Subject-Verb Agreement
Exercise 1, p. 84.
Add - s or -es where necessary. Do not change or omit any other words. All of the sentences are simple
present. Discuss the use, spelling, and pronunciation of final -s/-es.
2. My parent visit many countries when
they travel in Europe.
3. Robert sing when he take a shower.
2. My parents visit many countries when they travel in Europe.
3. Robert sings when he takes a shower.
Exercise 1, p. 84.
4. Chicken, duck, and turkey lay egg.
5. Anna wear glove on her hand when she
work in her garden.
6. She scratch her chin when it itch.
4. Chickens, ducks, and turkeys lay eggs.
5. Anna wears gloves on her hands when she works in her garden.
6. She scratches her chin when it itches.
Exercise 2, p. 84.
Look at the words that end in -s. Are they singular or plural? Are they nouns or verbs?
Sing.
1. A new car costs a lot of money.
2. New cars cost a lot of money.
3. My neighbor makes a lot of noise.
4. My neighbors make a lot of noise.
5. Bill drinks tea for breakfast.
6. Cold drinks taste good on a hot day.
Plural
Noun
Verb
Final -s/-es: Use, Pronunciation, and Spelling
 Noun
+ -s: Friends are important.
 Noun + -es: I like my classes.
A final -s or -es is added to a
noun to make the noun plural.
Friend and class = singular nouns
Friends and classes = plural nouns
Verb + -s: Mona works at the bank.
Verb + -es: Jihad watches birds.
A final -s or -es is added to a simple
present verb when the subject is a
singular noun (e.g., Mona, my father, the
machine) or third person singular
pronoun (she, he, it).
Mona works = singular
She works =
singular
The students work = plural
They work
= plural


Pronunciation
 seats
-> seat/s/
 ropes -> rope/s/
 backs -> back/s/
Final -s is pronounced /s/
after voiceless sounds, “t,”
“p,” and “k” are examples of
voiceless sounds. All of the above
words are pronounced with one
 seeds
-> seed/z/
 robes -> robe/z/
 bags -> bag/z/
 sees -> see/z/
Final -s is pronounced /z/after
voiced sounds,“d,” “b,” “g,” and “ee”
are examples of voiced sounds. All
of the above words are pronounced
with one syllable.
 dishes
-> dish/əz/
 catches -> catch/əz/
 kisses -> kiss/əz/
 mixes -> mix/əz/
 prizes -> prize /əz/
 edges -> edge/əz/
Final -s and -es are
pronounced /əz/ after “sh,”
“ch,” “s,” “x,” “z,” and “ge”/
“dge” sounds.
The /əz/ ending adds a
syllable.
All of the above words in are
pronounced with two syllables.
Spelling
 sing
-> sings
 song -> songs
For most words (whether
a verb or a noun), simply
add a final –s to spell the
word correctly.
wash -> washes
 watch -> watches
 class -> classes
 buzz -> buzzes
 box -> boxes
Final -es is added to words that end
in -sh, -ch, -s, -z, and -x.

 toy
-> toys
 buy -> buys
For words that end in -y :
If -y is preceded by a vowel,
only -s is added.
baby
-> babies
cry -> cries
If –y is preceded by a
consonant, the -y is
changed to -i/and -es is
added.
Exercise 2, p. 84.
Add -s or - es to the given words to make them plural. Practice saying them aloud.
Write the pronunciation for each ending.
4. bush _________ __________
5. hat _________ __________
6. rise _________ __________
7. season _________ __________
8, develop _________ __________
9. touch _________ __________
10, cough _________ __________
11. method _________ __________
12. Language _________ __________
Answers
4. bushes /əz/
5. hats /s/
6. rises /əz/
7. seasons /z/
8. develops /s/
9. touches /əz/
10. coughs /s/
11. methods /z/
12. languages /əz/
Basic Subject-Verb Agreement
General rule
Singular verbs go with
singular nouns,
Plural verbs go with plural
nouns.
