Words that come in between the subject and the verb do not affect the verb form; therefore, for the purposes
       of determining subject-verb agreement, you can eliminate those words and then choose the correct verb form.

    Example:    The birds in the tree next to my bedroom windows wake me at 4:00 a.m.every morning.
                      The man who owns all the dogs is my uncle.
                  Aleksey, along with his wife, attends Harper College.

    Notice that the number of the subject is not affected by any phrases, clauses, or parenthetical
    expressions that come between the subject and verb.

    HINT:  When a subject noun is plural (often ending in an -s), the present tense verb
                   does NOT have an -s at the end of the word.  If the subject does NOT
                   end in -s (often indicating it is singular),  the verb will usually end in -s.

    Example:  His dirty slacks, shirts, and underwear are strewn all over his bedroom.

    EXCEPTION: If two subjects name the same person or thing, the verb is singular.

    Example:  His coach and friend is coming to the graduation ceremony.

    Example:    Neither hot dogs nor pizza is my choice for lunch.
                     Abstinence or condoms are advocated for preventing sexually transmitted diseases.

 

-one pronouns	-body pronouns	-things pronouns
one	nobody	nothing	each
anyone	anybody	nothing	every
someone	somebody	something	either
everyone	everybody	everything	neither

     Example:   Even when he flexes his muscles, he looks like Woody Allen.
                  Each of the Survivor contestants wants to win the million dollar prize.

    NOTE:   There are some indefinite pronouns that are plural (several, few, etc.);
                    therefore, they require a plural verb.  On the other hand, some indefinite
                    pronouns (most, all, many, etc.) can be either singular or plural, depending on what
                    they refer to.

    Example:  Several of our trees were uprooted by the tornado.
                    "Many are called, but few are chosen"  (The Bible, Matthew. 22:14).
                                                                   BUT
                Most of the Halloween candy is gone.
                Most of the contestants on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire use all of their lifelines.

    Example:    The main focus in Russ Meyer films is breasts and cleavage.
                  Breasts and cleavage are the main focus in Russ Meyer films.

               Example:    The news of a baby's birth brings great joy to the entire family.
                             Economics is my major.

               NOTE:    The above two examples are instances in which both the subject and the verb end in -s.

               Example:    Good, sharp scissors are a necessity for every seamstress.
 

    When the word there is used as an introductory word before the verb, there is NOT the subject of the sentence,
        so it does not determine the verb form.  In this case, even though the subject is after the verb, it still determines the
        required form of the verb.

               Example:    There is a fly in my soup.
                                 There are twenty-five students in my English class.
 

    With a title, whether it is singular or plural, the verb form is singular.

                Example:    Friends has become one of the most popular shows on television.
                              Abercrombie and Fitch has published some controversial catalogues.