Subject-Verb Agreement

Front

What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Back

Subject-Verb Agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural).

Front

When should you use a singular verb?

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Use a singular verb when the subject is singular (e.g., 'The cat runs').

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When should you use a plural verb?

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Use a plural verb when the subject is plural (e.g., 'The cats run').

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What is an example of a compound subject?

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A compound subject consists of two or more subjects joined by 'and' (e.g., 'Tom and Jerry are friends').

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What is the rule for subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor'?

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When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb should agree with the subject closest to it (e.g., 'Neither the teacher nor the students were ready').

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What is the rule for collective nouns?

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Collective nouns (e.g., team, group) can take either singular or plural verbs depending on whether the group acts as a single unit or as individuals (e.g., 'The team wins' vs. 'The team are arguing').

Front

What is the correct verb form for 'Neither of the girls __ in the race'?

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The correct form is 'was' (Neither of the girls was in the race).

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What is the correct pronoun for 'Many brought __ own lunches'?

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The correct pronoun is 'their' (Many brought their own lunches).

Front

What is the correct form for 'Is there anybody who will donate __ time'?

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The correct form is 'her' (Is there anybody who will donate her time?).

Front

What is the correct word for 'Please, listen to me! I've got __ important to tell you'?

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The correct word is 'something' (I've got something important to tell you).