Tricky Subject/Verb Agreement part 1

​SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT WITH COLLECTIVE NOUNS

​A collective noun takes a plural verb when the speaker is thinking of the individual members of the group.

The staff have gone their separate ways for the holidays.

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A collective noun takes a singular verb when the speaker is thinking of the group as a unit.

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​The team is winning the game.

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Multiple Choice

The audience _____entering the theater. (The speaker is thinking of the individuals in the audience.)

• Was

• Were

Multiple Choice

The audience _____one of the best. (The speaker is thinking of the audience as a whole, a single unit.)

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

The team _____ eighteen to three to buy new uniforms.

• has voted

• have voted

Multiple Choice

The team _____the semifinals.

• has won

• have won

Multiple Choice

Choose the verb that agrees with the subject in the following sentence:

Whenever they hear the ice cream truck's music, my sister and her friend ___ out the door.

• sprint

• sprints

Multiple Choice

Choose the verb that agrees with the subject in the following sentence:

While their owner is at work, the cats and dog _____ all day.

• sleep

• sleeps

Multiple Choice

Choose the verb that agrees with the subject in the following sentence:

Neither the teacher nor the students ______ the principal knocking on the door.

• hear

• hears

Multiple Choice

Choose the verb that agrees with the subject in the following sentence:

My nephew or nieces ____ me Napoleon Dynamite memes at least once a week.

• send

• sends

Multiple Choice

Choose the verb that agrees with the subject in the following sentence:

My nieces or nephew ____ me Napoleon Dynamite memes at least once a week.

• send

• sends

Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects

​Singular	​Plural	​Depends on noun following
​another, anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, much, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody, someone, something	​both, few, many, others, several	​all, any, most, none, some

Multiple Choice

Few of the parents (was, were) as proud as my stepfather.

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

All of us (is, are) ready for summer vacation.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

Many of the books (discusses, discuss) the space program.

• discusses

• discuss

Fill in the Blanks

Read the sentence. Write the verb form that agrees in number with the indefinite pronoun. If the sentence contains no errors in pronoun-verb agreement, write correct: Something have to change or the company will surely fail.

Fill in the Blanks

Read the sentence. Write the verb form that agrees in number with the indefinite pronoun. If the sentence contains no errors in pronoun-verb agreement, write correct: Everyone celebrates life events in some way.

Multiple Choice

Everyone in the family ________ these tomatoes in a salad.

• eats

• eat

Fill in the Blanks

Everyone in our class (seems, seem) to be having a good time at the ocean park.

Multiple Choice

Anyone (is, are) eligible for the computer course.

• is

• are