Subject/Verb Agreement

Subject/Verb Agreement

Subjects and verbs must always agree in person and number.

• Ex. I is a language arts teacher. (The subject and verb don’t agree in person.)

• Ex. She are one year old. (The subject and verb don’t agree in number.)

A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb.

• Ex. The list is on the desk.

• Ex. The oranges are in Ethan’s desk.

Sentences with compound subjects take plural verbs. Typically, third person singular verbs end in s or es and plural verbs don’t.

• Ex. Roses and lilies smell good.

The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the subject closest to it.

• Ex. Neither the plates nor the bowl goes on that shelf.

• Ex. Neither the bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.

Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc. when considered as a unit.

• Ex. Three miles is too far to walk.

Identify the correct verb to agree with the subject of each sentence.

Multiple Choice

There _____ a banana on the kitchen counter.

• am

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

I _____ think I've read that book before.

• don't

• doesn't

Multiple Choice

There _____ hundreds of bats in the dark cave.

• was

• were

Multiple Choice

Everybody _____ it will be sunny on Saturday.

• hope

• hopes

Multiple Choice

Neither the cake nor the chips _____ been eaten.

• has

• have

Multiple Choice

Neither the chips nor the cake _____ been eaten.

• has

• have

Multiple Choice

Her sister _____ a new phone.

• want

• wants

Multiple Choice

Athletes ________ in three events during the triathlon.

• compete

• competes

Multiple Choice

The drive to the mountains _____ about four hours.

• take

• takes

Multiple Choice

There _____ several topics on today's agenda.

• am

• is

• are