Which is Correct: “Each of the Boys Was Excited” or “Each of the Boys Were Excited”?

Often, English learners and native speakers alike struggle with subject and verb agreement, particularly when dealing with complex sentences and phrases like “each of the boys”. Which is correct: “Each of the boys was excited about the football game” or “Each of the boys were excited?” The answer lies in understanding the role of the subject and the verb within the sentence.

The Correct Sentence

The correct phrase is: “Each of the boys was excited about the football game.” In this context, the subject of the sentence is "each of the boys," and the verb "was" correctly agrees with the singular subject.

Understanding the Subject and Verb Discrepancy

Both sentences can sound awkward due to the influence of the prepositional phrase "of the boys." The key to understanding which usage is correct lies in identifying the subject and the verb. In the sentence “Each of the boys were excited about the football game,” the verb “were” is incorrectly agreeing with the plural noun “boys.” Therefore, the correct sentence is: “Each of the boys was excited about the football game.”

How to Simplify and Clear Up Clutter

To simplify the process of identifying the correct subject and verb agreement, you can remove the extraneous parts of the sentence. Here’s a step-by-step method:

Identify the full subject: "Each of the boys." The subject is "each" followed by the prepositional phrase "of the boys." Remove the prepositional phrase: After dropping “of the boys,” you are left with the top-level noun "each." Identify the verb phrase: "was excited about the football game." The verb phrase is “was excited” and the preposition “about the football game” is also extraneous. Remove the prepositional phrase from the verb phrase: This leaves us with “was excited.” Test the agreement: Since “each” is singular, the verb “was” is correctly used.

Examples for Clarity

Let’s look at a few examples to ensure clarity:

Correct sentence: “Each boy was excited about the football game.” Correct sentence: “Each of the boys was excited about the football game.” Correct sentence: “Each of the boys wearing a purple shirt and riding a dinosaur was excited. Incorrect sentence: “Each of the boys were excited about the football game.

The easiest way to figure out how to make a noun and a verb agree with each other is by removing all of the extraneous matter from the sentence and looking ONLY at the words that count. Following the above steps and removing the clutter will clearly and accurately show you that “each of the boys was excited” is the correct form in this context.

Conclusion

Subject-verb agreement, particularly with phrases like “each of the boys,” can sometimes be confusing, but by simplifying the sentence and focusing on the core subject, you can identify which usage is correct. Remember to always ensure that your verb agrees with the subject, regardless of the presence of prepositional phrases. Whether you are writing or speaking, clear and accurate subject-verb agreement is essential for effective communication.