Mini Lesson Plan

Writing Basics: Subject-Verb Agreement

Lesson Objectives:
1. Identify the subject and verb of a sentence
2. Understand the rules of subject-verb agreement
3. Practice choosing a verb that agrees with the subject of a sentence

Preparation:
• Review Lecture Notes (same as the Student Notes but with answers). Check if there are enough
copies of the handouts (Student Notes, Practice Exercises) – both are two-sided. Make copies if
necessary.

Handouts:
• Student Notes
• Practice Activities (all handouts may be stapled together)

Technology:
• Projector for displaying the Introductory Activity (or it can be given as another handout)

Introductory Activity: 5-10 minutes

• Introduce yourself and the lesson
• Student introductions – name and class
• Have students do the Introductory Activity - review the answers to see how the students did. The
answers are as follows: 1. are; 2. is; 3. doesn’t; 4. is; 5. want; 6. is; 7. were; 8. is

Lecture Notes: 25-30 minutes

• Go through the Student Notes with the class, filling in the blanks for each rule with the answers in
the Answer Key to keep the students engaged

Practice Activity: 15-20 minutes

• Have the students do the first exercise and review the answers together
• If you have enough time, you can also do the second exercise, which is a little more difficult

Closing Notes: 5 minutes

• Review main ideas of lesson
• Take any last questions
• Encourage students to come back to the Writing Center

Opportunities for Additional Practice:

• Rules and exercise at Purdue Owl
Mini Lesson on Writing Basics: Subject-Verb Agreement
Introductory Activity

Choose the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject.

1. Annie and her brothers (is, are) at school.

2. Either my mother or my father (is, are) coming to the meeting.
3. Benito (doesn’t, don’t) know the answer.
4. One of my sisters (is, are) going on a trip.
5. The players, as well as the captain, (want, wants) to win.
6. Every one of those books (is, are) fiction.
7. There (was, were) fifteen candies in that bag.
8. The book or the pen (is, are) in the drawer.
Writing Basics: Subject-Verb Agreement
Lecture Notes (same as Student Notes but with answers)

What is wrong with this sentence?

All across the mining and cattle towns of the Wild West, theaters that held performances of Shakespearean
plays was nearly as common as saloons and gambling halls.

The singular verb was does not agree with the plural subject theaters.

The subject of the sentence is the person, place, or thing that is the central focus of the sentence – the
verb of the sentence is that which the subject is or is doing.

When you write, make sure your nouns agree with your subjects in number:

A singular subject must have a singular verb.

The cat (play, plays) with its yarn.

A plural subject must have a plural verb.

Colleges (prepare, prepares) students for the future.

The problem is, it’s not always that straightforward, so what follows are rules for making subjects and verbs
agree, along with examples of each.

Compound Subjects:

Compound subjects joined by and are generally plural and require a plural verb, while compound
subjects acting as a singular unit require singular verbs:

Teachers and students often (meet, meets) outside of class.

BUT

Fish and chips (is, are) a favorite dish in England.

Two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor require a singular verb:

Either Jennifer or Elizabeth (is, are) going on vacation next week.

Two or more plural subjects joined by or or nor require a plural verb:

Either the teachers or the students (need, needs) to take responsibility for falling grades.
If singular subjects are joined by or or nor to plural subjects, the subject closest to the verb determines
agreement:

Neither snow nor storms (keep, keeps) the postman from delivering the mail.

Either my general anxieties or my fear of flying (keep, keeps) me from booking a ticket on an
airplane.

Some subjects, such as those that express length or distance, sound plural but are actually singular:

Fifty miles (is, are) too far for most people to jog.

And some subjects can be hard to find because they either follow the verb or are separated by other
words:

There is a new show on television this autumn.

The teacher’s reviews on Ratemyprofessor.com are mostly negative.

Collective nouns require a singular verb when the group acts as one:

The committee (appreciates, appreciates) it when the meetings go by quickly.

But when the group acts as individuals, the collective noun needs a plural verb:

The committee (disagree, disagrees) about whether people should be allowed to speak at meetings.

Indefinite pronouns such as each, anyone, and everybody are always singular:

Everybody in my class (hate, hates) my professor.

Others, such as both, some, enough, most, and none are singular when they refer to singular words and
plural when they refer to plurals:

Most of the class (show, shows) up for every class.

Some of the students (welcome, welcomes) any chance to skip class when they can.

Amounts are singular when the amount acts as an individual unit and plural when it acts as many parts:

Three-fourths of the bottles (is, are) full of kerosene.

Three-fourths of the water in that bottle (need, needs) to be boiled before drinking.
Mini Lesson on Writing Basics: Subject-Verb Agreement
Student Notes

What is wrong with this sentence?

All across the mining and cattle towns of the Wild West, theaters that held performances of Shakespearean
plays was nearly as common as saloons and gambling halls.

The ___________________________ does not agree with the __________________________________.

The _______________________of the sentence is the person, place, or thing that is the central focus of the
sentence – the ____________________ of the sentence is that which the _______________ is or is doing.

When you write, make sure your nouns agree with your subjects _______________________________:

A singular subject must have a _____________________________________.

The cat (play, plays) with its yarn.

A plural subject must have a _______________________________________.

Colleges (prepare, prepares) students for the future.

The problem is, it’s not always that straightforward, so what follows are rules for making subjects and verbs
agree, along with examples of each.

Compound Subjects:

Compound subjects joined by ________ are generally _______ and require a ____________ verb, while
compound subjects acting as ______________________ require ________________________verbs:

Teachers and students often (meet, meets) outside of class.

BUT

Fish and chips (is, are) a favorite dish in England.

