SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT RULES FOR SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
RULE 1 – A verb agrees with its subject in number. Singular subjects take singular verbs:
The car stays in the garage. The flower smells good.
There is an old saying: “Opposites attract.” The rule for singular and plural verbs is just the opposite of
the rule for singular and plural nouns. Remember this when you match subjects and verbs. You might
guess that stays and smells are plural verbs because they end in s. They aren’t. Both stays and smells are
singular verbs.
RULE 2 – The number of the subject (singular or plural) is not changed by words that come between the
subject and the verb.
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.
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT EXERCISE 1
Direction: Circle the correct verb in each of the sentences below. Check your answers on the following
page.
1. Your friend (talk-talks) too much.
2. The man with the roses (look-looks) like your brother.
3. The women in the pool (swim-swims) well.
4. Bill (drive-drives) a cab.
5. The football players (run-runs) five miles every day.
6. That red-haired lady in the fur hat (live-lives) across the street.
7. He (cook-cooks) dinner for his family.
8. The boys (walk-walks) to school every day.
9. The weather on the coast (appear-appears) to be good this weekend.
10. The center on the basketball team (bounce-bounces) the ball too high.
RULES FOR SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
RULE 3 – Some subjects always take a singular verb even though the meaning may seem plural.
These subjects always take singular verbs:
each either neither one no one everyone someone anyone nobody somebody anybody
everybody
Someone in the game was (not were) hurt. Neither of the men is (not are) working.
RULE 4 – The following words may be singular or plural, depending upon their use in a sentence: some,
any, all, most.
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)
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT EXERCISE II
Directions: Circle the correct verb in the sentences below. Check your answers on the bottom of this
page.
11. Each of the girls (look-looks) good on skis.
12. Everybody (was-were) asked to remain quiet.
13. Neither of the men (is-are) here yet.
14. (Is-Are) each of the girls ready to leave?
15. Several of the sheep (is-are) sick.
16. Some members of the faculty (is-are) present.
17. Nobody in the class (has-have) the answer.
18. Each of the girls (observe-observes) all the regulations.
19. All of the milk (is-are) gone.
20. Most of the seats (was-were) taken.
RULES FOR SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
RULE 5 – Subjects joined by "AND" are plural. Subjects joined by "OR" or "NOR" take a verb that agrees
with the last subject.
Bob and George are leaving.
Neither Bob nor George is leaving. Neither Bob nor his friends are leaving.
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.
There were five books on the shelf. (were, agrees with the subject book)
Here is the report you wanted. (Is agrees with subject report)
RULE 7 – Collective nouns may be singular or plural, depending on their use in the sentence. A collective
noun is a noun used to name a whole group. Following are some common examples:
army audience class club committee crowd flock group herd jury
orchestra public swarm team troop United States
The orchestra is playing a hit song. (Orchestra is considered as one unit—singular.)
The orchestra were asked to give their musical backgrounds. (Orchestra is considered as separate
individuals—plural)
SUBJECT-VERB EXERCISE III
Directions: Circle the correct verb in each of the sentences below. Check your answers at the bottom of
this page.
21. Margo and her parents (visit-visits) each other often.
22. Either the cups or the glasses (are-is) in the dishwasher.
23. Vern and Fred (need-needs) a ride to work.
24. There (is-are) a dog, a cat, and a bird in the garage.
25. Neither Matt nor his brothers (was-were) at the party.
26. Here into the main ring of the circus (come-comes) the trained elephants.
27. Either the workers or the boss (deliver-delivers) the merchandise.
28. The committee (work-works) hard for better schools.
29. There (is-are) many things to do before the holidays.
30. The jury (was-were) polled for their verdicts.
31. Here (is-are) the nails you need for the projects.
32. Either Joyce or Ellen (was-were) here.
33. The United States (is-are) a country of contrast.
34. A magazine and a book (was-were) lying on the floor.
35. The family (is-are) occupied with their individual problems.
RULES FOR SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
RULE 8 – Expressions of time, money, measurement, and weight are usually singular when the amount is
considered one unit.
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.
RULE 9 – Some nouns, while plural in form, are actually singular in meaning.
Mathematics is (not are) an easy subject for some people.
Physics is (not are) taught by Prof, Baldwin.
RULE 10 – Don’t and Doesn’t must agree with the subject. Use doesn’t after he, she, it.
Doesn’t he (not don’t) know how to sail?
They don’t (not doesn’t) make movies like that anymore.
SUBJECT-VERB EXERCISE IV
Directions: Circle the correct verb in each of the sentences below.
36. Mumps (is-are) one of the most uncomfortable diseases.
37. One hundred dollars (is-are) not a lot of money to some people.
38. She (doesn’t-don’t) look very well today.
39. Twenty minutes (is-are) the amount of time it takes me to get home from work.
40. It (doesn’t-don’t) seem so cold today.
41. Gymnastics (is-are) easy for Angela.
42. Interesting news (is-are) what sells our paper.
43. A pound of cookies (cost-costs) about a dollar.
44. They (doesn’t-don’t) think they’ll win the game tonight.
45. He (don’t-doesn’t) speak very well.
ANSWERS TO SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT EXERCISE 1
1. talks
2. looks
3. swim
4. drives
5. run
6. lives
7. cooks
8. walk
9. appears
10. Bounces
ANSWERS TO SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT EXERCISE II
11. looks
12. was
13. is
14. is
15. are
16. are
17. has
18. Observes
19.is
20.were
ANSWERS TO SUBJECT-VERB EXERCISE III
21. visit
22. are
23. need
24. are
25. were
26. come
27. delivers
28. works
29. are
30. were
31. are
32. was
33. is
34. were
35. are
ANSWERS TO SUBJECT-VERB EXERCISE IV
36. is
37. is
38. doesn’t
39. is
40. doesn’t
41. is
42. is
43. costs
44. don’t
45. doesn’t
