A verb agrees with its subject in number and person, and collective, partitive and coordinated subjects take a singular or a plural verb. With a collective noun or a partitive, the verb is singular or plural: La mayoría de los compañeros piensa igual. La mayoría de los compañeros piensan igual.
No information at the current level. This view starts at B2: choose B2 or a higher level.
No information at the current level. This view starts at B2: choose B2 or a higher level.
CheatsheetB2–C2
| Point | Rule | Example | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collective noun | a collective noun with de and a plural noun: singular or plural verb | Llegó un grupo de turistas. / Llegaron un grupo de turistas. | A group of tourists arrived. / A group of tourists arrived. | B2 |
| List | the verb is singular and agrees with the first item | Me preocupa el ruido, el tráfico y la contaminación. | The noise, the traffic and the pollution worry me. | B2 |
| o and ni | o and ni take a singular or a plural verb | Vendrá Ana o Luis. / Vendrán Ana o Luis. | Ana or Luis will come. / Ana or Luis will come. | B2 |
| Person | a group that includes the speaker takes the first person | Los vecinos pensamos que el parque necesita luz. | We neighbours think that the park needs lighting. | B2 |
| Predicative | it agrees with the subject | María bailó la cumbia descalza. | María danced the cumbia barefoot. | B2 |
| Partitive | a partitive and a plural noun: the verb agrees with either one | La mayoría de los compañeros piensa igual. / La mayoría de los compañeros piensan igual. | Most of the colleagues think the same. / Most of the colleagues think the same. | B2 |
| Emphatic plural | the plural stresses each individual | La mitad de los invitados se fueron temprano. | Half of the guests left early. | C1 |
| Noun phrase | the adjective is plural for two things, singular when they form one unit | una conducta y unas palabras inaceptables / lengua y literatura alemana | unacceptable behaviour and words / German language and literature | C1 |
| Adjective and two nouns | before the nouns it agrees with the first; after them it is plural | su asombroso talento y dedicación / su talento y dedicación asombrosos | his astonishing talent and dedication / his talent and dedication, both astonishing | C2 |
| Plural of modesty | one speaker uses the first person plural | En este trabajo analizamos tres casos. | In this paper we analyse three cases. | C2 |
| Trap | gente and familia take a singular verb | La gente piensa que el precio es alto. | People think the price is high. | C1 |
| Trap | after el grupo de, the verb is singular | El grupo de políticos votó a favor. | The group of politicians voted in favour. | C1 |
Collective subjects and listsB2
| Subject | Verb | Example | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| collective noun + de + plural noun | singular or plural | Llegó un grupo de turistas. / Llegaron un grupo de turistas. | A group of tourists arrived. / A group of tourists arrived. | B2 |
| a list after the verb | singular, with the first item | Me preocupa el ruido, el tráfico y la contaminación. | The noise, the traffic and the pollution worry me. | B2 |
| subject + o + subject | singular or plural | Vendrá Ana o Luis. / Vendrán Ana o Luis. | Ana or Luis will come. / Ana or Luis will come. | B2 |
| ni + subject + ni + subject | singular or plural | No vendrá ni Ana ni Luis. / No vendrán ni Ana ni Luis. | Neither Ana nor Luis will come. / Neither Ana nor Luis will come. | B2 |
| two nouns with one meaning and one article | singular | La entrada y salida de coches se controla aquí. | The entry and exit of cars is controlled here. | B2 |
First and second personB2
| Subject | Verb | Example | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a group that includes the speaker | first person plural | Los vecinos pensamos que el parque necesita luz. | We neighbours think that the park needs lighting. | B2 |
| a group that includes the listenerSpain | second person plural | Los chicos queréis salir temprano. | You kids want to leave early. | B2 |
| a group that includes the listenerLatin America | third person plural, with ustedes | Ustedes, los chicos, quieren salir temprano. | You kids want to leave early. | B2 |
| the speaker and, with con, another person; in Central America, Colombia, Peru and ChileLatin America | first person plural: the speaker and a companion | Cantamos con él = Yo canté con él / Fuimos con vos = Yo fui con vos | We sang with him = I sang with him / We went with you = I went with you | B2 |
Latin America
- Latin America: Forms of address with ustedes and vos: see Forms of Address: tú, usted, vosotros, ustedes.
