Subject-Verb Agreement

Front

What is subject-verb agreement?

Back

Subject-verb agreement means that the subject and verb in a sentence must match in number. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular; if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.

Front

What is a singular subject?

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A singular subject refers to one person, place, thing, or idea. For example, 'The cat runs.' Here, 'cat' is singular.

Front

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 cats run.' Here, 'cats' is plural.

Front

What is the correct verb form for a singular subject?

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The correct verb form for a singular subject usually ends with 's' in the present tense. For example, 'He runs.'

Front

What is the correct verb form for a plural subject?

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The correct verb form for a plural subject does not end with 's' in the present tense. For example, 'They run.'

Front

Identify the correct verb: 'She (work/works) at a school.'

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The correct verb is 'works.'

Front

Identify the correct verb: 'The dogs (bark/barks) loudly.'

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The correct verb is 'bark.'

Front

What is an example of a compound subject?

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A compound subject consists of two or more subjects joined by 'and.' For example, 'Tom and Jerry run.'

Front

How does a compound subject affect verb agreement?

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A compound subject takes a plural verb. For example, 'Tom and Jerry run,' not 'runs.'

Front

What is the rule for subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor'?

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When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. For example, 'Neither the cat nor the dogs are here.'