ENG04 — Subject–Verb Agreement
📚 Chapter ENG04 · NDA Grammar Level
NDA Level
📌 Why This Chapter Gets a Full Chapter: Subject–Verb Agreement (SVA) is the single most tested grammar area in NDA English, appearing in every Spotting Errors set across all papers from 2020 to 2025. NDA tests SVA not just with straightforward sentences but through deliberate traps — inserting phrases between subject and verb, using nouns that look plural but are singular, and pairing confusing structures like “one of those who”. Every case type tested in the last five years of NDA is covered here, with the rule stated clearly and the PYQ right underneath it.
💡 The One Rule Behind All SVA: Find the grammatical subject of the verb. Strip out every intervening phrase, relative clause, and modifier. What remains is the true subject — and that alone determines whether the verb is singular or plural.
1 Intervening Phrases — The Most Exploited Trap
Rule: Certain connecting phrases are inserted between the subject and verb to distract the reader. They do not change the number of the subject. The verb must still agree with the original subject — not the nearest noun.
⚠ Why NDA uses this trap: The noun closest to the verb is plural (“men”, “officers”, “guards”), making a plural verb feel right. But the subject is singular. The test is: can you identify the true subject even after a phrase has been inserted?
Q1. (NDA 2025-II) Find the error: “(A) The Commanding Officer, / (B) along with his platoon commanders, / (C) were present at the operational briefing / (D) No error”
Answer: (C) Subject = “The Commanding Officer” — singular. “Along with his platoon commanders” is a parenthetical phrase enclosed by commas; it does not make the subject plural. Correct: “was present”.
The same error pattern applies to: “together with”, “as well as”, “accompanied by”.
Q2. (NDA 2024-I) Find the error: “(A) The quality of the recruits / (B) this year, including those from hill stations, / (C) are remarkably high / (D) No error”
Answer: (C) Subject = “The quality” — singular. The entire phrase “of the recruits this year, including those from hill stations” is a modifier. Strip it away: The quality…are → wrong. Correct: “is remarkably high”.
2 Either…or / Neither…nor — Proximity Rule
Rule: When two subjects are joined by either…or or neither…nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it (the one immediately before the verb). This is called the Proximity Rule.
Proximity Rule — Verb follows the nearer subject
✓ Either the CO or the soldiers were at fault. (“soldiers” is nearer → plural verb)
✓ Either the soldiers or the CO was at fault. (“CO” is nearer → singular verb)
✓ Neither he nor his colleagues were informed. (“colleagues” is nearer → plural)
✓ Neither his colleagues nor he was informed. (“he” is nearer → singular)
Practice tip: In NDA questions, the nearer noun is almost always the one that contradicts the given verb — that is the trap.
💡 Additional structures using the proximity rule:
“or” alone: The captain or the soldiers were wrong. (soldiers = nearer)
“nor” alone (after a negative): He did not attend, nor did his officers. (inversion after nor)
“not only…but also”: Not only the recruits but also the officer was present. (officer = nearer)
Q3. (NDA 2024-II) Find the error: “(A) Neither the soldiers / (B) nor the officer / (C) were ready for inspection / (D) No error”
Answer: (C) Proximity rule: the nearer subject is “the officer” — singular → verb must be “was ready”. Had the sentence been “Neither the officer nor the soldiers were”, it would be correct because “soldiers” is then nearer.
Q4. (NDA 2023-I) Fill in the blank: “Not only the cadets but also the instructor ___ held responsible for the incident.”
- (a) were
- (b) was
- (c) have been
- (d) are
Answer: (b) was
“Not only…but also” follows the proximity rule. The nearer subject is “the instructor” — singular → “was held”. This is the same proximity logic as either…or and neither…nor.
3 Each, Every, Either, Neither, Many a — Always Singular
Rule: These distributive words always refer to members of a group one at a time. No matter how many people or things are involved, the verb and any associated pronouns must be singular.
each / every / either / neither — singular in all uses
- ✓ Each of the soldiers has submitted his form.
- ✓ Every officer and every soldier was briefed.
