular in Meaning
Some nouns end in ‘s’ but are singular in meaning, and take a singular verb: news, mathematics, physics, economics, politics, measles, and mumps.
কিছু noun ‘s’ দিয়ে শেষ হয় কিন্তু অর্থে singular, আর singular verb নেয়: news, mathematics, physics, economics, politics, measles, mumps।
Examples:
- The news is true.
- Mathematics is an interesting subject.
Rule 9: Amounts and Measurements
A phrase of money, time, distance, or weight taken as a single unit takes a singular verb.
অর্থ, সময়, দূরত্ব বা ওজনের একটি phrase একক হিসেবে ধরা হলে singular verb নেয়।
Examples:
- Twenty kilometres is a long way.
- A hundred taka is not much these days.
- Five years is a long time to wait.
Rule 10: ‘There is’ and ‘There are’
In sentences beginning with ‘there’, the verb agrees with the real subject that comes after it.
‘there’ দিয়ে শুরু হওয়া বাক্যে verb এর পরের আসল subject অনুযায়ী বসে।
Examples:
- There is a book on the table.
- There are many books on the table.
Rule 11: ‘The Number of’ vs ‘A Number of’
‘The number of’ takes a singular verb, while ‘a number of’ takes a plural verb.
‘the number of’ singular verb নেয়, আর ‘a number of’ plural verb নেয়।
Examples:
- The number of students is increasing.
- A number of students are absent today.
Rule 12: ‘One of Those Who’
In ‘one of those who’ and similar phrases, the verb in the relative clause agrees with the plural noun (the antecedent), not with ‘one’.
‘one of those who’ ও অনুরূপ phrase এ relative clause এর verb plural noun (antecedent) অনুযায়ী বসে, ‘one’ অনুযায়ী নয়।
Examples:
- He is one of the boys who play football. (who = boys, so ‘play’)
- She is one of those students who work hard.
Practice Exercise with Answers
Choose the correct verb in each sentence.
প্রতিটি বাক্যে সঠিক verb বাছো। নিজে চেষ্টা করার পরে উত্তর মিলিয়ে নাও।
- The list of items ______ (is / are) on the desk.
- My brother and my sister ______ (live / lives) in Dhaka.
- Neither the teacher nor the students ______ (was / were) present.
- Each of the boys ______ (has / have) a book.
- The news ______ (is / are) shocking.
- Mathematics ______ (is / are) my favourite subject.
- The team ______ (is / are) practising hard together.
- There ______ (is / are) many books on the shelf.
- The number of students ______ (is / are) increasing every year.
- A number of students ______ (is / are) absent today.
- Everyone ______ (was / were) happy at the party.
- The teacher, as well as the students, ______ (was / were) present.
- Twenty kilometres ______ (is / are) a long distance.
- Rice and curry ______ (is / are) my favourite meal.
- One of the girls ______ (sing / sings) very well.
- Neither of the answers ______ (is / are) correct.
- Some of the water ______ (is / are) dirty.
- Some of the apples ______ (is / are) rotten.
- He is one of the boys who ______ (play / plays) football.
- Either Rahim or his friends ______ (has / have) taken the book.
Answers
- is (subject = list)
- live (two subjects with ‘and’)
- were (nearer subject = students)
- has (each of + plural = singular verb)
- is (news is singular)
- is (mathematics is singular)
- is (the team as one unit)
- are (real subject = books)
- is (‘the number of’)
- are (‘a number of’)
- was (everyone is singular)
- was (‘as well as’ keeps the first subject)
- is (a single distance)
- is (one dish)
- sings (one of the girls = singular)
- is (neither of = singular)
- is (water is uncountable)
- are (apples is countable plural)
- play (who = boys)
- have (nearer subject = friends)
A Tip for the Exam
Every subject-verb agreement question is a hunt for the real subject. So do this in order: first, find the true subject and cross out any phrase between it and the verb (especially ‘of’ phrases and ‘as well as’ phrases). Then decide if that subject is singular or plural, remembering the traps, each and everyone are singular, ‘the number of’ is singular but ‘a number of’ is plural, and ‘or/nor’ takes the nearer subject. Find the subject, ignore the noise, match the verb. That habit turns the hardest agreement questions into easy ones.
প্রতিটি subject-verb agreement এর প্রশ্নই আসল subject খোঁজার একটি অভিযান। তাই ক্রম অনুযায়ী করো: প্রথমে আসল subject খুঁজে বের করো এবং তার ও verb এর মাঝের যেকোনো phrase বাদ দাও (বিশেষ করে ‘of’ ও ‘as well as’ phrase)। তারপর ঠিক করো subject টি singular নাকি plural, ফাঁদগুলো মনে রেখে, each ও everyone singular, ‘the number of’ singular কিন্তু ‘a number of’ plural, আর ‘or/nor’ কাছের subject নেয়। subject খুঁজো, বাকি শব্দ উপেক্ষা করো, verb মেলাও। এই অভ্যাসই কঠিনতম প্রশ্নকে সহজ করে দেয়।
Related Lessons
Keep building your grammar foundation with these lessons:
- Number (Singular and Plural): Rules with Examples
- Right Forms of Verbs: 10 Rules, Examples & Exercises
- Present Indefinite Tense: Rules & Examples
- Person in English Grammar: 1st, 2nd & 3rd Person
- The 8 Parts of Speech: Rules, Examples & Chart
- Noun: Definition, Types, and Examples in English Grammar
- Pronoun: Types, Rules, and Examples (incl. Unclear Pronoun)
- 12 Tenses in English Grammar: Full Classification with Examples
Frequently Asked Questions
What is subject-verb agreement?
It is the rule that a verb must agree with its subject in number: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb, as in “He runs” and “They run”.
Do subjects joined by ‘and’ take a singular or plural verb?
Usually plural (Rahim and Karim are friends). But if they refer to one person or one thing, use a singular verb (Rice and curry is my favourite meal).
What verb follows ‘each of’ or ‘one of’?
A singular verb, even though a plural noun follows. For example, “Each of the boys is present” and “One of the girls sings well”.
Is it ‘the news is’ or ‘the news are’?
‘The news is’. Words like news, mathematics, and politics look plural but are singular in meaning, so they take a singular verb.
What is the difference between ‘the number of’ and ‘a number of’?
‘The number of’ takes a singular verb (The number of students is rising). ‘A number of’ takes a plural verb (A number of students are absent).