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Kielioppi
Sentence structure A1 A2 B1

Subject-verb agreement

Make the verb match the subject in person and number, even when the subject is long or delayed.

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Visuaalinen opas

Subject-verb agreement: follow the subject head

SUBJECT → VERB
(head = main subject word)

Find the head, then ignore extra words:

The box [of old photos] is in the closet.
    ↑ head: box = one     ↑ is
    not "photos"

Change the head, change the verb:

The boxes [of old photos] are in the closet.
    ↑ head: boxes = plural ↑ are

With do/does, the helper carries agreement:

Does she need help?
↑ does = agrees with "she"
      need = plain verb

Find the head of the subject first; the verb agrees with that word, not with nearby words.

Introduction

The subject controls the verb

Subject-verb agreement means the verb form that carries tense matches its subject in person and number. Number means one or more than one; person means I, you, or another person or thing. In everyday English, the most visible change is in the present simple: a singular third-person subject usually takes -s or -es. Have also changes with a singular third-person subject. Other tenses may show little agreement, but be always matters: is for one present subject, are for plural present subjects, and was/were in the past.
Core Kielioppi A1 Sanasto A1 Neutral

She works from home.

A singular third-person subject takes a present simple verb with -s.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

She
subject
singular third-person subject
works
verb_agreement
present simple verb with -s
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
from home
context
extra information
Contrast Kielioppi A1 Sanasto A1 Neutral

They work from home.

A plural subject uses the base present simple form, not works.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

They
subject
plural subject
work
verb_agreement
base verb form with a plural subject
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
from home
context
extra information
Core Kielioppi A1 Sanasto A1 Neutral

She has a key.

Have changes to has with he, she, it, and singular nouns.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

She
subject
singular third-person subject
has
verb_agreement
singular third-person form of have
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
a key
object
object of the verb
Core logic

Find the head of the subject

Use three quick steps. First, find the complete subject: who or what the sentence is about. Second, decide whether the head of that subject is singular or plural. Third, choose the matching verb form. Words after the head often add information but do not control the verb. In one of + plural noun, the head is one, so the verb is singular. If you can find the head noun, agreement becomes much easier, even when the subject is long.
Core Kielioppi A2 Sanasto A2 Neutral

The box of old photos is in the closet.

The verb agrees with box, not with photos.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

The box
subject
singular head noun
of old photos
extra_information
prepositional phrase; it does not control the verb
is
verb_agreement
singular verb matching box
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
in the closet
place
location phrase
Contrast Kielioppi A2 Sanasto A2 Neutral

The boxes of old photos are in the closet.

Changing the head noun to plural changes the verb to are.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

The boxes
subject
plural head noun
of old photos
extra_information
prepositional phrase
are
verb_agreement
plural verb matching boxes
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
in the closet
place
location phrase
Core Kielioppi A2 Sanasto A1 Neutral

One of my friends lives nearby.

In one of + plural noun, the verb agrees with one.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

One of my friends
subject
the head is one, so the subject is singular
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
lives
verb_agreement
singular present simple verb
nearby
place
place adverb
Core pattern

Present simple: -s, do, and does

In the present simple, most verbs use the base form with I, you, we, they, and plural nouns; they add -s or -es with he, she, it, and singular nouns. In questions and negatives, agreement moves to do or does, and the main verb stays in the base form. With be, do not add do; use the be form itself for questions and negatives. The helping verb carries the agreement, so the main verb must stay plain after do, does, do not, and does not.
Question Kielioppi A1 Sanasto A1 Neutral

Does she need help?

In a question, does carries the agreement, so need stays in the base form.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

Does
question_helper
question helper agreeing with she
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
she
subject
singular third-person subject
need
main_verb
base verb after does
help
object
object of need
Mistake Kielioppi A1 Sanasto A1 Neutral

She does not needs help.

After does not, the main verb must not take -s.

Corrected Kielioppi A1 Sanasto A1 Neutral

She does not need help.

The agreement is on does; the main verb remains need.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

She
subject
singular third-person subject
does not
negative_helper
negative helper carrying agreement
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
need
main_verb
base verb after does not
help
object
object of need
Question Kielioppi A1 Sanasto A1 Neutral

Do they need help?

