Subject Verb Agreement Rule for with

Subject-verb agreement is an essential aspect of writing. It refers to the consistency between the subject and the verb in a sentence. In English grammar, the subject verb agreement rule for “with” can be a bit tricky, but once you master it, you can easily avoid errors in your writing.

The rule for subject-verb agreement with “with” is straightforward. The verb form should agree with the subject, NOT with the noun that follows “with.” For example, “The professor, with his students, is discussing the topic” is correct because “professor” is the subject, and “is” is the correct verb form for a singular noun.

On the other hand, “The professor, with his students, are discussing the topic” is incorrect because “students” is not the subject. The verb should agree with the subject, which is “professor.”

In some cases, the noun that follows “with” may be mistakenly taken as the subject, leading to incorrect verb agreement. For instance, “The team, with their coach, are preparing for the game” is incorrect because “team” is the subject, and the verb should be “is” instead of “are.”

The same rule applies when using “with” in sentences where the subject is a collective noun like “group,” “team,” or “family.” For example, “The group with their chaperone is visiting the museum” is incorrect because “group” is singular, and the verb should be “is.”

Additionally, if the subject of a sentence comes after “with,” it does not affect the verb agreement. For instance, “With the students present, the professor is discussing the topic” is correct because “professor” is the subject, and “is” is the correct verb form for a singular noun.

In conclusion, subject-verb agreement with “with” is not complicated as long as you remember to choose the verb form that agrees with the subject, not the noun that follows “with.” With this rule in mind, you can write clear and grammatically correct sentences.