Ensuring 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 a singular verb be used?

Back

A singular verb should be used when the subject is singular, such as 'The teacher' or 'The cat'.

Front

Which subjects require a plural verb?

Back

Subjects that are plural, such as 'The students' or 'The dogs', require a plural verb.

Front

What is the rule for subjects joined by 'and'?

Back

When two subjects are joined by 'and', the verb should be plural.

Front

What verb form is used with collective nouns like 'group'?

Back

Collective nouns like 'group' are usually treated as singular, so a singular verb is used (e.g., 'A group of students was assigned the project').

Front

How does 'everyone' affect verb choice?

Back

The word 'everyone' is considered singular, so it takes a singular verb (e.g., 'Everyone is here').

Front

What is the correct verb form for 'somebody'?

Back

The word 'somebody' is singular, so it takes a singular verb (e.g., 'Somebody has left their bag').

Front

What is the verb form for 'neither/nor' constructions?

Back

In 'neither/nor' constructions, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

Front

What is the rule for subjects joined by 'or'?

Back

When subjects are joined by 'or', the verb should agree with the subject that is closest to the verb.

Front

What is an example of incorrect subject-verb agreement?

Back

An example is 'The dogs barks at strangers.' The correct form is 'The dogs bark at strangers.'