Two or more singular subjects joined by ______________ or ____________ require a singular verb:

Either Jennifer or Elizabeth (is, are) going on vacation next week.

Two or more plural subjects joined by ________________or _____________ require a plural verb:

Either the teachers or the students (need, needs) to take responsibility for falling grades.

If singular subjects are joined by __________ or _______ to plural subjects, the subject _________ to the
verb determines agreement:
 Neither snow nor storms (keep, keeps) the postman from delivering the mail.

Either my general anxieties or my fear of flying (keep, keeps) me from booking a ticket on an
airplane.

Some subjects, such as those that express ____________________, sound plural but are actually singular:

Fifty miles (is, are) too far for most people to jog.

And some subjects can be hard to find because they either follow the verb or are separated by other
words:

There is a new show on television this autumn.

The teacher’s reviews on Ratemyprofessor.com are mostly negative.

Collective nouns require a singular verb when the group _________________________________:

The committee (appreciates, appreciates) it when the meetings go by quickly.

But when the group acts as individuals, the collective noun needs a ______________________ verb:

The committee (disagree, disagrees) about whether people should be allowed to speak at meetings.

Indefinite pronouns such as __________, _________, and _____________ are always ________________:

Everybody in my class (hate, hates) my professor.

Others, such as _________, _________, __________, __________, and ___________ are singular when
they refer to singular words and plural when they refer to plurals:

Most of the class (show, shows) up for every class.

Some of the students (welcome, welcomes) any chance to skip class when they can.

Amounts are singular when the amount acts as ______________________ and plural when it acts as
____________________:

Three-fourths of the bottles (is, are) full of kerosene.

Three-fourths of the water in that bottle (need, needs) to be boiled before drinking.
Mini Lesson on Writing Basics: Subject-Verb Agreement
Practice Exercises

Choose the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject.

1. The dog or the cats (is, are) outside.

2. George and Tamara (doesn’t, don’t) want to see that movie.
3. The man with all the birds (live, lives) on my street.
4. The movie, including all the previews, (take, takes) about two hours to watch.
5. Either answer (is, are) acceptable.
6. (Is, Are) the news on at five or six?
7. Mathematics (is, are) John’s favorite subject.
8. The committee (debates, debate) these questions carefully.
9. The Prime Minister, along with his wife, (greets, greet) the press cordially.
10. All of the CDs, even the scratched one, (is, are) in this case.

In each sentence, write in the correct present tense form of the verb in parentheses.

1. The dead trees and peeling paint, along with the broken windows and flapping shutters, (to make)
__________ everyone believe that evil spirits haunted the deserted Sinclair house.

2. Where (to be) __________ the earrings that I left by the bathroom sink? Oh no! That stupid cat has swatted
them down the drain again!

3. Neither of those sharks circling your boogie board (to look) __________ hungry enough to bite.

4. One hundred and fifty gallons (to be) __________ the amount of liquid the average living room rug can
absorb. Rachel discovered this fact after taking a long shower when the curtain wasn't tucked inside the tub.

5. Agnes never loses a single possession. Everyone knows what belongs to her, for each pen, pencil, and
paperclip (to have) __________ a tiny flag attached with Agnes' full name on it.

6. Someone—perhaps Emmanuel or Paul— (to know) __________ the right wine to serve with earthworm
lasagna.

7. These scissors (to be) __________ so dull that I'm not sure you could slice butter with them!

8. Physics (to have) __________ proven to be Jerry's easiest subject this semester. He brings Carol, the lab
assistant, an oatmeal-raisin cookie, and, as his reward, she finishes his report.

9. The good jewelry Dad gave Sara for graduation (to cost) __________ more than the cheap leather wallet that
David got as his present for finishing high school.
Mini Lesson on Writing Basics: Subject-Verb Agreement
Practice Exercises ANSWER KEY

Choose the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject.

1. The dog or the cats (is, are) outside.

2. George and Tamara (doesn’t, don’t) want to see that movie.
3. The man with all the birds (live, lives) on my street.
4. The movie, including all the previews, (take, takes) about two hours to watch.
5. Either answer (is, are) acceptable.
6. (Is, Are) the news on at five or six?
7. Mathematics (is, are) John’s favorite subject.
8. The committee (debates, debate) these questions carefully.
9. The Prime Minister, along with his wife, (greets, greet) the press cordially.
10. All of the CDs, even the scratched one, (is, are) in this case.

In each sentence, write in the correct present tense form of the verb in parentheses.

1. The dead trees and peeling paint, along with the broken windows and flapping shutters, (to make) make
everyone believe that evil spirits haunted the deserted Sinclair house.

2. Where (to be) are the earrings that I left by the bathroom sink? Oh no! That stupid cat has swatted them
down the drain again!

3. Neither of those sharks circling your boogie board (to look) looks hungry enough to bite.

4. One hundred and fifty gallons (to be) is the amount of liquid the average living room rug can absorb. Rachel
discovered this fact after taking a long shower when the curtain wasn't tucked inside the tub.

5. Agnes never loses a single possession. Everyone knows what belongs to her, for each pen, pencil, and
paperclip (to have) has a tiny flag attached with Agnes' full name on it.

6. Someone—perhaps Emmanuel or Paul— (to know) knows the right wine to serve with earthworm lasagna.

7. These scissors (to be) are so dull that I'm not sure you could slice butter with them!

8. Physics (to have) has proven to be Jerry's easiest subject this semester. He brings Carol, the lab assistant, an
oatmeal-raisin cookie, and, as his reward, she finishes his report.

9. The good jewelry Dad gave Sara for graduation (to cost) costs more than the cheap leather wallet that David
got as his present for finishing high school.