Singular Verb: My friend lives in
Boston.
Verb + -sl-es = third person
singular in the simple present
tense
Plural Verb: My friends live in
Boston.
Noun + -sl-es = plural
Plural Verbs
My brother and sister live in
Boston.
My brother, sister, and cousin
live in Boston.
Two or more subjects
connected by and require a
plural verb.
Every man, woman, and child needs
love.
 Each book and magazine is listed in
the bibliography.
exception : Every and each are always
followed immediately by singular
nouns.
In this case, even when there are
two (or more) nouns connected by
and, the verb is singular.

That book on political parties is interesting.
 The ideas in that book are interesting.
Sometimes a phrase or clause separates
a subject from its verb. These interrupting
structures do not affect basic agreement.
In the first sentence, the interrupting
prepositional phrase on political parties
does not change the fact that the verb is
must agree with the subject book.

The book that I got from my parents
was very interesting.
 The books I bought at the bookstore
were expensive.
In the above sentences, the
interrupting
adjective clauses do not change the
fact that the verbs was/were must
agree with the subjects book/books.

Watching old movies is
fun.
A gerund (e.g.,
watching) used as the
subject of the sentence
requires a singular verb.
Exercise 8, p. 87.
Choose the correct completions.
1. Lettuce (is, are) good for you.
2. The subjects you will be studying in this course
(is, are) listed in the syllabus.
3. The extent of Fatima’s knowledge on various
subjects (astounds, astound) me.
4. Oranges, tomatoes, fresh strawberries, cabbage,
and lettuce (is, are) rich in vitamin C.
1. is
2. are
3. sounds
4. are
Exercise 8, p. 87.
5. Every man, woman, and child (is, are)
protected under the law.
6. The professor and the student (agrees,
agree) on that point.
7. Almost every professor and student at
the university (approves, approve) of the
choice of Dr. Brown as the new president.
5. is
6. agree
7. approves
Exercise 8, p. 87.
8. Each girl and boy in the sixth-grade class (has,
have) to do a science project.
9. Tomatoes (is, are) easy to grow. Growing
tomatoes (is, are) especially easy in hot climates.
10. Getting to know students from all over the
world (is, are) one of the best parts of my job.
11. Where (does, do) your parents live?
8. has
9. are…is
10. is
11. do
Exercise 8, p. 87.
12. Annie had a hard time when she was coming
home from the store because the bag of groceries
(was, were) too heavy for her to carry.
13. Why (was, were) Yoko and Alex late for the
meeting?
14. (Is, Are) having the responsibility for taking care
of pets good for young children?
15. I like to go shopping when I’m on vacation, but
I don’t buy many things. A lot of the stuff* in
tourist shops (is, are) cheaply made and
overpriced.
12. was
13. were
14. is
15.is
Using Expressions of Quantity
Singular Verb
Some of the book is good,
A lot of the equipment is new.
Two-thirds of the money is
mine.
Most of our homework is easy.
Plural Verb
Some of the books are good.
A lot of my friends are here.
Two-thirds of the boys are
here.
Most of our assignments are
easy.
In most expressions of quantity,
the verb is determined by the
noun (or pronoun) that follows
of.
For example:
some of + singular noun = singular verb
some of + plural noun = plural verb
One of my friends is here.
Each of my friends is here.
Every one of my friends is here.
EXCEPTIONS: One of, each of,
and every one of are followed by
plural nouns and take singular
verbs.
None of the boys is here.
None of the boys are here.
Subjects with none o f used to
be considered singular in very
formal English, but plural
verbs are often used in
informal English and
sometimes even in formal
writing.
The number of students in the
class is fifteen.
The number is the subject.
A number of students were late
for class.
A number of is an expression of
quantity meaning “a lot of.” It is followed
by a plural noun and a plural verb.
