In medical writing, match the verb to the true subject: use “has been reviewed” with a singular subject and “have been reviewed” with a plural subject.
Editors and peer reviewers look first for clarity and correctness. Nothing signals care more than clean subject–verb agreement, especially in passive perfect constructions common in manuscripts. The choice between “has been reviewed” and “have been reviewed” comes down to one thing: whether the subject is singular or plural. This guide explains the rule, shows edge cases that trip up even seasoned writers, and gives examples you can lift straight into a manuscript.
Quick Reference: Agreement In Passive Perfect Forms
Use this chart early while drafting methods, ethics statements, and cover letters. It maps common subjects seen in medical papers to the correct verb phrase and a model sentence.
| Subject Type | Correct Verb Phrase | Model Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Singular noun (“protocol”, “trial”) | has been reviewed | The protocol has been reviewed by the IRB. |
| Plural noun (“protocols”, “trials”) | have been reviewed | All protocols have been reviewed by the IRB. |
| Indefinite singular (“each study”, “every submission”) | has been reviewed | Each study has been reviewed by two statisticians. |
| Indefinite plural (“many studies”, “several submissions”) | have been reviewed | Several submissions have been reviewed this week. |
| Compound subject joined by “and” | have been reviewed | The protocol and the consent form have been reviewed. |
| Compound subject with “or/nor” (closest noun rules) | has/have been reviewed | Either the appendices or the protocol has been reviewed. |
| Collective noun acting as a unit (“committee”, “team”) | has been reviewed | The committee’s report has been reviewed. |
| Collective noun acting as individuals | have been reviewed | The team’s comments have been reviewed and logged. |
Has Versus Have In Peer-Reviewed Statements: The Rule In Practice
The auxiliary verb must follow the subject, not a nearby noun in a prepositional phrase. That’s the simplest way to keep the phrase correct in ethics declarations, data access notes, and method summaries. When in doubt, strip the sentence to its bare subject and verb, then rebuild the modifiers around it.
Find The Real Subject, Then Decide
Writers often place the subject far from the verb. Long phrases between them can mislead the eye. Trim the sentence and check the head noun of the subject phrase.
- Misleading: A set of reviewer comments from multiple sites have been reviewed.
- Fixed: A set of reviewer comments from multiple sites has been reviewed.
Watch “Of” Phrases
Prepositional phrases do not control agreement. In “a series of trials,” the head noun is “series” (singular), not “trials.” So the right form is “A series of trials has been reviewed.” Guidance on this rule appears in widely used grammar references for research writers, such as the subject–verb agreement overview from Purdue OWL.
Indefinite Pronouns In Research Reports
Words like “each,” “every,” and “either” usually take a singular verb. In a methods section, “Each dataset has been reviewed for completeness” reads clean and unambiguous. Plural forms like “many,” “several,” and “both” take “have.”
Compound Subjects
Joined by “and,” the subject is plural: “The protocol and consent form have been reviewed.” With “or/nor,” the verb agrees with the element closest to it: “Either the appendices or the protocol has been reviewed”; “Either the protocol or the appendices have been reviewed.”
Collective Nouns In Medical Contexts
Words like “team,” “staff,” and “committee” can act as a unit or as individuals. In American journal style, a unit usually takes a singular verb. Many editors follow Chicago-style guidance on this point. See the collective noun guidance for nuance. In practice: “The Data Safety Monitoring Board has been reviewed for membership balance” (unit). “The board’s comments have been reviewed” (plural thing).
Passive Voice, Past Perfect, And Where This Construction Fits
Medical prose often needs passive voice, especially in Methods and administrative notes. Ethics approvals, data vetting, image checks, and translation audits are usually described as actions done to materials, not actions by named people. Many house styles accept this. The AMA Manual of Style grammar chapter backs standard agreement rules used across journals. The same agreement rule applies whether the sentence is active or passive, simple past or present perfect.
Where Writers Use The Form Most
- IRB/ethics lines: “The study has been reviewed and approved.”
- Data quality notes: “All radiographs have been reviewed by two blinded readers.”
- Peer review history: “The revised figures have been reviewed by the handling editor.”
Edge Cases That Cause Disagreement Errors
Some structures tempt a mismatch. This set covers the ones that show up in submission letters and revisions.
Distances Between Subject And Verb
Long modifiers create noise. Pull the verb closer in early drafts. “The trial, including all prespecified secondary outcomes and sensitivity analyses, has been reviewed” keeps agreement intact.
Titles Or Terms In Quotation Marks
A title is singular. “Data Monitoring Plan has been reviewed by the sponsor.” If the sentence starts with a plural-sounding term used as a title, treat it as a singular label.
Numbers, Fractions, And Ranges
When a measure takes a singular sense, keep the verb singular: “One third of the dataset has been reviewed.” When the sense is clearly plural items, use “have”: “Two thirds of the records have been reviewed.” Chicago’s usage notes give this same approach for quantity expressions.
Subjects With Parenthetical Add-Ons
Items in parentheses are not the head of the subject. “The manuscript (excluding supplementary files) has been reviewed.”
