SPC-ELL: Subject-Verb Agreement
Self-Paced Collection of English Language Lessons

Introduction

Make sure your speakers are turned on. Click the "play" arrow to listen to the explanations on each page. Complete all activities and questions on each page, and then click next page to continue.

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

  1. Identify singular and plural subjects
  2. Choose the correct singular or plural verb form to agree with the subject

 

 Try this "pre-test" to see what you already know.

 

What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subject-Verb Agreement simply means that the subject and verb in a sentence need to "agree." To do this, a singular subject needs a singular verb, and a plural subject needs a plural verb.

For example:

  1. I need to earn $20/hour to pay my bills.
  2. My cousin needs to earn only $11/hour to pay his bills.*
  3. We need to earn about $50,000/year to support our family.

*Sentence #2 is the most problematic example for English language learners because 3rd person singular subjects require -s (or -es) on simple present tense verbs in order to make them agree.

3rd Person Singular -s (-es)

 

Singular

Plural

1st person

I walk to the store.

We walk to the store.

2nd person

You walk to the store.

You walk to the store.

3rd person

He/she/it walks to the store.

They walk to the store.

Add -s (or -es) to simple present tense verbs when the subject is 3rd person singular.

Identifying the Subject

Identifying the subject is easy in many sentences, but other sentences can be tricky. Look at these examples:

  1. Every man, woman, and child needs love.
  2. Each dress and blouse in this store costs a lot of money.
  3. The book I read in my history class has interesting information in it.
  4. Watching old movies is boring.

Practice identifying subjects in this Quiz Group.

 

Expressions of Quantity

Some expressions of quantity can be confusing with subject-verb agreement. Study this table to help you.

Look at the Noun that Follows

Always Singular

Always Plural

1. Some of

2. Most of

3. Half of (or other fractions: 2/3, 1/4, etc.)

4. A lot of

5. None of*

6. One of

7. Each of

8. Every (one of)

9. The number of

10. A number of

*Note: None of is an expression that is changing. Traditionallly "none" was always singular; however, today plural verbs are used if the noun following "none of" is plural. For example: None of the patients in the hospital are getting better.

Example sentences:

  1. Some of the book is interesting. Some of the books are interesting.
  2. Most of the banana is rotten. Most of the bananas are rotten.
  3. Half of the money is mine. Half of the people in this room are from Mexico.
  4. A lot of the homework is easy. A lot of the tests are difficult.
  5. None of the work was finished. None of the computers were working.
  6. One of my children was sick.
  7. Each of my neighbors is coming to my birthday party.
  8. Every person thinks his/her own language is easiest.
  9. The number of injuries from the war is shocking.
  10. A number of accidents always occur as a result of rain and wet roads.

Try this Sorting Activity to review.

  

Now try this Quiz Group to test yourself.

 

There Is & There Are

There is and there are are expressions that introduce the idea that something exists. In these expressions, the subject comes after the verb "be." If you have a singular noun after the verb "be," use a singular verb. If you have a plural noun after the verb "be," us a plural verb.

For example:

  1. There was a terrible earthquake in Japan recently.
  2. There are many different languages and religions in the United States.
  3. There are more women than men in my English class.

Identify the subjects in this Quiz Group.

 

Try this Sorting Activity to test yourself.

  

Final Practice

Let's revisit the "pre-test" from page 1.

  1. The number of people who have children has/have declined.
  2. People say that statistics is/are a difficult subject to understand.
  3. Scientists say that a person is/are in a better mood when the sun is shining.

 

Complete this Quiz Group to check your understanding of subject-verb agreement.

 

 

Congratulations! You are now an expert on Subject-Verb Agreement.

Make sure you have completed all the activities and quiz questions on each page. When you are ready to submit your scores, click "Finish" on the last page.

 

References

Azar, B. & Hagen, S., (2009). Understanding and Using English Grammar (4th Edition). White Plains, NY: Pearson Longman.