- ✓ Either of the two routes leads to the camp.
- ✓ Neither of the two officers was on duty.
- ✗ Each of the soldiers have submitted their forms.
- ✗ Neither of the two officers were on duty.
“Many a” — singular despite plural meaning
- “Many a” = several, but grammatically singular
- ✓ Many a soldier has laid down his life.
- ✓ Many a cadet has failed this test.
- ✗ Many a soldier have laid down their lives.
- Test: “Many a + singular noun + singular verb” — always.
⚠ each following a plural subject — exception:
When “each” follows a plural subject, the verb remains plural (because the subject drives agreement):
✓ The soldiers each have their assignments. (“soldiers” is the subject; “each” is an adverb here)
✗ The soldiers each has their assignments.
Q5. (NDA 2025-I) Find the error: “(A) Each of the three cadets / (B) in the selection board / (C) have been shortlisted for the final round / (D) No error”
Answer: (C) “Each” is the subject — singular. The phrase “of the three cadets in the selection board” is a modifier. Correct: “has been shortlisted”. Two traps in one: the intervening phrase (Case 1) and the “each” rule (Case 3).
Q6. (NDA 2022-II) Fill in the blank: “Many a brave soldier ___ his life in the service of the nation.”
- (a) have laid down
- (b) has laid down
- (c) laid down
- (d) were laying down
Answer: (b) has laid down
“Many a + singular noun” always takes a singular verb. Despite conveying a plural idea, the structure is grammatically singular. “Have laid down” (a) is wrong. “Laid down” (c) ignores the present perfect context implied by the sentence.
4 Indefinite Pronouns — none, anyone, everyone, someone, nobody
Rule: Indefinite pronouns ending in -one, -body, -thing are always singular. “None” is singular in formal usage and in NDA exams. “Both”, “few”, “many”, “several” are always plural.
Q7. (NDA 2023-II) Find the error: “(A) None of the officers / (B) who were posted / (C) to the forward area / (D) were given prior notice / (E) No error”
Answer: (D) “None” is the subject — singular in standard/formal usage, which NDA follows. Correct: “was given prior notice”. Note: the relative clause “who were posted to the forward area” correctly uses “were” because its antecedent is “officers” (plural) — that is not the error.
Q8. (NDA 2024-I) Fill in the blank: “Nobody in the entire battalion ___ able to explain what happened.”
- (a) were
- (b) was
- (c) have been
- (d) are
Answer: (b) was
“Nobody” is an indefinite pronoun — always singular. “In the entire battalion” is an intervening phrase. The subject is “Nobody” → singular → “was”.
5 Collective Nouns — Unit vs Individual
Rule: A collective noun takes a singular verb when the group acts as a single unit (one decision, one action). It takes a plural verb when members of the group act independently or in different ways. In NDA, the singular usage is almost always the expected answer unless the sentence clearly shows individual action.
Acting as one unit → singular verb
- The army was deployed on the border.
- The committee has reached its decision.
- The jury was unanimous in its verdict.
- The regiment marched to the parade ground.
- The government has announced its policy.
Members acting individually → plural verb
- The committee are divided in their opinions.
- The jury are arguing among themselves.
- The team have gone to their respective homes.
- Signal: “among themselves”, “their own”, “divided” → plural
💡 Key collective nouns for NDA — all singular by default:
army, navy, air force, regiment, battalion, platoon, brigade, squadron, fleet, crew, committee, jury, board, panel, government, cabinet, staff, faculty, audience, crowd, mob, gang, team, class, group, council, public
Q9. (NDA 2024-II) Find the error: “(A) The committee / (B) have unanimously decided / (C) to approve the new training protocol / (D) No error”
Answer: (B) “Unanimously decided” describes the committee acting as a single unit with one shared decision. Singular verb required: “has unanimously decided”. If the committee were divided (“are divided in their opinions”), plural would be acceptable — but unanimous action = single unit.
Q10. (NDA 2022-I) Fill in the blank: “The jury ___ still out deliberating on the final verdict.”
