Subject verb agreement step by step

What is subject-verb agreement?

The grammatical rule that subjects and verbs must match in number (singular/plural) and person (first/second/third).

Singular subject example

The dog barks. (Here, 'dog' is singular and 'barks' agrees with it.)

True or false: 'The team are winning.'

False, because 'team' is a collective noun and should use singular verb form.

Difference between singular and plural verbs

Singular verbs usually end in -s (e.g., runs), while plural verbs do not (e.g., run).

Fill in the blank: She ___ (to be) a doctor.

is (correct verb form to match singular subject 'She').

What do collective nouns affect?

They can be singular or plural based on context, affecting verb form (e.g., 'The team wins' vs. 'The team are arguing').

Quiz: 'Neither of the answers ___ correct.'

'is' (Neither is considered singular.)

How does a compound subject affect agreement?

A compound subject joined by 'and' typically takes a plural verb (e.g., 'Tom and Jerry run').

True or false: 'Every student must submit their assignments.'

True, because 'Every' makes 'student' singular, requiring the singular verb 'must submit.'

What is an example of a plural subject?

The cats play. (Here, 'cats' is plural, so 'play' agrees.)

Which is the correct verb? 'The books ___ on the shelf.'

'are' (because 'books' is plural.)

Fill in the blank: 'The list of items ___ on the table.'

'is' (because 'list' is the subject.)

True or false: 'Each of the players were tired.'

False, because 'Each' is singular, so it should be 'was.'