Subject-Verb Agreement Rules Practice

Subjects and Verbs Should Agree

What does it mean that the subject and verb should agree? In any sentence, we have a subject and a verb, and they must agree in number. If a subject is singular, then the verb should be singular, and if the subject is plural, then the verb should be plural.

She is running late. She is singular and goes with the singular verb is.

My friends are running late. My friends represent a plural, and we use the plural verb are.

Let's look at a couple more:

Singular - My dog barks at the squirrel.

Plural- My dogs bark at the squirrel.

Easy! Right? It can get a little more complicated. Select the right verb form in this sentence:

The crowd (is/are) roaring for an encore.

The crowd would indicate a bunch of people and would represent a plural subject. But in this case, we have a rule that says when we use a subject that represents a collective group, we can treat it like a singular subject and therefore, it takes a singular verb. The crowd IS roaring for an encore would be the correct form.

Here are some of the rules that will help you select the right verbs to go with different subjects.

Compound Subjects using the word AND

Sentences with two subjects use a plural verb unless we think of both subjects as one unit. For example, Sally and John are two subjects, and so we would say Sally and John are working late.

But if I have a sentence with bacon and eggs, we treat this like a singular subject, and we say bacon and eggs is my favorite breakfast.

Practice:

The Crown and Anchor restaurant is/are a popular place to eat. Crown and Anchor is one restaurant. (is)

Distance, Time, and Money Use a Singular Verb

We use a singular verb with distances, time, and money when we think of them as a unit. For example, 25 miles is too far to walk. 500 dollars is a lot of money. 12 PM is a good time for lunch.

Practice:

Five one-dollar bills is/are on the table for each child. In this case, the subject is talking about five distinct bills that each child will receive. (is)

One OF Something or Two or More OF Something

Pay attention to subjects that use the word of. For example, a herd of elephants is a subject that uses of. When we see subjects that use the word of, we have to determine whether the word before of is singular or plural. A group of tourists is on the bus. Group indicates a singular unit of something. In this case, it is a collective of tourists, and we use a singular verb here.

Practice:

A pack of dogs is/are loose in the neighborhood. A pack is singular. (is)

A Lot, Some, All are exceptions to the Of Rule

In sentences that use a lot, some, or all, the verb should agree with the word AFTER the word of. A lot of homework is difficult.

Practice:

All of the players is/are going home. Players are plural. (are)

Two Singular Subjects with Or, Either/Or, Neither/Nor

With two singular subjects that we connect with or, either/or, or neither/nor, we use a singular verb. If we say, John or Mary is getting a raise. Logically, we mean to say that one of them is getting a raise. In this case, we would use a singular verb because even though the subject has 2 people, we are really talking about one of them.

Practice:

Either banana or pepper is/are making my nose itch. One of them is singular. (is)

Or, Either/Or, Neither/Nor Mixed With Plural and Singular Subjects

In the previous example, we talked about or, either/or, or neither/nor when used with singular subjects. But what if we have plural subjects or we mix a plural and singular subject? For example, my friends or I. In this case, we want the verb to agree with the subject closest to the verb. What verb would you use in this sentence? Neither the cups nor the bowl fit/fits on the shelf. In this case, the word bowl is closest to the verb, and we use the singular verb fits.

Practice:

Neither my dog nor my cats is/are eating breakfast. Cats represent a plural. (are)