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RULES OF SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT Use verbs that agree with a subject, not with a noun that is part of a modifying

phrase or clause between verb and subject: The pot of eggs is boiling on the stove. 2. Use singular or plural verbs that agree with the subject, not with the complement of the subject: My favorite type of movie is comedies, but Comedies are my favorite type of movie. 3. Use singular verbs with singular indefinite pronouns each, the -bodies, -ones, and -things (anybody, everyone, nothing), and the like: Neither is correct. (And, just as in rule number 1, the presence of a modifier is irrelevant: Neither of them is correct.) 4. Use plural verbs with plural indefinite pronouns: Many outcomes are possible. 5. Use singular verbs with uncountable nouns that follow an indefinite pronoun: All the paint is dried up. 6. Use plural verbs with countable nouns that follow an indefinite pronoun: All the nails are spilled on the floor. 7. Use plural verbs with compound subjects that include and: The dog and the cat are outside. 8. Use plural verbs or singular verbs, depending on the form of the noun nearest the verb, with compound subjects that include nor or or: Either the dog or the cats are responsible for the mess. (Either the cats or the dog is responsible for the mess is also technically correct but is awkward.) 9. Use singular verbs with inverted subjects that include singular nouns: Why is my hat outside in the rain? 10. Use plural verbs with inverted subjects (those beginning with the expletive there rather than the actual subject) that include plural nouns: There are several hats outside in the rain. 11. Use singular or plural verbs with collective nouns depending on meaning: His staff is assembled, but Staff are asked to go to the conference room immediately. (In the first sentence, the emphasis is on the body of employees; in the second sentence, the focus is on compliance by each individual in the body of employees.) 12. Use singular verbs for designations of entities, such as nations or organizations, or compositions, such as books or films: The United Nations is headquartered in New York. 13. Use singular verbs for subjects plural in form but singular in meaning: Physics is my favorite subject. 14. Use singular or plural verbs for subjects plural in form but plural or singular in meaning depending on the context: The economics of the situation are complicated, but Economics is a complicated topic. 15. Use plural verbs for subjects plural in form and meaning: The tweezers are in the cupboard. 16. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form one of those (blank) who . . .: I am one of those eccentrics who do not tweet. 17. Use singular verbs in constructions of the form the only one of those (blank) who . . .: I am the only one of my friends who does not tweet. 18. Use singular verbs in constructions of the form the number of (blank) . . .: The number of people here boggles the mind. 19. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form a number of (blank) . . .: A number of people here disagree. 20. Use singular verbs in construction of the forms every (blank) . . . and many a (blank) . . .: Every good boy does fine; Many a true word is spoken in jest.

FILL IN THE BLANK WITH THE CORRECT FORM OF THE VERBS INSIDE THE PARENTHESIS 1. 1The Jones _________(go) to Italy next summer. 2. I __________(never / visit) our friends in London and ___(spend) the night with them in my whole life. 3. I ________(try) it three times and _____(be) successful at it only once. 4. ______you______(ever/ read) War and Peace? 5. How many times _______you______(be) to the movies this week? 6. When _____you last _____(see) your parents? 7. What ______you_______(do) when I _______(knock)on the door? 8. Mary ___________(sew) while John _________(fix)the stereo. 9. She ________(look) for her pen when she _________(find out) that she _________(have) it in her purse all the time. 10. When she ________(already/leave) home, she ________(realize) she _________(forget) her checkbook.

11. Usually , until the airplane ___________(take off), you ___(have to) fasten your seatbelts. 12. It _____________(rain) for 2 hours when we _______(decide) to go out. 13. I wish the train ________(neg / arrive) late today, then I ____(be able to) get there on time. 14. It's high time you kids ________(learn) the Math table from memory. 15. She says she'd rather he _______(travel) tomorrow, because it ______________(rain) cats and dogs for the last couple of hours. 16. She usually _________(drive) to work, but she ______(go) by bus this week because her car _________(repair).17. _____you _____(know) where Brian is? I _________(neg / see) him since lunchtime. 17. _____you _____(know) where Brian is? I _________(neg / see) him since lunchtime 18.A- How long _____you_________(live) in NYC?B- For only three weeks. We __________(stay) at a hotel until we ________(find) ourselves a house to buy. 19.A- I _______(meet) John while I _________(wait) for the bus this evening. B- How ____(be) he? I ___________(neg / see) him for months. A- He ______(seem) to be alright.. B- I _______(hear) he _________(just / get) a new job, _________he? A- Well, he _________(quit) his job about a month ago, but he ________(neg / find) another yet. He _____________(still / look for) one. 20.A- How about your exams? _______you________(pass)?B- I __________(neg / know), but I __________(let) you know as soon as I ______(hear) the news. 21. When she __________(hear) the news, she_________(begin) to cry. 22. We _____________(enjoy) the movie when the lights _______(go out). 23. I ____________(work) upstairs when Gina _______(fall) down the stairs. 24. The baby always __________(wake up) when we _________(try) to sleep.

