Subject-Verb Agreement: Basics, Interrupters, and Relative Pronouns

Subject-Verb Agreement: Basics, Interrupters, and Relative Pronouns

by Carly Gelles

​Basic Subject-Verb Agreement

​A verb must agree in number with its subject. A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.

​​Number indicates whether a noun or pronoun is singular or plural. This term also applies to verbs.

​​Nouns

​Singular: cow, church, goose

​Plural: cows, churches, geese

​Pronouns

​Singular: I, you, he, she, it

​Plural: we, you, they

Multiple Choice

Which is the correct verb form in the sentence below?

Kim _ down the street.

• run

• runs

• runned

• be running

Multiple Select

Which of the choices below could be used to correctly fill in the blank?

_ have been acting up.

• They

• He

• Aliyah and Trey

• You

​Interrupting Words

​The agreement of a verb with its subject is not changed by any interrupting words.

​Prepositional Phrase: The winds at the summit were howling.

​Participial Phrase: The backpack filled with ropes was put on the table.

​Negative Statements: David, not one of his brothers, is goingto climb.

​Adjective Clauses: Hikers who are climbing the mountain prepare for every emergency.

​Interrupting Words

​Compound prepositions, such as in addition to, as well as, along with, and together with, often begin interrupting phrases. Make sure the verb always agrees with the SUBJECT, not with the object of the compound preposition.

​

​Ex. Shauna, in addition to her two cousins, is coming with us.

Multiple Choice

The valedictorian, not the class president and the salutatorian, _ to receive a special award.

• is going

• are going

​Relative Pronouns as Subjects

​When a relative pronoun is the subject of a subordinate clause, the antecedent determines the number of the verb.

​

​Ex. Dr. Francis is the only surgeon in the country who knows how to perform this operation

​

​Dr. Klein is one of a dozen doctors who make this hospital famous.

​

​Who is the relative pronoun in each sentence. The agreement depends on the antecedent.

Now let's practice!​

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Multiple Choice

Wood (was, were) human beings' first fuel.

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

Spacecrafts (is, are) fueled by a mixture of liquid oxygen and kerosene.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

The tadpoles swimming around any ordinary pond (is, are) our future frogs.

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

All reptiles, such as the frog, (has, have) to hibernate.

• has

• have

Multiple Choice

As long as 2,000 years ago, coal (was, were) used as fuel.

• was

• were