Agreement of relative pronoun 'who' and verb

Quick answer: match the verb to the noun who refers to

The verb inside a who-clause agrees with the antecedent (the noun before who). Singular antecedent → singular verb; plural antecedent → plural verb. Watch tricky phrases like one of the/each of the, which can change agreement.

Singular antecedent → singular verb: The boy who loves football is noisy.
Plural antecedent → plural verb: The students who are late missed the start.
Watch: after phrases like one of the, the verb inside the who-clause usually reflects the plural group: One of the authors who were invited is coming.

Core grammar: how who-clauses work

Who introduces a relative clause that modifies a person or people. Treat who as a pointer back to its antecedent and make the relative-clause verb agree with that antecedent, not with who itself.

Common slips come from confusing the main-clause subject with the antecedent or from intervening phrases (for example, of-phrases). Identify the real subject before you choose the verb form.

Rule: verb in the who-clause agrees with the antecedent (singular → singular; plural → plural).
Be careful with phrases such as one of the, each of the, and similar constructions that alter the agreement pattern.
Quick test: remove the who-clause. If the remaining sentence uses a singular subject, use a singular verb in the clause; if plural, use a plural verb.

Wrong: The boy who love football are my neighbors.
Right: The boy who loves football is my neighbor.

Real usage and tone: formal, neutral, conversational

Strict agreement matters most in formal writing, but readers notice mistakes in any register. In work writing prefer clear, unambiguous phrasing; in casual contexts you can be briefer, but agreement still needs to be correct.

When a who-clause creates ambiguity, rewording often helps. Changing word order or moving the clause can make the antecedent obvious and eliminate errors.

Formal: The researcher who led the study has published the data.
Neutral/work: Employees who are trained will receive the new badge.
Casual: The friends who are coming tonight are already here.

Work: The manager who approves budgets will review your proposal.
School: The student who studies hard often gets top marks.
Casual: The friend who always texts back is a keeper.

Examples by context: wrong and right pairs

Find the antecedent in each wrong sentence and change the verb to match. The corrected versions show the right agreement and offer natural alternatives.

Wrong: The committee who decides salaries are meeting tomorrow.
Right: The committee who decides salaries is meeting tomorrow.
Work: Colleagues who contribute to the report should add their notes by Friday.
Wrong: The students who is studying for the exam are well-prepared.
Right: The students who are studying for the exam are well-prepared.
School - Wrong: The students who attends class gets good grades.
School - Right: The students who attend class get good grades.
Casual - Wrong: The guys who goes to that bar are fun.
Casual - Right: The guys who go to that bar are fun.
Usage: The author who writes feature articles is here for an interview.

Fix your sentence: a short troubleshooting routine

A simple routine beats guessing. Identify the antecedent, determine whether it is singular or plural, watch for intervening phrases, then pick the matching verb. If anything still feels awkward, rewrite so the subject and verb sit next to each other.

Step 1: Underline the noun who refers to (the antecedent).
Step 2: Is the antecedent singular or plural? Try removing the who-clause and reading the remaining sentence.
Step 3: Use the verb form that matches that antecedent. If ambiguous, rephrase.

Rewrite: Fix: 'There was five people who wanted refunds.' → 'There were five people who wanted refunds.'
Rewrite: Fix: 'The author who write mysteries are popular.' → 'The author who writes mysteries is popular.'
Rewrite: Fix: 'She's one of the few who was chosen.' → 'She's one of the few who were chosen.'

Try your own sentence

Read the whole sentence, not just the fragment. Context often makes the correct agreement clear. If you still hesitate, reword the sentence so the antecedent and verb are adjacent.

Memory tricks and quick rules

Use short mnemonics to decide faster. Treat who like an arrow pointing back to the antecedent: if that antecedent takes an -s on a verb, the who-clause verb should too.

Memorize risky patterns-one of the + plural, each of the + singular sense, and expressions with few/fewer-that commonly cause errors.

Heard 'one of the' + who → think plural inside the who-clause: 'one of the players who were selected.'
Drop the who-clause: if 'The students are late' reads correctly, use a plural verb in the clause.
If you'd naturally say 'they are' after the noun, use a plural verb in the who-clause.

Wrong: One of the writers who was invited is speaking.
Right: One of the writers who were invited is speaking.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Errors that look like who-verb problems often stem from choosing the wrong relative pronoun, misreading the true subject, or treating a collective noun inconsistently.

Check pronoun choice, prepositional phrases that separate subject and verb, and whether a collective noun refers to the unit or its members.

That vs who: use who (or whom) for people. That appears in informal restrictive clauses but who is clearer in formal writing.
Collective nouns (team, committee) can take singular or plural verbs depending on meaning (the unit vs the members).
One of the + plural: the who-clause verb usually agrees with the plural group, not with one.

Wrong: The team who are on the field is tired.
Right: The team who are on the field are tired. (if you mean the players)
Wrong: He's the person that helped me yesterday.
Right: He's the person who helped me yesterday.

Punctuation, hyphenation, and formatting notes

Restrictive who-clauses (essential to identifying the noun) take no commas; nonrestrictive clauses (extra information) do. That comma choice can change which noun who refers to and therefore change agreement.

Hyphenation rarely affects who-clauses directly, but hyphenate compound modifiers before a noun (e.g., full-time employees who) to avoid misreading.

No comma for essential clause: 'Employees who work remotely receive a stipend.'
Comma for extra info: 'John, who works remotely, received a stipend.'
Hyphenate modifiers that precede nouns to keep structure clear: 'full-time employees who work remotely.'

Work: Full-time employees who work remotely are eligible. (no comma)
Usage: John, who works remotely, is on leave. (commas)

Spacing and commas: small cues that point to big agreement errors

Comma placement signals whether the who-clause identifies which person you mean (restrictive) or simply adds information (nonrestrictive). A different reading can force a different verb agreement.

If a sentence sounds ambiguous, try moving the clause or adding/removing commas and then re-evaluate agreement. When the who-clause is restrictive, the antecedent directly controls verb form.

Restrictive: no commas - who defines the noun (affects which noun is the subject).
Nonrestrictive: commas - who adds extra information about an already identified noun.
If adding or removing commas changes agreement, you likely misidentified the antecedent.

Wrong: My neighbor who has two dogs are friendly.
Right: My neighbor who has two dogs is friendly.

FAQ

Is who singular or plural?

Who has no number itself; it points to an antecedent. The verb in the who-clause agrees with that antecedent: singular antecedent → singular verb; plural antecedent → plural verb.

Should I use who or that for people?

Who is the clearest choice for people. That can appear in restrictive clauses in informal use, but who is preferred in formal writing.

How do I fix "one of the" + who sentences?

Treat the who-clause as referring to the plural group after of. For example: One of the players who were selected is injured. The who-clause verb often matches the plural group (were selected).

Why do I sometimes see singular verbs after who with plural antecedents?

Often that's a mistake or the writer is thinking of a different nearby singular noun. Re-evaluate which noun who actually refers to; that determines agreement.

Can a grammar checker catch all who-verb agreement problems?

Good checkers flag many errors but can miss tricky antecedents or stylistic choices. Use a checker for obvious mistakes, then apply the antecedent test described here to confirm.

Want a second pair of eyes on your sentence?

If you're unsure about a who-clause, paste the sentence into a checker or ask a colleague. Tools can quickly flag mismatches and suggest rewrites you can adapt to your context.

Try a sentence check to catch who-verb agreement issues and get example rewrites you can use at work, school, or in casual writing.