Subject-Verb Agreement - Grammar

AMA Manual of Style - Stacy L. Christiansen, Cheryl Iverson 2020

Subject-Verb Agreement
Grammar

The subject and verb must agree in number; use a singular subject with a singular verb and a plural subject with a plural verb. Unfortunately, this rule is often broken, especially in complex sentences.

7.5.1 Intervening Phrase.

Plural nouns take plural verbs and singular nouns take singular verbs, even if a phrase ending in a plural noun follows a singular subject or if a phrase ending in a singular noun follows a plural subject.

A review of all patients with grade 3 tumors was undertaken in the university hospital. [The subject in this sentence is review. Ignore all modifying prepositional phrases that follow a noun when determining verb agreement.]

Avoid:

The patient, one of many study participants given access to state-of-the-art medical care from the university’s clinical researchers, were followed up for more than a year. [The verb should be was followed up—the subject is patient.]

Sometimes the simplest solution is to rewrite it as 2 separate sentences:

Better:

The patient was followed up for more than a year. She was one of many study participants given access to state-of-the-art medical care with the university’s clinical researchers.

If the intervening phrase is introduced by with, together with, as well as, along with, in addition to, or similar constructions, the singular verb is preferred if the subject is singular because the intervening phrase does not affect the singularity of the subject.

The editor, as well as the reviewers, believes that this article is ready for acceptance.

The patient, together with her physician and her family, makes this decision.

The patient, as well as her parents, was anxious. (Better: The patient and her parents were anxious.)

The investigator, in addition to all participants, was expected to abide by the institution’s safety guidelines.

In these instances, recasting the sentence may eliminate confusion.

The patient, physician, and family members make this decision together.

7.5.2 False Singulars.

A few plural nouns are used so often in the singular that they are often paired with a singular verb.

The agenda has been set for our next meeting.

Frequently treated erroneously in this way are the plurals bacteria, criteria, phenomena, and memoranda. The distinction between singular and plural, however, should be retained; when the singular is intended, use bacterium, criterion, phenomenon, and memorandum.

The word data has engendered debate regarding singular vs plural presentation. The JAMA Network journals prefer to retain the use of the plural verb with data in all situations.

Very few data were [not very little data was] available to support our hypothesis.

The data show an association rather than causation, and other biases may have contributed directly or indirectly.

However, many resources now accept the use of data as singular.4,5 In this usage, data is thought of as a collective noun and, when considered as a unit rather than as the individual items of data that compose it, it takes the singular verb.

The word media in the sense of communications media is becoming acceptable in this collective usage, although its use in this sense has not yet reached the acceptability that agenda has gained.4,5 Most scientific journals retain the distinction between singular and plural.

The media give much attention to the managed care debate. [Here media refers to all types of news coverage.]

After publication, the article was widely cited on Twitter and other social media sites.

In the sense of laboratory culture or radiographic contrast, medium should be used for the singular and media for the plural.

Contrast medium is a dye injected into the vein to enhance visualization of organs, arteries, or veins during radiography.

(See 9.9, False Singulars.)

7.5.3 False Plurals.

Some nouns, by virtue of ending in a “plural” -s form, are mistakenly taken to be plurals even though they should be treated as singular and take a singular verb (eg, genetics, mathematics, measles, mumps, statistics) (see 9.9, False Singulars).

Genetics includes the study of heredity and variation of inherited characteristics.

Statistics is not my forte.

Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000.

7.5.4 Parenthetical Plurals.

When -s or -es is added parenthetically to a word to express the possibility of a plural, the verb should be singular. However, in most instances it is preferable to avoid this construction and use the plural noun instead.

Acceptable:

The risk factor(s) of each study participant was not always clear.

Better:

The risk factors of the study participants were not always clear.

7.5.5 Collective Nouns.

A collective noun is one that names more than 1 person, place, or thing. When the group is regarded as a unit, the singular verb is the appropriate choice (see 9.2, Collective Nouns).

