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Definition of 'assignment'

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Definition of assignment

task , duty , job , chore , stint , assignment mean a piece of work to be done.

task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

Examples of assignment in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assignment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

see assign entry 1

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing assignment

• self - assignment

Dictionary Entries Near assignment

Cite this entry.

“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assignment. Accessed 11 Apr. 2024.

Legal Definition

Legal definition of assignment, more from merriam-webster on assignment.

Nglish: Translation of assignment for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of assignment for Arabic Speakers

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Meaning of assignment – Learner’s Dictionary

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(Definition of assignment from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of assignment

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a type of singing in which four, usually male, voices in close combination perform popular romantic songs, especially from the 1920s and 1930s

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Word parts [ change ]

assign  +  -ment

Pronunciation [ change ]

• ( US ) IPA ( key ) : /əˈsʌɪnm(ə)nt/

Noun [ change ]

• ( countable ) An assignment is a task that is given to somebody for them to complete . The teacher gave Joe an assignment to complete while he is away on vacation.

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• Terms suffixed with -ment
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• Writing Tips

Grammar Tips: Subject–Verb Agreement

4-minute read

• 10th January 2017

An important part of writing a grammatical sentence is making sure that the subject and verb in a sentence agree. In the following, we’ll take a look at some of the basics.

The Basics of Subject–Verb Agreement

In the present tense, subject–verb agreement requires using singular verbs with singular subjects and plural verbs with plural subjects. In this context, the “subject” is the person or thing in the sentence performing the action, while the verb is the action being performed:

In the simple past tense, though, there’s usually no difference between singular and plural verbs:

Compound Subjects

Subject–verb agreement becomes more complicated when using a compound subject . When two subjects are joined with the coordinating conjunction “and,” we always use a plural verb:

Bob and Cheryl are going to the game.

However, when using “either/or” or “neither/nor,” whether to use a singular or plural verb depends on the noun nearest to it:

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Singular: Either the girls or the boy is going to the game.

Plural: Neither the boy nor the girls are going to the game.

In the above, we use the singular “is” when the singular noun “boy” comes after “or,” but the plural verb “are” when the plural noun “girls” comes last.

Parenthetical Statements

One common mistake with subject–verb agreement occurs when a parenthetical statement appears between the subject and the verb:

The man, in the company of his dog, goes for a walk.

Here, we use the singular verb “goes” because the dog is part of a parenthetical clause (i.e., within commas), not part of the sentence subject.

If we rephrased this so that the dog was part of a compound subject, we would use the plural verb “go” instead:

The man and his dog go for a walk.

But when an additional person or thing is mentioned parenthetically, the verb should always agree with the subject of the main clause.

Collective and Mass Nouns

Another potential confusion relates to the use of collective nouns . In American English, collective nouns (i.e., nouns that refer to a group of things) typically require a singular verb. However, you can use a plural verb with a collective noun if the members of the group are acting as separate individuals:

Acting Together: The team is playing to win!

Acting Separately: The team are arguing with each other.

Here, we use the singular verb “is” to describe a team that is working together. But we use the plural verb “are” when the players are acting as individuals.

Mass (or “non-count”) nouns are similar, since they take singular verbs despite referring to a mass substance (e.g., “milk” or “sand”):

The milk is going sour.

The sand stretches on for miles.

Here, it doesn’t matter how much we’re discussing (e.g., a small or large amount of souring milk), we always use the singular  form.

Some Exceptions

As usual in English, there are exceptions to the rules above. The first-person “I” and the singular second-person “you,” for example, reverse the usual rules in the present tense (e.g., we say “I sing” not “I sings,” even though “I” is singular and “sing” is usually a plural verb).

Auxiliary (or “helper”) verbs (e.g., “is”/“are” or “has”/“have”) also cause trouble, since they often change depending on whether the subject is singular or plural when using a past participle (e.g., “The boy has finished his homework” vs. “The boys have finished their homework”).

And since the rules do vary depending on how a sentence is constructed, it pays to be careful with subject–verb agreement! Having your work proofread is a good idea if you’re not confident about this aspect of grammar.

