Observing correct subject-verb agreement

Subject is the noun---or word group acting as a noun---that performs the action expressed

in the predicate of a sentence or clause.
Example:
Margarette bought the beautiful flowers. (the subject is Margarette)

Verb expresses physical or mental action. The action verb tells us what the subject of our
clause or sentence is doing-physically or mentally. 
Example:
Brandon walks 30 kilometers every Saturday in going to town. (the verb is walk[s])

Rules of Subject-Verb agreement

Rule 1. A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines),
whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.
Example: 
Troy is a smart boy. (Troy is a singular subject then you will use singular verb “is”)

Andrea places the list on the table. (Andrea is a singular subject then you will use singular
verb or s-form of the verb “places”)

Troy and Jerry are smart boys. (Troy and Jerry are plural subject then you will use plural
verb “are”)
They place the list on the table. (They is a plural subject then you will use plural verb or
base-form of the verb “place”)

Exercise 1
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.
1. Sally (run, runs) to the park every day.

2. The dogs (bark, barks,) at strangers.

3. Ted and Mary (is, are) going to the movies.

4. The game (was, were) exciting.

5. They (worry, worries) too much.

6. She (study, studies) every night.

7. Black or white (is, are) your choice.

8. That (was, were) incredible.

9. Those (is, are) pretty shoes.

10. The cat or dog (is, are) in the yard.

Exercise 2
Make 5 sentences applying Rule 1 of the S-V Agreement. Use the given verbs inside
the parentheses before the number as your guide.

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(observe) 1.____________________________________________________________________

(is) 2. _________________________________________________________________________

(submit) 3. ____________________________________________________________________

(are) 4. ________________________________________________________________________

(record) 5. _____________________________________________________________________

Rule 2. The number of the subject (singular or plural) is not changed by words that
come between the subject and the verb.
Example:
One of the eggs is broken. (Of the eggs is a prepositional phrase. The subject one and the
verb is, are both singular. Mentally omit the prepositional phrase to make the subject verb-
agreement easier to make.)

Exercise 3
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.
1. The man with the roses (look, looks) like your brother.

2. The women in the pool (swim, swims) well.

3. That red-haired lady in the fur hat (live, lives) across the street.

4. The center on the basketball team (bounce, bounces) the ball too high.

5. The weather on the coast (appear, appears) to be good this weekend.

6. The price of these jeans (is, are) reasonable.

7. The books borrowed from the library (is, are) on my desk.

8. The quality of the candies (is, are) poor.

9. None of my friends (was, were) there.

10. One of the books (has, have) been missing.

Exercise 4
Make 5 sentences applying Rule 2 of the S-V Agreement. Use the prepositional
phrases inside the parentheses as words that come between the subject and the verb.

(inside the box) 1._______________________________________________________________

(with a blue lunch box) 2. ________________________________________________________

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(on the floor) 3. ________________________________________________________________

(of my friends) 4. _______________________________________________________________

(from the cupboard) 5. __________________________________________________________

Rule 3. The Indefinite Pronouns. Some indefinite pronouns take a singular verb.
These subjects always take singular verbs:

each, someone, either, anyone, neither, nobody, one, somebody, no one, anybody,
everyone, everybody
Example:
Someone in the game was hurt.
Neither of the men is working.
Somebody is looking for you.

both, few, many, others, and several take a plural verb

Example:
A few have the right answer.
Both take the final test.

The following words may be singular or plural, depending upon their use in a sentence,
some, any, all, half, more, no, none, and most. This is the only time you must look at the
object of the prepositional phrase to determine whether it is singular or plural.
Example:
Most of the news is good. (singular)
Most of the flowers were yellow. (plural)
All of the pizza was gone. (singular)
All of the children were late. (plural)
Exercise 5
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.
1. Each of the girls (look, looks) good on skis.

2. Everybody (was, were) asked to remain quiet.

3. Neither of the men (is, are) here yet.

4. (Is, Are) each of the girls ready to leave?

5. Several (need, needs) to take the booster shot.

6. Some of the faculty members (is, are) present.

7. Nobody in the class (has, have) the answer.

8. Each of the girls (observe, observes) all the regulations.

9. All of the milk (is, are) gone.

10. Most of the seats (was, were) taken.

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Exercise 6
Make 5 sentences applying Rule 3 of the S-V Agreement. Use the indefinite pronouns
inside the parentheses as your subject.

(everyone) 1.___________________________________________________________________

(most) 2. ______________________________________________________________________

(no one) 3. ____________________________________________________________________

(both) 4. ______________________________________________________________________

(none) 5. ______________________________________________________________________

Rule 4. Subjects joined by and are plural, but if the two subjects separated
by and refer to the same person or thing the verb is singular.
Example:
Bob and George are leaving.
But
Example:
Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.
Exercise 7
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.
1. Margo and her parents (visit, visits) each other often.