Task 3:Do exercise 11, p.89
Exercise 11, p. 89.
Choose the correct completions. Underline the word(s) that determine whether
the verb is singular or plural.
2 . Some of the apples in that bowl (is, are) rotten.
3. Most of the movie (is, are) funny.
4. Most of the movies (is, are) funny.
5. Half of the students in the class (is, are) from
Arabic-speaking countries.
6. Half of this money (is, are) yours.
2. apples . . . are 3. movie . . . Is 4. movies . . . are 5. students . . . are 6. money . . . is
Exercise 11, p. 89.
7. A lot of the students in the class (is, are) from Southeast
Asia.
8. A lot of clothing in those stores (is, are) on sale this
week.
9. One of my best friends (is, are) coming to visit me next
month.
10. Each boy in the class (has, have) his own notebook.
11. Each of the boys in the class (has, have) his own
notebook
7. students . . . are 8. clothing . . . is 9. one . . . is 10. Each . . . has 11. Each . . . has
Exercise 11, p. 89.
12. Every one of the students (is, are) required to take the
final test.
13. None of the animals at the zoo (is, are) free to roam.
All of them (is, are) in enclosures.
14. A number of students (is, are) absent today.
15. The number of employees in my company (is, are)
approximately ten thousand.
16. One of the chief materials in bones and teeth (is, are)
calcium.
12. Every one . . . is 13. animals . . . are . . . All . , . are 14. A number . . . are
15. The number . . . is
16. One . . . is
Exercise 11, p. 89.
17. (Does, Do) all of the students have their
books?
18. (Does, Do) all of this homework have to
be finished by tomorrow?
19. Why (was, were) some of the students
excused from the examination?
20. Why (was, were) one of the students
excused from the examination?
17. Do . . . students 18. Does . . . homework 19. were . . . students 20. was . . . one
Exercise 12, P- 90.
Complete to make sentences.
2 . The stories…
3. Some of the story …
4. Some of the stories …
5. Two-thirds of the story …
6. One of the stories …
7. Each of the stories …
8. None of the story …
9. None of the stories …
1 0 . A number of stories …
2.are
3.is
4.are
5.is
6.is
7.is
8.is
9.are
10are
Exercise 12, P- 90.
1 1 . The furniture …
1 2 . A lot of the furniture …
13. A lot of the chairs …
14. Some of the furniture …
15. Half of the furniture …
16. None of the furniture …
17. Some of the chairs …
18. Three-fourths of the furniture …
19. Seventy-five percent of the furniture …
20. Half of the chairs …
11. is
12, is
13. are
14. is
15. is
16. is
17. are
18. is
19. is
20. are
Exercise 13. Warm-up. P. 90
Complete the sentences with your own words.
1. Think about (or look around) your classroom.
There are ________in my classroom.
There is ________in my classroom.
2. Think about (or look around) your bedroom.
There are ______ in my bedroom.
There is _____in my bedroom.
Using There + Be
(a) There is a fly in the room.
(b)There are three windows in this room.
There + be introduces the idea that
something exists in a particular place.
There + be + subject + expression of place
The subject follows be when there is used.
In (a):The subject is a fly. (singular)
In (b):The subject is three windows,
(plural)
(c)informal: There's two sides to every story.
In informal spoken English, some native
speakers use a singular verb even when the
subject is plural, as in (c).The use of this form
is fairly frequent but is not generally
considered to be grammatically correct.
Task 4: Do exercise 14, p.91
Choose the correct completions.
1. There (isn’t, aren’t) any letters in the mail for
you today.
2. There (isn’t, aren’t) any mail for you today.
3. There (is, are) a lot of problems in the world.
4. There (is, are) a hole in his sock.
5. How many kinds of birds (is, are) there in
the world?
6. Why (isn’t, aren’t) there a hospital close to
those villages?
1. aren’t
2. isn’t
3. are
4. is
5. are
6. isn’t
7. There (was, were) a terrible earthquake in
Iran last year.