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The names of sports teams that do not end in "s" will take a plural verb: the Miami Heat have been looking … , The Connecticut Sun are hoping that new talent … . See the section on plurals for help with this problem.

The ALF Guide

This site is designed for the best viewing experience on a tablet or larger device. It will not display properly on a phone. please try turning your tablet sideways for landscape mode to access the toolkit, otherwise you can download and view a PDF of the content via the link below.

Copyright © Monash University (2017). All rights reserved. Except as provided in the Copyright Act 1968, this work may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of English Connect web administrator. Material created by Dr Anna Podorova, Ms Julia Ghazarian and Dr Amber McLeod.

Why is it important to understand singular and plural word forms?

Variation in formation of regular plural noun forms

In English, there are many nouns which do not follow the regular pattern of forming singular or plural. Some words such as university subjects or activities may look plural but are used as a singular nouns. For example:

The news about university rankings was in all Australian newspapers. Maths (=mathematics) is a challenging subject.

Exceptions in formation of plural noun forms: plural-looking nouns

Exceptions in formation of plural noun forms: Latin and other foreign origins

Examples: Based on this specific criterion , researchers differentiate between native and non-native speakers of English. Success criteria for such programs vary across the sector.

Exceptions in formation of singular and plural noun forms: always plural

Exceptions in formation of singular and plural noun forms: uncountable nouns

Avoiding common mistakes with plural and singular forms: subject-verb agreement

Avoiding mistakes with plural and singular forms: subject-verb agreement (continued)

Copyright © Monash University (2017).

Example from a student assignment – read through this paragraph looking for mistakes with plural and singular forms

For hundreds of years people have attempted to invent a perfect language. Recently, there have been a discussion on the nature and significances of such attempts. Inventors of such languages pursue different purposes: some want to produce an inherently logical language systems, others seek to develop neutral languages, free of ideology and culture, to be used in world communication (Lo Bianco, 2004). Out of hundreds of invented languages just a few are well-known. The most prominent of them all is, perhaps, Esperanto.

Reference: Lo Bianco, J. (2004). Resources for cultural language learning . Melbourne: CAE Press, Language Australia.

For explanation, click on the underlined text

For hundreds of years people have attempted to invent a perfect language. Recently, there have been a discussion on the nature and significances of such attempts. Inventors of such languages pursue different purposes: some want to produce an inherently logical language systems , others seek to develop neutral languages, free of ideology and culture, to be used in world communication (Lo Bianco, 2004). Out of hundreds of invented languages just a few are well-known. The most prominent of them all is, perhaps, Esperanto.

Suggested revision

For hundreds of years people have attempted to invent a perfect language. Recently, there has been a discussion on the nature and significance of such attempts. Inventors of such languages pursue different purposes: some want to produce an inherently logical language system , others seek to develop neutral languages, free of ideology and culture, to be used in world communication (Lo Bianco, 2004). Out of hundreds of invented languages just a few are well-known. The most prominent of them all is, perhaps, Esperanto.

Apply what you have learnt in this module and click on the correct option(s) below

Useful links on plural and singular forms

Module 5: Subject/Verb agreement, ASCENT, Monash University Count and uncount nouns, Purdue Online Writing Lab Making subjects and verbs agree, Purdue Online Writing Lab Nouns, singular and plural, from English Grammar Today, Cambridge University Press Uncountable nouns, English Club

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Who can help with English at Monash? LearnHQ consultations - support from a SAS learning advisor English Connect - improving conversational English and presentation skills

Resources – grammar books

Azar, B. S. & Hagen, S.A. (2009). Understanding and using English grammar (4th ed.). USA: Pearson Longman. Borjars, K. & Burridge, K. Introducing English grammar (2nd ed.). London: Hodder Education. Foley, M. & Hall, D. (2012). MyGrammarLab (Advanced) . England: Pearson. Hewings, M. (2012). Advanced grammar in use: a reference and practice book for advanced students of English (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Murphy, R. (2011). English Grammar in Use (Intermediate) (3 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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Definition of assign verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

• 3 [ usually passive ] assign somebody to somebody/something to send a person to work under the authority of someone or in a particular group I was assigned to B platoon.
• 4 to say that something has a particular value or function, or happens at a particular time or place assign something to something Assign a different color to each different type of information. assign something sth The painting cannot be assigned an exact date.
• 5 assign something to somebody ( law ) to say that your property or rights now belong to someone else The agreement assigns copyright to the publisher. She has assigned the lease to her daughter.