25. They ____________(neg / come), even though we _________(send) them a special invitation. 26.A- _______you________(decide) how to spend your prize money? B- Yes, we_______. We ______________(buy) a new car. 27.A- _______you_______(have got) the tickets? B- Not yet, but I think we ___________(go) to Pearl Jam concert on Saturday if we _______(can). 28.A-________you________(ever / be) to the United States? B- No, never, but I _________(go) to Canada last year. 29.A- Ann ____________(sit) on the ground now. She _______(look) tired and _____(be) short of breath. B- Why? ______she______________(run)? 30. We ________(be) all surprised when Andy and Jen __________(get married) last year. They ____________(know) each other only for a few weeks. 31. It _____________(still / rain). I wish it _________(stop). It ______________(rain) all day! 32. Mary __________(go) for a swim after work yesterday. She __________(need) some exercise because she _________________(sit) in the office all day long. 33. I _________(go) up to Scott's room and _________(knock) on the door, but _________(there to be) no answer. Either he__________(go out), or he__________(neg / want) to talk to anyone. 34. Jill is an experienced professional. She _______________(teach) for 30 years next month. 35. I ____________(go) to the theater on Saturday. ______you_______(like) to come? 36. I_________________(die) when my son _________(become) a great-grandfather. 37. I'm glad we ________(have) a map. We sure ____________(get lost) if we _________(neg / have) one. 38. That's a tough question. I wish I __________(know)the answer. 39. Aren't they ready? I wish they ___________(get dressed) hours ago!

Answer Key

1.The Jones are going to Italy next summer. 2. I have never visited our friends in London and spent the night with them in my whole life. 3. I have tried it three times and was successful at it only once. 4. Have you ever read War and Peace? 5. How many times have you been to the movies this week? 6. When did you last see your parents?

7. What were you doing when I knocked on the door? 8. Mary was sewing while John was fixing the stereo. 9. She was looking for her pen when she found out that she'd had it in her purse all the time. 10. When she had already left home, she realized she had forgotten her checkbook. 11. Usually , until the airplane takes off, you have to fasten your seatbelt. 12. It had been raining for 2 hours when we decided to go out. 13. I wish the train wouldn't arrive late today, then I would be able to get there on time. 14. It's high time you kids learned the Math table from memory. 15. She says she'd rather he traveled tomorrow, because it has been raining cats and dogs for the last couple of hours. 16. She usually drives to work, but she has been going by bus this week because her car is still being repaired.17. Do you know where Brian is? I haven't seen him since lunchtime. 18.A- How long have you been living in NYC?B- For only three weeks. We are staying at a hotel until we find / have found ourselves a house to buy. 19.A- I met John while I was waiting for the bus this evening. B- How is he? I haven't seen him for months. A -He seems to be alright. B- I hear he has gotten a new job. A- Well, he quit his job about a month ago, but he hasn't found another yet. He is still looking for one. 20.A- How about your exams? Have you passed? B- I don't know, but I will let you know as soon as I hear /have heard the news. 21. When she heard the news, she began to cry. 22. We were enjoying the movie when the lights went out. 23. I was working upstairs when Gina fell down the stairs. 24. The baby always wakes up when we are trying to sleep. 25. They didn't come, even though we had sent them a special invitation.

