Subject Verb Agreement - Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns

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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

What are indefinite pronouns?

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Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that do not refer to a specific person, thing, or amount. Examples include 'anyone', 'everyone', 'somebody', 'none', and 'all'.

Front

When do we use 'is' with indefinite pronouns?

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We use 'is' with indefinite pronouns when they are singular, such as 'everyone', 'somebody', and 'each'.

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When do we use 'are' with indefinite pronouns?

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We use 'are' with indefinite pronouns when they are plural, such as 'both', 'few', 'many', and 'several'.

Front

What is the correct verb form for 'None of the ice cream ______________ left'?

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The correct verb form is 'was' because 'none' refers to a singular noun in this context.

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What is the correct verb form for 'Both of the books _______________ very interesting'?

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The correct verb form is 'are' because 'both' is a plural indefinite pronoun.

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What is the correct verb form for 'One of the squirrels ______________ for acorns'?

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The correct verb form is 'looks' because 'one' is singular.

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What is the correct verb form for 'Somebody in the audience ___________ on his cell phone'?

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The correct verb form is 'talks' because 'somebody' is singular.

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What is the correct verb form for 'Any of those teams ___________ a chance to make the tournament'?

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The correct verb form is 'have' because 'any' refers to a plural noun in this context.

Front

What is the rule for using 'none' with verbs?

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The verb form used with 'none' depends on whether it refers to a singular or plural noun. If it refers to a singular noun, use 'was'; if plural, use 'were'.