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Grammar Lesson #2 - Subject –Verb Agreement
Rules - A subject and verb should agree in person and number.
1. Singular subjects take a singular verbs; plural subjects take a plural verbs.
2. Every and each are always followed by singular nouns, even if nouns are connected by and
3. Gerunds used as the subject require a singular verb.
4. In most expression of quantity, the verb is determined by the noun or pronoun that follows of.
5. Each of, one of, every one of take singular verbs.
6. The subject follows be when there is used (there is/are + subject)
7. Irregularities
a. news is singular
b. fields of study that end in –ics require singular verbs
c. certain illnesses that end in –s are singular: diabetes, measles, mumps, rabies, shingles
d. expressions of time, money, and distance usually require singular verbs
e. arithmetic expressions require singular verbs
f. a few adjectives that are preceded by the can be used as a plural noun to refer to people
who have that quality (the poor, the blind, the disabled)
Exercises: Choose the correct answer in the parentheses.
1. The extent of Jane’s knowledge on various complex subjects (astounds, astound)
me.
2. The subjects you will be studying in this course (is, are) listed in the syllabus.
3. Some of the fruit in the bowl (is, are) rotten.
4. Half of the students in this class (is, are) from Spanish-speaking countries.
5. A lot of clothing in those stores (is, are) on sale this week.
6. The United States (has, have) a population of around 270 million.
7. Massachusetts (is, are) a state in northeastern part of the United States.
8. Twenty dollars (is, are) an unreasonable price for the necklace.
9. The English (is, are) proud, independent people.
10. Each girl and boy in the sixth-grade grade (has, have) to do a science project.
11. Lettuce (is, are) good for you.
12. Almost every professor and student at the university (approves, approve) of the
choice of Dr, Brown as the new president.
13. Making pies and cakes (is, are) Mrs. Reed’s specialty.
14. There (is, are) over 600,000 kinds of insects in the world.
15. There (was, were) a terrible earthquake in Pakistan last year.
16. None of the animals in the zoo (is, are) free to roam about.
17. Each boy in the class (has, have) his own notebook.
18. Half of this money (belong, belongs) to you.
19. What percentage of the people in the world (is, are) illiterate.
20. (Do, Does) any of you know the answer to that question?
21. The police (is, are) prepared in case there is a riot.
22. Statistic (is, are) a branch of mathematics.
23. The poor (is, are) helped by government programs.
24. Fifty minutes (is, are) the maximum time allowed for the exam.
25. How many wars do you suppose there (has been, have been) in the history of the
world since the dawn of civilization?
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