Subject-Verb Agreement in Academic Writing: Rules and Examples Across Disciplines

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Key Takeaways

• A verb agrees with its true subject in number, not with the closest noun or with any phrase that sits between them.
• Compound subjects joined by “and” are usually plural, while subjects joined by “or” or “nor” agree with the nearer subject.
• Indefinite pronouns, collective nouns, Latin plurals such as data and criteria, and quantifiers cause most academic errors, so treat them as checkpoints.
• When meaning and grammar seem to pull in different directions, decide whether the group acts as one unit or as separate members, then match the verb.

Contents

• What Is Subject-Verb Agreement in Academic Writing?
• Why Does Subject-Verb Agreement Matter in Scholarly Writing?
• Core Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement
• How Do Intervening Phrases Affect the Verb?
• Indefinite Pronouns and Verb Agreement
• Collective Nouns in Academic Writing
• How Do You Handle Data, Criteria, and Latin Plurals?
• Quantifiers, Fractions, and Measurements
• Which Subjects Commonly Cause Agreement Errors?
• Discipline-Specific Agreement Challenges
• Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
• A Quick Reference Checklist
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement is the rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. In a research paper or dissertation, that matching keeps dense sentences readable.

Academic sentences often stretch across long noun phrases, citations, and qualifications, so the subject and its verb can sit far apart. The agreement rule stays the same no matter how much text separates them.

Subject number	Verb example	Sample sentence
Singular	shows	The dataset shows a clear seasonal pattern.
Plural	show	The datasets show a clear seasonal pattern.
Singular	is	This finding is consistent with earlier work.
Plural	are	These findings are consistent with earlier work.

Why Does Subject-Verb Agreement Matter in Scholarly Writing?

Subject-verb agreement matters because a mismatched verb signals carelessness to reviewers and can blur the exact claim a study is making. Precision in number is part of precision in argument, so editors treat these errors as substantive, not cosmetic.

• Credibility: reviewers and examiners often read agreement slips as a sign of hurried or unedited work.
• Clarity: the verb tells the reader whether one result or many results are under discussion.
• Consistency: journals apply house styles for tricky nouns such as data, and consistent agreement helps you meet them.

Core Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement

The four rules below cover most academic sentences. Each rule is followed by examples drawn from several fields so you can see the same pattern across disciplines.

Rule 1: Singular Subjects Take Singular Verbs

A singular subject pairs with a singular verb, which in the present tense usually carries a final “s.”

• Biology: The cell divides during mitosis.
• Economics: This model predicts a rise in aggregate demand.
• History: The manuscript reveals a shift in public sentiment.
• Law: The statute requires written consent from both parties.

Rule 2: Plural Subjects Take Plural Verbs

A plural subject pairs with the base form of the verb, without the final “s.”

• Chemistry: These compounds react at high temperatures.
• Sociology: The variables correlate with household income.
• Literature: The later poems explore themes of exile and return.
• Engineering: The beams deform under sustained load.

Rule 3: Compound Subjects Joined by “And”

Two subjects joined by “and” usually form a plural subject and take a plural verb. The exception is when the two nouns name a single idea or unit, which stays singular.

• Physics: Mass and velocity determine the kinetic energy of the object.
• Psychology: Anxiety and depression frequently co-occur in low-income postpartum women.
• Medicine (single unit): Trial and error remains a common approach in early dosing.  (one combined idea, so singular)
• Nutrition (single unit): Bread and butter was the most frequently chosen option by the survey respondents.  (treated as one dish, so singular)

Rule 4: Subjects Joined by “Or” or “Nor”

When subjects are joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it. Reordering the subjects can therefore change the verb.

• Statistics: Neither the mean nor the medians reflect the true skew.  (“medians” is nearer and plural)
• Chemistry: Either the samples or the reagent is contaminated.  (“reagent” is nearer and singular)
• Education: Neither the teachers nor the principal was informed.  (“principal” is nearer and singular)

How Do Intervening Phrases Affect the Verb?

Intervening phrases do not change the verb: the verb still agrees with the true subject, not with any noun that sits between the subject and the verb. The trick is to mentally delete the phrase and find the head noun.

These phrases usually begin with “of,” “with,” “along with,” “as well as,” or “including.” A noun inside them can look like the subject even though it is not.