2. Vern and Fred (need, needs) a ride to work.

3. A magazine and a book (was, were) lying on the floor

4. Bread and butter (is, are) our daily food.

5. The famous singer and composer (has, have) arrived.

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

7. George and Tamara (doesn't, don't) want to see that movie.

8. Cats and dogs (loves, love) to run.

9. Al and Eli (go, goes) to the beach to surf with their friends.

10. The restaurant’s chef and owner (surprises, surprise) the customers with free meal.

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Exercise 8
Make sentences applying Rule 4 of the S-V Agreement. Number of subjects inside
the parentheses are your guide.

(two subjects – Kent and Luis)

1.____________________________________________________________________________

(two subjects refer to the same person or thing – spaghetti and meatballs)

2. ____________________________________________________________________________

(two subjects refer to the same person or thing – Company’s CEO and owner)

3. ____________________________________________________________________________

(two subjects – The nurse and the patient)

4. ____________________________________________________________________________

Rule 5. If both subjects are singular and connected by or, nor, neither/nor, either/or,
and not only/but also, the verb is singular.
Examples:
Sally or Brix has given the cookies.
Not only Samantha but also Freda was able to speak up.

If both subjects are plural and connected by or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but
also, the verb is plural.
Examples:
Fries nor donuts are nice treats for your friends.
Either the firemen or the policemen were receiving the city mayor award.

Either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to the verb or

with the last subject that is nearest the verb.
Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.

Exercise 9
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.
1. Either the cups or the glasses (are, is) in the dishwasher.

2. Matt nor his brother (was, were) at the party.

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3. Not only the workers but also the boss (deliver, delivers) the merchandise.

4. Either Joyce or her kids (was, were) here.

5. Neither his father nor his mother (play, plays) game card.

6. Not only the bear but also the lion (have, has) escaped from the zoo.

7. My cap or your coat (is, are) always on the floor.

8. Either my mother or my father (is, are) coming to the meeting.

9. Neither Peter nor his parents (were, was) aware of the incident.

10. Not only you but also Elma (is, are) responsible for this.

Exercise 10
Make 5 sentences applying Rule 5 of the S-V Agreement. Use the correlative
conjunctions inside the parentheses as your guide.

(neither/nor)

1.____________________________________________________________________________

(either/or)

2. ____________________________________________________________________________

(not only/but also)

3. ____________________________________________________________________________

(or)

4. ____________________________________________________________________________

(nor)

5. ____________________________________________________________________________

Rule 6. There and here are never subjects. In sentences that begin with these words,
the subject is usually found later on in the sentence.

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 Examples:
There were five books on the shelf. (were agrees with the subject book)
Here is the report you wanted. (is agrees with subject report)

Exercise 11
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.
1. There (is, are) a dog, a cat, and a bird in the garage.

2. Here into the main ring of the circus (come, comes) the trained elephants

3. Everywhere there (is, are) greetings for the visitor.

4. There (is, are) many things to do before the holidays.

5. Here (is, are) the nails you need for the projects.

6. There (was, were) fifteen candies in that bag. Now there (is, are) only one left!

7. Here on the bench (is, are) a collection of tools for gardening.

8. There (is, are) two apples and some wine on the table.

9. Here in my hands (is, are) a gift for Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

10. (Is, Are) there a good reason for rumors to be spread?

Exercise 12
Make sentences applying Rule 6 of the S-V Agreement. Use the demonstrative
pronouns inside the parentheses as your guide.

(there)

1.____________________________________________________________________________

(here)

2. ____________________________________________________________________________

(there)

3. ____________________________________________________________________________

(here)

4. ____________________________________________________________________________

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 Rule 7. If the subject is a collective noun, you can use both a singular or a plural verb
depending on the meaning. If you are referring a collective noun as a unit, then use a
singular verb. If you are referring the members instead , use a plural verbs.
Examples:
The flock is migrating to the south.
The orchestra plays only on special days.
The orchestra are leaving the party.

Exercise 13
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.
1. The committee (work, works) hard for better schools.

2. The jury (was, were) polled for their verdicts.

3. The family (is, are) occupied with their individual problems.

4. The army (is, are) conducting maneuvers in March.

5. The class (is, are) turning in their registration forms today.

6. The family (takes, take) a trip to Houghton Lake, Michigan.

7. The orchestra (performs, perform) my favorite music.

8. The baseball team (practice, practices) together every evening.

9. The crowd (moves, move) to their favorite places along the parade route.

10. The stage crew (has, have) completed the scenery.

Exercise 14
Make 5 sentences applying Rule 7 of the S-V Agreement. You can use any collective
nouns that you want.

