Agreement when the subject follows the verb

Make the verb agree with its subject even when the subject follows the verb.

Verbs ordinarily follow subjects. When this normal order is inverted (reversed), it is easy to become confused. Sentences beginning with there is or there are (or there was or there were) are inverted; the subject follows the verb. The word there is an expletive or placeholder, but it is not the subject.

Example sentence: There are surprisingly few children in our neighborhood.

Occasionally you may decide to invert a sentence for variety or effect. When you do so, check to make sure that your subject and verb agree.

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: At the back of the room is a small aquarium and an enormous terrarium. Revised sentence: At the back of the room are a small aquarium and an enormous terrarium. Explanation: The word 'is' has been replaced by 'are.'

The subject, aquarium and terrarium, is plural, so the verb must be are. If the correct sentence seems awkward, begin with the subject:

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: At the back of the room is a small aquarium and an enormous terrarium. Revised sentence: A small aquarium and an enormous terrarium are at the back of the room. Explanation: The sentence has been edited to begin wtih the subject, 'A small aquarium and an enormous terrarium.'

Subject-verb agreement at a glance

When to use the -s (or -es) form of a present-tense verb

Exercises:

Subject-verb agreement 1

Subject-verb agreement 2

Subject-verb agreement 3

Subject-verb agreement 4