People is or people are?
Find the real subject for the verb, even in a long sentence.
2 min read · Updated 10/23/2026
The key idea
In the present simple, the form of the verb agrees with the subject: The student works, but The students work.
When other words come in between, don't choose the verb by the noun nearest to it. Find the main noun: The list of courses is long. It is the list that is long, not the courses.
People is plural in its usual meaning of “persons”: People are… Everyone, however, is grammatically singular: Everyone is…
See an example
The quality of these lessons is good.
The main noun is quality, so is is chosen. Lessons is only part of the phrase that comes in between.
Everyone in my class wants to improve.
Even though there may be many people in the class, everyone takes wants.
Now you try
Choose the correct verb.
- The price of these books is / are high.
- Many people prefers / prefer studying in the morning.
- Each student has / have a notebook.
A personal draft. It is not saved when you leave or automatically graded.
Reveal the answer and explanation
Answer and explanation
- is — the main noun, price, is singular.
- prefer — people is plural in meaning.
- has — each student is used as a singular.
When a sentence looks confusing, cover the descriptive part in between for a moment: The price … is high. Then go back to the full sentence.
Why is “more easier” wrong?
Official sources for this topic
British Council · Grammar