8. Why (is, are) there a shortage of available
apartments for rent in this city at present?
9. There (is, are) more women than men in my
office.
10. There (has been, have been) a line in front of
that theater every night for the past two
weeks.
11. How many wars do you suppose there (has
been, have been) in the history of the world?
7. was
8. is
9. are
10. has
11. have been
Exercise 18. Warm-up. P. 92
Look at the subjects and verbs (in blue) in each pair of sentences. Some of them are
“exceptions to the rule.” For example, nouns that end in -s usually take a plural verb, but
sometimes not. Look for these irregularities
1. a. Nations are groups of people who share a common identity,
b. The United Nations is an international organization.
2. a. Kilometers are measures of distance.
b. Seven kilometers is too far for me to run.
3. a. Mix and fix are verbs,
b. Six and six is twelve.
4. a.Whales are mammals.
b. People are mammals.
5. a. English is a language.
b. The English are concerned about global warming.
Some Irregularities
Singular Verb
The United States is big.
The Philippines consists of more than 7,000 islands.
The United Nations has its headquarters in New York
City.
Harrods is a department store.
Sometimes a proper noun that ends
in -s is singular.
In the examples, if the noun is
changed to a
pronoun, the singular pronoun it is
used (not the plural pronoun they)
because the noun is singular.
The United States = it (not they)
The news is interesting.
News is singular.
Mathematics is easy for her.
Physics is easy for her too.
Fields of study that end in -ics require
singular verbs.
Diabetes is an illness.
Certain illnesses that end
in -s are singular:
diabetes, measles, mumps,
rabies, rickets, shingles.
Eight hours of sleep is enough.
Ten dollars is too much to pay.
Five thousand miles is too far to
travel.
Expressions of time, money,
and distance usually require a
singular verb.
Two and two is four.
Two and two equals four.
Two plus two is/equals four.
Five times five is twenty-five.
Arithmetic expressions
require singular verbs.
Plural Verb
Those people are from Canada.
The police have been called.
Cattle are domestic animals.
Fish live under water.
People, police, cattle, and fish do not end
in
-s, but they are plural nouns in the
example
sentences and require plural verbs.
Singular Verbs
English is spoken in many countries.
(English = language)
Chinese is his native language.
Plural Verbs
The English drink tea.
(The English= People from England)
The Chinese have an interesting
history.
Some nouns of nationality that end
in -sh, ese, and -ch can mean either
language or people, e.g., English,
Spanish, Chinese, Japanese,
Vietnamese, Portuguese, French.
The poor have many problems.
The rich get richer.
A few adjectives can be preceded by the and used
as a plural noun (without final -s) to refer to
people
who have that quality. Other examples: the young,
the elderly, the living, the dead, the blind, the deaf,
the disabled.
Task 4: Do exercise 19, p.94.
Exercise 19, P- 94.
Choose the correct completions.
1. The United States ( has, have) a population of around 300 million.
2. The news about Mr. Gonzalez (is, are) surprising.
3. The New York Times (is, are) an established and respected newspaper.
4. Physics (seek, seeks) to understand the mysteries of the physical
world.
5. Statistics (is, are) a branch of mathematics.
6. The statistics in that report on oil production (is, are) incorrect.*
7. Fifty minutes (is, are) the maximum length of time allowed for the
exam.
8. Twenty dollars (is, are) an unreasonable price for the necklace.
9. Many people in the world (does, do) not have enough to eat.
10. The police (is, are) prepared in case there is a riot.
2. is
3. is
4. seeks
5, is
6. are
7. is
8. is
9. do
10. are
Exercise 19, P- 94.
11. Rabies (is, are) an infectious and often fatal disease.
12. The French (is, are) proud, independent people.
13. French (is, are) not my native language.
14. Many Japanese (commutes, commute) to their places of work.
15. Portuguese (is, are) somewhat similar to Spanish, (isn’t it, aren’t they)
16. The poor (is, are) helped by government programs.
17. The blind (want, wants) the rest of us to treat them the same way
we treat everyone else.
