Name: ____________________________________
Period: ____________________________________
Date: _____________________________________
Generation Date: 02/26/2012
Generated By: Holly Distefano
Subject-Verb Agreement
1. Jake’s favorite class _______ social studies, but I prefer English.
A. are
B. were
C. is
D. am
2. The king's horses and the king's men _______ not able to bring her back again.
A. be
B. were
C. was
D. is
3. We _____ the portion into two equal pieces.
A. split
B. splitting
C. was splitting
D. splits
4. The columnists and the editor __________ all of the editorials in the newspaper
daily.
A. reads
B. reading
C. am reading
D. read
5. The knight or the king _______ the best protector of the realm.
A. makes
B. were making
C. making
D. make
6. The five deer in the field ________ fast.
A. is
B. will
C. was
D. are
7. A case of oranges _______ more than a case of feathers.
A. weighs
B. weigh
C. weighing
D. were weighing
8. Yesterday, everyone on the team ________ with the painting.
A. help
B. are helping
C. helping
D. helped
9. His parents or Bart _____ out to the store every day.
A. running
B. runs
C. run
D. were running
10. News _______ fast around here.
A. travel
B. were traveling
C. travels
D. traveling
11. The boy or his friends _____ around the track.
A. run
B. was running
C. runs
D. is running
12. All of the workers ____ $10 per hour.
A. is earning
B. earns
C. earn
D. earning
13. There _______ more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in
your philosophy.
A. is
B. be
C. was
D. are
14. Tom and Jerry ________ the symphony orchestra.
A. is conducting
B. conduct
C. conducts
D. conducting
15. In the past, people _____ made fewer job changes.
A. have
B. has
C. having
D. is having
Answers
1. C
2. B
3. A
4. D
5. A
6. D
7. A
8. D
9. B
10. C
11. A
12. C
13. D
14. B
15. A
Explanations
1. Because the subject "class" is singular, the verb must also be singular. "Is" is the
singular form of the verb. Nouns like civics, dollars, mathematics, measles, and
news require singular verbs.
2. Because the subject "horses and men" is plural, the verb must also be plural.
"Were" is the plural form of the verb.
3. Because the subject "we" is plural, the verb must also be plural. "Split" is the
plural form of the verb.
4. The compound subject contains both singular (editor) and plural (columnists)
nouns. Because the subject is compound and separated by and, it should be
treated as a plural noun and must be followed by the plural verb read. HINT: To
check yourself, replace compound subjects with they and see if it sounds correct.
They (the columnists and the editor) read all of the editorials in the newspaper
daily.
5. Because the subject consists of two singular nouns connected by "or," the verb
must also be singular. "Makes" is the singular form of the verb.
6. "Deer" is plural here even though it does not end in "s." "Are" is the plural form
of the verb.
7. Because the subject "case" is singular, the verb must also be singular. "Weighs"
is the singular form of the verb.
8. Because the subject "everyone" is singular, the verb must also be singular, and
because the sentence starts with the introductory word "yesterday," the verb
must be in the past tense. "Helped" is the singular past tense form of the verb.
9. When a compound subject contains both a singular ("Bart") and a plural noun or
pronoun ("parents") joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of
the subject that is nearer the verb ("runs").
10. Because the subject "news" is singular, the verb must also be singular. "Travels"
is the singular form of the verb.
11. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun
joined by or or nor ("The boy or his friends"), the verb ("run") should agree with
the part of the subject that is nearer the verb ("friends").
12. Because the subject "all" is plural, the verb must also be plural. "Earn" is the
plural form of the verb.
13. Because the subject "things" is plural, the verb must also be plural. "Are" is the
plural form of the verb. Sentences that start with "there are" are usually in
reverse order. This means the verb comes before the subject in the sentence.
"There" is never an actual subject of the sentence; it is an adverb.
14. Because the subject "Tom and Jerry" is plural, the verb must also be plural.
"Conduct" is the plural form of the verb.
15. Because the subject "people" is plural, the verb must also be plural. "Have" is the
plural form of the verb.
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