Subject Verb Agreement Quiz

Study Notes

Subject Verb Agreement

Singular Vs Plural Subjects

Singular Subjects:
- Use a singular verb.
- Example: "The dog barks."
Plural Subjects:
- Use a plural verb.
- Example: "The dogs bark."
Indefinite Pronouns:
- Some are always singular (e.g., everyone, each, anyone).
- Example: "Everyone loves music."
- Others are always plural (e.g., few, many, several).
- Example: "Many enjoy hiking."
Compound Subjects:
- Joined by "and" take a plural verb.
- Example: "Tom and Jerry are friends."
- Joined by "or/nor" take a verb that agrees with the nearest subject.
- Example: "Neither the cats nor the dog is in the house."
Collective Nouns:
- Can be singular or plural depending on context.
- Singular (acting as one unit): "The team wins."
- Plural (individual members): "The team are wearing their jerseys."

Subject-Verb Agreement In Questions

Inverted Structure:
- The subject can follow the verb, affecting agreement.
- Example: "Where is the book?" (singular)
- Example: "Where are the books?" (plural)
Starting with "Who":
- Use a singular verb if "who" refers to a singular noun.
- Example: "Who is coming to dinner?"
- Use a plural verb if referring to multiple individuals.
- Example: "Who are the guests?"
Auxiliary Verbs:
- Agreement still applies with auxiliary verbs.
- Example: "Is she going?" (singular)
- Example: "Are they going?" (plural)
Questions with "There":
- "There is" for singular nouns.
- Example: "There is a cat on the roof."
- "There are" for plural nouns.
- Example: "There are two cats on the roof."

Singular Vs Plural Subjects

Singular subjects require a singular verb to ensure agreement. For instance, "The dog barks" illustrates this rule.
Plural subjects necessitate a plural verb. Example: "The dogs bark" demonstrates proper agreement.
Indefinite pronouns vary in number: some are always singular (e.g., everyone, each, anyone), as shown in "Everyone loves music," while others are consistently plural (e.g., few, many, several), evident in "Many enjoy hiking."
Compound subjects joined by "and" adopt a plural verb. For example, "Tom and Jerry are friends."
When subjects are joined by "or/nor," the verb agrees with the nearest subject. For example, "Neither the cats nor the dog is in the house" showcases this agreement.
Collective nouns can be treated as singular or plural based on context. For instance, "The team wins" treats the team as a unit, while "The team are wearing their jerseys" emphasizes individual members' actions.

Subject-Verb Agreement In Questions

In questions with inverted structure, the subject may follow the verb, impacting agreement. For example, "Where is the book?" uses a singular verb for the singular noun "book."
When starting with "Who," if it refers to a singular noun, a singular verb is used. For example, "Who is coming to dinner?" If referring to multiple individuals, a plural verb is necessary, as in "Who are the guests?"
Auxiliary verbs also require subject-verb agreement. For instance, "Is she going?" demonstrates singular agreement, while "Are they going?" exemplifies plural agreement.
In constructions using "There," use "There is" for singular nouns (e.g., "There is a cat on the roof") and "There are" for plural nouns ("There are two cats on the roof").

Description

Test your knowledge on subject-verb agreement rules. This quiz covers singular and plural subjects, indefinite pronouns, compound subjects, and collective nouns. Enhance your understanding of how verb forms change according to the subject.