Subject-Verb Agreement — Complete Guide for BCS

Concept

Subject-verb agreement means the verb must match its subject in number (singular/plural). This sounds simple, but BCS exams are filled with tricky constructions designed to confuse you about what the real subject is. Master these rules and you will never get an SVA question wrong.

Key Rules

Rule 1: Each / Every / Everyone / Everybody / No one / Nobody → Singular

• Each student has a book. ✅
• Every boy is present. ✅
• Everyone knows the answer. ✅
• Nobody was there. ✅

Rule 2: Either...or / Neither...nor → Verb Agrees with NEAREST Subject

• Either you or he is going. ✅ (he = singular → is)
• Neither the teacher nor the students were present. ✅ (students = plural → were)
• Either the students or the teacher was present. ✅ (teacher = singular → was)

BCS trick: They put a plural noun first and singular nearest to the verb. Always look at the subject CLOSEST to the verb.

Rule 3: Along with / Together with / As well as → Verb Agrees with FIRST Subject

• The teacher, along with his students, is coming. ✅
• The students, along with their teacher, are coming. ✅
• He, as well as his friends, was invited. ✅

These phrases (along with, together with, as well as, in addition to, accompanied by, besides) are NOT conjunctions. They don't change the subject.

Rule 4: Uncountable / Collective Subject Nouns → Singular

Word	Verb	Example
News	singular	The news is good.
Mathematics	singular	Mathematics is easy.
Physics	singular	Physics is interesting.
Economics	singular	Economics is a subject.
The United States	singular	The United States is a country.
Measles / Mumps	singular	Measles is dangerous.
Innings	singular	The first innings was exciting.

Rule 5: "A number of" vs "The number of"

Expression	Number	Example
A number of + plural noun	Plural verb	A number of students were absent.
The number of + plural noun	Singular verb	The number of students was fifty.

"A number of" = many (plural). "The number of" = the count itself (singular).

Rule 6: Many a / More than one → Singular Verb

• Many a student has failed. ✅ (NOT: have failed)
• More than one person was injured. ✅

This is counterintuitive — the meaning is plural, but the grammar is singular.

Rule 7: Collective Noun → Singular (unit) / Plural (individuals)

• The team is ready. ✅ (team as one unit)
• The team are arguing among themselves. ✅ (members acting individually)

In BCS, the default is usually singular unless the sentence clearly shows individual action.

Rule 8: One of the + Plural Noun + Singular Verb

• One of the boys is missing. ✅ (NOT: are)
• One of my friends has gone. ✅

The subject is "one" (singular), not "boys" or "friends."

Rule 9: Distances / Amounts / Time Periods → Singular

• Ten miles is a long distance. ✅
• Five thousand taka is a lot of money. ✅
• Three years is a long time. ✅

When a quantity is treated as a single unit, it takes a singular verb.

BCS Shortcuts

1. Each/every/everyone/nobody → Always singular. No exceptions.
2. Either...or / Neither...nor → Look at the subject NEAREST to the verb.
3. Along with / as well as / together with → Ignore these phrases. Verb matches the FIRST subject.
4. News/mathematics/physics/USA → Always singular.
5. "A number of" = many (plural) vs "The number of" = count (singular).
6. Many a / More than one → Singular verb (despite plural meaning).
7. Amounts/distances/time → Singular when treated as one unit.

Solved Examples

Q1. "Each of the boys _____ completed the task." (a) have (b) has (c) are (d) were

Answer: (b) has Explanation: "Each" is the subject, and it is always singular. Even though "boys" is plural, the subject is "each" (of the boys). Singular subject → singular verb "has".*

Q2. "Neither the students nor the teacher _____ present." (a) were (b) was (c) are (d) have been

Answer: (b) was Explanation: With "neither...nor", the verb agrees with the nearest subject. "Teacher" (singular) is nearest to the verb, so we use "was" (singular).*

Q3. "A number of students _____ absent yesterday." (a) was (b) were (c) is (d) has been

Answer: (b) were Explanation: "A number of" means "many" — it takes a plural verb. Don't confuse with "The number of" which takes singular. "A number of students were" is correct.*

Q4. "The news _____ very disturbing." (a) are (b) were (c) is (d) have been

Answer: (c) is Explanation: "News" looks plural because of the -s ending, but it is an uncountable noun and always takes a singular verb. "The news is" — always.*

Q5. "The captain, along with his team members, _____ arrived." (a) have (b) has (c) are (d) were

Answer: (b) has Explanation: "Along with" does not change the subject. The real subject is "The captain" (singular). Ignore "along with his team members" — it's just additional information. Singular subject → "has".*

Common Mistakes — Watch Out!

1. "A number of" = plural, but "The number of" = singular. This is the #1 most-tested SVA trap in BCS. "A number of books were sold" vs "The number of books was high."

2. "Each of the boys HAS" not "have." The subject is "each" (singular), not "boys." Students get distracted by the plural noun after "of."

3. "News IS" not "news ARE." Same for mathematics, physics, economics, the United States. The -s ending tricks students into using plural verbs.

4. "Along with" does NOT make a compound subject. "He, along with his friends, was invited" — NOT "were invited." Only "and" creates a true compound subject.

5. "Many a student HAS" not "have." Despite meaning "many students," the phrase "many a" grammatically takes a singular verb.

Question Pattern Recognition

• "each" / "every" / "everyone" / "nobody" as subject → Singular verb.
• "either...or" / "neither...nor" → Look at the subject NEAREST to the verb.
• "along with" / "together with" / "as well as" in the sentence → Ignore it. Match verb to the FIRST subject.
• "A number of" vs "The number of" → A = plural verb, The = singular verb.
• Subject looks plural but ends in -s (news, mathematics, physics) → Check if it's uncountable → singular.
• Amount/distance/time as subject → Usually singular.