SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Exercise S- I 5

Objective: To identify the subject of a sentence in order to choose the correct verb.

Directions: Underline the subject (s) of each sentence. Fill in the blank with is if the subject is
singular or are if the subject is plural.

1 Nylon, like orlon, __is_ synthetic.

2 Either his children or his wife _____ arriving today.
3 Both the chair and the sofa _____ on sale.
4 Every dog and cat _____ vaccinated against rabies.
5 There _____ several universities in this city
______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________e New York Times _____ read by many people
8 Everyone in the class _____ working hard.
9 All of the creeks _____ polluted.
10 All of the water _____ contaminated.
11 The committee _____ having its meeting.
12 The committee _____ separated from their families for long periods of time.
13 Two hundred dollars _____ a lot of money to lose.
14 Mathematics _____ a pure science.
15 A number of doctors _____ employed by the hospital.
16 The number of female doctors _____ growing.
17 The English _____ well known for their love of tea.
18 The hypothesis _____ supported by the data.
19 The young deer _____ staying near their mothers.
20 Those species of fish _____ found in Texas lakes.

Note: The rules for subject-verb agreement which follow will help you determine the accuracy of
your answers. If your answer is wrong, it is probably because you did not correctly identify the
subject of the sentence.

Exercise S- I 6

Objective: To improve your understanding of rules 1-3 concerning subject verb agreement.

1
Rules for Subject-Verb Agreement: Singular Subjects

1. When the following words are used as subjects, they are always singular.
Some of these words are plural in meaning, but they always require singular verbs.

everyone someone anyone no one each

everybody somebody anybody nobody either
everything something anything nothing neither

S V
Everyone is here.

S V
Neither of these books is very new.

2 When each or every comes before singular subjects joined by and, a singular verb is
required.
S S V
Every man and woman is eligible to vote.

S S V
Each student and teacher has a locker

3 Introductory it is singular and always followed by a singular verb.

S V
It was the dogs which awakened me.

SV
It was the snakes that killed him yesterday.

Questions 1-5

Directions: Underline the subject of the missing verb and fill in the blank with was or were.

1 In World War II, it _was____ the men who served in combat roles.
2 Neither of the reporters _was____ allowed to interview the players.
3 Everyone in this classroom__has___ submitted the assignment.
4 Every man, woman, and child ___was__ given a free ticket.
5 Everything in the house _was____ destroyed by the fire.

2
Questions 6-10

Directions: Underline the subjects and the verbs. Put a check (√) beside correct sentences and an
X beside incorrect sentences.

_____ 6 Each fruit and vegetable was organically grown.

_____ 7 Everyone has to arrive at 8:30 in the morning.
_____ 8 It was the children who broke the windows.
_____ 9 Everything in the house is for sale.
_____ 10 Every student wants to pass the TOEFL.

Objective: To improve your understanding of rules 4-5 concerning subject verb agreement.

Rules for Subject-Verb Agreement (continued)

4 Words that come between a subject and its verb do not change the number of the subject.
Prepositional phrases often have this position.

together with
S in addition to his ten V
The man along with children is leaving soon
as well as

S V
Everyone except him has a book.

S V
The teacher along with her students is viewing a film.

S V
One of the articles that he wrote was sent to the publisher last week.

5 There, here, and where are never subjects (except in a sentence like this one!). When a
sentence begins with one of these words, the subject comes after the verb.
V S
There is a dog in this neighborhood,
There is a book on the table
V S
Here are the results of the experiments,

Here is the news.

Here are the bacterium.

Questions 1-5

Directions: Underline the subject of each missing verb, Fill in the blank with
has or have.
1 Wallpaper in addition to new curtains has been ordered.
2 There have no new discoveries in that field.
3 Algeria as well as Tunisia and Libya has sent students to the United States
4 Where has everyone gone?
5 John but not Mike has gone to play soccer at the park

Questions 6-10

Directions: Underline the subjects and the verbs. Put a check (√) beside correct sentences and an
X beside incorrect sentences.

