Subject–Verb Agreement: Rules, Tricks & Competitive Examples

What is Subject–Verb Agreement?
Subject aur verb ko number (singular/plural) ke hisaab se match hona chahiye.

Core Rule

✅ Singular subject → singular verb
✅ Plural subject → plural verb

Examples:

• He runs fast. (singular)

• They run fast. (plural)

Rule 1: “Each / Every” → singular verb

• Each of the students is responsible.

• Every boy has a book.

Rule 2: “Either / Neither” → singular verb

• Neither of them is ready.

• Either of the two roads leads to the station.

Rule 3: “A number of” vs “The number of”

• A number of students are absent. ✅ (plural)

• The number of students is increasing. ✅ (singular)

Rule 4: Collective nouns (team, family, jury)

• The team is winning. (as one unit)

• The team are arguing. (as individuals)

Rule 5: “Along with / Together with / As well as”

Subject pe effect nahi hota.

• Ram, along with his friends, is going. ✅
  (Not: are)

Rule 6: Subjects joined by “and”

Mostly plural:

• Bread and butter are served.
  But if one idea/unit:

• Bread and butter is my breakfast. ✅