Subject-Verb Agreement

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What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

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Subject-Verb Agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree in number with its verb. This means that a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.

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When do you use 'is' in a sentence?

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Use 'is' when the subject is singular. For example, 'The cat is sleeping.'

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When do you use 'are' in a sentence?

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Use 'are' when the subject is plural or when using the second person. For example, 'The dogs are barking.' or 'You are my friend.'

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What is a singular subject?

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A singular subject refers to one person, place, thing, or idea. For example, 'The teacher' or 'The book'.

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What is a plural subject?

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A plural subject refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea. For example, 'The teachers' or 'The books'.

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What is the correct verb form for the sentence: 'The team (is, are) winning the game'?

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The correct verb form is 'is'. 'The team is winning the game.' (Team is a singular collective noun.)

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What is the correct verb form for the sentence: 'The students (is, are) studying for the test'?

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The correct verb form is 'are'. 'The students are studying for the test.'

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How do you determine the correct verb form when the subject is a collective noun?

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Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on whether the group acts as a single unit or as individuals. If acting as a unit, use a singular verb (e.g., 'The team wins'). If acting as individuals, use a plural verb (e.g., 'The team are arguing among themselves').

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What is the correct verb form for the sentence: 'Neither the cat nor the dogs (is, are) outside'?

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The correct verb form is 'are'. 'Neither the cat nor the dogs are outside.' (The verb agrees with the nearest subject, which is plural.)

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What is the correct verb form for the sentence: 'Each of the players (is, are) ready'?

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The correct verb form is 'is'. 'Each of the players is ready.' (Each is a singular subject.)