_____ 6 There have never been so many joggers in the race,

_____ 7 A box of books as well as a large suitcase is under the bed.
_____ 8 The president together with his assistants has left for Washington.
_____ 9 Here is the music as well as the words to the song.
_____ 10 Everyone in the two classes speaks English very well.

Exercise S- 18

Objective: To improve your understanding of rules 6-8 concerning subject verb agreement.

Rules for Subject-Verb Agreement (continued):

Plural Subjects

6 Subjects joined by (and ) or (both… and…) take a plural verb (but see Rule 2).

S S V
A red Honda and a blue Ford are parked outside.

S S V
Both tigers and e1ephants are becoming extinct

7 Several, many, both, few are plural words and always take a plural verb.
S V
Both are going to attend the University of Texas.

S V
Only a few have passed the exam.
8 Some nouns are always plural in form and always take plural verbs.
clothes : trousers, pants, jeans, sunglasses
tools : scissors, pliers, tweezers
abstract : riches, thanks, means

However some of them arc followed by a singular verb when used in expressions such as
a pair of …
a word of thanks is
S V S V
His pants are still at the cleaners, but: That pair of pants is dirty.

S V S V
Your thanks are enough for me, but: A word of thanks is enough.

Questions 1-5
Directions: Underline the subject of the missing verb. Fill in the blank with
is or are.

Three pairs of pants have been drawn on the whiteboard by Mr. Rockman.

1. Few are strong enough to finish the race.

2. There is a pair of sunglasses lying on the floor.
3. Both my good trousers and my old jeans are at the laundry.
4. Much of the news are released by Western media.
5. There are several on the top shelf of the bookcase.

Questions 6-10
Directions: Underline the subjects and the verbs. Put a check (√) beside correct sentences and an
X beside incorrect sentences.

_____ 6. That pair of Dior sunglasses must have cost a lot of money.
_____ 7. When the bell rang, a few were still working on the test
_____ 8. The screwdriver along with the pliers was left out in the rain.
_____ 9. Several of the fish appear to be dying.
_____ 10. The scissors are in the bottom drawer.

Modals:
She can
could
shall
should
will
would
must
have to
has to
had to
may
might
ought to

Exercise S-19

Objective: To improve your understanding of rules 9-11 concerning subject verb agreement.

Rules for Subject-Verb Agreement (continued): Alternatives

9 When subjects are joined by the following structures, the verb must agree with the closer
subject.
S1 S2 V
Neither the students nor the teacher is allowed to smoke.

S1 S2 V
Either the teacher or the students have your books.

S1 S2 V
Not only the nurses but also the doctor is coming soon.

10 Many words may be singular or plural depending on what they refer to:
None, all, some, any, majority, most, half, etc. When these words are followed by a
prepositional phrase, the number of the object of the preposition will determine whether the
words are singular or plural.

S V
All of the book has been destroyed.

S V
All of the books have been thrown away.

S V
All of the money is in bank.

11 The expression a number of is plural and the expression the number of

is singular.
S V
A number of bicycles have been stolen.

S V
The number of bicycles has been stolen.

Directions: Underline the subject of the missing verb and fill in the blank
with is or are.
 1 Neither the doctor nor the nurses are here.
2 The number of nurses in the city is very large.
3 All of the nurses are very good
4 All of the medicine is gone
5 Some of the water is used for irrigation.
6 Most of the money is counterfeit
7 Not only the money but also the jewels are locked up in the safe.
8 Neither the jewels nor the money is mine
9 All of the cookies are gone
10 Half of the furniture is in the truck.

Exercise S-20

Objective: To improve your understanding of rules 12-14 concerning subject verb agreement.

Rules for Subject-Verb Agreement (continued): Unusual Singular Subjects

12 Expressions stating one amount of time, money, weight, volume, etc.

are plural in form but take a singular verb.

S V
Two weeks is enough time for a nice vacation.

S V
Five hundred dollars is required as a down payment.

S V
Ten extra kilos is a lot to lose in a week.

S V
Twenty gallons of gasoline costs a lot of money.

