Subject Verb Agreement

Subject Verb Agreement

Practice

RULE 1

A verb AGREES with its subject in NUMBER: Singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects plural verbs.

Singular Subject: The flower smells good.

Plural Subject: The flowers smell good.

Multiple Choice

The book (explain /explains) the correct way to mount a horse.

• explain

• explains

Multiple Choice

The rider (mounts /mount) the horse from the left side.

• mounts

• mount

Multiple Choice

The drawings in that book (shows /show) the correct procedure.

• shows

• show

RULE 2

The number (singular or plural) of the subject is not changed by words that come between the subject and the verb.

One of the eggs is broken.

The fear of thieves has made me flee the city.

IGNORE "of the eggs" and "of thieves"

Multiple Choice

The paper in those boxes (is, are) for the copy machine.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

The London Bridge, as well as several other bridges, (spans, span) the Thames River.

• spans

• span

Multiple Choice

A traffic light in front of steady streams of traffic (keeps, keep) the movement of vehicles under control.

• keeps

• keep

Multiple Choice

The coach, as well as the fans, (were, was) disappointed in the team’s performance.

• were

• was

RULE 3

COMPOUND SUBJECTS – when joined by ‘AND’ are PLURAL; while joined by ‘OR’ and ‘NOR’ take a verb that agrees with the LAST SUBJECT.

Bob and George are leaving.

Neither Bob nor his friends are leaving.

Neither the girls nor the boy is leaving.

Multiple Choice

Sally and Mike (is/are) leaving.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

The dog and the cat (eat/eats) their food.

• eat

• eats

Multiple Choice

Neither Billy nor his friends (is/are) walking to school.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

Neither the cats nor the dog (are/is) leaving.

• is

• are

RULE 4

COLLECTIVE NOUNS - army, crowd, orchestra, audience, flock, public, class, group, swarm, club, herd, team, committee, jury, troop - may be SINGULAR (group) or PLURAL (individual), depending on their use in the sentence.

As a group: The orchestra is playing a hit song. 

As individuals: The orchestra were asked to give their musical backgrounds.

Multiple Choice

The team (demands, demand) a solution to the problem.

• demands

• demand

Multiple Choice

The class (have been divided, has been divided) into sections.

• have been divided

• has been divided

Multiple Choice

The family (eat, eats) their meal.

• eat

• eats

RULE 5

INDEFINITE NOUNS/PRONOUNS

anyone, anybody, anything, no one, nobody, nothing, someone, somebody, something, everyone, everybody, everything, whatever, whoever, neither, each

always take a SINGULAR verb.

Someone in the game is hurt.

Somebody is bound to object.

Everyone wants to watch the movie.

Multiple Choice

Everybody living in Smithville (goes, go) to Smithville High School.

• goes

• go

Multiple Choice

Somebody in the alto section of the chorus (sing, sings) slightly off-key.

• sing

• sings

Multiple Choice

Each of these bags (has been examined, have been examined).

• has been examined

• have been examined

RULE 6

Some subjects

some, any, all, most

may be singular or plural depending on their use in a sentence.

Singular Subject: Most of the news is good.

Plural Subject: Most of the flowers were yellow.

Multiple Choice

Most of the program (was, were) new to me.

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

All of our clothes (is, are) still unpacked.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

All of the fruit (has spoiled, have spoiled).

• has spoiled

• have spoiled

RULE 7

There and here are never subjects. In sentences that begin with these words, the subject is usually found later on in the sentence.

There were five books on the shelf. 

books is the subject; were is plural

Here is the report you wanted.

report is the subject; "is" is singular

Multiple Choice

There (is, are) five pencils on the desk.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

Here (are, is) the book you wanted.

• is

• are

RULE 8

Expressions of time, money, measurement and weight are usually SINGULAR when the amount is considered one unit.

As a unit: Five dollars is too much to ask.

As multiple units: There were thirty minutes to countdown.

Multiple Choice

Six feet (is, are) the amount of wire we need.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

Twenty dollars (is, are) too much to pay.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

There (was, were) forty-five minutes to take off.

• was

• were

RULE 9

Some nouns

scissors, trousers, mumps, economics, social studies, measles, statistics, civics, physics, gymnastics, phonics, news, acrobatics, aesthetics, thesis, mathematics

while plural in form are actually singular in meaning and some are plural!

This pair of trousers is ugly.

Civics is taught by Dr. Vaughn.

Your eyeglasses are dirty.

The scissors cut the paper easily.

Multiple Choice

The scissors (is, are) on the desk.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

The pants (is, are) blue and red striped.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

Physics (is, are) a challenging class.

• is

• are

RULE 10

‘Do’ and ‘Does’ must agree with the subject. Does is used after - he, she and it (third person singular)

and do after – they (third person plural).

Third Person Singular: Does he know how to sail?

Third Person Plural: They do make movies.

Multiple Choice

They (does, do) make pizza at that restaurant.

• does

• do

Multiple Choice

(Does, Do) she know how to ride a horse?

• does

• do

Multiple Choice

(Does, Do) they know how to ride a horse?

• does

• do