Full subject phrase	True subject	Correct verb
The results of the experiment	results (plural)	support the hypothesis
The list of references	list (singular)	includes recent work
The impact of rising temperatures	impact (singular)	remains severe
The professor, along with her students,	professor (singular)	attends the seminar

Note that “along with,” “as well as,” and “together with” do not create a compound subject, so they do not make a singular subject plural.

Indefinite Pronouns and Verb Agreement

Indefinite pronouns fall into three groups: always singular, always plural, and variable. Sorting a pronoun into the right group settles the verb quickly.

Group	Members	Verb
Always singular	each, every, either, neither, one, everyone, someone, anybody, nobody	singular
Always plural	both, few, many, several, others	plural
Variable	some, any, all, none, most, more	matches the noun of reference

Examples of Indefinite Pronoun Agreement

• Public Health: Each of the participants receives a consent form.
• Political Science: Everyone in the electorate has a single vote.
• Ecology: Several of the transects show erosion.
• Data Science: Most of the data are missing for the third wave.  (“data” is plural here)
• Philosophy: Most of the argument rests on a single premise.  (“argument” is singular here)

Collective Nouns in Academic Writing

Collective nouns name a group as a single unit. In US English, they usually take a singular verb when the group acts as one body, and a plural verb only when members act individually.

• Common collective nouns include committee, team, cohort, faculty, jury, population, government, and majority.

Sentence	Sense	Verb
The committee approves the revised protocol.	acting as one unit	singular
The faculty disagree among themselves about the syllabus.	acting as individuals	plural
The research team meets every Monday.	acting as one unit	singular
The jury are divided over the verdict.	acting as individuals	plural

If the plural sense feels awkward, adding a plural noun keeps it smooth, for example “the faculty members disagree.”

How Do You Handle Data, Criteria, and Latin Plurals?

In formal academic writing, treat data, criteria, and phenomena as plural, and use their singular forms datum, criterion, and phenomenon for a single item. Some fields now accept “data” as a singular mass noun, so follow your target journal’s style.

Singular	Plural	Plural-verb example
datum	data	The data indicate a positive trend.
criterion	criteria	The criteria are listed in Table 1.
phenomenon	phenomena	These phenomena remain poorly understood.
analysis	analyses	The analyses converge on one estimate.

More Latin and Greek Plurals to Watch

• Hypothesis becomes hypotheses: “The hypotheses are tested in Section 4.”
• Medium becomes media: “The culture media are prepared fresh.” (biology sense)
• Bacterium becomes bacteria: “The bacteria grow rapidly at 37 degrees.”
• Matrix becomes matrices: “The matrices are singular in this case.”
• Thesis becomes theses: “Both theses argue for the same reform.”

Quantifiers, Fractions, and Measurements

With fractions and percentages, the verb follows the noun that the fraction refers to. With measurements treated as a single amount, the verb is singular.

Fractions and Percentages

• Demography: Two-thirds of the sample was female.  (“sample” is singular)
• Demography: Two-thirds of the respondents were female.  (“respondents” is plural)
• Finance: Forty percent of the portfolio is held in bonds.  (“portfolio” is singular)
• Finance: Forty percent of the assets are held in bonds.  (“assets” is plural)

Measurements as a Single Unit

• Chemistry: Ten milliliters of solution was added to each flask.  (one measured amount)
• Research design: Five years is the full study period.  (one span of time)

“A Number Of” Versus “The Number Of”

“A number of” is plural, while “the number of” is singular. This pair trips up many writers, so memorize it as a set.

• Epidemiology: A number of studies confirm the association.
• Epidemiology: The number of studies is increasing each year.

Which Subjects Commonly Cause Agreement Errors?

The subjects that cause the most errors are expletive openings with “there,” the titles of works, and field names ending in “-ics.” Each looks ambiguous, so writers guess the number instead of testing it.

Expletive “There Is” and “There Are”

In sentences beginning with “there,” the verb agrees with the noun that follows it.

• Methodology: There are several limitations to this design.
• Methodology: There is one notable exception to the pattern.

Titles of Works Are Singular

A title names one work, so it takes a singular verb even when it contains plural words.

• Literature: Great Expectations remains a set text in many courses.
• Political Science: “Two Treatises of Government” is often cited on consent.