18. The effect of a honeybee’s sting on a human being (depends,
depend) on that person’s susceptibility to the bee’s venom. Most
people (is, are) not in danger if they are stung, but there (has, have)
been instances of allergic deaths from a single honeybee sting.
11. is
12. are
13. is 14. commute 15. is . . isn’t it 16. are 17. want 18. depends. . . are . . . have
Exercise 20, P- 94.
Choose the correct words (or numbers) in parentheses. Then complete the sentences with is or are.
2. (Statistics, Linguistics, Physics) ________ the study of the structure
and nature of language.
3. (Diabetes, Measles, Rabies) ________ a blood-sugar illness.
4. (English, French, Afrikaans) _________ the official language of
Namibia.
5. People from Canada __________called (Canadas, Canadians,
Canadese).
2. Linguistics is 3. Diabetes is 4. English is 5. are . . . Canadians
Exercise 20, P- 94.
6. Approximately (60 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent') of the earth
__________covered by water, but only (one percent, ten percent,
twenty percent) of the earth’s water __________drinkable.
7. 312 X .5 + 100 _________ (227, 275, 256).
8. (The United Arab Emirates,The Netherlands, The Philippines)
__________in the Northern Hemisphere (i.e., north of the equator).
9. (Fish, Whales, Cattle) __________not mammals.
6. 70 percent. . . is . . one percent. . . is 7. is 256 8. The Netherlands is
9. Fish are
Exercise 22, P- 95.
Complete with is or are
1. A woman and her child…
2. One of the countries I would like to visit …
3. Some of the cities I would like to visit …
4. A number of students …
5. Ten minutes …
1. are
2. is
3. are
4. are
5. is
Exercise 22, P- 95.
6. Most people …
7. Chinese …
8. The Chinese …
9. The poor in my country …
10. Washing the dishes …
11. The United States …
12. This exercise on subject-verb agreement …
6. are
7. is
8. are
9. are
10. Is
11. is
12. is
Exercise 23, p.96
Use the given phrases to complete with is or are
1. His ideas \ interesting
2. Some of the people \ friendly
3. One of the girls \ absent
4. Italian \ a Romance language
1. His ideas are interesting.
2. Some of the people are friendly.
3. One of the girls is absent.
4. Italian is a Romance language.
Exercise 23, p.96
5. Two-thirds of the food \ gone
6. The clothes in that store \ expensive
7. The clothing in those stores \ inexpensive
8. Most of the stores in tourist towns \ overpriced
5. Two-thirds of the food is gone.
6. The clothes in that store are expensive.
7. The clothing in those stores is inexpensive.
8. Most of the stores in tourist towns are overpriced.
Exercise 24.p96
Choose the correct verb in each sentence.
1.The United Nations (has, have) an important role in
today’s world.
2. Mathematics (is, are) an interesting subject.
3. Both boys and girls (needs, need) to learn how to do
housecleaning.
4. Every girl and boy in my country (needs, need) to have
immunizations for certain diseases before entering public
school.
5. Two hours of homework per day (is, are) too much for
elementary school children.
1. has 2. is 3. need 4. needs 5. is
Exercise 24.p96
6. Having good computer skills (is, are) necessary if
you want to get a high-paying job.
7. One of the biggest problems in the world today
(is, are) the lack of clean, fresh drinking water for
significant numbers of people.
8. We may come from different cultures and have
different customs, but I believe that people across
the world (is, are) more alike than different.
6. Is 7. is 8. are
Exercise 25.p96
Decide if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I). If incorrect, make the
necessary changes.
3. Economists is worried.
4. Economics is a field of study.
5. Where’s Kenya on the map?
6. Where’s my gloves? I can’t find them.
7. More men than women are left-handed.
8. Chinese have more than fifty thousand written
characters.