- (a) are
- (b) is
- (c) were
- (d) have been
Answer: (b) is
The jury is acting as a single deliberating body here — unit action → singular. “is still out”. Option (a) “are” would be acceptable if members were described acting individually, but “deliberating on the final verdict” = unified action.
6 Deceptive Nouns — Looks Plural, Verb Singular & Vice Versa
6.1 Look plural, always take singular verb SPOTTING ERRORS
Subject/discipline names ending in -s → singular
- mathematics, physics, economics → singular
- politics, ethics, statistics, acoustics → singular
- athletics, gymnastics, aerobics → singular
- ✓ Mathematics is compulsory for NDA.
- ✓ Politics is a complex game.
- ✗ Mathematics are compulsory.
Other nouns always singular despite -s ending
- news → The news is good.
- innings → Our first innings was poor.
- series → The series is over.
- means → Every means was tried.
- species → This species is endangered.
- aircraft, offspring, headquarters → singular
6.2 Look singular or uncountable, always take plural verb FILL IN THE BLANK
Always plural — no singular form used
- police → The police have arrested him.
- cattle → The cattle are grazing.
- people → The people are unhappy.
- poultry, clergy, gentry, peasantry → plural
- ✗ The police has arrested him.
Plural in form, always plural (pair nouns)
- trousers, scissors, spectacles, tongs
- forceps, pliers, bellows, binoculars
- ✓ His trousers were torn.
- ✓ The scissors are sharp.
- Use “a pair of” to make singular: A pair of scissors is needed.
Q11. (NDA 2025-II) Find the error: “(A) The news about / (B) the army’s successful operation / (C) were broadcast on all channels / (D) No error”
Answer: (C) “News” is always singular despite ending in -s. Subject = “The news” → singular → “was broadcast”. The intervening phrase “about the army’s successful operation” is a modifier — it does not affect the verb.
Q12. (NDA 2023-I) Find the error: “(A) The police / (B) has cordoned off / (C) the entire sector / (D) No error”
Answer: (B) “Police” is always plural — it has no singular form in standard usage. Correct: “have cordoned off”. Similarly: “The police are on duty.” Never “the police is”.
7 “A number of” vs “The number of” — and Similar Quantity Phrases
This single distinction appears in almost every NDA paper. The word “number” looks identical in both phrases but triggers opposite verb agreement.
“A number of” = several → PLURAL verb
- “A number of” means “several / many”
- ✓ A number of soldiers were injured.
- ✓ A number of issues have been raised.
- ✗ A number of soldiers was injured.
“The number of” = a count → SINGULAR verb
- “The number” is the subject — it is one number
- ✓ The number of applications is increasing.
- ✓ The number of recruits has doubled.
- ✗ The number of applications are increasing.
Q13. (NDA 2025-I) Fill in the blank: “The number of candidates who appeared for the written test ___ far higher than last year.”
- (a) were
- (b) was
- (c) have been
- (d) are
Answer: (b) was
“The number of” → subject is “the number” — singular → “was”. The relative clause “who appeared for the written test” modifies “candidates”, not the head subject “the number”.
Q14. (NDA 2022-II) Find the error: “(A) A large number of cadets / (B) from the first batch / (C) has been selected / (D) No error”
Answer: (C) “A number of” = several → plural verb. Correct: “have been selected”. “From the first batch” is an intervening phrase — do not let it distract from the plural subject.
8 Fractions, Percentages & “of” Phrases — Look at the Noun After “of”
Rule: When the subject is a fraction (half, one-third), a percentage (40%), or a phrase like “all of / some of / most of / part of”, the verb agrees with the noun that follows “of” — not the fraction or percentage itself.
Rule — Verb agrees with the noun after “of”
✓ Half of the soldiers were deployed. (“soldiers” = countable plural → plural verb)
✓ Half of the water was wasted. (“water” = uncountable → singular verb)
✓ Forty percent of the report was inaccurate. (“report” = singular → singular)
✓ Forty percent of the marks were deducted. (“marks” = plural → plural)
✓ All of the ammunition was spent. (“ammunition” = uncountable → singular)
✓ All of the recruits were present. (“recruits” = plural → plural)
Q15. (NDA 2024-I) Find the error: “(A) Most of the information / (B) provided in the report / (C) were found to be inaccurate / (D) No error”
Answer: (C) “Most of” → look at the noun after “of” = “information” → uncountable → singular verb. Correct: “was found to be inaccurate”. “Provided in the report” is a modifier — ignore it.
