Agreement of the verb with its subject
The verb always agrees with its subject in person and number. The tricky cases come up with inverted subjects, relative pronouns ("qui"), collective subjects, and subjects separated from the verb by other words.
Examples
C'est moi qui ai raison.
Key word(s): ai
"Qui" refers back to "moi" (first person), so "ai".
La foule de spectateurs applaudit.
Key word(s): applaudit
The collective subject "la foule" takes the singular.
Sur la table se trouvaient des clés.
Key word(s): trouvaient
The inverted subject "des clés" takes the plural.
Les enfants que tu vois jouent dehors.
Key word(s): jouent
The subject "enfants" is far from the verb but still controls the agreement.
C'est toi qui décides.
Key word(s): décides
"Qui" refers back to "toi" (second person), so "décides".
Common mistakes
- Making the verb agree with the nearest word instead of the real subject
- Forgetting the agreement with "qui" ("c'est moi qui a" instead of "qui ai")
- Getting inverted subjects wrong ("dans le jardin pousse des fleurs" instead of "poussent")
Test yourself
C'est vous qui ___ raison.
Un groupe d'élèves ___ le bus.
Sur le mur ___ des affiches.
Tips to remember
- Always ask "qui est-ce qui ?" (who is it that) to find the real subject.
- With "qui", the verb agrees with the antecedent (the word that "qui" replaces).
- Collective subject: "la foule" takes the singular; "une foule de gens" takes the singular or the plural depending on intent.
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