1. Basic Rule & Intervening Expressions

A verb agrees strictly with its true subject, not with any noun or pronoun contained within intervening phrases placed between them.

• Key Connectors: along with, together with, as well as, accompanied by, in addition to, besides, including, with, like.

Examples

1. The Principal, along with all senior faculty members, was present at the national seminar.
2. The captain, accompanied by his teammates, has entered the stadium.
3. My brothers, as well as my cousin, are going to attend the workshop.
4. The teacher, in addition to the students, is participating in the cleanliness drive.
5. All the study modules, including the final mock test, have been uploaded to the portal.

2. Compound Subjects Joined by ‘And’

When two nouns are joined by and, the choice of verb depends on whether they represent distinct entities or a single combined idea/person.

• Two distinct entities $\rightarrow$ Plural Verb
• Single idea, dish, or dual-role individual $\rightarrow$ Singular Verb (Article test: if “the” appears before only the first noun, it refers to one person).

Examples

1. Bread and butter is a staple breakfast item served at the school hostel. (Single dish)
2. Gold and silver are precious metals traded in international markets. (Two distinct entities)
3. The Chairman and Director has approved the annual budget proposal. (One person holding both roles)
4. The Chairman and the Director have approved the annual budget proposal. (Two distinct individuals due to repeating “the”)
5. Slow and steady wins the race. (Single unified maxim)

3. Correlative Conjunctions (Nearest Subject Rule)

When subjects are connected using correlative conjunctions, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it in the sentence.

• Conjunctions: either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also.

Examples

1. Neither the headmaster nor the teachers were aware of the schedule change.
2. Neither the teachers nor the headmaster was aware of the schedule change.
3. Either the invigilator or the candidates have made an error on the OMR sheet.
4. Either the candidates or the invigilator has made an error on the OMR sheet.
5. Not only the students but also the class representative was commended for the project.

4. Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns require careful classification based on whether they refer to countable or uncountable quantities:

• Always Singular: Each, every, everyone, someone, somebody, nobody, anyone, anybody, everything, something, nothing, many a, more than one.
• Always Plural: Both, few, a few, several, many.
• Variable (SANAM – Some, All, None, Any, Most): Verb depends on the object of the preposition (uncountable noun $\rightarrow$ singular verb; plural countable noun $\rightarrow$ plural verb).

Examples

1. Every one of the verified applicants has submitted the required documents.
2. Many a candidate has succumbed to exam anxiety during the final test.
3. Several of the research scholars have presented their papers at the conference.
4. Some of the water in the storage tank is contaminated. (Uncountable noun)
5. Some of the question papers are misprinted. (Plural countable noun)

5. Expressions of Quantity, Distance, Money, & Time

Specific quantities representing distance, weight, height, monetary sums, or time periods follow distinct rules based on context:

• Single collective unit / total sum $\rightarrow$ Singular Verb
• Distributed units / individual items $\rightarrow$ Plural Verb

Examples

1. Twenty miles is a long distance to travel by bicycle daily.
2. Ten thousand rupees was fixed as the registration fee for the national seminar.
3. Ten thousand rupees were distributed among the top three winners as prize money. (Individual distribution)
4. Two hours is the standard duration allotted for this objective examination.
5. Fifty kilograms of wheat is stored in the school grain warehouse.

6. Collective Nouns

Collective nouns describe a group of individuals acting together or separately:

• Unified action / Unanimous decision $\rightarrow$ Singular Verb
• Divided opinion / Members acting individually $\rightarrow$ Plural Verb

Examples

1. The selection committee has announced the final merit list. (Unified group)
2. The selection committee were divided in their opinions regarding candidate selection. (Divided action)
3. The jury has reached a unanimous verdict in the court case. (Unified group)
4. The jury are taking their respective seats in the courtroom. (Individual actions)
5. The audience was enthralled by the keynote speaker’s presentation. (Unified response)

7. Nouns Plural in Form but Singular in Meaning

Nouns that end in -s but represent a single domain, disease, game, or news take a singular verb.

• Categories: Academic subjects (Physics, Mathematics, Economics, Civics, Statistics), Diseases (Measles, Mumps, Rickets), Games (Billiards, Darts, Draughts), Proper names (The West Indies, News).
• Exception: When preceded by a possessive adjective (my, his, the), subjects like Mathematics or Statistics refer to calculation skills or data and take a plural verb.

Examples

1. Economics is a required subject for students pursuing the commerce stream.
2. The news regarding the board exam postponement was confirmed by the authority.
3. Rickets is caused by a deficiency of Vitamin D in growing children.
4. Billiards is played on a large cloth-covered rectangular table with cue sticks.
5. His physics are weak, so he hired a tutor to practice numerical problems. (Skill/ability exception)

8. Nouns Singular in Form but Plural in Meaning

Certain nouns carry no -s suffix but are inherently plural in meaning and always take a plural verb.

