Questions and Answers
Folk, in addition to rock, ______________ my favorite music.
is
Joe, as well as his brothers, __________________ papers in the morning.
delivers
Dan, in addition to his friends, ________________________ depressed.
seems
The band _______________________ school songs at halftime.
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The recycling club _____________________________ for the entire neighborhood's support.
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Three eggs _____________________ too many for this recipe.
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The total cost (was, were) hundreds of dollars more than we expected.
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Jana's injured teeth (is, are) a source of much pain to her.
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Jake's excuse for tardiness (is, are) his morning chores.
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Here ________________ the fliers about the founder's day celebrations.
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Under the trees _______________________ the people who want to help.
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On the sidelines _____________________ many eager players ready for action.
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Spaghetti and meatballs _________________________ a regular meal at our home.
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The bat and the ball _____________________ Ed's.
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Many a bird and squirrel _________________________ our backyard feeders.
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A few of the swimmers (was, were) ready to leave the pool.
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Something in the basement (has, have) eaten the vegetables.
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Several of my friends (swim, swims) on the school team.
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Study Notes
Subject-Verb Agreement Basics
- Subject-verb agreement ensures that subjects and verbs in a sentence correspond in number, influencing meaning and clarity.
- Singular subjects require singular verbs, while plural subjects require plural verbs.
Examples in Usage
-
Folk, in addition to rock, is my favorite music.
- "Folk" is singular, so the verb "is" agrees.
-
Joe, as well as his brothers, delivers papers in the morning.
- The main subject is "Joe" (singular), thus "delivers" is the correct verb form.
-
Dan, in addition to his friends, seems depressed.
- Despite "friends" being plural, "Dan" is singular, requiring the singular verb "seems."
Singular and Plural Clarifications
-
The band plays school songs at halftime.
- "Band" is a singular collective noun, taking the singular verb "plays."
-
The recycling club asks for neighborhood support.
- "Club" is singular; therefore "asks" is used.
-
Three eggs are too many for this recipe.
- "Eggs" is a plural subject, demanding the plural verb "are."
Additional Examples
-
The total cost was hundreds of dollars more than expected.
- "Cost" is singular, thus using "was."
-
Jana's injured teeth are a source of pain.
- "Teeth" is plural, which requires "are."
-
Jake's excuse for tardiness is his morning chores.
- "Excuse" is singular, leading to the use of "is."
Clarifying Contextual Subjects
-
Here are the fliers about the celebrations.
- "Fliers" is plural, thus "are" is appropriate.
-
Under the trees gathers the people who want to help.
- Despite the prepositional phrase, "people" (plural) takes the plural verb "gathers."
-
On the sidelines stand many eager players.
- "Players" is plural, necessitating "stand."
Phrases That Affect Agreement
-
Spaghetti and meatballs is a regular meal at our home.
- The subject is treated as singular due to being connected by "and" as a single dish.
-
The bat and the ball are Ed's.
- "Bat and ball" as separate items require the plural verb "are."
-
Many a bird and squirrel visits our backyard feeders.
- "Many a" takes a singular verb despite referring to multiple subjects.
Common Mistakes
-
A few of the swimmers were ready to leave the pool.
- "Few" is plural, thus "were" is used.
-
Something in the basement has eaten the vegetables.
- "Something" is singular; therefore, "has" is appropriate.
-
Several of my friends swim on the school team.
- "Several" refers to multiple friends, thus taking the plural verb "swim."
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your understanding of subject-verb agreement with these flashcards designed for 9th graders. Practice identifying the correct verb forms in various contexts. This quiz will help reinforce your grammar skills and improve your writing.