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

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Ever get "subject/verb agreement" as an error on a paper? This handout will help you understand this common grammar problem.

This handout gives you several guidelines to help your 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.

2. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or or nor , use a singular verb.

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.

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. The exception to this rule appears in the case of the first person and second person pronouns I and you . With these pronouns, the contraction don't should be used.

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.

6. The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a singular verb.

7. Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require singular verbs.

Note: The word dollars is a special case. When talking about an amount of money, it requires a singular verb, but when referring to the dollars themselves, a plural verb is required.

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.

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, and family.

This sentence is referring to the individual efforts of each crew member. The Gregg Reference Manual provides excellent explanations of subject-verb agreement (section 10: 1001).

11. Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb is too.

is   Plural

• is   Plural Dictionary
• Plural Rules

Is assignment plural

Assignment is plural both plural and singular singular both plural and singular plural singular singular plural both plural and singular .

The plural plural plural plural plural singular singular singular singular of assignment is assignments .

How to say assignment: How to pronounce assignment

How to say assignments: How to pronounce assignments

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Not sure why assignment is plural both singular both plural singular singular plural both ?   Contact Us !   We'll explain.

1.  What makes words plural? 2.  What makes a word singular? 3.  How to make acronyms plural.

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“Is” vs. “Are”: What’s The Difference?

• When To Use Is Or Are
• There Is Vs. There Are
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The words is and are are forms of the verb be , the most commonly used verb in English. Because they’re used so frequently, it’s important to know the grammatical and functional difference.

In this article, we’ll explain the difference between is and are , show how to use them properly in sentences, and point out some tricky situations that may lead to confusion about which word is the correct choice.

⚡ Quick summary

Is and are are both forms of the verb be . Is is the third person singular present tense form. Are is the present tense form used with the second person singular and all plurals. The subject of a sentence determines whether is or are should be used. For example, is is used with the pronouns he , she , and it ; are is used with the pronouns you and they .

When to use is or are

The words is and are are forms of the irregular verb be . Is is the third person singular present tense form. Are is the second person singular and the first, second, and third person plural present tense form.

Verbs are typically considered to be irregular verbs if their past tense form and/or past participle are not formed by adding -ed or -d to the end of their root form. This is the case with be , as its past tense forms are was / were and its past participle is been .

Be is an especially odd case of an irregular verb as it changes considerably when conjugated into its different forms (conjugation involves changes based on the subject and tense of the sentence). The verb be is conjugated as follows:

• be : root/infinitive Example: I’d like to be helpful.
• am : first person singular present tense Example: I am helpful.
• is : third person singular present tense Example: She is helpful, and he is , too.
• are : second person singular, all plurals present tense Example: They are both helpful .
• was : first and third person singular past tense Example: He was helpful yesterday .
• were : second person singular and all plurals past tense Example: They were both helpful yesterday .
• been : past participle Example: She has been helpful, and they have been helpful, too.
• being : present participle and gerund Example: You are being helpful . (present participle)

If you’re confused about the past tense forms of be , check out our guide to the difference between was vs. were .

Back to the present tense. The word is is a present tense verb used with a third person singular subject, which typically includes every noun/pronoun that isn’t the pronoun I or you .

For example:

• The house is old.
• She is a carpenter.

The word are is a present tense verb used with a second person singular subject or any plural subject. For example:

• You are my best friend.
• Gorillas are intelligent animals.

Are is always used with the pronoun they , regardless of whether it’s used as a plural or singular pronoun.

Sentences that use the pronoun you can be confusing, since both the singular and plural you use are . In these cases, you’ll need to rely on context to determine whether the word you is singular or plural. For example:

• You are a hard worker. ( You here is singular—indicated by the singular a hard worker .)
• You are the first guests to arrive. ( You here is plural—indicated by the plural guests .)

