Subject verb agreement

Subject-verb agreement is one of the basic building blocks of grammar. However, even if you understand the rules, putting it into practice can still be difficult. Subject-verb agreement worksheets can help students who struggle to understand or apply the complex rules. Easy Subject-Verb Agreement Worksheet for Elementary Students This worksheet adds an extra challenge by requiring students to evaluate the subject-verb agreement in each example sentence, and write out the correct sentence. But be careful: Some of the sentences are correct as is. Once they’ve completed the questions, they can check how they did with the answer key. If you’re looking for a a few quick example sentences to use in classroom activities or for making your own worksheets, these 10 subject-verb agreement questions are ready-made for you. Students will just need to choose the correct verb form for each sentence. 1. I want/wants a burrito. 2. She and I drive/drives home together after school. 3. Each of us eat/eats one cookie. 4. There is/are some dogs outside barking at a tree. 5. Our family members is/are ready for another road trip. 6. My art teacher prefer/prefers paintings that use a lot of colors. 7. Please don’t yell/yells in the library. 8. My dad want/wants me to come straight home after band practice. 9. Every cat love/loves when I pet them. 10. The burrito was/were not very good. The answers to the practice question above are provided below. 1. I want a burrito. 2. She and I drive home tog...

Subject-verb agreement sounds easy, doesn’t it? A singular subject takes singular verb: Tom rides his bike to work every day. A plural subject takes a plural verb: The boys are climbing the walls like caged animals. Yet, The Copyeditor’s Handbook lists no fewer than 25 cases that are not so clear cut, and Garner’s Modern American Usage devotes nearly five columns to the topic. Even the comparatively diminutive Grammar Smart devotes five pages (including quizzes) to the topic. What makes subject-verb agreement so difficult? One thing that confuses writers is a long, complicated subject. The writer gets lost in it and forgets which noun is actually the head of the subject phrase and instead makes the verb agree with the nearest noun: Incorrect: The arrival of new fall fashions have excited all the back-to-school shoppers. Correct: The arrival of new fall fashions has excited all the back-to-school shoppers. (should be has to agree with arrival) Another trap for writers is the move away from strict grammatical agreement toward “notional agreement,” that is, the verb agrees with the notion or idea the subject is trying to convey, whether it is singular or plural: Incorrect: Twenty-five rules is a lot to digest. Correct: Twenty-five rules are listed on the notice. And then there is the fact that English just refuses to follow its own rules. If English can contradict itself, it will. Here is a brief list of 10 suggestions for subject-verb agreement. • A subject made up of nouns ...

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. Choose the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject. 1. Annie and her brothers (is, are) at school. 2. Either my mother or my father (is, are) coming to the meeting. 3. The dog or the cats (is, are) outside. 4. Either my shoes or your coat (is, are) always on the floor. 5. George and Tamara (doesn't, don't) want to see that movie. 6. Benito (doesn't, don't) know the answer. 7. One of my sisters (is, are) going on a trip to France. 8. The man with all the birds (live, lives) on my street. 9. The movie, including all the previews, (take, takes) about two hours to watch. 10. The players, as well as the captain, (want, wants) to win. 11. Either answer (is, are) acceptable. 12. Every one of those books (is, are) fiction. 13. Nobody (know, knows) the trouble I've seen. 14. (Is, Are) the news on at five or six? 15. Mathematics (is, are) John's favorite subject, while Civics (is, are) Andrea's favorite subject. 16. Eight dollars (is, are) the price of a movie these days. 17. (Is, Are) the tweezers in this drawer? 18. Your pants (is, are) at the cleaner's. 19. There (was, were) fifteen candies in that bag. Now there (is, are) only one left! 20. The committee (debates, debate) these ...

Subject and Verb Agreement Quiz 1.For each of the following, choose the sentence in which the subject and verb agree. A) Every one of the shirts has a green collar. B) Every one of the shirts have a green collar. 2. A) This singer, along with a few others, play the harmonica on stage. B) This singer, along with a few others, plays the harmonica on stage. 3. A) Sandals and towels are essential gear for a trip to the beach. B) Sandals and towels is essential gear for a trip to the beach. 4. A) The president or the vice president are speaking today. B) The president or the vice president is speaking today. 5. A) Either Cassie or Marie pays the employees this afternoon. B) Either Cassie or Marie pay the employees this afternoon. Material created by Jane Straus and GrammarBook.com. Copyright by Jane Straus/GrammarBook.com. All materials contained in this membership subscription area may be reproduced and distributed. However, you may not alter the material or remove this notice of copyright.

A verb must agree in person and number with its subject. Incorrect: My friend, with his parents, are flying in today to visit me and my family. When the subject of the sentence does not agree in number with the verb, the sentence lacks subject-verb agreement. To preserve the subject-verb agreement, singular subjects take verbs marked for singular. Plural subjects must have verbs that are marked for plural. Correcting Faulty Subject-Verb Agreement Errors typically occur when the writer does not know whether the subject is singular or plural. In the sentence above, friend is the only subject and the verb are flying should be in singular form ( is flying) to agree with it in number. The phrase with his parents is a prepositional phrase and not part of the subject, so it has no effect on the verb form. Correct: My friend, with his parents, is flying in today to visit me and my family. Here is another example: Correct: Neither my mother nor my sisters are coming to visit me this summer. Subjects Followed By Prepositional Phrases Prepositional phrases such as with, together with, along with, as well as are not part of the subject and, therefore, have no effect on the form of the verb. The verb needs to agree in number only with the subject of the sentence. Incorrect: Laura, together with a friend, practice yoga every day. Correct: Laura, together with a friend, practices yoga every day. Compound Subjects Compound subjects joined by and need a plural verb. Correct: Healthy diet a...