13 Some words arc always plural in form but singular in meaning. These
words require singular verbs.

academic subjects : mathematics, physics, economics, statistics, civics. . .

diseases : measles, mumps, herpes. . .
abstract nouns : news, ethics, politics. . .

S V
Mathematics is a difficult subject.
S V
The news was very good.
14 Titles of books and movies, even if plural in form, take singular verbs,
S V
The New York Times is a good newspaper.
S V
Star Wars was a good movie.

Directions: Underline the subjects and verbs in each sentence. Put a check (√) beside correct
sentences and an X beside incorrect sentences.

_____ 1. German measles causes red spots on the chest and arms.
_____ 2. News of the peace talks has not yet reached the island.
_____ 3. Politics usually attracts ambitious individuals.

_____ 4. There were extra copies of The New York Times in all the offices.
_____ 5. Two weeks is ample time for a camping trip to the state park.
_____ 6. According to the champion, one hundred pounds is easy to lift.
_____ 7. Two thousand dollars is a lot for him to pay for tuition.
_____ 8. Both mathematics and physics are interesting.
_____ 9. Jaws, a movie about sharks, was seen by a record number of people.
_____ 10 Mumps causes inflammation and swelling of the glands.

Exercise S- 21

Objective: To improve your understanding of rules 15-16 concerning subject verb agreement.

Rules for Subject-Verb Agreement (continued): Singular and Plural Subjects with the
Same Form

15 Collective nouns arc usually singular, but may be plural if the members arc functioning
independently. Watch the pronouns for clues to the singular or plural nature of the subject.
Some of these words are class, team, police, committee, audience, family, faculty, etc.
S V
That class has its final test on Friday. (One Unit)
The press are handing in their identity cards.

S V
The class are working on their individual projects today.( Individual member)

16 Some nouns use the same form for both singular and plural meanings. The pronouns and
modifiers with these words will indicate whether they are singular or plural in meaning.
always with s: species, series, etc.

two species ---- These /Those species are -----

one species---- This / That species is ----- That book ( those books)

The book is on the table.

The books
S V S V
That species is rare Those species are common.

never with s: sheep, deer, etc.

The = itu ----- that

The = itu ….. those
S V S V
That deer is young. Those deer are old.

Directions: Underline the subject of each sentence. If the subject is changeable, circle any clues
that tell you whether the subject is singular or plural. Fill in the blank with is or are.

1. The crew _____ asleep in their bunks down in the hold of the ship.
2. Several unusual species of birds _____ found in this area.
3. When a young deer _____ motionless, its coloring will hide it well.
4. The committee _____ ready to make its recommendations public.
5. Both apparatus _____ available for your use.
6. The family _____ fighting among themselves constantly.
7. The fish in the aquarium _____ waiting for their daily feeding.
8. Each of those species of birds _____ common in Texas.
9. All sheep _____ dipped in the spring to kill the parasites.
10. The press _____ requested to show their credentials to the guard.

Exercise S- 22

Objective: To improve your understanding of rules 17-18 concerning subject-verb agreement

Rules for Subject-Verb Agreement (continued): Nationality and Foreign Words

17 Nouns for nationality that end with -ese, -ch or -sh may be singular or plural depending on
their meaning. Some of these words are Chinese, French, English, etc. When the word refers
to a language, it takes a singular verb. When the word refers to tile people of the country, it
takes a plural verb and is preceded by the article the.
S V S V
French is a Romance language. The French are romantic.

I live in France.

S V S V
English is spoken in the U.S. The English love tea.
18 English has borrowed words from other languages. Some of these words have unusual
singular and plural forms.
origin singular plural singular (plural) examples
Greek -is -es 1 theoreical basis (3 theoretical bases), crisis (crises)
Greek -on -a 1 criterion (criteria), phenomenon (phenomena)
Latin (m) -us -i 1 radius (radii), alumnus (alumni)
Latin (f) -a -ae alga (algae), vita (vitae)
Latin(n) -um -a datum (data), medium (media)
Latin -ix/-ex -ices index (indices), appendix (appendices)

S V
The algae in the pool are hard to remove.
S V
The radius of the circle is two inches.

