Subject-Verb and Pronoun Agreement
Subject-Verb Agreement Rules
The core rule is simple: singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. Where students trip up is when something gets between the subject and the verb, or when the subject itself is tricky to classify.
- Compound subjects joined by "and" take plural verbs: Tom and Jerry are fighting again.
- Subjects joined by "or" or "nor" agree with the nearest subject: Neither the students nor the teacher was prepared. (The verb matches "teacher," the closest subject.)
- Indefinite pronouns like everyone, someone, and anybody are singular, even though they feel plural: Everyone has a seat (not have).
- Collective nouns (team, family, jury) can go either way. If the group acts as one unit, use a singular verb: The team is winning. If members act individually, use a plural verb: The jury are divided on the verdict.
- Phrases between the subject and verb don't change agreement. In The box of chocolates is on the table, the subject is "box" (singular), not "chocolates."
Pronoun Agreement and Special Cases
Pronouns must match their antecedent (the noun they refer back to) in number. Most errors happen with indefinite pronouns and compound antecedents.
- Singular indefinite pronouns need singular pronouns: Everyone should bring his or her notebook. In informal writing, singular "they" is widely accepted: Everyone should bring their notebook.
- Compound antecedents joined by "and" take plural pronouns: Sam and Alex packed their bags.
- Compound antecedents joined by "or" or "nor" agree with the closest antecedent: Neither the coach nor the players brought their gear.
- Collective nouns follow the same logic as with verbs. If the group acts as a unit, use a singular pronoun: The committee made its decision.
Irregular Plural Forms and Tricky Cases
English has plenty of nouns that don't just add -s to become plural. These are worth memorizing because spell-check won't always catch them.
- Irregular plurals: child/children, mouse/mice, person/people, criterion/criteria, phenomenon/phenomena
- Same form for singular and plural: deer, sheep, fish, species
- Latin and Greek loanwords often keep their original plural forms: datum/data, medium/media, alumnus/alumni
- Nouns ending in -s that are actually singular: news, mathematics, physics, economics. The news is good (not are).
- Compound nouns pluralize the main noun, not the modifier: mothers-in-law, attorneys general, passersby
- Units of measurement stay singular when used as adjective phrases: a five-pound bag, a ten-mile run
Pronoun Usage Errors
Common Pronoun Case Errors
Pronoun case means choosing the right form depending on the pronoun's role in the sentence. Subjective case pronouns (I, we, he, she, they) serve as subjects. Objective case pronouns (me, us, him, her, them) serve as objects of verbs or prepositions.
The easiest way to check case in a compound structure is to remove the other person and see what sounds right:
- She and I went to the store. → Remove "She and": I went to the store. ✓
- The teacher called him and me. → Remove "him and": The teacher called me. ✓
- Between you and me is correct because "between" is a preposition, so it takes the objective case. Between you and I is always wrong.
A few more rules to keep straight:
- Who vs. whom: "Who" is subjective (it does the action), and "whom" is objective (it receives the action). Who called you? vs. To whom did you speak? A quick test: if you can substitute "he," use "who." If you can substitute "him," use "whom."
- Possessive before gerunds: Use the possessive form before an -ing verb used as a noun. I appreciate your helping (not you helping). The helping is what you appreciate, and "your" modifies it.
Vague Pronoun Reference and Ambiguity
A pronoun is only useful if the reader knows exactly what it refers to. Vague pronoun reference is one of the most common clarity problems in student writing.
- Ambiguous antecedent: Sarah told Maria that she got the job. Who got the job? Rewrite: Sarah told Maria, "I got the job," or Sarah congratulated Maria on getting the job.
- Missing antecedent: In the article, it says the economy is improving. What does "it" refer to? Rewrite: The article says the economy is improving.
- Vague "this" or "which": The project was late and over budget. This frustrated the manager. What frustrated the manager? Add a noun: This delay frustrated the manager.
As a general rule, if you use "this," "that," "which," or "it" and a reader could reasonably ask "this what?", attach a clarifying noun or rewrite the sentence.
Modifiers and Articles
Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
A misplaced modifier sits too far from the word it's supposed to describe, creating confusion or unintended humor. A dangling modifier has no logical subject in the sentence at all.
- Misplaced: She almost drove the car for six hours. (Did she almost drive, or did she drive for almost six hours?) Fix: She drove the car for almost six hours.
- Dangling: Walking to class, the rain started pouring. (The rain wasn't walking.) Fix: Walking to class, I got caught in the pouring rain.
To fix these errors:
- Identify the modifier and what it's supposed to describe.
- Check whether the word it modifies is actually in the sentence.
- Move the modifier next to the word it describes, or rewrite to include the correct subject.
Limiting modifiers like only, just, nearly, and almost are especially sensitive to placement. Compare: She only eats vegetables (she does nothing else with them?) vs. She eats only vegetables (vegetables and nothing else).
Article Usage and Common Errors
Articles ("a," "an," "the") are small words that cause big problems, especially because the rules have many exceptions.
Choosing "a" vs. "an": Go by sound, not spelling. Use "an" before vowel sounds and "a" before consonant sounds.
- An hour (the "h" is silent, so it starts with a vowel sound)
- A university (starts with a "yoo" consonant sound, despite the letter "u")
- An MBA (the letter "M" is pronounced "em," a vowel sound)
When to use "the" (definite article):
- The noun has already been mentioned: I saw a dog. The dog was barking.
- There's only one of something: the sun, the president
- With superlatives and ordinal numbers: the tallest building, the first chapter
When to omit articles entirely:
- General plural nouns: Dogs are loyal. (dogs in general, not specific ones)
- Abstract concepts used generally: Love is complicated.
- Many proper nouns: France, Mount Everest, Lake Michigan
When articles are required with proper nouns:
- Country names with "States," "Kingdom," or "Republic": the United States, the United Kingdom
- Plural proper nouns: the Philippines, the Alps, the Great Lakes
- Oceans, rivers, and deserts: the Pacific, the Nile, the Sahara
Watch for idiomatic expressions that break the usual rules: go to school (no article), go to the store (article required), play piano (no article in American English). These are best learned through exposure and practice rather than by rule.