1.____________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________________

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 Rule 8. Expressions of time, money, measurement, and weight are usually singular
when the amount is considered one unit.
Examples:
Five dollars is (not are) too much to ask.
Ten days is (not are) not nearly enough time.

On occasion, however these terms are used in the plural sense:

There were thirty minutes to countdown.

Half of the chickens were sold. (Half refers to a number of individual chicken and
therefore takes plural verb, or depending the object of the preposition.)

Exercise 15
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.
1. One hundred dollars (is, are) not a lot of money to some people.

2. Twenty minutes (is, are) the amount of time it takes me to get home from work

3. Half of the new cars (has, have) significant defects.  

4. Four inches of growth in a year (is, are) outstanding. 

5. Two kilometers from our house to the park (is, are) not that far. 

Exercise 16
Make a paragraph containing 5 sentences about your Christmas savings applying
Rule 8 of the S-V Agreement. Each sentence in the paragraph should contain units of
measurement. (10 points.)

My Savings for the month of December

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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 Rule 9. Some nouns, while plural in form, are actually singular in meaning.
Examples:
Mathematics is (not are) an easy subject for some people.
Physics is (not are) taught by Prof. Baldwin.
mumps civics news
home measles physics aesthetics
economics statistics phonics thesis
social studies calisthenics gymnastics acrobatics

Exercise 17
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.
1. Mumps (is, are) one of the most uncomfortable diseases.

2. Gymnastics (is, are) easy for Angela.

3. Interesting news (is, are) what sells our paper.

4. Physics (is, are) one of the toughest subject this year.

5. The undergraduate thesis (was, were) checked by the professor. .

Exercise 18
Make a paragraph containing 5 sentences about your likes and dislikes applying
Rule 9 of the S-V Agreement. Each sentence in the paragraph should contain nouns which
are plural in forms. Pick out 5 examples of the nouns mentioned above. Create your own
title (12 points.)

____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Rule 10. Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along
with, as well as, besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not part of the subject.
Ignore them and use a singular verb when the subject is singular.
Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Exercise 19
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.
1. Apartments in this city (is required, are required) to have smoke alarms.

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 2. Life forms beneath the sea (seems, seem) mysterious.

3. Applicants for this job (is expected, are expected) to speak both English and Spanish.

4. My brother Harry, along with Justin and Jesse, (has, have) forgotten to drink the milk.

5. Those who drive to work always (complain, complains) about the traffic.

6. The light from the new mercury lamps (brighten, brightens) the sidewalk.

7. A string on my electric guitar (is, are) out of tune.

8. Days during summer (seem, seems) to pass very quickly.

9. All stars, just like our sun, (has, have) a system of planets.

10. Justin's stamp and coin collections, as well as his art gallery (was, were) saved from the
flood.

Exercise 20
It is your first day in school. You immediately find someone whom you like to talk
with. Make a dialogue of your conversation where both of you are doing a short interview of
the significant things in your life. Each should be contained a maximum of 5 sentences
applying Rule 10 of the S-V Agreement. Use the space provided below. (12 points.)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Rule 11. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form “a number of” but use singular
verbs in constructions of the form “the number of “
Examples:
A number of people here disagree.
The number of people here boggles the mind.

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Exercise 21
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.
1. The number of people lined up for tickets (was, were) four hundred.

2. A number of suggestions (was, were) made.

3. There (is, are) a number of important announcements in the bulletin.

4. Here (is, are) the number of milk shakes you requested.

5. The number of people we need to hire (is, are) thirteen.

6. A number of people (has, have) written in about this subject.

7. The number of volunteers (grows, grow) each year.

8. A number of people (grows, grow) tomatoes each summer.

9. A number of cars (was, were) sold yesterday.

10. According to the guard, the number of lost items (was, were) found.

Exercise 22
Write a broadcast news story of a current issue in our society containing 5
sentences applying Rule 11 of the S-V Agreement. Assume that you are broadcasting live
on a television. Create your own headline. (12 points.)

___________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Rule 12. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular
verb.
Examples:
The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.

Exercise 23
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.

1. The merchant of Venice (is, are) an excellent book.

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 2. The movie The Zombies (has, have) terrible scenes.