Directions: Underline the subject and fill in the blank with is or are.

1. Alumni of the university _____ invited to the graduation ceremony.

2. These bacteria _____ being studied by university scientists.
3. English _____ heard all over the world.
4. The Portuguese _____ fortunate to have such a beautiful coastline.
5. Many Vietnamese _____ living in the United States.
6. The criteria for promotion _____ clearly stated.
7. The appendices _____ usually found at the back of a book.
8. Supernatural phenomena _____ of great interest to many people.

Exercise S- 23
Objective: To identify the controlling subject and the verb which agrees with it.

Directions: Underline the subject with which the missing verb must agree. Then fill in the blank
with the correct verb form from the two choices in parentheses.

1 No one in this group of contenders stands_ a chance of beating the current speed record.
(stands, stand)
2 Neither the education library nor the psychology library _____ the books that the professor
recommended. (has, haw)
3 Restricted ownership and enforced registration _____ two major approaches to handgun
legislation. (is, are)
4 There _____ no doubt in anyone's mind about the guilt of the defendants. (was, were)
5 A gray and white car _____ parked outside the building. (is, are)
6 Sound and Sense _____ written for college students just beginning serious study of poetry.
(was, were)
7 Every success and failure _______ to an individual’s growth and maturity. (contributes,
contribute)
8 The news on the local radio stations as well as newspaper accounts _____ that the prison riot
was serious. (confirms, confirm)
9 It is still the women who _____ the burden of household chores. (bears, bear)
10 Neither all of the cookies nor all of the fruit _____ been eaten yet. (has, have)
11 Unlike Americans who seem to prefer coffee, the English _____ a great deal of tea. (drinks,
drink)
12 A family of mockingbirds _____ in the tree every spring. (nests, nest)
13 Outside the door______ several rosebushes. (stands, stand)
14 Everything, including the clothes in the closets, _____ stolen from the apartment. (was,
were)
15 To a do-it-yourself handyman, a pair of pliers _____ very useful. (is, are)
16 The number of days of vacation provided to university employees _____ constant from year
to year. (remains. remain)
17 For intermediate level students, Steps in Composition _____ useful reading and writing
exercises. (provides, provide)
18 Despite the development of a vaccine, measles _____ still a serious danger to adult victims.
(is, are)
19 Statistics as well as a course in research methodology _____ required of all doctoral
candidates (is, are)
20 In their statements to the press, the committee _____ expressing several surprising
viewpoints. (is, are)

Exercise S-24

TOEFL Practice: Structure and Written Expression: Time 6 minutes.

Objective: To recognize when a sentence contains an error in subject-verb agreement, or

another type of error.

Directions: Identify the one underlined word or phrase. (A), (B), (C), or (D), that should be
corrected or rewritten. Write your answer in the blank.

_____ 1. The ability to conceal themselves by camouflage enables some otherwise defenseless
A B C
animals to survive.
D
_____ 2. The information on the various types of wasps and bees in the area was useful to
A B C
environmentalists who were fighting the use of pesticides.
D
Compared with the number of paid holidays which is enjoyed by most employees in the
company, three weeks of vacation seems generous.
C D
____ 4. Eka, with a structural organization like that of colony of one-celled animals,
A B
he stand at the lowest level of the animal kingdom.
C D
_____ 5. The large birdhouse together with the numerous birdfeeders under the eaves attracts
A B
a considerable number of different species in the summer.
C D
_____ 6. Since snake eggs are tough and baby snakes can survive alone at birth, neither the
eggs nor newborn snakes need protection from the mother.

_____ 7. Digitalis is a drug which is prepared from the seeds and leafs of a plant with the same
A B C
name and is used as a cardiac stimulant.
D
_____ 8. Benjamin Franklin, a famous American statesman, author, and scientist, he was born
A
in 1709 and lived to the age of eighty-four.
B C D

_____ 9. The most famous alumnus of the college were invited to participate in the graduation
A B
ceremony and related activities scheduled for late May.
C D
_____ 10 At present, advertising is one of the most strictly regulated industry in the United
A B C D
Stales