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Advanced Subject - Verb Agreement

The document outlines advanced rules for subject-verb agreement, addressing common issues and exceptions. Key points include how to handle negative forms, questions, compound subjects, mass nouns, collective nouns, and specific phrases that affect verb agreement. It also provides practice exercises to reinforce understanding of these rules.

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Tran Dieu Linh
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29 views9 pages

Advanced Subject - Verb Agreement

The document outlines advanced rules for subject-verb agreement, addressing common issues and exceptions. Key points include how to handle negative forms, questions, compound subjects, mass nouns, collective nouns, and specific phrases that affect verb agreement. It also provides practice exercises to reinforce understanding of these rules.

Uploaded by

Tran Dieu Linh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ADVANCED SUBJECT - VERB AGREEMENT

Here’s a list of some additional subject-verb agreement rules to clear up the

more problematic areas. If you’re still confused, review the subject-verb

agreement examples to see how they work.

1 When using the negative form in the present tense, only the verb do needs

to match the subject.

She does not like reading before bed.

She likes reading before bed.

2 Likewise, in questions that involve the word do, only do needs to match the

subject.
Do you know where the train station is?

Does anyone know where the train station is?

3 If the subject consists of multiple nouns joined by the conjunction and, treat

the subject as plural and use the plural form of the verb.

Lucas and Maxine are in love!

Only Lucas is in love.

However, some common phrases that form a single unit can act as singular.

This bed and breakfast is delightful!

4 If the subject consists of multiple singular nouns joined by or, treat the

subject as singular.

Penne or rigatoni works fine for the recipe.

However, if the subject consists of multiple plural nouns joined by or, treat the

subject as plural.

Cats or dogs make good friends.

If there’s a combination of singular and plural nouns joined by or, the verb

follows the number of the final one listed.

The teacher or the students have to inform the principal.

The students or the teacher has to inform the principal.


5 If there is more than one active verb, as with compound predicates, all the

verbs must agree with the subject.

After work, I go shopping, pick up the kids, cook dinner, and then relax for

the night.

6 Mass nouns, otherwise known as “uncountable nouns” or “noncount nouns,”

act as singular subjects.

Love makes the world go around.

7 Collective nouns can be either singular or plural, depending on whether they

act together or separately.

[Together, singular] The team goes to practice at 4:00.

[Separately, plural] The team go to their own homes after practice.

8 Verbs used in alternative forms, such as gerunds, infinitives, or participles,

do not need to follow subject-verb agreement. However, the main verbs of the

sentence still do.

The coach makes running mandatory.

The coaches make running mandatory.

9 Unless you’re using an appositive or other descriptive phrase, do not put a

comma between subjects and verbs.

The holiday is becoming a total disaster.


The holiday, which I was looking forward to, is becoming a total disaster.

10 The words each and every count as singular when they’re used as the

subject, even if they’re followed by multiple nouns.

Each window and door needs to be sealed.

Every doctor, nurse, and technician gets free training here.

11 Likewise, these words always act as singular subjects, even when they

describe more than one thing:

​ anybody

​ anyone

​ either

​ everybody

​ everyone

​ neither

​ no one

​ nobody

​ somebody

​ someone

Everybody loves using correct grammar!

Either blue or green works for the wallpaper color.


12 If additional phrases come between the subject and the verb, the verb

must still agree with the subject. These sentences can be tricky, so be careful.

A group consisting of Professor Lidenbrock, the Icelandic guide Hans Bjelke,

and the professor’s nephew Axel departs for the volcano.

Be particularly careful of subjects that use the phrase “one of . . . ” The word

one is singular, even when followed by plural nouns.

One of the world’s leading scientists still has trouble speaking in public.

13 In the active vs. passive voice debate, the verb in the passive voice still

follows whatever word acts as the subject.

They pay the electric bill online.

The electric bill is paid by them online.

14 When choosing between “there is . . . ” and “there are . . . ,” the verb

should match the number of the noun that follows it. The same goes for

sentences beginning with “here . . . ”

There is a new map in the DLC.

There are new maps in the DLC.