As with all other verbs, you need to follow subject-verb agreement when using the forms is and are . You’ll need to be careful when dealing with confusing sentences that use collective verbs, units of measurement, names of diseases, or other tricky parts of speech. For example:

• The colony of ants is underground. (The verb is agrees with the subject, the collective noun colony .)
• Three hundred years is a long time. (The verb is agrees with the subject Three hundred years because it is considered a period of time, rather than a plural quantity of something.)
• Shingles is a disease that affects many people. (The verb is agrees with the subject Shingles , which is treated as singular even though it sounds like a plural noun.)

You can learn about many more confusing instances of subject-verb agreement—and how to handle them—right here .

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there is vs. there are

In the phrases there is and there are , the word there serves as a pronoun that introduces a sentence or clause in which the verb comes before its subject or has no complement . Whether is or are should be used is determined by the noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that follows—specifically whether it is singular or plural.

• There is a fly in my soup.
• There are several flies in my soup .

Because fly is singular, is is used. Because several flies is plural, are is used.

Here’s a tip: if you’re confused about whether you should use is or are after there , swap there with the noun or noun phrase that follows the verb. Seeing the sentences in traditional subject-verb order can help to clarify what form should be used. For example:

• A fly is in my soup.
• Several flies are in my soup .

Examples of is and are used in a sentence

Let’s look at some examples—including some tricky ones—that show the different ways that we use is and are in sentences.

• Sally is five years old.
• Ben and Jerry are ice cream legends.
• Cats is my favorite musical.
• That box of chocolates is empty.
• The rules by which the game is meant to be conducted are not written down.
• Each quest to search for lost artifacts is more exciting than the last.
• The deadly bacteria are sealed in an airtight container.
• Mathematics is my favorite subject.

See how much you have learned with our quiz

To be or not to be a pro at using is or are , that is the question you can answer by taking our  quiz on these two forms of the verb be . You may surprise yourself with what you’ve learned!

What should you say: "It is I" or "It's me"?

Ways To Say

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13.3: Subject-Verb Agreement

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Introduction

Subject-verb agreement errors are common, and correcting them will do a lot to improve the writer's professional or academic credibility and make a good impression on readers.

To correct such an error, we first need to identify the subject and verb . Every complete sentence, and indeed every complete thought, has a subject and a verb at its heart.

Identifying subjects

The subject, or what the sentence is about, usually appears at the beginning of a sentence as a noun or a pronoun . A noun is a word that identifies a person, place, thing, or idea. A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun. Common pronouns are I , he , she , it , you , they , and we . In the sentences below, the subjects are in bold.

Compound subjects

A sentence may have more than one person, place, or thing as the subject. These subjects are called compound subjects. Compound subjects are useful when you want to discuss several subjects at once. In the following examples, "Desmond and Maria" and "Books, magazines and online articles" are compound subjects.

• Desmond and Maria have been working on that design for almost a year.
• Books, magazines, and online articles are all good resources.

Prepositional phrases

You will often read a sentence that has more than one noun or pronoun in it. You may encounter a group of words that includes a preposition with a noun or a pronoun. Prepositions connect a noun, pronoun, or verb to another word that describes or modifies that noun, pronoun, or verb. Common prepositions include in, on, under, near, by, with, and about. A group of words that begin with a preposition is called a prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and modifies or describes a word. It cannot act as the subject of a sentence. The following example includes the prepositional phrases "on a business trip," "with the famous pizza," "on the way" and "for lunch."  

We went on a business trip .  That restaurant with the famous pizza was on the way . We stopped for lunch .

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Identify the subjects and the prepositional phrases in the following sentences. 

• The gym is open until nine o’clock tonight.
• We went to the store to get some ice.
• The student with the most extra credit will win a homework pass.
• Maya and Tia found an abandoned cat by the side of the road.
• The driver of that pickup truck skidded on the ice.
• Anita won the race with time to spare.
• The people who work for that company were surprised about the merger.
• Working in haste means that you are more likely to make mistakes.
• The soundtrack has over sixty songs in languages from around the world.
• His latest invention does not work, but it has inspired the rest of us.

