Subject-Verb Agreement

The most important rules in English language is between subject and verb must be in agreement. That is  if the subject is singular then the verb must be singular too. Otherwise, if the subject is plural then the verb must be plural too.

1. Singular Subject – Singular Verb

The definition of singular subject is subject pronoun he, she, and it, or nouns which can be replaced with he, she, or it. While the definition of singular verbs is verb1+es/s, is/was, and verb phrase as: is/was + verb-ing/verb3, has +verb3, has been verb-ing and has been verb3.


Singular patterns of subject-verb singular is presented in the following table:

	Singular Subject	Singular Verb	Tenses
1	He/She/it	Verb1 + es/s	Simple Present
2	He/She/it	is + verb-ing	present continuous
3	He/She/it	was + verb-ing	past continuous
4	He/She/it	has + verb3	present perfect
5	He/She/it	has + been + verb-ing	present perfect continuous
6	He/She/it	is going to + verb1	simple future
7	He/She/it	is going to + be verb-ing	future countinuous
8	He/She/it	was going to + verb1	past future
9	He/She/it	was going to + be verb-ing	past future countinuous

If the sentence does not use the verb, we used to be:

	Singular Subject	Singular Verb	Tenses
10	He/She/it	is	Simple Present
11	He/She/it	is + being	present continuous
12	He/She/it	was	simple past
13	He/She/it	was + being	past continuous
14	He/She/it	has + been	present perfect
15	He/She/it	has + been + being	present perfect continuous
16	He/She/it	is going to + be	simple future
17	He/She/it	is going to +be being	future countinuous
18	He/She/it	was going to + be	past future
19	He/She/it	was going to + be being	past future countinuous

2. Plural Subject – Plural Verb

The definition of plural subject is a subject pronouns like I, we, you, They, and all plural nouns. While the definition of plural verbs are verbs and verb phrases other than verbs in the singular.

Patterns of plural subject, plural verb is presented in the following table:

	Plural Subject	Plural Verb	Tenses
1	I/You/We/They	Verb1	Simple Present
2	I/You/We/They	am/are + verb-ing	present continuous
3	I/You/We/They	was/were + verb-ing	past continuous
4	I/You/We/They	have + verb3	present perfect
5	I/You/We/They	have + been + verb-ing	present perfect continuous
6	I/You/We/They	am/are going to + verb1	simple future
7	I/You/We/They	is going to + be verb-ing	future countinuous
8	I/You/We/They	was/were going to + verb1	past future
9	I/You/We/They	was/were going to + be verb-ing	past future countinuous

If the sentence does not use the verb (nominal sentence), it used to be:

	Singular Subject	Singular Verb	Tenses
10	I/You/We/They	am/are	Simple Present
11	I/You/We/They	am/are + being	present continuous
12	I/You/We/They	was/were	simple past
13	I/You/We/They	was/were + being	past continuous
14	I/You/We/They	have + been	present perfect
15	I/You/We/They	have + been + being	present perfect continuous
16	I/You/We/They	am/are going to + be	simple future
17	I/You/We/They	am/are going to +be being	future countinuous
18	I/You/We/They	was/were going to + be	past future
19	I/You/We/They	was/were going to + be being	past future countinuous

Example:

	Singular Subject - Singular Verb	Plural Subject - Plural Verb
1	She cook	She cooks
2	Dani is eating a fast food	They are eating a fast food
3	She was playing beach volly	They were playing beach volly
4	She has danced	They have danced
5	She has been cooking	They have cooking
6	He is going to dance	They are going to dance
7	She is going to be stadying	They are going to be stadying
8	He was going to pray	They are going to pray
9	She was going to be praying	They were going to be praying
10	She is bad to me	They are bad to you

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