SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Front

What is subject-verb agreement?

Back

Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its verb.

Front

When should you use 'were' instead of 'was'?

Back

Use 'were' for plural subjects and for the second person singular (you). Example: 'They were happy.'

Front

What is the correct verb form for collective nouns?

Back

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

Front

How do you determine the correct verb form with indefinite pronouns?

Back

Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone' and 'somebody' are usually singular, so they take singular verbs. Example: 'Everyone is here.'

Front

What is the rule for using 'each' and 'every'?

Back

When 'each' or 'every' is the subject, use a singular verb. Example: 'Each student has a book.'

Front

How does the presence of phrases affect subject-verb agreement?

Back

Phrases that come between the subject and verb do not affect the agreement. Example: 'The bouquet of flowers smells lovely.' (bouquet is singular).

Front

What is the correct verb form for subjects joined by 'and'?

Back

When subjects are joined by 'and', use a plural verb. Example: 'Tom and Jerry are friends.'

Front

What is the correct verb form for subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor'?

Back

When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Example: 'Neither the teacher nor the students were ready.'

Front

How do you handle compound subjects with different numbers?

Back

If one subject is singular and the other is plural, the verb should agree with the plural subject. Example: 'The cat and the dogs are outside.'

Front

What is the rule for using 'none' in subject-verb agreement?

Back

'None' can be singular or plural depending on the context. Example: 'None of the cake is left.' (singular) vs. 'None of the cookies are left.' (plural).