Identifying verbs

Once you locate the subject of a sentence, you can move on to the next part of a complete sentence: the verb. A verb is often an action word that shows what the subject is doing. A verb can also link the subject to a describing word. There are three types of verbs that you can use in a sentence: action verbs, linking verbs, or helping verbs.

Action verbs

A verb that connects the subject to an action is called an action verb. An action verb answers the question "What is the subject doing?" The following sentences include the action verbs  barked  and gave .

• The dog barked at the jogger.
• He gave a short speech before we ate.

Linking verbs

A verb can often connect the subject of the sentence to a describing word. This type of verb is called a linking verb because it links the subject to a describing word. The following sentences include the linking verbs  was  and seemed .

• The coat was old and dirty.
• The clock seemed broken.

If you have trouble telling the difference between action verbs and linking verbs, remember that an action verb shows that the subject is doing something, whereas a linking verb simply connects the subject to another word that describes or modifies the subject. A few verbs can be used as either action verbs or linking verbs. In the following examples, the verb  looked is paired with the subject  boy , in one case as an action verb and in the other as a linking verb.

• Action Verb : The boy looked for his glove.
• Linking Verb : The boy looked tired.

Although both sentences start with the same words, the two sentences have completely different meanings. In the first sentence, the verb describes the boy’s action. In the second sentence, the verb describes the boy’s appearance.

Helping verbs

A third type of verb is a helping verb. Helping verbs are used with the main verb to describe a mood or verb tense. Helping verbs are usually a form of be , do , or have . The word can is also used as a helping verb. In the following examples,  is, does, have , and can are helping verbs and known, speak up, seen , and tell are action verbs.

• The restaurant is known for its variety of dishes.
• She does speak up when prompted in class.
• We have seen that movie three times.
• She can tell when someone walks on her lawn.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Find the verbs in the following sentences and decide whether each is an action, verb, linking verb, or a helping verb.

• The cat sounds ready to come back inside.
• We have not eaten dinner yet.
• It took four people to move the broken-down car.
• The book was filled with notes from class.
• We walked from room to room, inspecting for damages.
• Harold was expecting a package in the mail.
• The clothes still felt damp even though they had been through the dryer twice.
• The teacher who runs the studio is often praised for his restoration work on old masterpieces.

Subject-verb agreement

Agreement in writing refers to a consistent grammatical match between words. Subject-verb agreement describes the match between subjects and verbs. Because subjects and verbs are either singular or plural, the subject of a sentence and the verb of a sentence must agree with each other in number. That is, a singular subject belongs with a singular verb form, and a plural subject belongs with a plural verb form. In the examples below, the singular verb  jumps  is used with the singular subject  cat,  while the plural  jump  goes with plural subject  cats .

• Singular: The cat jumps over the fence.
• Plural: The cats jump over the fence.

Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern. For example, in the third person singular, regular verbs always end in -s . Other forms of regular verbs do not end in -s.  

A note on singular they

They and their  can now be used to refer to a single person whose gender is unknown or to a person who identifies as nonbinary, as in "A teacher should consider their students' responses. They should ask for student feedback."  However, it is still considered awkward to use the singular they  directly with a singular verb.  So when referring to a single teacher, instead of the awkward "They has a duty to find out whether students are learning from their teaching," we could write, "They have a duty..."  See the Oxford English Dictionary's "A Brief History of Singular They."

Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)

Complete the following sentences with the correct present tense form of be , have , or do . 

• I ________ sure that you will succeed.
• They ________ front-row tickets to the show.
• He ________ a great Elvis impersonation.
• We ________ so excited to meet you in person!
• She ________ a fever and a sore throat.
• You ________ not know what you are talking about.
• You ________ all going to pass this class.
• She ________ not going to like that.
• It ________ appear to be the right size.
• They ________ ready to take this job seriously.

Types of subject-verb agreement errors

Errors in subject-verb agreement frequently occur when

• a sentence contains a compound subject;
• the subject of the sentence is separate from the verb;
• the subject of the sentence is an indefinite pronoun, such as anyone or everyone ;
• the subject of the sentence is a collective noun, such as team or organization ;
• the subject appears after the verb.

