REVISED SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT - 2021-22

• ENG
• Secondary Education

SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

DRAG and DROP

Drag the sentences(in the blue box) and drop them to match with the correct verb (in the red box).

Tekst

have

is

was

owns

Ashok and Ram ______ passed.

Either you or he ______ telling a lie.

The behaviour of the children _______ excellent.

One of the pupils in our class ______ a car.

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

I will be able to:

• identify the correct verb to be used in a sentence.
• comprehend the rules of subject-verb agreement.
• identify and correct the errors in a passage.

The producer and the director of the movie 'Black' _____ walking down the red carpet.

1. are
2. is

The producer and director of the movie 'Black' _____ walking down the red carpet.

1. are
2. is

Rule:

If two Singular Nouns refer to the same person or thing, the Verb must be Singular.

• The poet and philosopher is dead.
• The poet and the philosopher are dead.

The orator, the poet and the author _______ arrived.

1. have
2. has

Slow and steady ______ the race.

1. win
2. wins

Rule:

If two subjects together express one idea, the verb will be in singular.

a)Bread and milk is his only food.

Rice and curry _____ my favourite dish.

1. is
2. are

Either of the two brothers ______ at fault.

1. is
2. are

Rule:

The words and phrases "each," "each one," "either," "neither," "everyone," "everybody," "anyone," "anybody," "nobody," "somebody," "someone," and "no one" are singular and require a singular verb.

• Each of them is honest.

Each of the participants ______ willing to be recorded.

1. was
2. were

No smoking or drinking _______ allowed.

1. are
2. is

Rule:

If one of the words "each," "every," or "no" comes before the subject, the verb is singular.

• Each pupil and teacher is required to enter by the main doors.

Every man and woman _______ required to check in.

1. are
2. is

Either Rama or his brother ______ done this.

1. has
2. have

Rule:

Subject joined by ór’, ‘nor, either’, ‘neither’ : - take the verb according to the nearest subject:

  a) Neither he nor his sister was there.

b) He or his friends are to be blamed.

Neither Ashok nor his parents _____ present.

1. are
2. is

Either Kiana or Casey ______ helping today with stage decorations.

1. is
2. are

The family ______ planning to go to Shimla on vacation.

1. is
2. are

The jury _______ different opinions.

1. has
2. have

Rule:

Collective noun when it is considered one unit. (Jury, committee, family) use singular verb.

 The committee has decided to raise the membership fee.

Collective noun when taken as individual members (jury, committee, team, group, herd) use Plural  verb

The committee debate these questions carefully.

The jury are divided in their opinion.

The Council _______ chosen its President.

1. have
2. has

Ten miles _____ too far to walk.

1. is
2. are

Rule

Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.

• A thousand rupees is a good sum.
• Four weeks is a  good holiday.

Twenty thousand rupees _____ a large sum of money.

1. are
2. is

Your shoes _________ glossy.

1. are
2. is

Rule:

Nouns like pants, trousers, spectacles, scissors, shoes take a plural verb.

Nouns like pants, trousers, spectacles, scissors, shoes when used with ‘a pair of ‘ take a singular verb.

•  Your scissors are quite sharp.
  
• A pair of branded shoes is quite expensive these days.

A pair of scissors _____ lying behind the desk.

1. are
2. is

A lot of food ______ been spoiled.

1. has
2. have

Rule:

With word that indicates portion, example, a lot, a majority, some, all etc. use a singular verb with a singular noun and a plural verb with a plural noun.

• One third of the city is unemployed.
• One third of the people are unemployed.

Hints: Look for countable & uncountable nouns.

A plenty of advice ______ been given on the topic.

1. have
2. has

A lot of the pies _______ disappeared.

1. has
2. have

Some of the work ______ been done.

1. has
2. have

There ________ plenty of chairs in the room.

1. are
2. is

Rule:

When sentence starts with 'There' or 'Here' the subject will always be placed after the verb.

• There are six boys in the classroom.

There ____ no leaf on the tree.

1. is
2. are

The Chief, with all his men, _____ massacred.

1. was
2. were

Rule:

Words joined to a singular subject by ‘with, as well as, along with, in addition to’ are parenthetical, and therefore  :  - consider - First subject

a) The Prime Minister, with his cabinet colleagues, is supposed to be present.

b) Mr. Prakash as well as his sons is hardworking.

The politician, along with the journalist, ______ expected tomorrow.

1. are
2. is

He is one of the best leaders that _____ ever lived.

1. have
2. has

Rule:

A relative pronoun always agrees in Number and Person with its Antecedent.

• I am a woman who works for children's welfare.
• He is one of those men who know everything.

She is one of the noblest women that _______ survived the WW II.

1. have
2. has

Dr. Cooper is one of those professors who ______ distracted most of the time.

1. seem
2. seems

INTEGRATED GRAMMAR EXERCISE

The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Write the incorrect word and the correction against the correct question number. 

Post your responses here.