Which statement best describes subject-verb agreement?

• A. The verb must always reflect tense.
• B. The subject stays the same; the verb must be singular or plural to match the subject.
• C. The subject can change number to match the verb.
• D. Verbs carry no agreement with the subject.

Answer: (B)

Subject-verb agreement means the verb form shows whether the subject is singular or plural. The subject stays the same, and the verb must be singular or plural to match that subject. For example, a single subject uses a singular verb: The cat runs. A plural subject uses a plural verb: The cats run. When you have a compound subject joined by and, the verb is usually plural: The boy and his friend are playing. If you have or or nor, the verb normally agrees with the subject closest to it: The teacher or the students are responsible.

Tense changes time, not number, so the fact that a verb can show past, present, or future does not override matching the subject. And the subject doesn’t change its number to fit the verb. Verbs do carry some agreement with the subject in number, which is why this pairing is important.