A compound subject is formed by two or more nouns and the coordinating conjunctions and , or , or nor . A compound subject can be made of singular subjects, plural subjects, or a combination of singular and plural subjects.

Compound subjects combined with and take a plural verb form. In the sentences below, the compound subjects are in bold.

Compound subjects combined with or and nor are treated separately. The verb must agree with the subject that is nearest to the verb.

If you can substitute the word they for the compound subject, then the sentence takes the third person plural verb form.

Separation of subjects and verbs

Sometimes a phrase or clause separates the subject from the verb. Often, prepositional phrases or dependent clauses add more information to the sentence and appear between the subject and the verb. These words in between subject and verb may distract the writer and lead them to a subject-verb agreement error. 

One way to find the main subject and verb in this case is to cross out or ignore the phrases and clauses that begin with prepositions or dependent words. The subject of a sentence will never be in a prepositional phrase or dependent clause.

The following sentences each show a subject and verb separated by a prepositional phrase:

• The students with the best grades win the academic awards. ( Students  is the subject and  win  is the verb.)
• The puppy under the table is my favorite. ( Puppy  is the subject and  is  is the verb.)

The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a dependent clause:

• The car that I bought has power steering and a sunroof. ( Car  is the subject and  has  is the verb.)
• The representatives who are courteous sell the most tickets. ( Representatives  is the subject and  sell  is the verb.)

Indefinite pronouns

Indefinite pronouns such as anybody ,  each , or all refer to an unspecified person, thing, or number. When an indefinite pronoun serves as the subject of a sentence, you will often use a singular verb form.

However, keep in mind that exceptions arise. Some indefinite pronouns may require a plural verb form. To determine whether to use a singular or plural verb with an indefinite pronoun, consider the noun that the pronoun would refer to. If the noun is plural, then use a plural verb with the indefinite pronoun. 

Collective nouns

A collective noun, such as family or  group,  is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and considers those people, places, or things one singular unit. Because collective nouns are counted as one, they are singular and require a singular verb. Some commonly used collective nouns are group , team , army , flock , family , and class , as in the following example.

• Singular: The class is going on a field trip. ( Class  is the subject and  is  is the verb.)

In this sentence, class is a collective noun. Although the class consists of many students, the class is treated as a singular unit and requires a singular verb form, is .

The subject follows the verb

In some sentences, the subject comes after the verb instead of before the verb. This may lead to a subject-verb agreement error because the writer may not recognize the subject and form the verb accordingly. The most common such sentences begin with  here or there , as in the following examples.

• Here is my wallet ! ( Wallet  is the subject and  is  is the verb.)
• There are thirty dolphins in the water. ( Dolphins  is the subject and  are  is the verb.)

One way to identify the subject and verb is by reversing the order of the sentence so the subject comes first, as we demonstrate below.

• "Here is my wallet !" becomes "My wallet is here." ( Wallet  is the subject and  is  is the verb.)
• "There are thirty dolphins in the water" becomes "Thirty dolphins are in the water." ( Dolphins  is the subject and  are  is the verb.)

Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)

Which of the following sentences have errors in subject-verb agreement? Correct any errors you find. 

• My dog and cats chases each other all the time.
• The books that are in my library is the best I have ever read.
• Everyone are going to the concert except me.
• My family are moving to California.
• Here is the lake I told you about.
• There is the newspapers I was supposed to deliver.
• Which room is bigger?
• When are the movie going to start?
• My sister and brother cleans up after themselves.
• Some of the clothes is packed away in the attic.

Attributions

Adapted by Anna Mills from Writing for Success , created by an author and publisher who prefer to remain anonymous, adapted and presented by the Saylor Foundation and licensed  CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 .

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Is “None” Singular or Plural?

None may be either singular or plural, depending on whether you mean “not one” or “not any.” To negate a reference for individual people or things, use a singular verb; for an entire group, use a plural verb.

• Singular: None of them is ready. to refer to each of them Plural: None of them are ready. to refer to all of them
• Singular: None of us has the answer. to emphasize that not one of them has the answer Plural: None of us have the answer. to emphasize that the entire group doesn’t have the answer
• Singular: This action requires a network key; none is available. not a single one available Plural: We need four specialists. None are available. not any available

When none means “no part of,” it is singular.