26.A- Have you decided how to spend your prize money? B- Yes, we have. We are going to buy a new car. 27.A- Have you got the tickets? B- Not yet, but I think we will go to Pearl Jam concert on Saturday if we can. 28.A- Have you ever been to the United States? B- No, never, but I went to Canada last year. 29.A- Ann is sitting on the ground now. She looks tired and I short of breath. B- Why? Has she been running? 30. We were all surprised when Andy and Jen got married last year. They had known each other only for a few weeks. 31. It is still raining. I wish it would stop. It has been raining all day! 32. Mary went for a swim after work yesterday. She needed some exercise because she had been sitting in the office all day long. 33. I went up to Scott's room and knocked on the door, but here was no answer. Either he had gone out, or he didn't want to talk to anyone. 34. Jill is an experienced professional. She will have been working as a teacher for 30 years next month. 35. I am going to the theater on Saturday. Would you like to come? 36. I will have died when my son becomes a great-grandfather. 37. I'm glad we had a map. We would have gotten lost if we hadn't had one. 38. That's a tough question. I wish I knew the answer. 39. Aren't they ready? I wish they had gotten dressed hours ago!

Subject and Verb Agreement Exercise I. 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 questions carefully. 21. The committee (leads, lead) very different lives in private. 22. The Prime Minister, together with his wife, (greets, greet) the press cordially. 23. All of the CDs, even the scratched one, (is, are) in this case.

II. Choose the correct form of the verb 1. Either the physicians in this hospital or the chief administrator ____ going to have to make a decision. is are 2. ______ my boss or my sisters in the union going to win this grievance? Is Are 3. Some of the votes __________ to have been miscounted. seem seems 4. The tornadoes that tear through this county every spring _____ more than just a nuisance. are is 5. Everyone selected to serve on this jury _____ to be willing to give up a lot of time. have has 6. Kara Wolters, together with her teammates, _________ a formidable opponent on the basketball court. presents present 7. He seems to forget that there __________ things to be done before he can graduate. are is 8. There _______ to be some people left in that town after yesterday's flood. have has 9. Some of the grain __________ to be contaminated. appear appears 10. Three-quarters of the students __________ against the tuition hike. is are

Answer : Subject and Verb Agreement Exercise


1. Annie and her brothers are at school. 2. Either my mother or my father is coming to the meeting. 3. The dog or the cats are outside. 4. Either my shoes or your coat is always on the floor. 5. George and Tamara don't want to see that movie. 6. Benito doesn't know the answer. 7. One of my sisters is going on a trip to France. 8. The man with all the birds lives on my street. 9. The movie, including all the previews, takes about two hours to watch. 10. The players, as well as the captain, want to win. 11. Either answer is acceptable. 12. Every one of those books is fiction. 13. Nobody knows the trouble I've seen. 14. Is the news on at five or six? 15. Mathematics is John's favorite subject, while Civics is Andrea's favorite subject. 16. Eight dollars is the price of a movie these days. 17. Are the tweezers in this drawer? 18. Your pants are at the cleaner's. 19. There were fifteen candies in that bag. Now there is only one left! 20. The committee debates these questions carefully. 21. The committee lead very different lives in private. 22. The Prime Minister, together with his wife, greets the press cordially. 23. All of the CDs, even the scratched one, are in this case.

24. The baby always wakes up when we are trying tosleep. 25. They didn't come, even though we had sent them aspecial invitation. 26.A- Have you decided how to spend your prize money?B- Yes, we have. We are going to buy a new car. 27.A- Have you got the tickets?B- Not yet, but I think we will go to Pearl Jam concert onSaturday if we can. 28.A- Have you ever been to the United States?B- No, never, but I went to Canada last year. 29.A- Ann is sitting on the ground now. She looks tired and isshort of breath.B- Why? Has she been running?

30. We were all surprised when Andy and Jen got marriedlast year. They had known each other

only for a fewweeks. 31. It is still raining. I wish it would stop. It has

beenraining all day! 32. Mary went for a swim after work yesterday.

Sheneeded some exercise because she had been sitting in theoffice all day long.

33. I went up to Scott's room and knocked on the door, butthere was no answer. E

ither he had gone out, or he didn'twan t to talk to anyone.

34. Jill is an experienced professional. She will have beenworking as a teacher

for 30 years next month. 35. I am going to the theater on Saturday.

Would you liketo come? 36. I will have died when my son becomes

a greatgrandfather. 37. I'm glad we had a map. We would have gotten lost

if we hadn't had one. 38. That's a tough question. I wish I knew the answer.

39. Aren't they ready? I wish they had gotten dressed hoursago!

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