Questions and Answers
What verb form should be used with the subject 'Tom and Jerry'?
Which indefinite pronoun is always considered singular?
In the sentence 'There ___ a dog in the yard,' what is the correct form of the verb?
How should the verb agree with the subject in the question 'Where ___ the books?'?
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Which sentence correctly uses the collective noun?
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What verb should be used in the question 'Who ___ coming to dinner?' if 'who' refers to a single person?
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Which of the following is an example of a plural subject using the correct verb?
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Which of these sentences correctly follows subject-verb agreement rules with 'or'?
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Study Notes
Subject Verb Agreement
Singular Vs Plural Subjects
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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."
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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
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Inverted Structure:
- The subject can follow the verb, affecting agreement.
- Example: "Where is the book?" (singular)
- Example: "Where are the books?" (plural)
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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)
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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").
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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.