Q16. (NDA 2023-II) Fill in the blank: “More than half of the men in the patrol ___ exhausted by dawn.”
- (a) was
- (b) were
- (c) has been
- (d) is
Answer: (b) were
Noun after “of” = “men” — countable plural → “were”. “In the patrol” is a further modifier — the governing noun is still “men”.
9 “One of those who” vs “The only one of those who”
This is one of the most commonly missed SVA rules in NDA. It involves identifying what the relative pronoun “who” refers back to, which changes between the two structures.
“One of those who” → relative clause verb is plural
- “Who” refers to “those” (plural antecedent)
- ✓ He is one of those officers who work tirelessly.
- ✓ She is one of those candidates who have cleared all rounds.
- ✗ He is one of those officers who works tirelessly.
- Logic: “those officers who work” — who = those officers (plural)
“The only one of those who” → relative clause verb is singular
- “Who” refers to “the only one” (singular antecedent)
- ✓ He is the only one of those officers who works tirelessly.
- ✓ She is the only one of the candidates who has cleared all rounds.
- ✗ He is the only one of those officers who work.
- Logic: “the only one…who works” — who = the only one (singular)
Q17. (NDA 2024-II) Find the error: “(A) He is one of those officers / (B) who has dedicated / (C) his entire career to the nation / (D) No error”
Answer: (B) “One of those officers who” → “who” refers to “those officers” (plural antecedent) → plural verb in relative clause. Correct: “who have dedicated”. Compare: “He is the only one of those officers who has dedicated” → singular, because “who” now refers to “the only one”.
10 Relative Clause — Verb Agrees with Antecedent of “who / which / that”
Rule: The verb inside a relative clause must agree with the noun that the relative pronoun (who, which, that) refers back to — its antecedent.
Rule — Identify the antecedent of the relative pronoun
✓ It is the soldiers who deserve the credit. (“who” refers to “soldiers” — plural → plural verb)
✓ It is the CO who deserves the credit. (“who” refers to “CO” — singular → singular verb)
✓ I, who am his senior, will vouch for him. (“who” refers to “I” — 1st person → am)
✓ You, who are responsible, must answer. (“who” refers to “you” → are)
Q18. (NDA 2025-I) Find the error: “(A) It is I / (B) who is responsible / (C) for this oversight / (D) No error”
Answer: (B) “Who” refers to “I” — first person singular. The verb in the relative clause must be “am”, not “is”. Correct: It is I who am responsible.
Similarly: “It is you who are responsible.” / “It is he who is responsible.”
11 Inverted Sentences & “There is / There are”
Rule: In inverted sentences, the verb comes before the subject. Always identify the real subject (which follows the verb) and make the verb agree with it — not with the word closest to the beginning of the sentence.
The real subject follows the verb in these structures
✓ There is a problem. / There are three problems. (subject = “a problem” / “three problems”)
✓ There was no officer on duty. / There were many officers present.
✓ Here is the report you asked for. (subject = “the report” — singular)
✓ Here are the documents you requested. (subject = “documents” — plural)
✓ Among the guests was the Chief of Army Staff. (subject = “the Chief” — singular)
✓ Among the guests were several decorated officers. (subject = “officers” — plural)
⚠ The “There is + compound subject” trap:
When “there is/are” introduces two subjects joined by “and”, the verb agrees with the first subject (nearest):
✓ There is a rifle and two pistols on the table. (“a rifle” is nearer — singular)
✓ There are two pistols and a rifle on the table. (“two pistols” is nearer — plural)
Q19. (NDA 2023-I) Find the error: “(A) There was a general / (B) and two brigadiers / (C) at the meeting / (D) No error”
Answer: (A) In “There + be” constructions, the verb agrees with the first of the subjects listed. Here, “a general and two brigadiers” are joined by “and” → the combined subject is plural → use “There were”. When subjects are joined by “and” (not “or/nor”), the proximity rule does NOT apply — “and” always creates a plural subject.
