“The greater part of the world's troubles are due to questions of grammar.”

Basic Rule: The subject and verb must agree in number. This means both need to be singular or both need to be plural.

Singular and Plural Subjects:

Singular Subject + Singular Verb:

• She runs every morning.
• The book is on the table.

Plural Subject + Plural Verb:

• They run every morning.
• The books are on the table.

When the Subject Consists of Two or More Nouns or Pronouns Connected by 'and':

Use a plural verb:

• Tom and Mary are coming to the party.

When Two or More Singular Nouns or Pronouns Are Connected by 'or' or 'nor':

Use a singular verb:

• Neither the teacher nor the student is available.

When a Compound Subject Contains Both a Singular and a Plural Noun or Pronoun Joined by 'or' or 'nor':

The verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearest to the verb:

• Either the students or the teacher is responsible.
• Either the teacher or the students are responsible.

Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects:

Most are singular: anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody etc.

• Everybody likes pizza.

Some indefinite pronouns can be plural, depending on the context: some, all, none, any, most.

• Some of the money is missing.
• Some of the cookies are missing.

Collective Nouns (group, team, committee, family, etc.):

Might be singular or plural, depending on whether the members are acting individually or together:

• The team is winning. (acting as a unit)
• The team are arguing among themselves. (acting as individuals)

Titles of Books, Movies, Novels, etc.:

Are treated as singular and take a singular verb:

• 'Gone with the Wind' is a classic movie.

Numbers and Amounts When Considered a Unit:

Take a singular verb:

• Five dollars is a reasonable price for lunch.
• Two hundred miles is too far to drive in one day.

Expressions of Time, Money, and Measurement:

Take a singular verb when considered as a unit:

• Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
• Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.

The General Rule for Fractional Expressions, Percentages, or Proportions:

The verb agrees with the noun it refers to:

• Half of the cake is gone.
• Half of the apples are rotten.