PredicativeB2
| Pattern | Example | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| subject + verb + adjective: the adjective agrees with the subject in gender and number | Los niños volvieron cansados del parque. / María bailó la cumbia descalza. | The children came back from the park tired. / María danced the cumbia barefoot. | B2 |
- The predicative of the subject and of the object: see Adjectives: Agreement and Position.
Agreement with partitivesB2
| Subject | Verb | Example | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| la mayoría / la mayor parte / el resto + de + plural noun | singular, with the partitive, or plural, with the complement | La mayoría de los compañeros piensa igual. / La mayoría de los compañeros piensan igual. | Most of the colleagues think the same. / Most of the colleagues think the same. | B2 |
- Quantifiers and their complement: see Quantifiers.
Agreement ad sensumC1
| Subject | Verb | Example | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| la mayoría / la mitad / el diez por ciento + de + plural noun | plural, to stress each individual | La mayoría de los vecinos creen que el barrio ha mejorado. / La mitad de los invitados se fueron temprano. / El diez por ciento de los votantes se abstuvieron. | Most of the neighbours believe the neighbourhood has improved. / Half of the guests left early. / Ten per cent of the voters abstained. | C1 |
| un montón / una docena + de + plural noun | plural | Un montón de libros se cayeron del estante. / Una docena de turistas bajaron del autobús. | A heap of books fell off the shelf. / A dozen tourists got off the bus. | C1 |
| un grupo de + plural noun | singular or plural | Un grupo de vecinos pidió una reunión. / Un grupo de vecinos pidieron una reunión. | A group of neighbours asked for a meeting. / A group of neighbours asked for a meeting. | C1 |
| el grupo de + plural noun | singular | El grupo de políticos votó a favor. | The group of politicians voted in favour. | C1 |
| gente and familia, with no plural complement | singular | La gente piensa que el precio es alto. / La familia se compró una casa. | People think the price is high. / The family bought a house. | C1 |
Agreement inside the noun phraseC1–C2
| Pattern | Example | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| noun + y + noun + adjective: the adjective is plural and agrees with both nouns | una conducta y unas palabras inaceptables | unacceptable behaviour and words | C1 |
| singular noun + y + singular noun + adjective: the adjective is singular when the two nouns form one unit | Mi hermana estudia lengua y literatura alemana. | My sister studies German language and literature. | C1 |
| adjective + singular noun + y + singular noun: the adjective agrees with the first noun; after both it is plural | su asombroso talento y dedicación / su talento y dedicación asombrosos | his astonishing talent and dedication / his talent and dedication, both astonishing | C2 |
Deliberate disagreementC2
| Figure | Form | Example | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| plural of modesty | an author or a speaker talks about themselves in the first person plural | En este trabajo analizamos tres casos. / Como hemos explicado ya, el método falla. | In this paper we analyse three cases. / As we have already explained, the method fails. | C2 |
| plural of majesty | a monarch speaks of themselves in the first person plural | Hemos decidido perdonar a los rebeldes. | We have decided to pardon the rebels. | C2 |
| affective plural | the speaker addresses one person in the first person plural | ¿Cómo nos sentimos hoy, don Luis? | How are we feeling today, don Luis? | C2 |
| verb and subject complement | the verb agrees with the subject complement, not with the subject | El problema somos nosotros. | The problem is us. | C2 |
| title of address | the title is feminine and takes a third person verb; the adjective follows the gender of the person | Su Excelencia el embajador está cansado. | His Excellency the ambassador is tired. | C2 |
Typical errorsB2–C2
| Wrong | Right | Rule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los españoles piensan que nuestro café es mejor. | Los españoles pensamos que nuestro café es mejor. | a group that includes the speaker takes the first person plural | B2 |
| La gente piensan que el precio es alto. | La gente piensa que el precio es alto. | gente takes a singular verb | C1 |
| La familia se compraron una casa. | La familia se compró una casa. | familia with no plural complement takes a singular verb | C1 |
| El grupo de políticos votaron a favor. | El grupo de políticos votó a favor. | after el grupo de, the verb is singular | C1 |
| su asombrosos talento y dedicación | su asombroso talento y dedicación | before two nouns, the adjective agrees with the first | C2 |