Name:___________________________________________ Mods:___________ Date:____________
Grammar – Subject-Verb Agreement
Problems in Agreement:
Intervening Phrases – A verb agrees in number (singular or plural) with its subject regardless of any phrases
that appear between the subject and verb.
A good way to test the verb choice is to put parenthesis around the phrase and read the sentence without it.
Examples:
One of the boys is my cousin.
Vaccination against diseases like smallpox and typhoid is now required by law.
1. The singing of busy robins (awaken / awakens) me each April morning.
2. Martha, as well as her sisters, (takes / take) violin lessons.
3. The flowering time of wild roses (varies / vary) according to latitude and elevation.
4. Each of the girls (has / have) designed a dress for the party.
5. The team of baseball players (is traveling/are traveling) to the game New York City.
6. This kind of skating, like many other sports, (requires / require) practice.
7. Monica, along with the three graduates, (wants / want) to decorate the stage.
Compound Subject Compound subjects take a plural verb.
1. A lively imagination and a disciplined work ethic (is / are) necessary for success as an author.
2. The date of the spring picnic and the place (is / are ) to be arranged.
3. (Do / Does) a very warm day and a cool evening cause fog?
Neither/nor and either/or: In these cases, the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it.
1. Either James or his parents (is / are) attending the concert.
2. Neither Mars nor Jupiter (is / are) ever as bright as Venus.
3. Neither the dugouts nor the grandstand (was / were) damaged by the storm.
4. Neither the grandstand nor the dugouts (was / were) damaged by the storm.
Single idea: Terms which refer to one idea use a singular verb, even if the terms are technically plural.
1. Spaghetti and meatballs (is / are) on the menu.
2. Three quarters of that field (is / are) usually underwater.
3. Fifty dollars (is / are) a ridiculous price for a pair of leather gloves.
Subject occurring after the verb: In sentences beginning with “there”, “here”, and “where”, the subject often
comes after the verb. The verb must agree with the subject. (“There” is an adverb, and cannot be a subject.)
1. Here (stands / stand) the tallest trees in the county.
2. Where (do / does) these CD cases belong?
3. There (is / are) always areas in which we can improve.
4. In the picnic basket (was / were) two sandwiches for each hiker.
5. On the hillside near Keene, New Hampshire, there (was / were) sugar maples, golden in the October sun.