• None of the food is / are ready.

None : Singular or plural?

The pronoun none may be either singular or plural , depending on the meaning and emphasis you wish to convey. It can mean “not one,” “ not any ,” or “no part of.”

• Singular: None of us is interested in watching this movie. “not one” of us
• Plural: None of the scientists know what happened. “not any” of the group
• Singular: None of the report is written. “no part of” the report
• Singular: None is above the law. “no one”
• Plural: I just checked the status of these orders. None have been shipped yet. “not any”

It is sometimes thought that the word none , because it means “no one,” must be treated as singular. But as we have seen, none does not just mean “no one,” but also “not any.” In this second meaning, it can be used with plural verbs like are and have .

None as singular

When none means “not one,” “no one,” or “no person,” it takes singular verbs like is and has .

• None of us is perfect. no one among us
• None of the answers is correct. not one of the answers
• You need to speak with one of our specialists. Unfortunately, none is available until May. not a single one
• None of them has the answer.
• None of the solutions we offered works .
• None of these shirts fits me.
• None of my friends is here.

None can also be used with singular nouns to mean “no part of.”

• None of my work is finished. no part of my work
• None of what he says is true. no part of what he says
• None of the packing is done.

None as plural

None is used with plural verbs like are and have when it means “not any.” It then conveys a sense of the plural and refers to the group as a whole.

• None of the actors are ready for the performance. not any of the actors
• I put all my old books up for auction: none have sold.
• None of us have our lines.

Some people believe that the only meaning of none is “no one” and that the word cannot be used with plural verbs. This understanding is incorrect. In fact, when followed by a plural noun, none is often used with a plural verb ( None of us are ready ).

Differences in meaning

When none is followed by a plural form (e.g., none of the students , none of us , none of them ), plural verbs like are and have are the more natural choice. Use a plural verb to mark plurality and refer to more than one person.

• None of us are at work yet. “Not any” of us, referring to the entire team. We could also say, “None of us is at work.” This would emphasize that “no single person” is at work yet.
• None of her stories are true.
• None of them know how to use this application.

But when you want to emphasize the individuals in the group, use singular verbs like is and has .

• None of us is wrong. nobody among us
• None of the hotels is open. not one of the hotels
• None of them knows how to use this application. no one knows

Using a singular verb like is when none is followed by a plural form ( none of the students is  . . . ) can sound overly formal in everyday speech, where the plural verb ( none of the students are  . . . ) is more common.

To mean “no part of,” always use the singular verb.

• None of this is / are real.
• None of the ceiling is / are painted yet, but the walls are done.

Examples from literature

Here are some examples from literature of none used with singular and plural verbs. Note how none can mean “not one” or “not any,” depending on context.

• Plural: Some books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered. — W.H. Auden , “Reading,” The Dyer’s Hand and Other Essays (1962)
• Plural: None of our beliefs are quite true; all have at least a penumbra of vagueness and error. — Bertrand Russell , Free Thought and Official Propaganda (1922)
• Plural: Where’s your common sense? None of those books agree with each other. — Ray Bradbury , Fahrenheit 451 (1953)
• Singular: If one State may secede, so may another; and when all shall have seceded none is left to pay the debts. — Abraham Lincoln , Fourth of July Address to Congress (1861)
• Singular: Later he told me other versions of it as though trying them for use in a novel, but none was as sad as this first one . . . — Ernest Hemingway , A Moveable Feast (1964)
• Singular: None of us lives in the light  . . . — John Updike , In The Beauty of The Lilies (1996)
• Singular: None of us is exempt from sin. — Margaret Atwood , The Testaments (2019)

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None can be used with both singular and plural verbs: it can mean “not one” or “not any.”

Although none can be singular or plural, with a singular noun (like crockery ), use singular verbs (like is , not are ).

When you want “none” to mean “no one” ( not a single friend ) use a singular verb like is with it.

When none refers to the group as a whole ( not any of the students ), it takes a plural verb like have .