3. The movie entitled Pride and Prejudice (is, are) one of a kind.

4. Snow White and the seven dwarves (is, are) the all-time favorite fairytale.

5. The TV series Julio and Julia (earns, earn) positive comments.

Exercise 24
Make a short movie impression or a novel impression that you have recently
watched or read containing 5 sentences applying Rule 12 of the S-V Agreement. (10 points)

Literary Impressions

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Rule 13. The relative pronouns (who, whom, which, and that) are either singular or
plural, depending on the words they refer to.
Example:
The sales manager is a good researcher who spends a great amount of time surfing the
Web for information.

Exercise 25
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.
1. A vegetable that (contains, contain) DDT can be harmful.

2. The movies about a woman who (wins, win) the lottery.

3. Skateboarding, which (offers, offer) excitement and exercise, is also a sport that (lead,
leads) to a significant number of wrist injuries.

4. Dogs aren’t the only pets that (attaches, attach) emotionally to their owners.

5. Life is a cycle with a beginning and end, which (is, are) sometimes very difficult for
teenagers to accept.

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Exercise 26
Compose a short song or a rap song about Youth Advocacy containing 5 sentences
applying Rule 8 of the S-V Agreement. Make your own title. (10 points.)

_______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Rule 14. Do, don’t, does, doesn’t, has, hasn’t, have, haven’t etc. They must agree with
the subject. Use any of them after he, she, it.
Example:
Doesn’t he (not don’t) know how to sail?
They don’t (not doesn’t) make movies like that anymore.
Exercise 27
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.

1. They (doesn’t, don’t) think they’ll win the game tonight.

2. He (hasn’t, haven’t) forgotten the incident.

3. It (doesn’t, don’t) seem so cold today.

4. He (doesn’t, don’t) look very well today.

5. Arjie (has, have) forgotten her appointment today.

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Exercise 28
Assume yourself as a spokesperson to one of the leaders in the world. Respond to a
question below containing 5 sentences applying Rule 14 of the S-V Agreement. (10 points.)

What is your definition of leadership?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Rule 15. When there is one subject and more than one verb, the verbs throughout the
sentence must agree with the subject.
Examples: 
Interviews are one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain an in-depth
understanding of participants.

An assumption is something that is generally accepted as true and is an important

consideration when conducting a doctoral study.

Exercise 29
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.

1. Board exam (tests, test) our skills and capabilities and (activates, activate) our prior
knowledge.

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 2. Experiences (teaches, teach) us to become more independent and (helps, help) us to be
brave enough.

3. Natalie (performs, perform) several laboratory tests and (does, do) diagnostic procedures.

4. Honesty (is, are) one of the most fundamental values and (makes, make) you gain peace.

5. Administrators (suggests, suggest) good governance and (recommends, recommend)

better practices for the betterment of the institution.

Exercise 30
Write a poem about nature containing 5 sentences applying Rule 15 of the S-V
Agreement. (10 points.)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Rule 16. Noncount nouns take a singular verb.

Examples: 
Education is the key to success.
Diabetes affects many people around the world.

Some countable nouns in English such as earnings, goods, odds, surroundings,

proceeds, contents, and valuables only have a plural form and take a plural verb.
Examples: 
The earnings for this quarter exceed expectations.
The proceeds from the sale go to support the homeless population in the city.

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Exercise 31
Underline the correct verb in each of the sentence below.

1. The information obtained from the business owners (was, were) relevant to include in the

study.

2. Locally produced goods (has, have) the advantage of shorter supply chains.

3. The research I found on the topic (was, were) limited.

4. Sugar (is, are) known to be the most ancient sweetener.

5. Valuables (places, place) inside the secured box.

Exercise 32
Make an advertisement script containing 5 sentences applying Rule 16 of the S-V
Agreement. Make your own title or product name (12 points.)

_______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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Exercise 33
Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following paragraph. Copy the
paragraph on the space provided below and make corrections.

General Manager
Okada Manila
Parañaque City, Philippines

Dear Sir/ Ma’am,

I feels that I am the ideal candidate for the receptionist
position at your company. I has three years of experience
as a receptionist in a company that is similar to yours. My
phone skills and written communication is excellent. These
skills, and others that I have learned on the job, helps me
understand that every person in a company help make the
business a success. In my current job, the team always
say that I am very helpful. Everyone appreciate when I go
the extra mile to get the job done right. My current
employer and coworkers feels that I am an asset to the
team. I is efficient and organized person. Is there any other
details about me that you would like to know? If so, please
contact me. Here are my résumé. You can reach me by e-
mail or phone. I looks forward to speaking with you in
person.

Sincerely yours,

Kyle Reyes
Applicant

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______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

_________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

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 Key takeaways

 -- Parts of sentences must agree in number, person, case, and gender.

 -- A verb must always agree with its subject in number. A singular subject requires a singular
verb; a plural subject requires a plural verb.
 - - Remember, only the SUBJECT affects the verb!

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