Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

1. When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.
Example: she and her friends are
2. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or or nor, use a singular verb.
Example:the book or the pen is
3. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearer the verb.
Examples:
the boy or his friends run
his friends or the boy runs
4. Doesn't is a contraction of does not and should be used only with a singular subject. Don't is a contraction of do not and should be used only with a plural subject.
Example:
he doesn't
they don't
5. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb. The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.
Example:
one of the boxes is
the people who listen to that music are,
the team captain, as well as his players, is
the book, including all the chapters in the first section, is
the woman with all the dogs walks
6. The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, no one are singular and require a singular verb.
Example:
each one of these hot dogs is
everybody knows
either is
7. Nouns such as civic, dollars, mathematics, measles, and news require singular verbs.
Example: the news is boring
8. Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs. (There are two parts to these things.)

9. In sentences beginning with there is or there are, the subject follows the verb. Since there is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows.

Example:
there are many questions
there is a question
10. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but that are considered singular and take a singular verb, such as: group, team, committee, class, family, etc. In a very few cases, the plural verb is used if the individuals in the group are thought of and specifically referred to.
Example:
the team runs
the committee decides
the family has (But, -- My family have never been able to agree.)
11. Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition to, or as well as do not change the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb is too.

12. Sentences beginning with there are are usually in inverted order. Be sure the verb agrees with the subject. There is never a subject of the sentence in the true sense of the word.