'Everyone Is' vs 'Everyone Are': Which is Correct?

By Carly Forsaith, updated on February 21, 2023

If you're wondering which of the two to use between 'everyone is' vs 'everyone are,' you've come to the right place.

The short answer is that the correct form is 'everyone is.' Read on to find out why.

'Everyone Is' vs 'Everyone Are': Which Is It?

I can understand why this is a confusing one. After all, the word 'everyone' refers to several people, which in theory is plural, so shouldn't you use the plural form of the verb 'to be,' which is 'are?'

Well, that makes sense… in theory. But the reality is quite different. Let me explain.

What Does 'Everyone' Mean?

First of all, what does 'everyone' mean? It's not the same as 'every one,' which refers to a group of people but on an individual basis. 'Everyone' refers to a group of people as a collective. Check out this article if you want to learn more about that.

'Everyone' is an indefinite pronoun, and it basically means 'every person.' It is a singular pronoun.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement is an important concept in English grammar (and probably other languages, too) because it ensures you use the correct verb conjugation based on the subject. Here are some examples of incorrect subject-verb agreement:

The boys was on their way to school.

I don't knows what to wear.

Where did you goes?

Can you see why the subject-verb agreement is so important to get right? If you get just that one bit wrong, the whole sentence will sound off-kilter.

'Everyone,' while referring to multiple people, refers to them as a group. A group is singular; therefore, the verb should also be in the singular tense.

It's exactly the same as saying that 'someone,' 'anyone,' or 'nobody is.'

Top tip! You can also say 'everyone's,' which is a contraction of 'everyone is.' They have the same meaning.

Examples Of Sentences With "Everyone Is"

Hopefully, this now makes sense to you, but nonetheless, I'll show you some examples of 'everyone is' in a sentence. You'll see how much more natural it sounds when you say 'everyone is is' vs 'everyone are.'

Everyone is writing down what they want so we can place an order collectively.

Don't you realize everyone is in awe of what you did back there?

Everyone is talking about who will wear what tonight.

How can you say you're not into nonfiction? Everyone's into nonfiction!

Don't worry; we're not judging you. Everyone is afraid of something.

Concluding Thoughts on 'Everyone Is' vs 'Everyone Are'

So now you know. I hope you now feel confident with your subject-verb agreement for 'everyone is.' Let's summarize what we've learned:

  • The correct form is 'everyone is'
  • 'Everyone are' is an incorrect subject-verb agreement
  • You can also say 'everyone's'

If you found this article helpful, why not check out some of our other Confusing Word topics over on our blog?

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Written By:
Carly Forsaith
Carly Forsaith is one of the lead freelance writers for WritingTips.org. Carly is a copywriter who has been writing about the English language for over 3 years. Before that, she was a teacher in Thailand, helping people learn English as a second language. She is a total grammar nerd and spends her time spotting language errors on signs and on the internet.

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