Singular n Plural subject

"All is" or "All are "?
Singular and Plural Subjects

Verbs must agree with their subjects in number (singular or plural).A singular subject(one person or thing) has a singular verb: "The girl sings beautifully."A plural subject(two or more people or things)has a plural verb:"They sing together…."



Singular Subject

The following subjects are always singular :
He,She,it -He has two cats.
A singular noun -That pencil doesn't belong to me.
A non-count noun -Japanese rice tastes nicer.
A gerund or gerund phrase -Learning to swim takes time.
An amount of time, money , or weight -Three hours isn't enough.
-Five dollars is all I have.
Anyone, anybody, anything -Has anyone heard from henry?
Everyone, everybody,everything -Not everybody likes funny stories.
Someone,somebody,something -Something doesn't add up here.
No one,nobody,nothing -No one has seen him.
One -One has to respect one's elders.
Each,either,neither -Each student receives one copy.
-Neither student knows the answer.

Plural subjects


These subjects are always plural:
They -They have very much in common.
A plural noun -These flowers are very nice.
Both -Both my friends are from france.
Two or more subjects joined by and -The dog and the cat are sworn enemies.


Singular or plural subjects


These words can be either singular or plural :
All, any, a lot of, none, most, some, one-half,two-third.


Singular subject with a singular or non-count noun or pronoun :
-All the food/ Half of the food has gone bad.

Plural subject with a plural noun or pronoun :
-Have all/ any of the students received a copy ?


Exceptions : Singular subjects


a. When two or more subjects joined by and refer to a single unit or to the same
person or thing :
-Bread and breakfast is provided.
-My mother and best friend is a wise person.
b. When the subjects joined by and have the word
-Every (each) man,woman, and child is given a each or every before them : piece of
Bread.



Subject and verb separated


Often the subject is separated by its verb by prepositional phrase or clause.But the subject still has to agree with the verb.
- The taste of these oranges, which are best eaten when refrigerated, is exceptional.(singular subject taster; singular verb is)
- The colors of the rainbow are dazzling.(plural subject colors; plural verb are)