• Key Words: Cattle, police, gentry, peasantry, clergy, poultry, folk, vermin, people.

Examples

1. The cattle are grazing peacefully in the school dairy farm pasture.
2. The local police have registered a case against the fraudsters.
3. The clergy were invited to bless the newly constructed library building.
4. The peasantry in the eastern region have suffered heavy losses due to the flood.
5. Vermin have caused extensive damage to the old archival manuscripts in the store.

9. Two-Part Nouns (Pair Nouns)

Tools, instruments, and garments consisting of two equal parts joined together take a plural verb, unless preceded by the phrase “a pair of”.

• Key Words: Scissors, trousers, spectacles, binoculars, pliers, tongs, jeans, shears.

Examples

1. These surgical scissors are sterilized before every medical procedure.
2. A pair of surgical scissors is kept in the emergency first-aid kit.
3. My reading spectacles were left on the lecture room podium.
4. A new pair of binoculars has been purchased for the geography field trip.
5. His blue denim trousers need mending near the hem.

10. Relative Pronouns as Subjects

When a relative pronoun (who, which, that) acts as the subject of a relative clause, the verb agrees with its antecedent (the noun/pronoun directly preceding the relative pronoun).

• Pattern A: One of those [plural noun] who [plural verb]
• Pattern B: The only one of those [plural noun] that/who [singular verb]

Examples

1. She is one of those dedicated teachers who inspire students to excel. (Antecedent = teachers)
2. This is one of the best reference books that are available in the university library. (Antecedent = books)
3. He is the only one of the applicants who has submitted the verified experience certificate. (Modified by “the only one”)
4. It is I who am responsible for updating the daily student attendance register. (Antecedent = I)
5. It is you who have consistently topped the competitive mock examinations. (Antecedent = you)

11. Inversion Clauses (Starting with ‘There’, ‘Here’, or Adverbs)

In inverted sentence structures, the verb precedes the real subject. The subject must be identified after the verb to determine correct agreement.

• Triggers: Sentences beginning with there, here, or negative adverbs (seldom, hardly, barely, under no circumstances).

Examples

1. There is a comprehensive lesson plan attached to this official email.
2. There are multiple errors in the printed answer key of Set B.
3. Here come the chief guests for the annual prize distribution ceremony.
4. Seldom has a teacher demonstrated such exceptional patience in class.
5. Under no circumstances were the candidates allowed to enter the exam hall late.

12. “A Number of” vs. “The Number of”

While both expressions modify plural nouns, they differ fundamentally in meaning and verb agreement:

• A number of + Plural Noun $\rightarrow$ Plural Verb (Means “many”)
• The number of + Plural Noun $\rightarrow$ Singular Verb (Refers to a specific numerical figure)

Examples

1. A number of candidates have registered for the state TET examination.
2. The number of candidates registering for the exam has increased by 20% this year.
3. A number of books were damaged during the rainwater seepage in the basement.
4. The number of damaged books is estimated to be around fifty.
5. A number of teachers are participating in the syllabus restructuring workshop.

13. Titles of Books, Movies, & Works of Art

Proper titles of books, films, plays, or geographic entities take a singular verb, even if they are plural in form or end in -s.

Examples

1. The Canterbury Tales is a masterwork of Middle English literature written by Geoffrey Chaucer.
2. Gulliver’s Travels was published anonymously in 1726 as a satire on human nature.
3. Great Expectations has been prescribed as a mandatory novel for Class XII students.
4. The Three Musketeers is an exciting adventure novel authored by Alexandre Dumas.
5. The United States of America has introduced a new scholarship program for international educators.

14. Subjects Qualified by “Each” or “Every”

When two or more singular nouns joined by and are qualified by each or every, the subject remains grammatically singular.

Examples

1. Every school and every college in the district was closed due to severe weather.
2. Each boy and each girl has been allotted a specific roll number for the exam.
3. Every teacher and student is expected to attend the morning assembly punctually.
4. Every desk and chair in the examination hall was inspected before the paper started.
5. Each male and female candidate was verified at the biometric registration counter.

15. Hypothetical & Unreal Conditions (Subjunctive Mood)

In wishful, hypothetical, conditional, or contrary-to-fact expressions, the past subjunctive plural verb were is used for all subjects, regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural.

• Key Words: If, as if, as though, I wish, suppose.

Examples

1. If I were the Chief Examination Controller, I would introduce double-blind evaluation.
2. She talks as though she were the Principal of the degree college.
3. I wish the question paper were less ambiguous than it turned out to be.
4. He behaves as if he were an expert on every educational policy reform.
5. If the candidate were eligible, the portal would have accepted his registration form.