Here are some guidelines for correcting the most common pronoun-antecedent agreement errors.
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Make sure the verb agrees with the subject, not with words that come between the subject and verb.
has
The number of farm workers^have remained constant over
several decades.
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Use a plural verb when two or more subjects are joined by and.
A dot and a dash represent s the letter A in Morse code.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, media magnate Rupert Murdoch, and news
were
correspondent Sam Donaldson^was born on March 11.
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Revise to make the verb agree with the subject closest to it when two or more subjects are joined by or, either . . . or, or neither . . . nor.
When two or more singular subjects are joined by or, either . . . or, or neither . . . nor, use a singular verb.
s
Math or accounting appear^to be a suitable major for you.
has
Either the waiter or the customer^have misplaced the bill.
is
Neither the doctor nor the patient^are pessimistic about the prognosis.
When one singular and one plural subject are joined by or, either . . . or, or neither. . . nor, the verb should agree in number with the subject nearest to it.
was
Neither the sailors nor the boat^were harmed by the storm.
were
Neither the boat nor the sailors^was harmed by the storm.
waters
Either my daughters or my wife^water that plant daily.
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Use a singular verb with most collective nouns, such as family, couple, and class.
When the members of the group are acting as individuals, however, use a plural verb.
has
The school committee^have voted to increase teachers' salaries.
(The committee is acting as a unit.)
are
The team^is traveling by train, bus, and bike.
(The team members are acting individually.)
To make their meaning clearer and avoid awkwardness, writers often add members or a similar noun.
The members of the team are traveling by train, bus, and bike.
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Use a singular verb with most indefinite pronouns, such as anyone, everyone, each, every, no one, and something. Singular indefinite pronouns include the following: each, either, neither, anyone, anybody, anything, everyone, everybody, everything, one, no one, nobody, nothing, someone, somebody, something.
is
Everyone in this room^are welcome to express an opinion.
has
Neither of the candidates^have run for office before.
Other indefinite pronouns, such as several, both, many, and few, take a plural verb.
jog
Several of you^jogs at least three miles a day.
Some indefinite pronouns, such as all, any, more, most, some, and none, take either a singular or a plural verb depending on the noun they refer to. To decide which verb to use, follow this rule: Treat the indefinite pronoun as singular if it refers to something that cannot be counted and as plural if it refers to more than one of something that can be counted.
goes
Most of the water^go into this kettle.
(You cannot count water.)
Some of the children in the study choose s immediate rather
than delayed rewards.
(You can count children.)
-
Revise to make verbs agree with the antecedents of who, which, and that. When
a relative pronoun(who, which, that) refers to a singular noun, use a singular verb. When it refers to a plural noun, use a plural verb.
enjoys
Toni Morrison, who^enjoy unique success as both a popular
and a literary author, won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1993.
display
Look for stores that^displays this sign.
is
Neither the doctor nor the patient^are pessimistic about the prognosis.
Using one of the often leads to errors in subject-verb agreement. The phrase one of the plus a noun is plural.
drink
A pigeon is one of the two birds that^drinks by suction.
However, only one of the plus a noun is singular.
has
The cheetah is the only one of the big cats that^have nonretractable claws.
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Revise to make the verb agree with a subject that follows it.
When a sentence begins with the word here or there (which cannot function as a subject) or with a prepositional phrase, the subject often follows the verb. Look for the subject after the verb and make sure the subject and verb agree.
is
There^are a false panel somewhere in this room.
s
Under the stairs lurk^a solitary spider.
- Make sure a linking verb agrees with its subject, not a word or phrase that renames the subject. In sentences with linking verbs, the verb should agree with the subject.
is
The bluebell ^are any of several plants in the lily family.
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Use a singular verb when the subject is a title or a singular noun ending in s, such as physics or news.
is
Gulliver's Travels^are a satire by the eighteenth-century British writer Jonathan Swift.
s
Linguistics deal^with the study of human speech.
