Error Spotting
🔒 Log in to trackSubject–verb agreement errors
🔒 Log in to trackAgreement errors are the biggest error family in SSC English. The verb must match the true subject in number. The trap is always the same: extra words sit between the subject and the verb. Cover those words and match the verb with what is left.
The core idea
A singular subject takes a singular verb (with -s in the present). A plural subject takes a plural verb. The whole game is finding the true subject.
Example: The list of candidates is long. The subject is list, not candidates. So the verb is singular.
Cover the middle
The subject is never inside a phrase that starts with of, with, along with, as well as, together with, besides, like, unlike or including.
- Right: The captain, as well as the players, was fined.
- Wrong: The captain, as well as the players, were fined.
- Right: The quality of the mangoes was poor.
Ask: "What is the sentence talking about?" That word is the subject.
Rule: Words like along with, together with, in addition to and and not never make a plural subject. The verb follows the first subject.
Words that are always singular
- Each, every, everyone, nobody, either, neither take a singular verb.
- One of the + plural noun is singular: One of my friends is a pilot.
- Many a + singular noun is singular: Many a student has failed.
- Neither of / either of + plural noun is singular: Neither of the answers is correct.
- Every ... and every ... stays singular: Every man and every woman was counted.
Either or, neither nor
With either ... or and neither ... nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- Neither the manager nor his assistants were present.
- Either Ramesh or his cousins are coming.
Tip: Ignore the first subject. Look only at the noun just before the verb.
A number of and the number of
| Phrase | Meaning | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| A number of students | many students | plural: were absent |
| The number of students | the count | singular: was small |
The small word a or the decides everything.
Relative clauses
The verb after who, which or that agrees with the noun it points back to.
- He is one of those officers who work late. The pronoun points to officers, so the verb is plural.
- He is the only officer who works late. The pronoun points to officer, so the verb is singular.
Special nouns
- Collective nouns (team, committee, jury, family): singular when they act as one unit. Plural when members disagree. The committee has decided. The jury were divided.
- Look plural, act singular: news, mathematics, physics, economics. The news is good.
- Pair nouns (scissors, trousers, spectacles) take a plural verb. A pair of takes a singular verb.
- Amounts and distances as one unit are singular: Ten kilometres is a long walk.
- Titles are singular: 'Gulliver's Travels' is a satire.
- Two nouns joined by and are usually plural. One idea or one person is singular: Bread and butter is his breakfast.
The passive follows the same rule. The letters was delivered is wrong. Say were delivered.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
One of / every one of + plural noun
The sentence has 'one of the ...' or 'each of the ...' just before the verb. The verb's number is in doubt.
Find the head word: 'one' or 'each', not the plural noun after 'of'.
Head word singular: use a singular verb.
Check the tense separately.
The plural noun sits next to the verb and pulls the eye. The rule outranks the pull.
Find the part with the error. (a) One of the laptops (b) displayed at the expo (c) were sold (d) within an hour.
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The subject is 'one', which is singular.
'Laptops' is only part of 'of the laptops'.
Correct: 'was sold'.
(c) were sold
Either ... or / neither ... nor
Two subjects are joined by either ... or or neither ... nor. The verb comes after the second one.
Ignore the first subject.
Look at the subject just before the verb.
Match the verb with that subject's number.
The nearness rule is fixed, and setters make the two subjects differ in number.
Find the part with the error. (a) Neither the collector (b) nor his assistants (c) was available (d) at the camp site.
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The nearer subject is 'assistants', which is plural.
The verb must be plural.
Correct: 'were available'.
(c) was available
Each / every / many a + singular verb
The subject starts with each, every, many a, or 'every ... and every ...'.
Each, every and many a are singular.
'Every boy and every girl' stays singular because every repeats.
Match the verb, and match a later his / her, not their.
These words point to members one at a time, so the verb stays singular.
Find the part with the error. (a) Every man and every woman (b) in the village (c) were counted (d) in the survey.
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'Every ... and every ...' is singular.
So the verb must be singular.
Correct: 'was counted'.
(c) were counted
A number of and the number of
The subject phrase is 'a / the number of + plural noun'. Only the small word a or the differs.
'A number of' means many: plural verb.
'The number of' means the count: singular verb.
Read the word before 'number' slowly.
One small word flips the number, and the options exploit a careless read.
Find the part with the error. (a) The number of accidents (b) on this highway (c) have fallen (d) after the new signals.
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'The number of' means the count, which is singular.
The verb must be singular.
Correct: 'has fallen'.
(c) have fallen
Verb after who / which / that
The sentence has 'one of those ...' or 'the only ...' followed by who or that and a verb.
Find the noun the pronoun points back to.
'One of those + plural noun who': plural verb.
'The only + singular noun who': singular verb.
The relative pronoun takes its number from the noun before it.
Find the part with the error. (a) She is one of those doctors (b) who always treats (c) poor patients (d) for free.
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'Who' points back to 'doctors', which is plural.
So the verb must be plural.
Correct: 'who always treat'.
(b) who always treats
Special singular subjects
The subject is a title, an amount, a distance, or a word like news or mathematics.
Spot the special noun: news, mathematics, an amount, a title.
Treat it as one unit: singular verb.
Pair nouns like scissors take a plural verb.
These nouns look plural but name one thing, so the verb is singular.
Find the part with the error. (a) Five hundred rupees (b) were the fine (c) for driving without (d) a licence.
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Five hundred rupees is one amount.
One amount takes a singular verb.
Correct: 'was the fine'.
(b) were the fine
Shortcuts that save time
Start at the verb and walk backwards past every 'of ...' phrase. The first noun or pronoun with no preposition in front is the subject.
See neither ... nor or either ... or with two subjects? The verb matches the second one. The item usually solves at once.
Neither the manager nor / the employees was / present at / the meeting.
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The nearer subject is 'employees'.
It is plural, so the verb is 'were'.
Part 2 (was)
Money, distance, time and weight taken as one amount use a singular verb, even in plural form: 'Ten kilometres is a long walk.'
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Using a plural verb after each, every or either ('Each of the boys have').
Each, every and either are singular. Say 'Each of the boys has'.
Treating 'a number of' and 'the number of' as the same.
A number of = plural verb. The number of = singular verb.
Making news, mathematics and physics plural because they end in -s.
They are singular. The news is good.
Writing 'one of my friends who works' when the who-clause needs the plural.
In 'one of those officers who work', the pronoun points to 'officers'.
Agreeing the verb with the noun after 'as well as' or 'along with'.
The verb follows the first subject.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
Never let the nearest noun decide. Cover the interrupting phrase.
each / every / one of / many a / neither of: singular verb.
neither ... nor and either ... or: the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
a number of: plural. The number of: singular.
news, mathematics, physics: singular. spectacles, scissors: plural.
as well as, along with, together with: the verb follows the first subject.
Practice: 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 7 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.