The couple has a practice in rural Montana. [Couple is considered a unit here and so takes the singular verb.]

Twenty percent of her time is spent on administration. [Twenty percent is thought of as a unit, not as 20 individual units, and so takes the singular verb.]

The paramedic crew responds to these emergency calls. [Crew is thought of as a unit here and so takes the singular verb.]

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is evaluating grant applications for next year’s funding. [The NIH comprises 27 institutes and centers, but in this case it is considered a single entity.]

When the individual members of the pair or group are emphasized, rather than the group as a whole, the plural verb is correct.

The couple are both family physicians. [Couple is thought of as the 2 individuals who compose the couple, not as a unit, and so takes the plural verb.]

Ten percent of the staff work flexible hours. [Ten percent is thought of as being composed of the individual members of the staff, not the staff as a unit, and so takes the plural verb.]

The surgical faculty were from all over the country. [Faculty here refers to the individual members of the faculty, rather than to the faculty as a group, and so takes the plural verb.]

The use of a phrase such as “the members of” may make this last example less jarring.

The members of the surgical faculty were from all over the country.

7.5.6 Compound Subject.

When 2 words or 2 groups of words, usually joined by and or or, are the subject of the sentence, either the singular or plural verb form may be appropriate, depending on whether the words joined are singular or plural and on the connector used.

7.5.6.1 Compound Subject Joined by and.

With a compound subject joined by and, a plural verb is usually correct.

The nurse and the physician are discussing my case.

A singular verb should be used if the 2 elements are thought of as a unit:

Dilation and curettage was suggested.

or refer to the same person or thing:

The first author and principal investigator takes responsibility for the data analysis.

7.5.6.2 Compound Subject Joined by or or nor.

With a compound subject joined by or or nor, the plural verb is correct if both elements are plural; if both elements are singular, the singular verb is correct. When one is singular and one is plural, the verb should agree with the noun closer to the verb.

Both plural:

Neither staphylococci nor streptococci were responsible for the infection.

Both singular:

Neither a false-positive result nor a false-negative result is definitive.

Mixed:

Neither the physicians nor the hospital was responsible for the loss.

7.5.7 Shift in Number of Subject and Resultant Subject-Verb Disagreement.

Elliptical constructions involve omission of the auxiliary verb because it is understood.

Her cholesterol levels were measured and her vital signs recorded.

The patient was examined and admitted.

This construction should not be used (ie, the auxiliary verb should not be omitted) if the number of the subject changes.

Incorrect:

Her tests were run and her chart updated.

Correct:

Her tests were run and her chart was updated.

Incorrect:

The diagnosis was made and physical therapy sessions begun.

Correct:

The diagnosis was made and physical therapy sessions were begun. or The diagnosis was made and physical therapy begun.

7.5.8 Subject and Predicate Noun Differ in Number.

A predicate noun is the complement of a subject; it identifies, describes, or renames the subject. When the subject and predicate noun differ in number, follow the number of the subject in selecting the singular or plural verb form.

Incorrect:

The most significant factor that affected the study results were interhospital variations in severity of illness.

Correct:

The most significant factor that affected the study results was interhospital variations in severity of illness.

Avoid this by rephrasing:

Study results were most affected by interhospital variations in severity of illness.

7.5.9 Every and Many a.

When every or many a is used before a word or series of words, use the singular verb form.

Many a clinician does not understand statistics. (Better: Many clinicians do not understand statistics.)

Every issue profiles a leader in medicine.

7.5.10 One of Those.

In clauses that follow one of those, either the plural or singular may be correct.

Dr Cotter is one of those researchers who prefer the library to the laboratory.

The nurse is one of those people who work tirelessly for others.

Unless one of those forms is completed, she cannot join the practice.

7.5.11 Number.

The number is singular and a number of is plural (see 7.5.5, Collective Nouns).

The number that responded was surprising.

A number of respondents were concerned about adverse effects.

The same is true for the total and a total of.