Subject-Verb Agreement

Front

What is subject-verb agreement?

Back

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

Front

When do we use a singular verb?

Back

We use a singular verb when the subject is singular (one person or thing). For example, 'The cat runs.'

Front

When do we use a plural verb?

Back

We use a plural verb when the subject is plural (more than one person or thing). For example, 'The cats run.'

Front

What is the correct verb: 'One of the monkeys ... very shy.'?

Back

'is' is the correct verb because 'one' is singular.

Front

What is the correct verb: 'The hummingbird's wings ... very fast.'?

Back

'beat' is the correct verb because 'wings' is plural.

Front

What is the correct verb: 'Lisa or her brother ... going to feed the horses.'?

Back

'is' is the correct verb because 'or' makes the subject singular.

Front

What is the correct verb: 'Eagles ... small animals to eat.'?

Back

'catch' is the correct verb because 'eagles' is plural.

Front

What is the correct verb: 'The panda ... bamboo shoots.'?

Back

'eats' is the correct verb because 'panda' is singular.

Front

What happens when the subject is joined by 'and'?

Back

When subjects are joined by 'and', they are considered plural, so we use a plural verb. For example, 'Tom and Jerry are friends.'

Front

What happens when the subject is joined by 'or' or 'nor'?

Back

When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the nearest subject. For example, 'Neither the cat nor the dogs are here.'