Pronoun and verb agreement requires that a pronoun's number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third) match the verb form in a sentence. This rule prevents confusion and maintains grammatical clarity in written and spoken English.
When a pronoun acts as the subject of a sentence, the verb must agree with it in both number and person. For example, "She runs every morning" uses the singular third-person pronoun "she" with the singular verb "runs." If the pronoun changes to "they," the verb must change to "run" to maintain agreement.
This principle applies across all major English verb tenses. Whether using present, past, or future forms, the verb must reflect the pronoun's grammatical category. Misalignment leads to errors like "He are going" or "They is late," which violate standard grammar rules.
The core of pronoun and verb agreement lies in matching the subject's grammatical features with the verb's inflection. English verbs change form based on the subject's number and person. Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs.
For instance, in the sentence "I am studying for the test," the first-person singular pronoun "I" takes the singular verb form "am." In contrast, "We are studying" uses the plural pronoun "we" with the plural verb "are." These patterns hold across tenses: "She walks to school" (present), "She walked home" (past), "She will walk tomorrow" (future).
Compound subjects joined by "and" require plural verbs. "She and he are friends" correctly uses "are" because "she and he" together form a plural subject. However, when subjects are joined by "or" or "nor," the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. In "Either the teacher or the students are responsible," the verb "are" matches "students," the nearest plural subject.
Understanding pronoun and verb agreement begins with recognizing the most frequently used pronouns and their corresponding verb forms.
| Pronoun | Number | Person | Correct Verb Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Singular | First | am |
| You | Singular/Plural | Second | are |
| He, she, it | Singular | Third | is |
| We | Plural | First | are |
| They | Plural | Third | are |
Some pronouns, like "everyone," "someone," and "nobody," are singular despite referring to groups. They take singular verbs: "Everyone knows the answer" - not "know." Similarly, indefinite pronouns such as "each," "either," and "neither" are singular: "Neither of them is coming."
A subtle but critical point: collective nouns like "team," "family," or "committee" can be singular or plural depending on context. When seen as a single unit, they take singular verbs: "The team is winning." When emphasizing individual members, they take plural verbs: "The team are arguing among themselves." This dual usage reflects nuance in meaning, not error.
Pronoun and verb agreement is essential in formal writing, academic work, professional communication, and standardized tests. Errors undermine credibility and can obscure meaning.
In business emails, incorrect agreement creates ambiguity. "The manager and his assistant are late" correctly uses a plural verb because the compound subject includes two people. But "The manager and his assistant is late" misaligns the subject and verb, weakening the message.
Standardized exams like the SAT and ACT test this concept explicitly. A sentence like "Each of the candidates have submitted their application" contains a mismatch: "each" is singular, so the correct form is "has submitted."
Even native speakers make mistakes. In casual speech, "Me and him went to the store" is common but grammatically incorrect. The correct version is "He and I went to the store," with the subject pronouns "he and I" agreeing with the plural verb "went."
One frequent error involves pronouns in compound subjects. People often say "Him and me are going," but the correct form is "He and I are going." The pronoun "he" is the subject, not "him," so it must be in the nominative case.
Another mistake arises with relative clauses. In "The person who is speaking is my sister," the pronoun "who" refers to "person," a singular noun, so the verb "is" is correct. But in "The people who are speaking are my sisters," "who" refers to "people," a plural noun, so "are" is correct.
A non-obvious distinction: reflexive pronouns like "myself," "yourself," and "themselves" do not affect verb agreement. In "She hurt herself," the verb "hurt" agrees with "she," not "herself." The reflexive pronoun is a complement, not the subject.
During a workshop on editing, I corrected a draft where a student wrote, "The group of researchers was excited about their findings." The subject "group" is singular, so "was" is correct. The plural pronoun "their" refers to the individuals, not the group itself-a common but acceptable usage in modern English. Still, the verb must agree with the subject, not the pronoun.
Consider this sentence: "Everyone in the room were talking." The pronoun "everyone" is singular, so the verb must be "was." Corrected: "Everyone in the room was talking."
Another example: "Either the coach or the players are responsible." Here, "players" is plural and closest to the verb, so "are" is correct. If the sentence were reversed - "Either the players or the coach is responsible" - the verb would still be singular because "coach" is the closest subject.
Test your understanding: Which is correct?
Option 1 is correct. The subject "book" is singular, so the verb "was" matches. The clause "that I read" modifies "book" but doesn't change its number.
Mastering pronoun and verb agreement improves clarity, precision, and professionalism in writing. It helps every sentence communicates exactly what the speaker or writer intends.