12 Subjects Joined by “and” — Plural Rule & Its Exceptions
General Rule: Two or more subjects joined by “and” take a plural verb. But there are three well-tested exceptions in NDA where “and” still gives a singular verb.
General rule — and = plural
- The captain and the sergeant were present.
- Speed and accuracy are both required.
- Bread and butter are on the table. (two separate items)
Exceptions — “and” gives singular verb
- Same person or thing: The writer and director is present. (one person holds both roles)
- Proverbial / fixed pairs: Bread and butter is what he eats. (one idea = diet/staple)
- each / every before both subjects: Every officer and every soldier was briefed.
- Slow and steady wins the race. (one concept)
💡 How to tell if “and” subjects are one person: If the two nouns share the same article (“the” or “a”), they are likely one person or thing → singular. If each noun has its own article, they are separate people → plural.
✓ The poet and philosopher is here. (same person — one article)
✓ The poet and the philosopher are here. (two people — separate articles)
Q20. (NDA 2024-I) Find the error: “(A) The founder and principal / (B) of the institution / (C) are highly respected / (D) No error”
Answer: (C) “The founder and principal” shares one article (“the”) → this refers to one person who holds both roles → singular verb. Correct: “is highly respected”. If it were “The founder and the principal”, two people would be meant → “are” would be correct.
13 Arithmetic Expressions & Titles as Subjects
13.1 Mathematical expressions FILL IN THE BLANK
Addition / multiplication → singular
- Two and two is four. (mathematical fact)
- Three times four is twelve.
- Five multiplied by three is fifteen.
Titles, names, and fixed phrases → singular
- “The Three Musketeers” is a classic novel.
- The United States has announced its decision.
- The United Nations is meeting today.
- Plural-form titles / names of single entities → singular
14 “More than one” vs “More than two”
A frequently tested NDA distinction
✓ More than one soldier was injured. (“more than one + singular noun” → singular verb)
✗ More than one soldier were injured.
✓ More than two soldiers were injured. (“more than two + plural noun” → plural verb)
Rule: “More than one” is idiomatically singular in English despite its logical plural sense. “More than two/three…” reverts to normal plural agreement.
15 “What”-clause as Subject & Other Noun Clauses
Rule: When a “what”-clause (or any noun clause) acts as the subject, the verb is usually singular because the whole clause functions as a single noun. However, if the complement is plural, some structures take a plural verb.
Noun clause as subject — usually singular
✓ What he said was surprising. (the whole clause = one idea → singular)
✓ What we need is more time and resources.
✓ What frightened the recruits was the darkness.
✓ What the soldiers need are better rations. (complement is plural → plural verb acceptable)
16 Fixed Expressions That Always Take Singular Verbs
Q21. (NDA 2025-II) Find the error: “(A) More than one soldier / (B) in the regiment / (C) were awarded the gallantry medal / (D) No error”
Answer: (C) “More than one + singular noun” is an idiomatic expression that always takes a singular verb. Correct: “was awarded”. The phrase “in the regiment” is an intervening modifier — ignore it.
Q22. (NDA 2022-I) Fill in the blank: “Five hundred kilometres ___ a considerable distance to cover on foot.”
- (a) are
- (b) is
- (c) were
- (d) have been
Answer: (b) is
When a distance, time, money, or weight is expressed as a single unit or measure, it takes a singular verb regardless of its plural form. “Five hundred kilometres” = one distance → “is”. Similarly: “Ten years is a long time.” / “Twenty rupees is the fare.”
Q. Find all errors: “The board of directors, along with the CEO, have decided that none of the employees are going to be terminated.”
Error 1: “have decided” → Subject = “The board of directors” (singular collective noun). “Along with the CEO” is an intervening phrase. Correct: “has decided” (Case 1 + Case 5).
