Subject-Verb Agreement Pretest

Directions: Circle the answer that correctly identifies the proper use of agreement.

1. Each of the environmental activists protesting this week's World Trade Organization conference a)
has b) have been planning for months to disrupt the Seattle gathering.

2. Either the International Longshore and Warehouse Union or the Teamsters Union a) was b) were
expected to take part in the action.

3. President Clinton, as well as the leaders of the 135 nations that are WTO members, a) disagree b)
disagrees with many of the claims the activists make.

4. There a) is b) are almost no conflict between trade promotion and environmental protection, said
Marino Marcich of the National Association of Manufacturers.

5. As living standards improve, so a) do b) does education, health, the environment and labor standards,
WTO Environmental Director-General Mike Moore told trade union representatives.

6. Parts of this normally laid-back Pacific Northwest city a) has b) have the look of a battle zone.

7. It is unfortunate that a contingent of the protesters a) has b) have become unruly, but that does not
reflect the views of the people of Seattle or the United States.

8. The reason why a number of protesters a) is b) are here is because trade liberalization is working
against a number of values.

9. None of the official delegations a) was b) were guaranteed a safe passage to the theater.

10. The large number of protesters a) seems b) seem to have caught the Clinton administration off
guard.

11. Half of the opening sessions a) was b) were delayed.

12. Moore is one of several delegates who a) has b) have managed to get through the protesters and
stinging gas clouds to the theater.

13. Among the reasons WTO officials cited for the delay in beginning a) was b) were the tear gas fumes
wafting in the windows.
Subject-Verb Agreement
1. Definitions

Subject (def)

The football team played strong defense. (Underline the subject)

Verb (def)

The football team played strong defense. (Underline the verb)

Singular Subject (def)

The football team played strong defense. (Underline the singular subject)

Plural Subject (def)

Both football teams played strong defense. (Underline the plural subject)

RULE:
Singular subjects take ____________________ verbs.

Plural subjects take ____________________ verbs.

2. Intervening Phrases & Clauses

Rule:

Phrase (def)

The teams who played in the game last weekend are the Steelers and the Cowboys. (The
prepositional phrase “in the game last weekend” does not change the number of the subject,
“teams.”)

Hines Ward, as well as Mike Wallace, plays wide receiver. (The phrase “as well as Mike
Wallace,” does not change the number of the subject, “Hines Ward.”)

Clause (def)

The Steelers, who were undefeated last season, are coached by Mike Tomlin. (The clause “who
were undefeated last season” does not change the number of the subject, “Steelers”)
 PRACTICE: Exercise 1, page 108
Identify the subject and choose the correct verb form.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

3. Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite Pronoun (def)

Singular indefinite pronouns:

Plural indefinite pronouns:

Indefinite pronouns that could be singular or plural:

How do you tell the difference?

PRACTICE: Exercise 2, p. 110

Identify the subject and choose the correct verb form.

1.

2.

3.

4.
 5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

4. Compound Subjects

Compound Subject (def)

RULE – Compound subjects joined by “and:”

Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon are both private universities in Pittsburgh.

RULE – Compound subjects joined by “or” or “nor:”

Either Duquesne or Carnegie Mellon is a good school for engineering.

RULE – Compound subjects with 1 singular and 1 plural subject joined by “or” or “nor:”

Neither a hamburger nor fries are a healthy lunch.

PRACTICE: Exercise 3, page 113.

Choose the correct verb form.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

5. Special Problems with Subject-Verb Agreement

a. Contractions: don’t and doesn’t:
Rule:

Example
 b. Subject following the verb:
Rule:

Example:

c. Collective nouns:
Rule for singular collective nouns:

Rule for plural collective nouns:

d. Measurements, Percentages, and Fractions:

Rule:

Example:

PRACTICE: Exercise 4, page 117

Identify the subject and choose the correct verb form.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

6. More Special Problems with Subject-Verb Agreement

a. Predicate nominatives
Definition:

Rule:

Example:
 b. Subjects preceded by “every” or “many a”
Rule:

Example:

c. Relative pronouns
Definition:

Rule:

Example:

OVERALL REVIEW: Review C, Page 121

Rewrite the paragraph in the space below, correcting all mistakes in Subject-Verb Agreement.

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Subject-Verb Agreement Test
Directions: for each sentence, there are three things you must do:
1. Circle the correct singular or plural form of the verb to agree with the subject.
2. Underline the subject.
3. Then identify which rule applies to your choice of verb form. Identify the rule either by number
or by name using the list below. You may use your notes for this test.

Rules:
1. Intervening phrase or clause
2. Indefinite pronoun
3. Compound subjects
4. “Doesn’t” vs. “don’t”
5. Subject following the verb
6. Collective nouns
7. Measurements, statistics, percentages, fractions
8. Predicate nominatives
9. Subject preceded by “every” or “many a”
10. Relative pronouns

1. Nobody in all of my classes was/were able to predict the outcome of today's game.
Rule:

2. Here is/are my favorite dish, macaroni and cheese.

Rule:

3. Two enormous vineyards, both owned by the same woman, was/were at the foot of the
mountain.
Rule:

4. A small percentage of the crops was/were ruined by the prolonged rain.

Rule:

5. Most parents mistakenly think that mumps has/have been eliminated as a childhood disease.
Rule:

6. Each of the dogs is/are sick.

Rule:

7. Some of the steaks is/are cold.

Rule:

8. She is one of the teachers who talk/talks too much.

Rule:

9. These is/are a collection of valuable nineteenth-century manuscripts.

Rule:

10. The man and his wife contribute/contributes each year to the scholarship.
Rule:
11. Either your friends or your girlfriend, not both, is/are able to come with us.
Rule:

12. The herd of sheep contain/contains only one lamb.

Rule:

13. That guy don’t/doesn’t know what he is talking about.

Rule:

14. A number of people is/are concerned about the cost of fuel during the cold winter months.
Rule:

15. The number of people concerned about the cost of fuel is/are rising as the weather gets colder.
Rule:

16. Every reporter for all the newspapers research/researches his subject first.
Rule:

17. The United Arab Emirates, a small nation on the Arabian peninsula, has/have a small Catholic
population.
Rule:

18. Neither you nor I want/wants you to fail this test.

Rule:

19. The Future Business Leaders of America meet/meets once a month.

Rule:

20. Swimming is/are one of the best ways to get into shape.
Rule:

21. My favorite foods is/are pasta, pizza, and beef.

Rule:

22. The snow that is on the lawns is/are yellow…don’t eat it!
Rule:

23. Those pants is/are the ones I bought yesterday.

Rule:

24. None of your answers on this test is/are wrong!

Rule: