Syntax: Subject-Verb Agreement (General)

Would a coalition of companies and their lawyer decide to sue? Or would that be “decides.”

Basic Subject-Verb Agreement Rules:

• Singular Subjects: Singular subjects take singular verbs: “The dog barks at the mailman.”
• Plural Subjects: Plural subjects take plural verbs: “The dogs bark at the mailman.”
• Compound Subjects:
  • Connected with “and”: If a compound subject is connected by “and,” use a plural verb: “John’s friends and Sarah’s ex are going to the party.”
  • Connected with “or” or “nor”: If a compound subject is connected by “or” or “nor,” then the verb must agree with the closer subject: “John’s friends or Sarah’s ex is going to the party.”
• Collective Nouns: Collective nouns are generally treated as a singular unit and take singular verbs: “The team is practicing for their upcoming match.”
  • Exception—Group Acting as Individuals: “The team members are going to complain to the Professor about the late assignment upload.”
• Indefinite Pronouns: Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs (“Somebody is knocking on the door”); plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs (“Several are interested in the job”).
• Intervening Phrases and Clauses: Phrases and clauses between a subject and its verb do not affect the agreement: “The book, along with those pens, is on the desk.”

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