Error 2: “none…are going” → “None” takes a singular verb in formal usage. Correct: “none of the employees is going” (Case 4).
Corrected: The board of directors, along with the CEO, has decided that none of the employees is going to be terminated.
Q. (NDA 2024-II style) Find the error: “Each of the five batches that was formed this year have performed exceptionally well.”
Error 1: “was formed” → “That” refers to “batches” (plural antecedent) → plural verb in relative clause. Correct: “that were formed” (Case 10).
Error 2: “have performed” → Subject is “Each” — singular (Case 3). The modifier “of the five batches…” is intervening. Correct: “has performed”.
Corrected: Each of the five batches that were formed this year has performed exceptionally well.
Q. Find the error: “He is one of those rare officers who has served in all three theatres of operation.”
Error: “has served” → Structure is “one of those officers who” → “who” refers to “those officers” (plural antecedent) → plural verb. Correct: “who have served” (Case 9).
If the sentence were “He is the only one of those rare officers who has served…” — then singular “has” would be correct, because “who” would then refer to “the only one”.
📋 Quick Reference — All 16 SVA Cases
① Intervening Phrases
- “along with / as well as / together with” → do not change subject
- Verb still agrees with original subject
- Strip the phrase; check subject alone
- “The CO, along with his men, was”
② Either…or / Neither…nor
- Verb agrees with nearer subject (proximity rule)
- “Not only…but also” uses same rule
- Nearer subject plural → plural verb
- Nearer subject singular → singular verb
③ Each / Every / Many a
- each, every, either, neither → always singular
- “Many a + singular noun” → singular
- “Every officer and soldier was” (each before both)
- Exception: “They each have” — subject drives
④ Indefinite Pronouns
- everyone, somebody, nothing → singular
- none → singular (NDA standard)
- both, few, many, several → plural
- all/some/most → follows noun after “of”
⑤ Collective Nouns
- Unit action → singular (army was, committee has)
- Individual action → plural (divided among themselves)
- police, cattle, people → always plural
- staff, faculty → usually singular (one body)
⑥ Deceptive -s Nouns
- mathematics, physics, news → singular
- innings, series, means, species → singular
- trousers, scissors, spectacles → plural
- “a pair of scissors is” → singular
⑦ “Number” Phrases
- “a number of” → plural verb
- “the number of” → singular verb
- a lot of + plural noun → plural
- a lot of + uncountable → singular
⑧ Fractions & “of”
- Verb follows noun after “of”
- half/most/all + countable plural → plural
- half/most/all + uncountable → singular
- 40% of the soldiers were / of the water was
⑨ “One of those who”
- “one of those who” → plural verb in clause
- “the only one of those who” → singular verb
- Who = “those” (plural) in first case
- Who = “the only one” (singular) in second
⑩ Relative Clause
- Verb agrees with antecedent of who/which/that
- “It is I who am” (not “is”)
- “It is you who are”
- Antecedent = “I/you/he” → am/are/is
⑪ Inverted / There is
- Verb agrees with subject after it
- “There is a man” / “There are men”
- “Among the guests was the General”
- “and” after there → plural verb
⑫ “and” Subjects + Titles
- “and” → plural (general rule)
- Same person (one article) → singular
- Titles as single units → singular
- “The United Nations is” not “are”
⑬ More than one / Fixed
- “More than one + singular noun” → singular
- Distance / time / money as unit → singular
- “Five years is a long time”
- “Nothing but” → singular
⚠ Top NDA SVA Traps
- “along with” — never changes singular subject
- “news are” → WRONG (news is)
- “police has” → WRONG (police have)
- “none of them were” → WRONG in NDA (was)
- “many a soldiers” → WRONG (many a soldier)
🔄 Remember These Contrasts
- “a number of” ≠ “the number of”
- “one of those who work” ≠ “only one who works”
- “the poet and philosopher” (1 person) vs “the poet and the philosopher” (2 people)
💡 Strip-Test for SVA
- Step 1: Find the verb
- Step 2: Remove all phrases between subject & verb
- Step 3: Identify the true grammatical subject
- Step 4: Match verb number to that subject alone