Subject-Verb Agreement Exercises

Basic Singular & Plural (Medium)

medium

More complex subjects with compound nouns

20 questions • 12 min

Basic Singular & Plural (Hard)

hard

Challenging subjects without options shown

20 questions • 15 min

Phrases Between Subject & Verb (Easy)

easy

Find the true subject with simple phrases

20 questions • 12 min

Phrases Between Subject & Verb (Medium)

medium

Longer intervening phrases and complex structures

20 questions • 15 min

Phrases Between Subject & Verb (Hard)

hard

Multiple phrases and advanced patterns

20 questions • 18 min

There Is / There Are

easy

Existential sentences with singular and plural

20 questions • 10 min

Collective Nouns

medium

Team, family, group - when to use singular or plural

20 questions • 12 min

Indefinite Pronouns

medium

Everyone, nobody, each, either - singular or plural?

20 questions • 12 min

Compound Subjects

medium

And, or, either...or, neither...nor patterns

20 questions • 15 min

Questions & Negatives

medium

Subject-verb agreement in question forms

20 questions • 12 min

Tricky Nouns

hard

News, mathematics, scissors - singular or plural?

20 questions • 15 min

Mixed Practice (Easy)

easy

Review all basic patterns combined

20 questions • 12 min

Mixed Practice (Intermediate)

medium

Medium difficulty mixed review

20 questions • 15 min

Mixed Practice (Advanced)

hard

Challenging comprehensive review

20 questions • 20 min

What is Subject-Verb Agreement in English?

Subject-verb agreement is one of the fundamental rules of English grammar. It requires that the verb in a sentence must agree with its subject in number (singular or plural). This rule applies to all tenses and is essential for clear communication.

Singular Subject

One person or thing + verb with -s/-es

"The cat runs fast."

Plural Subject

Two or more + verb without -s/-es

"The dogs run fast."

He / She / It

Third person singular uses -s/-es

"She works at a bank."

They / We / You

Plural forms use base verb

"They work at a bank."

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules - Quick Reference Chart

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The Third Person Singular Rule

In present simple tense, verbs take an -s or -es ending with third person singular subjects (he, she, it).

Subject	Verb Form	Example
I / You / We / They	work	They work every day.
He / She / It	works	She works every day.

What are the Tricky Subject-Verb Agreement Cases?

Many subject-verb agreement errors occur because of "trap" words between the subject and verb. Learning to identify the true subject is the key to mastering these cases.

Phrases Between Subject and Verb

The subject, not the nearest noun, controls the verb.

The box (of chocolates) is on the table.

Collective Nouns

Usually singular in American English when acting as one unit.

The team is playing well.

Indefinite Pronouns

Everyone, everybody, nobody, someone are always singular.

Everyone wants to succeed.

Subject-Verb Agreement Tricky Cases Chart

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Either/Or and Neither/Nor Rules

With "either...or" and "neither...nor," the verb agrees with the subject NEAREST to it.

Neither the students nor the teacher was ready. (teacher is nearest - singular)

Neither the teacher nor the students were ready. (students is nearest - plural)

Which Special Nouns Cause Subject-Verb Agreement Mistakes?

Some English nouns break the normal rules. Words that look plural can be singular, and some plural-looking nouns always need plural verbs. These are common sources of errors.

Look Plural, Act Singular

News is good.
Mathematics is difficult.
Physics is interesting.
The United States is large.
Economics is my major.

Always Plural

The scissors are sharp.
My pants are new.
The police are investigating.
People are friendly.
Glasses (eyewear) are expensive.

Subject-Verb Agreement Common Mistakes Chart

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"A Number Of" vs "The Number Of"

A number of = PLURAL

"A number of" means "several" or "many"

A number of students are absent.

The number of = SINGULAR

"The number of" refers to the quantity itself

The number of students is increasing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & References

• Swan, M. (2016). Practical English Usage. Oxford University Press.
• Cambridge Grammar of English (2006). Cambridge University Press.
• Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English (1999). Pearson.
• Quirk, R. et al. (1985). A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman.
• Murphy, R. (2019). English Grammar in Use. Cambridge University Press.

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