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The idea of subject–verb agreement may seem simple at first, but the rules get complicated quickly. The subject of a sentence is typically the source of action in a sentence, and often, the subject appears before the verb. The subject of a sentence can be singular or plural, and thus the verb used has to “agree” with the singularity or plurality of the subject (EzineArticles.com, 2009a). Consider the sentence, “I love you.” “I” is the subject, which is to the left of the verb “love.” The object of the sentence (i.e., the one who receives love) is “you” (EzineArticles.com, 2009b).

The most common subject–verb error we come across in our students’ papers involves a sentence about the data collected for an experiment. “Data” is a plural noun and therefore should always be followed by the verb “are” rather than “is” (or “were” rather than “was” for the past tense).

The data were collected after all 20 participants were seated in the laboratory.

Here are some general tips to help you figure out the basic rules of subject–verb agreement (About.com, n.d.; EzineArticles.com, 2009a), followed by some practice sentences to see if you can identify errors. (Not every sample sentence has an error, however.)

1 Add an “s” to the verb if the subject is a singular noun (a word that names one person, place, or thing).A good research idea takes time to develop.

2 Add an “s” to the verb if the subject is any one of the third-person singular pronouns: “he,” “she,” “it,” “this,” “that.”She writes well and should have her work published.

3 Do not add an “s” to the verb if the subject is the pronoun “I”, “you,” “we,” or “they.”You create a new data file for each online survey.

4 Do not add an “s” to the verb if two subjects are joined by “and.”Utah and Idaho compete for similar grant projects.

5 “Everybody” is singular and uses a singular verb (as do “anybody,” “no one,” “somebody,” “nobody,” “each,” “either,” and “neither”).Everybody is invited to the colloquium on Thursday afternoon.