Subject-Verb Agreement

Front

What is subject-verb agreement?

Back

Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its verb.

Front

When should a singular verb be used?

Back

A singular verb should be used when the subject is singular, meaning it refers to one person, place, thing, or idea.

Front

When should a plural verb be used?

Back

A plural verb should be used when the subject is plural, meaning it refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea.

Front

What is the rule for collective nouns in subject-verb agreement?

Back

Collective nouns can take either singular or plural verbs depending on whether the group is acting as a single unit (singular) or as individuals (plural).

Front

How does the presence of phrases like 'along with' or 'as well as' affect subject-verb agreement?

Back

Phrases like 'along with' or 'as well as' do not change the number of the subject; the verb should agree with the main subject.

Front

What is the subject in the sentence: 'The jury wants to believe'?

Back

The subject is 'the jury', which is a collective noun treated as singular in this context.

Front

In the sentence 'Each man, woman, and child needs to write a letter', what is the subject and verb agreement?

Back

The subject 'Each man, woman, and child' is singular, so the verb 'needs' is also singular.

Front

What is the correct verb form for the sentence: 'Fourteen dollars ______ all that she has'?

Back

The correct verb form is 'is', because 'fourteen dollars' is treated as a singular amount of money.

Front

What is the rule for subjects joined by 'and'?

Back

When subjects are joined by 'and', they typically take a plural verb.

Front

What is the rule for subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor'?

Back

When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb should agree with the subject that is closest to it.