Abbreviations And Initialisms
Abbreviations follow the same rule. “IRB has been reviewed” is odd because the subject “IRB” is the reviewing body, not the item reviewed. A better sentence: “IRB approval has been reviewed by the sponsor.” When the subject is plural, choose “have.”
Decision Flow: Pick The Right Form Every Time
Run through this three-step check during copyedits:
- Locate the subject. Ignore prepositional phrases and modifiers until you find the head noun.
- Test singular vs plural. Swap in a placeholder. If “it” fits, pick “has”; if “they” fits, pick “have.”
- Rebuild the sentence. Put the modifiers back and read aloud once.
Model Sentences You Can Adapt
These lines cover frequent manuscript tasks. Adjust nouns to fit your study.
Ethics And Consent
- The protocol has been reviewed and approved by the institutional review board.
- Patient information sheets have been reviewed by the ethics panel.
Data Handling And Images
- Source data have been reviewed against the case report forms.
- All MRI scans have been reviewed for motion artifacts by two neuroradiologists.
Peer Review And Revisions
- Reviewer suggestions have been reviewed and addressed in the revision.
- The final version has been reviewed by the corresponding author.
Common Traps In Journal Writing
This section gathers pitfalls that generate soft desk rejections or heavy edits. Each fix preserves meaning while aligning with standard grammar references used by publishers and editors.
Mismatch Caused By Nearby Plurals
Trap: “A collection of abstracts have been reviewed.” The head is “collection.” Use “has.”
Mismatch After Long Introductory Phrases
Trap: “After screening for duplicates and errors, the records has been reviewed.” The head is “records.” Use “have.”
Mismatch With “Data” And “Criteria”
In medical journals, “data” often behaves as a plural count noun in scientific contexts. Many outlets expect “data are …,” which pairs naturally with “have been reviewed.” “Criteria” is plural; “criterion” is singular. Align the verb accordingly. Industry and standards bodies echo the same subject-driven rule; see the ISO house style page on agreement (“the verb must agree with its subject”) for a concise statement of practice used in technical writing (ISO house style).
Edge-Case Checklist And Corrected Lines
Keep this table handy when revising your cover letter or response to reviewers. It lists patterns that often slip through the first pass.
| Pattern | Wrong → Right | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| “A series of …” | have → has | Head noun “series” is singular. |
| “Many/Several …” | has → have | Plural determiner triggers plural. |
| “Each/Every …” | have → has | Indefinite singular. |
| “Either … or …” | match nearest | Agreement with the closer element. |
| Collective nouns | depends | Unit sense = singular; members = plural. |
| Parenthetical add-ons | no change | Items in parentheses don’t control agreement. |
| Titles as subjects | has | A title acts as a singular label. |
| Fractions/percentages | sense-based | Singular whole vs plural items. |
Why Editors Care About This Choice
Agreement errors distract readers and slow down peer review. Clear grammar reduces back-and-forth during revisions and helps indexers parse statements. Author groups that align with standard style references glide through copyedit. For a compact refresher that many journal teams trust, see the Purdue OWL page linked above. For medical-specific nuance, AMA style materials remain the baseline across many publishers.
Fast Tests You Can Run Before Submission
Run these checks on IRB lines, data audit notes, and response letters:
- Singular swap test. Replace the subject with “it” or “they.” The choice that reads naturally sets your verb.
- Modifier strip test. Delete “of …,” “including …,” and parenthetical content. Check agreement. Put the pieces back.
- Nearest-noun test for “or/nor.” Make the noun closest to the verb match your meaning, then pick “has” or “have.”
- Consistency pass. Keep the same pattern across parallel items: “The figures, tables, and legends have been reviewed.”
- House style check. If the journal supplies a style page, skim the grammar section. Many point to standard references that repeat the same agreement rule.
Worked Rewrites From Real Manuscript Patterns
From Methods
Draft: “A group of attending physicians from two centers have been reviewed for eligibility.”
Edit: “The group of attending physicians from two centers has been reviewed for eligibility.”
From Cover Letters
Draft: “The revisions and the new figures has been reviewed by all authors.”
Edit: “The revisions and the new figures have been reviewed by all authors.”
From Ethics Statements
Draft: “Each consent form and data sheet have been reviewed by the board.”
Edit: “Each consent form and data sheet has been reviewed by the board.”
Short Style Notes That Help In Medical Prose
- Keep subjects short. Place the verb near the head noun.
- Use active voice when it clarifies agency. Use passive when the object matters more than the actor.
- When reporting prior checks, present perfect fits well: “has/have been reviewed,” “has/have been verified.”
- When reporting one-time tasks in a sequence, simple past often reads cleaner: “was reviewed,” “were reviewed.” The agreement rule is the same.
One-Minute Recap
Pick the verb by the subject’s number, not by nearby words. Singular subject → “has been reviewed.” Plural subject → “have been reviewed.” Compound subjects joined by “and” use “have,” while “or/nor” pairs agree with the closest element. Collective nouns act as singular when the group functions as a unit. These points align with widely used grammar resources for research writing and with medical style guidance followed by journals.