Fields Ending in “-ics”

Names of disciplines such as economics, statistics, and physics take a singular verb as a field, but a plural verb when they mean individual figures or measures.

• Economics: Economics is a required first-year course.  (the field, singular)
• Statistics: The statistics are misleading without context.  (the figures, plural)

Discipline-Specific Agreement Challenges

Different fields lean on different tricky nouns. The groupings below show where each discipline most often needs a second look.

Sciences and Engineering

• Latin plurals dominate: data, media, bacteria, and phenomena all take plural verbs in formal use.
• “Species” and “series” keep the same form in singular and plural, so let the context set the verb: “One species is endangered” versus “Several species are endangered.”
• Measured quantities act as one unit: “Twenty grams was weighed out.”

Social Sciences

• Collective nouns are frequent: population, cohort, sample, and majority usually take singular verbs in US English.
• Percentages and proportions follow their reference noun, as in the demography examples above.
• “A number of participants” is plural, so “a number of participants report fatigue” is correct.

Humanities

• Titles of books, plays, and films are singular even when plural in form.
• Abstract mass nouns such as “evidence,” “scholarship,” and “literature” are singular: “The scholarship on this poem is extensive.”
• A “body of work” is singular: “Her body of work spans three decades.”

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

The table pairs a frequent error with its correction and the rule that applies. Scan it before you submit any manuscript.

Incorrect	Correct	Rule in play
The results of the study supports the claim.	The results of the study support the claim.	intervening phrase
The data is inconclusive.	The data are inconclusive.	Latin plural (formal use)
Each of the samples were tested.	Each of the samples was tested.	indefinite pronoun
A number of factors influences the outcome.	A number of factors influence the outcome.	a number of is plural
Neither the authors nor the editor agree.	Neither the authors nor the editor agrees.	nearer subject is singular

A Quick Reference Checklist

Run through these questions when a verb looks uncertain.

• Have I found the true subject and ignored any phrase beginning with “of,” “with,” or “as well as”?
• Is the subject joined by “and” (usually plural) or by “or” or “nor” (agrees with the nearer subject)?
• Is the pronoun always singular, always plural, or variable by reference?
• Does the collective noun act as one unit or as separate members?
• Am I treating data, criteria, and phenomena the way my target journal requires?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is “data” singular or plural in academic writing?

In formal academic writing, “data” is usually plural, so you write “the data are.” Many journals in the sciences and social sciences prefer this, though some house styles now accept “data” as a singular mass noun, giving “the data is.” Check your target journal and stay consistent.

Do you say “the number of studies is” or “are”?

You say “the number of studies is,” because “the number of” is singular. By contrast, “a number of” is plural, so “a number of studies are” is correct. Keeping the two phrases separate in your memory prevents the most common slip.

Which verb form follows collective nouns like “committee” or “team”?

In US English, a collective noun such as “committee” or “team” usually takes a singular verb, since the group acts as one unit: “the team meets weekly.” Use a plural verb only when members act individually, and even then a plural noun often reads more smoothly.

How do you handle subject-verb agreement with “each of the” and “one of the”?

Both “each of the” and “one of the” take a singular verb, because “each” and “one” are the true singular subjects: “each of the samples was tested” and “one of the results is unexpected.” The plural noun after “of” is not the subject, so ignore it when choosing the verb.

Should “none” take a singular or plural verb?

“None” can take either, depending on the noun it refers to. Use a singular verb for uncountable or single references, as in “none of the evidence is conclusive,” and a plural verb for countable references, as in “none of the participants were excluded.” Match the sense you intend.

Why do intervening phrases cause subject-verb agreement mistakes?

Intervening phrases cause mistakes because the noun closest to the verb is often not the real subject, and writers unconsciously match the verb to it. Deleting the phrase, usually one starting with “of” or “with,” exposes the true subject and fixes the agreement.

Is “criteria” singular or plural in a research paper?

“Criteria” is plural, and its singular form is “criterion.” So you write “the criteria are listed below” for several standards and “one criterion is decisive” for a single standard. Using “criteria” as a singular is a frequent and easily caught error.

How do percentages and fractions affect subject-verb agreement?

With percentages and fractions, the verb follows the noun that the amount refers to. “Sixty percent of the sample is female” is singular because “sample” is singular, while “sixty percent of the students are enrolled” is plural because “students” is plural. Locate the reference noun first, then choose the verb.