Subject Verb Agreement

Subject Verb Agreement

Basic rule : a singular subject (she, Bill, car) take a singular verb (is, goes, shines), where as a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Example : The book of history is / are on the desk.

If you know that ‘book’ is the subject, then you will choose is for the verb.

Question for subject agreement :

• Multiple choice

1. A bouquet of red roses … color and fragrance to the room.

1. Lend
2. Lends
3. Give
4. Gift

2. … Juan … Silvia is available.

1. Or, or
2. Or, either
3. Neither, nor
4. Neither, or

3. Everyone … done his / her homework.

1. Had
2. Have
3. Has
4. Were

4. None of you … responsibility for this incident.

1. Claims
2. Claim
3. Do
4. doing

5. Which shirt do you want for Christmast? Neither … fine for me.

1. Are
2. We
3. Us
4. Is

6. My glasses … on the desk.

1. Were
2. Was
3. Has
4. Had

7. Our thanks … to the workers who supported the union.

1. For
2. Gone
3. Have
4. Go

8. The average worker’s earning … gone up dramatically.

1. Have
2. Has
3. Must
4. To

9. Two-fifth of the troops … lost in the battle.

1. Was
2. Were
3. Are
4. Is

10. Forty percent of the student body … on favor of changing the policy.

1. Was
2. Were
3. Is
4. Are

• Error Analysis

1. It isn’t the faculty member but the president who decide this issue. (the correct word is decided)
2. It was the speaker, not his ides, that have provoke the student to riot. (the correct words are has provoked, because we can find ‘was’ at the begin of sentence)
3. She requested that he raises his band. (the correct word is raise, because a request being expressed)
4. Somebody was leave her purse. (the correct words are has left)
5. Each of students are responsible for doing his / her work in the library. (the correct word is ‘is’, don’t let the word ‘students’ confuse you because the subject is ‘each’ and that word always singular)
6. Neither my brother nor my father are going to sell the house. (the correct word is ‘is’, because a sentence like that sounds peculiar, it is probably a good idea to put the plural subject closer to the verb)
7. There are two reasons [plural subject] for this. (with these construction (called expletive construction0, the subject follows the verb but still determines the number of the verb)
8. My glasses was on the bed. (the correct word is were)
9. A paid of plaid trousers are in the closet. The correct word is ‘is’, because only one trousers0
10. The news from the back are bad. (the correct word is ‘is’)
11. My assets was wiped out in the depression. (the correct word is were)
12. A large percentage of the older population are voting against her. (the correct word is ‘is’, because the subject verb is ‘a percentage of’ not population)
13. The department members but not the chair has decided not to teach on Christmas. (the correct words are have decided)
14. I wish it were Friday. (the statement not a fact, is being expressed)
15. A third of the population were not in favor. (the correct word is was)

source : 

http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/subjectVerbAgree.asp

https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/moduleSVAGR.htm

http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/sv_agr.htm