Subject-Verb Agreement with "As Well As": Why the First Subject Matters
Learn subject-verb agreement with as well as, including why the verb agrees with the first subject, common exam traps, examples, and practice.
The phrase as well as looks simple, but it creates a serious subject-verb agreement trap.
Incorrect: Ram as well as Shyam are coming.
Correct: Ram as well as Shyam is coming.
Many learners treat as well as like and. That is the mistake. And usually joins two subjects and makes the subject plural:
Ram and Shyam are coming.
But as well as does not work exactly like and. It adds extra information. The verb normally agrees with the first, main subject.
Ram, as well as Shyam, is coming.
This rule matters in school grammar, competitive exams, formal writing, and editing because the sentence often contains one singular noun and one plural noun. The nearby noun can distract you, but the verb should follow the real subject.
For related agreement traps, see Subject-Verb Agreement with “One of” and Collective Nouns: When “Team Is” and “Team Are” Both Work.
As well as means something close to in addition to or along with. It adds another person or thing, but it does not normally create a compound plural subject.
The principal as well as the teachers is responsible.
The teachers as well as the principal are responsible.
The added phrase changes information, not the grammatical number of the main subject.
Rule box: With as well as, the verb agrees with the first/main subject, not with the noun after as well as.
So the pattern is:
singular subject + as well as + another noun + singular verb
plural subject + as well as + another noun + plural verb
Examples:
My brother, as well as my parents, is invited.
My parents, as well as my brother, are invited.
The meaning is similar, but the grammar changes because the first subject changes.
| First/Main Subject | Added Phrase | Correct Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| singular | as well as + singular noun | singular | Ram as well as Shyam is coming. |
| singular | as well as + plural noun | singular | The box as well as the books was lost. |
| plural | as well as + singular noun | plural | The teachers as well as the principal are present. |
| plural | as well as + plural noun | plural | The boys as well as the girls are ready. |
The first subject controls the verb.
In careful writing, the as well as phrase is often separated by commas, especially when it is extra information:
My brother, as well as my parents, is invited.
The manager, as well as the assistants, has arrived.
The commas make the structure clearer: the middle phrase is additional, not the main subject.
Without commas, the rule is still usually the same:
The manager as well as the assistants has arrived.
However, many modern writers prefer commas or a rewrite because the sentence can feel heavy.
If the first subject is plural, use a plural verb:
The teachers as well as the principal are present.
The files as well as the folder were deleted.
My friends as well as my cousin have registered.
Do not let the singular noun after as well as pull the verb into singular form.
If both people or things are equally part of the subject, and may be clearer:
Ram and Shyam are coming.
If the second person is added as extra information, as well as is fine:
Ram, as well as Shyam, is coming.
The choice is not only grammar; it affects emphasis.
Use this method in error spotting and fill-in-the-blanks.
- Find as well as in the sentence.
- Identify the first/main subject before as well as.
- Ignore the added phrase for verb agreement.
- Choose the verb that agrees with the first subject.
- Read the sentence again to check whether and would be more natural.
Ram as well as Shyam is/are coming.
The first subject is Ram, singular. Correct:
Ram as well as Shyam is coming.
The teachers as well as the principal is/are present.
The first subject is teachers, plural. Correct:
The teachers as well as the principal are present.
The box as well as the books was/were lost.
The first subject is box, singular. Correct:
The box as well as the books was lost.
-
Ram as well as Shyam is coming.
Ram is the first subject, so the verb is singular. -
Ram and Shyam are coming.
And joins two subjects equally, so the verb is plural. -
The teachers as well as the principal are present.
The first subject teachers is plural. -
The principal as well as the teachers is present.
The first subject principal is singular. -
The box as well as the books was lost.
The first subject box is singular. -
The books as well as the box were lost.
The first subject books is plural. -
My brother, as well as my parents, is invited.
The added phrase does not make the verb plural. -
My parents, as well as my brother, are invited.
Now the first subject is plural. -
The captain as well as the players has accepted the decision.
The main subject is captain. -
The players as well as the captain have accepted the decision.
The main subject is players.
Incorrect: Ram as well as Shyam are coming.
Correct: Ram as well as Shyam is coming.
And creates a compound subject. As well as usually adds a secondary element. That is why the verb follows the first subject.
Incorrect: The box as well as the books were lost.
Correct: The box as well as the books was lost.
The nearest noun is books, but the main subject is box. Agreement follows the main subject, not the nearest noun.
This is the same broad skill used in many agreement questions: find the real subject before choosing the verb.
The principal as well as the teachers is present.
The teachers as well as the principal are present.
Both sentences include the same people, but the grammar is different because the first subject is different.
Correct: My brother, as well as my parents, is invited.
Correct: My brother as well as my parents is invited.
Commas make the added phrase clearer, but the agreement logic is the same. In formal writing, commas often improve readability.
Some sentences are technically correct but sound unnatural:
The principal as well as all the teachers is coming.
The agreement is with principal, so is is correct. But if the writer wants to emphasize the whole group equally, this is cleaner:
The principal and all the teachers are coming.
Grammar is not only about passing tests. Good writing should also sound natural and communicate emphasis clearly.
The basic rule is the same in standard British and American English: as well as does not normally make the subject plural. In both varieties, formal writing prefers agreement with the first/main subject.
| Mistake | Correct Form | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Ram as well as Shyam are coming. | Ram as well as Shyam is coming. | Ram is singular. |
| The teachers as well as the principal is present. | The teachers as well as the principal are present. | Teachers is plural. |
| The box as well as the books were lost. | The box as well as the books was lost. | Box is singular. |
| My brother, as well as my parents, are invited. | My brother, as well as my parents, is invited. | Brother is singular. |
| The files as well as the folder was missing. | The files as well as the folder were missing. | Files is plural. |
| The manager as well as the workers have agreed. | The manager as well as the workers has agreed. | Manager is singular. |
Choose the correct option or correct the error.
- Ram as well as Shyam is/are ready.
- The teachers as well as the principal is/are present.
- The box as well as the books was/were lost.
- My parents as well as my brother has/have arrived.
- Error spotting: The captain as well as the players have accepted the rule.
- Error spotting: The girls as well as the boy is participating.
- Error spotting: My brother, as well as my parents, are invited.
- Fill in the blank: The report as well as the files ___ missing. (is/are)
- Rewrite using correct agreement: The students as well as the teacher is waiting.
- Rewrite more naturally with and if both subjects are equally important: The principal as well as all the teachers is coming.
- is — Ram is singular.
- are — teachers is plural.
- was — box is singular.
- have — parents is plural.
- The captain as well as the players has accepted the rule.
- The girls as well as the boy are participating.
- My brother, as well as my parents, is invited.
- is — report is singular.
- The students as well as the teacher are waiting.
- The principal and all the teachers are coming.
As well as adds information, but it does not usually make the subject plural.
Rule box: With as well as, the verb agrees with the first/main subject.
Memory trick:
Cover the as well as phrase with your hand. The remaining subject tells you the verb.
Final examples:
Ram as well as Shyam is coming.
The teachers as well as the principal are present.
My brother, as well as my parents, is invited.