the french (French)

Choose seems for singular subjects and seem for plural subjects. That rule fixes most errors in sentences like "The book seem..." or "There seems to be...".

Below: a compact rule, quick tests, rewrite templates, and many wrong→right pairs for work, school, and casual writing so you can correct sentences quickly.

Quick answer

Use seems with a singular subject (The book seems). Use seem with a plural subject (The books seem). In sentences beginning with there, match the verb to the true subject that follows the verb (There seem to be errors).

Singular subject → seems (The book seems).
Plural subject → seem (The books seem).
There-construction → find the noun after the verb and match its number.

Core rule (grammar): subject-verb agreement with seem

Seem follows the same agreement pattern as be, appear, and look: the verb must match the subject's number. Use the be-test: swap seem with is/are to check.

Be-test: If "is" fits, use seems. If "are" fits, use seem.
Ignore nouns inside prepositional phrases when you identify the subject (The book on the table seems...).

Wrong: The book seem interesting.
Right: The book seems interesting.
Wrong: The books seems interesting.
Right: The books seem interesting.

There + seem(s) constructions: find the real subject

When a sentence starts with there, the real subject comes after the verb. Match seem/seems to that subject.

There seems to be a problem. (problem = singular → seems)
There seem to be problems. (problems = plural → seem)

Wrong: There seems to be many reasons for the delay.
Right: There seem to be many reasons for the delay.
Wrong (casual): There seems a lot of traffic today.
Right (casual): There seems to be a lot of traffic today. (or There is a lot of traffic today.)

Collective nouns and meaning choices

Collective nouns (team, staff, committee) can be singular (the group as a unit) or plural (the members). Choose seems or seem to reflect meaning and audience.

Unit meaning → use seems: The team seems strong.
Members meaning → use seem (common in BrE): The team seem to be arguing among themselves.

Work - Wrong: The team seem ready to start the game. (formal AmE reads as nonstandard)
Work - Right: The team seems ready to start the game.
Work - Usage: If you mean individual members: Team members seem unhappy with the referee.

Real usage: tone and context (work, school, casual)

In formal writing, follow strict agreement and prefer "seem to" + verb or "appear to" for precision. In informal speech, "seems like" appears often and is acceptable in casual contexts.

If a sentence feels weak, swap seem/seems for a stronger verb: show, indicate, suggest, or state the subject explicitly.

Formal: The data seem to indicate a downward trend.
School essay: The evidence appears to contradict the hypothesis.
Casual: That seems like fun. / That looks fun.

Work: The data seem to support our recommendation.
School: It seems that the author undermines her own argument.
Casual: That party seems like it'll be fun!

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence with the be-test: swap in is/are to see which fits. Context often makes the correct choice clear.

Rewrite help: quick checklist + concrete rewrites

Checklist: 1) Identify the grammatical subject (not a noun in a prepositional phrase). 2) Decide singular or plural. 3) Use seems for singular, seem for plural. If the sentence starts with there, look after the verb for the true subject.

If uncertain, rewrite to put the subject next to the verb or choose a stronger verb.

When in doubt, rewrite so the subject sits next to the verb.
Replace vague seems with indicates, suggests, or appears in formal writing.

Rewrite:
Original: There seems to be several issues with the draft. → There seem to be several issues with the draft.
Rewrite:
Original: One of the chapters seem light on evidence. → One of the chapters seems light on evidence.
Rewrite:
Original: The committee seem divided. → The committee seems divided. OR Committee members seem divided.
Rewrite:
Original: There seems to be a problem with the printer every morning. → A printer problem seems to occur every morning.

Examples: compact wrong → right pairs (work, school, casual)

Use the be-test or the checklist above to correct these common mistakes.

Work - Wrong: The data seems to support our hypothesis.
Work - Right: The data seem to support our hypothesis.
Work - Wrong: There seems to be multiple errors in the spreadsheet.
Work - Right: There seem to be multiple errors in the spreadsheet.
Work - Wrong: The team seem to prefer the new schedule.
Work - Right: The team seems to prefer the new schedule.
School - Wrong: One of the experiments seem flawed.
School - Right: One of the experiments seems flawed.
School - Wrong: The results seems surprising given the controls.
School - Right: The results seem surprising given the controls.
School - Wrong: There seems to be many students who missed the lecture.
School - Right: There seem to be many students who missed the lecture.
Casual - Wrong: That song seem catchy.
Casual - Right: That song seems catchy.
Casual - Wrong: My friends seems excited for Friday.
Casual - Right: My friends seem excited for Friday.
Casual - Wrong: There seems a lot of noise outside.
Casual - Right: There seems to be a lot of noise outside. (or There is a lot of noise outside.)
General - Wrong: The bouquet, along with the roses, seem fresh.
General - Right: The bouquet, along with the roses, seems fresh.

Memory tricks and fast tests

Two quick checks help you decide fast: the be-test and the there-test. A short mnemonic can also stick: "Single → S in seems".

Be-test: Replace seem with is/are. If is fits, use seems; if are fits, use seem.
There-test: For sentences starting with there, look forward for the true subject and match number.
Mnemonic: singular + s → seems (useful under time pressure).

Usage example: "The results are surprising" → "The results seem surprising" (use seem).

Similar mistakes and mechanical pitfalls (hyphenation, spacing, punctuation)

Related verbs-appear, look, feel, sound-follow the same agreement rules. Fixing seem/seems but ignoring these verbs causes inconsistent text.

Punctuation, long modifiers, or misplaced hyphens can hide the subject. When the subject is buried, move it forward or rephrase for clarity.

Also check: appears/appear, looks/look, feels/feel for agreement.
Hyphenation: A twenty-one-year-old student seems tired. Hyphens don't affect agreement but keep phrases clear.
If commas or parentheticals separate subject and verb, rewrite: The bouquet - along with the roses - seems fresh. (or The bouquet, along with the roses, seems fresh.)

Wrong: The results appears significant.
Right: The results appear significant.
Wrong: A twenty one year old seem to be present.
Right: A twenty-one-year-old seems to be present.

FAQ

Is "The book seem interesting" ever correct?

No. Book is singular, so write: The book seems interesting. Use the be-test-"The book is interesting"-to confirm.

Which is correct: "There seems to be many problems" or "There seem to be many problems"?

"There seem to be many problems" is correct. The verb agrees with problems (plural) that follows the verb.

Can I write "the team seem"?

Yes in some varieties of British English when you mean individual members. In American English and formal writing prefer "the team seems" for the group as a unit, or rewrite to "team members seem" when you mean individuals.

How do I find the subject when the sentence is long or has commas?

Skip prepositional phrases and parenthetical content. Look for the main noun that carries the state or action. If the sentence starts with there, look after the verb. When unsure, rewrite with the subject at the front.

Is "seems like" acceptable in essays or reports?

"Seems like" is fine in informal writing. For essays and reports prefer "seems to" + verb or "appears to" for a clearer, more formal tone.

Want a quick fix for a sentence?

Run the be-test: swap seem with is/are. If you still hesitate, paste the sentence into a grammar tool for context-aware suggestions.

Keep the three-step checklist handy when proofreading: find the subject → determine singular/plural → choose seems/seem. That catches most errors quickly.