Toronto University
Subject-verb agreement is generally quite straightforward in English. Check any handbook for the general rules. However, with subjects that introduce the idea of quantity, some additional rules of thumb are needed. Here are a few that are useful for academic writing.
With fractions, percentages and indefinite quantifiers (e.g., all, few, many, much, some), the verb agrees with the preceding noun or clause:
With a singular or non-count noun or clause, use a singular verb:
-One-third of this article is taken up with statistical ****ysis.
-Much of the book seems relevant to this study.
-Half of what he writes is undocumented.
-Fifty percent of the job is routine.
-All the information is current.
With a plural noun, use a plural verb:
-One-third of the students have graduate degrees.
-Many researchers depend on grants from industry.
-Half of his articles are peer-reviewed.
-Fifty percent of the computers have CD-ROM drives.
-All the studies are current.
With a collective noun, use either a singular or a plural verb, depending on whether you want to emphasize the single group or its individual members:
-Half of my family lives/live in Canada.
-All of the class is/are here.
-Ten percent of the population is/are bilingual
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