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1. Basic Rules and Intervening Phrases

   The core rule of Subject-Verb Agreement requires that a singular subject take a singular verb, whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb. In advanced syntax, difficulties arise primarily when words intervene between the subject and the verb.

   Intervening Prepositional and Parenthetical Phrases

   Prepositional phrases, parenthetical expressions, and appositives do not affect the grammatical number of the subject. Expressions such as along with, as well as, in addition to, accompanied by, and together with do not form compound subjects.

   • Example: The director, together with his assistants, is reviewing the final draft.
   • Example: The results of the comprehensive clinical evaluation demonstrate significant progress.

   In both cases, identify the true head noun of the noun phrase to select the appropriate verb form.

   Coordinating Structures and Proximity

   How subjects are joined determines whether the resulting subject is singular or plural.

   Subjects Joined by 'And'

   Subjects joined by and generally take a plural verb. However, if the joined nouns refer to the same individual or form a single conceptual unit, a singular verb is required.

   • Plural compound: The professor and the researcher have published their findings.
   • Single conceptual unit: Law and order is essential for societal stability.

   Correlative Conjunctions and the Rule of Proximity

   When subjects are connected by either... or, neither... nor, or not only... but also, the verb agrees in person and number with the closer subject (the proximity rule).

   • Example: Neither the manager nor the employees were notified in advance.
   • Example: Neither the employees nor the manager was notified in advance.

   Variable and Fixed Number Categories

   Determining the number of pronouns and collective nouns requires careful grammatical distinction.

   Indefinite Pronouns

   Most indefinite pronouns ending in -one, -body, and -thing, along with each and every, are strictly singular:

   • Each of the submitted proposals meets the established criteria.
   • Everybody involved in the proceedings has signed the disclosure.

   Quantifiers such as all, any, more, most, none, and some vary depending on the countability of the noun in the modifying prepositional phrase:

   • Some of the water is contaminated. (uncountable / singular)
   • Some of the samples are contaminated. (countable plural)

   Collective Nouns

   Nouns denoting groups (committee, jury, faculty, team) take a singular verb when the group acts as a single cohesive unit, and a plural verb when individual members act independently.

   • The committee has reached a unanimous decision.
   • The committee have debated among themselves for hours.

   Advanced Syntactic Structures

   Special syntactical patterns frequently challenge standard subject-verb placement.

   Inverted Word Order

   When sentences begin with locative adverbs, negative adverbials, or dummy markers like there and here, the actual subject appears after the verb.

   • There are several discrepancies in the numerical report.
   • Seldom does an exception of this scale occur.

   Relative Clauses: 'One of the...' vs. 'The only one of the...'

   The antecedent of a relative pronoun dictates the verb form in the relative clause:

   • She is one of those researchers who argue against conventional models. (Antecedent: researchers → plural verb)
   • She is the only one of the researchers who argues against conventional models. (Antecedent: one → singular verb)

   Nouns Plural in Form but Singular in Meaning

   Disciplines of study (mathematics, economics, linguistics), diseases (measles, mumps), and abstract concepts ending in -s (news) take singular verbs:

   • Linguistics demands analytical rigor and precision.