15 Similarly, words that indicate a portion, including percentages, use the

number of the noun they describe. This noun is typically the object of the

phrase “of . . . ”
All of the book is ruined!

All of the books are ruined!

Some of the film is funny.

Some of the films are funny.

Fifty percent of the house is made of wood.

Fifty percent of the houses are made of wood.

16 When referring to distances, periods of time, or amounts of money—taken

as a whole—use the singular form of the verb.

Twenty dollars is too much for IMAX!

17 Be careful of nouns that exist only in the plural form; they sometimes act as

singular.

The news has been depressing lately.

Politics is getting too combative.

However, some of these nouns act as plural.

The scissors do not work.

If a plural noun is preceded by the word pair, treat the subject as singular

because pair is singular.


The pair of scissors does not work.

PRACTICE EXERCISE

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer.


1. The trousers you bought for me (doesn't/ don't) fit me.
2. Physics (was/ were) my best subject at school.
3. Fortunately the news (wasn't/ weren't) as bad as we had expected.
4. The police (wants/ want) to interview Fred about a robbery.
5. Three days (isn't/ aren't) long enough for a good holiday.
6. Where (does/ do) your family live?
7. England (have/ has) lost all their football matches this season.
8. (Does/ Do) the police know about the stolen money?
9. Can I borrow your scissors? Mine (isn't/ aren't) sharp enough,
10. I'm going to take a taxi. Six miles (is/ are) too far for me to walk.
11. John, along with twenty friends, (is/ are) planning a party.
12. The picture of the soldiers (bring/ brings) back a lot of memories.
13. If the duties of these officers (isn't/ aren't) reduced, there will not be
enough time to finish the project.
14. Advertisements on television (is/ are) becoming more competitive than
ever before.
15. Living expenses in this country, as well as in many others, (is/are) at an
all-time high.
16. Mr. Jones, accompanied by several members of the committee, (have/
has) proposed some changes of the rules.
17. The levels of intoxication (vary/ varies) from subject to subject.
18. Neither Bill nor Mary (is/ are) going to the play tonight.
19. Anything (is/ are) better than going to another movie tonight.
20. Skating (is/ are) becoming more popular every day.

Exercise 2: Give the correct form of the verb.


1. A number of reporters (be) ___________ at the conference yesterday.
2. Anybody who (have) ___________ a fever must go home immediately.
3. Your glasses (be) ___________ on the bureau last night.
4. There (be) ___________ some people at the meeting last night.
5. The committee already [reach) ___________ a decision.
6. A pair of jeans (be) ___________ in the washing machine this morning.
7. Each student (answer) ___________ the first three questions.
8. Either John or his wife (make)___________ breakfast every morning.
9. After she had perused the material, the secretary thought that everything
(be) ___________ in order.
10. The crowd at the basketball game (be) ___________ wild with excitement.
11. A pack of wild dogs (frighten) ___________ all the ducks away.
12. The jury (be) trying to reach a decision.
13. The army (have) eliminated this section of the training test.
14. The number of students who have withdrawn from class this quarter (be)
appalling.
15. There (have) been too many interruptions in this class.
16. Every elementary school teacher (have) to take this examination.
17. Neither Jill nor her parents (see) this movie before.
18. There (be) no girls in this class.
19. There (be) no key for this door.
20. 80% of the students (have) voted.

Exercise 3: Find and correct one mistake in each sentence.


1. Geography are fascinating.
2. Where is my gloves?
3. Each ticket costed $5.
4. The boy with his dog are here.
5. John or Tom are bringing the car.
6. His hair are turning gray.
7. Are there anybody at home?
8. Neither praise nor blame seem to affect him.
9. Three fourths of his fortune were devoted to scientific research.
10. Two-thirds of these books is novels.
11. There are a car and two vans in front of my house.
12. Why is the police standing there?
13. So far everything is all right.
14. More men than women is left-handed.
15. Fifty minutes are the maximum length of time allotted for the exam.
16. None of my classmates speaks Arabic.
17. Every student are tested twice a year.
18. Each of the items in the bill are correct.
19.10 years in prison were too long for him.
20. None of the children were awake.

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