3. I, are
4. C
5. C
6. I, are
7. C
8. I, has
Exercise 25.p96
9. About two-thirds of the Vietnamese works in
agriculture.
10. Two hours is too long to wait, don’t you think?
11. How many people is there in Canada?
12. What is the population of Canada?
13. Everybody in my family enjoys music and reading.
14. Some of the movies these days contains too much
violence.
9. I, work
10. C
11. I, are
12. C
13. C
14. I, contain
Exercise 26.P97
Complete the sentences. Use the simple present form of the verbs in parentheses.
2. There ( be ) _____ a lot of sheep in the field.
3. One of my friends (keep) _____ a goldfish bowl on her
kitchen table.
4. Sensitivity to other people’s feelings (make) ______
Sami a kind person.
5. Each car, truck, and motorcycle (be) ______ stopped at
the border by customs officials.
6. My driver’s license (be) ______ in my wallet.
7. (Do) _____ Sami’s uncle live in the suburbs?
2. are 3. keeps 4. makes
5. is
6. is
7. Does
Exercise 26.P97
8. (Do) _____ most of the students live in the
dormitories?
9. An orange and black bird (be) ____ sitting in that tree.
10. An orange bird and a black bird (be) _______ sitting in
that tree.
11. The insurance rates on our car (be) ______ high
because we live in a city.
12. (Be) ______ January and February the coldest months
of the year in the Northern Hemisphere?
13. Almost two-thirds of the land in the southwestern
areas of the country (be) ______ unsuitable for farming.
8. Do
9. is
10. are
11. are
12. are
13. is
Exercise 26.P97
14. A car with poor brakes and no brake lights (be) ___
dangerous.
15. Almost all the information in those texts on the Aztec
Indians and their civilization (appear) ____ to be well
researched.
16. Every day there (be) ____ more than a dozen traffic
accidents in the city.
17. No news (be) _____ good news.
18. Four hours of skiing ( provide) ____ plenty of exercise.
14. is
15. appears
16. are
17. is
18. provides
Exercise 27. P. 98
Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement. Some sentences contain no errors.
3. A lot of the people in my class works during the day and
attends class in the evening.
4. Many of the satellites orbiting the earth is used for
communications.
5. The news about the long-range effects of air pollution
on the development of children’s lungs is disturbing.
6. Studying a foreign language often lead students to learn
about the culture of the countries where it is spoken.
3. A lot of the people in my class work during the day and attend class in the evening.
4. Many of the satellites orbiting the earth are used for communications.
5. (no errors)
6. Studying a foreign language often leads students to learn about the culture of the countries
where it is spoken.
Exercise 27. P. 98
7. One of the most common names for dogs in the United
States are “Rover.”
8. A number of planes were delayed due to the snowstorm
in Denver.
9. Most of the mountain peaks in the Himalayan Range is
covered with snow the year round.
10. The number of passengers affected by the delays was
great.
11. Seventy-five percent of the people in New York City
lives in upstairs apartments, not on the ground floor.
7. One of the most common names for dogs in the United States is “Rover.”
8. (no errors)
9. Most of the mountain peaks in the Himalayan Range are covered with snow the year round.
10. (no errors)
11. Seventy-five percent of the people in New York City live in upstairs apartments, not on the ground floor
Exercise 27. P. 98
12. Approximately 76 percent of all the data in computers
around the world is in English.
13. Unless there are a profound and extensive reform of
government policies in the near future, the economic
conditions in that country will continue to deteriorate.
14. While I was in Paris, some of the best food I found
were not at the well-known eating places but in small outof-the-way cafes.
12. (no errors)
13. Unless there is a profound and extensive reform of government policies in the near future, the
economic conditions in that country will continue to deteriorate.
14. While I was in Paris, some of the best food I found was not at the well-known eating places but
in small out-of-the-way cafes.