Basic English · 18 min
Subject-verb agreement
The point
A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. The dog barks. The dogs bark. He, she, and it take -s in the present. I, you, we, and they do not.
Form and use
The verb agrees with the subject. Present be is fixed. I am you are he is she is it is we are they are You are is right for one person and for many. They are is right for people and for things. It is is right for one thing. I is, he are, and they is are wrong.
In the present simple, add -s or -es only with he, she, and it. He works. She watches. It rains. I work, you work, we work, and they work stay in the base. A plural noun takes the base: The shops open at nine. A singular noun takes -s: The shop opens at nine.
There is and there are agree with the noun after them, not with the word there. There is a chair. There are two chairs. There is some milk. Two singular nouns joined by and make a plural subject. The pen and the pencil are on the desk. Nia and Jun live here. The pen and the pencil is is wrong when you mean both.
Everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, no one, and nobody take a singular verb. Everyone is here. Somebody knows. No one has the key. The meaning may be a whole group, but the verb stays singular. Everyone are and Somebody know are wrong. A collective noun such as team can take a singular verb when you mean one unit: The team is ready.
Don't translate it like this
Don't say
The dogs barks.
Say
The dogs bark.
그 개들은 짖습니다.
Dogs is plural, so the verb has no -s.
Short examples
The dog barks.
그 개는 짖습니다.
The dogs bark.
그 개들은 짖습니다.
I am at my desk.
저는 책상에 있습니다.
You are right.
당신이 맞습니다.
He is outside.
그는 밖에 있습니다.
She works nearby.
그녀는 근처에서 일합니다.
There are two problems.
문제가 두 개 있습니다.
The cat and the dog are quiet.
고양이와 개가 조용합니다.
Everyone is welcome.
모두 환영합니다.
They know the way.
그들은 길을 압니다.
Questions
Every question has to be right to close this point.
Answer every question, then check.