Chapter 1 — Subject–verb agreement

The essentials in four points:

• The verb agrees with the head of the subject phrase, not with the nearest noun: The quality of the recordings is excellent.
• Each, every, either, neither + noun → singular verb: Each of the students has…
• A number of + plural → plural verb; the number of + plural → singular verb.
• Uncountable nouns (information, research, equipment) and -ics disciplines (economics, physics) → singular.

In the Structure & Written Expression section, nearly one error-identification question in three tests subject–verb agreement. The test is not checking whether you know the rule — everyone does — but whether you can locate the real subject when the sentence does its best to hide it.

1. Find the head of the subject. Mentally delete everything that separates the subject from the verb: of-phrases, relative clauses, appositions, parentheticals. The verb agrees with what is left.
✘ The quality of the recordings were excellent.
✔ The quality of the recordings was excellent. (head = quality)

2. False plurals and false singulars. Some subjects deceive the eye: each, every, either, neither, one of + plural remain singular; a number of + plural is plural; the number of + plural is singular.
✔ Each of the experiments was documented.
✔ A number of discoveries have been made. / The number of applications has risen.

3. Compound subjects. And creates a plural; or / nor trigger proximity agreement (the verb agrees with the nearer subject). Add-ons such as along with, as well as, together with do not change the subject’s number.
✔ Neither the director nor the assistants were informed.
✔ The professor, along with her assistants, has published…