Plural subjects use do, not does, in present simple questions.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

Do
question_helper
question helper used with plural subject
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
they
subject
plural subject
need
main_verb
base verb after do
help
object
object of need
Contrast

Subject agreement, not nearest-noun agreement

Many errors happen because a plural noun sits close to the verb. Do not let the nearest noun pull the verb away from the subject. The subject is the noun group before the extra phrase, not the noun inside the phrase. This is the closest common confusion: agreement belongs to the subject, not to the closest noun. If the plural noun is the real subject, use a plural verb; if it is only inside an extra phrase, ignore it for agreement.
Mistake Kielioppi A2 Sanasto A2 Neutral

The list of names are on my desk.

The nearby plural noun names does not control the verb; the subject is list.

Corrected Kielioppi A2 Sanasto A1 Neutral

The list of names is on my desk.

The verb agrees with list, not names.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

The list
subject
singular head noun
of names
extra_information
extra phrase; not the subject head
is
verb_agreement
singular verb matching list
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
on my desk
place
location phrase
Contrast Kielioppi A2 Sanasto A1 Neutral

The names on the list are all correct.

Here names is the real subject, so the verb is plural.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

The names
subject
plural subject
on the list
extra_information
extra phrase after the subject
are
verb_agreement
plural verb matching names
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
all correct
complement
description of the subject
Usage rules

Compound subjects and singular pronouns

Two subjects joined by and usually make a plural subject, because the sentence talks about more than one thing. But each, every, everyone, someone, nobody, and similar words are grammatically singular, even when they refer to people in general. Choose singular agreement after these words unless the subject is clearly a plural noun. Do not use a plural verb just because the idea feels like many people; follow the grammar of the subject word.
Core Kielioppi A1 Sanasto A1 Neutral

My phone and my wallet are in my bag.

Two subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

My phone and my wallet
compound_subject
two things joined by and
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
are
verb_agreement
plural verb for a compound subject
in my bag
place
location phrase
Core Kielioppi A1 Sanasto A1 Neutral

Everyone is ready.

Everyone refers to many people in meaning, but it takes singular grammar.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

Everyone
subject
indefinite pronoun treated as singular
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
is
verb_agreement
singular verb
ready
complement
state or description
Form variations

Quantities and special subject words

Some quantity subjects agree with the noun after of. With uncountable or singular nouns, use a singular verb; with plural count nouns, use a plural verb. A few nouns look plural but are treated as singular in standard agreement. Group nouns often take singular agreement when they mean one unit. Modal verbs such as can, should, and must do not add -s for any subject. Keep the practical test simple: one unit, an uncountable amount, or separate countable things?
Core Kielioppi A2 Sanasto A1 Neutral

Some of the water is cold.

With some of, an uncountable noun normally takes a singular verb.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

Some of the water
quantity_subject
quantity phrase with an uncountable noun
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
is
verb_agreement
singular verb for uncountable water
cold
complement
description
Contrast Kielioppi A2 Sanasto A1 Neutral

Some of the cookies are gone.

With a plural count noun after some of, the verb is plural.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

Some of the cookies
quantity_subject
quantity phrase with a plural count noun
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
are
verb_agreement
plural verb for cookies
gone
complement
state or result
Exception Kielioppi A2 Sanasto A2 Neutral

The news is surprising.

News ends in -s but takes singular agreement.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

The news
subject
noun that looks plural but is singular in agreement
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
is
verb_agreement
singular verb
surprising
complement
description
Danger zone

Delayed subjects after there

In there + be sentences, there is only a placeholder. The real subject comes after the verb, so the verb must match that noun phrase. This is a common place for fast speech to become careless. In careful writing and clear speech, use there is before one thing or an uncountable amount, and there are before plural things. The same logic works in questions and negatives: the form of be still follows the real subject, not the word there.
Mistake Kielioppi A2 Sanasto A1 Neutral

There is three problems.

In there + be, the verb must match the real subject after the verb; problems is plural.

Corrected Kielioppi A2 Sanasto A1 Neutral

There are three problems.

Use are because the delayed subject, three problems, is plural.

Rakennuspalikat

Lue lause merkityskokonaisuuksina, älä sana sanalta.

There
placeholder
placeholder, not the real subject
are
verb_agreement
plural be form
Opettele yhtenä kokonaisuutena
three problems
delayed_subject
real plural subject after the verb
Summary

Your agreement checklist

Agreement is a checking habit. Find the subject, find its head word, decide singular or plural, then choose the verb. Remember the main danger zones: present simple -s, be and have forms, do/does in questions and negatives, long subjects with extra phrases, there + be, and special singular words like everyone. If the subject is long, mentally remove the extra information and test the core subject with the verb. The verb follows the subject’s grammar, not the nearest noun and not the idea alone.
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