Subject-Verb Agreement Rules Quiz

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Questions and Answers

Which rule states that if 'there' is the first word in a sentence, the subject follows the verb?

  • Rule 9
  • Rule 10 (correct)
  • Rule 11
  • Rule 8

According to which rule, when two subjects are joined by 'or,' 'nor,' 'either,' or 'neither,' the verb must agree with the nearer subject?

  • Rule 11
  • Rule 8 (correct)
  • Rule 12
  • Rule 13

Which rule states that collective nouns must take a singular verb?

  • Rule 12
  • Rule 14
  • Rule 9 (correct)
  • Rule 15

Rule 13 explains that when a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, what should the verb still agree with?

<p>The nearest subject (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Under which rule, subjects indicating an amount of money, time measurement, title of a book, story, organization, or country must take a singular verb or the S form of the verb?

<p>Rule 15 (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which rule states that a singular subject noun takes the S form of the verb?

<p>Rule 1 (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct verb form for the plural subject 'the cats'?

<p>cats walk (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What verb form should be used for the singular indefinite pronoun 'nobody'?

<p>nobody wants (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which pronoun must take the base form of the verb according to the rules of subject-verb agreement?

<p>they (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

When subjects are joined by 'and', what form should the verb take according to subject-verb agreement?

<p>the base form (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Subject-Verb Agreement

Agreement in number and person between a sentence's subject and verb.

Singular Subject Verb Form

Singular subjects use the 'S' form of the verb.

Plural Subject Verb Form

Plural subjects use the base form of the verb.

He/She/It Verb Form

Pronouns 'he,' 'she,' and 'it' use the 'S' form of the verb.

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I/You/We/They Verb Form

Pronouns 'I,' 'you,' 'we,' and 'they' use the base form of the verb.

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Singular Indefinite Pronoun Verb

Singular indefinite pronouns use the 'S' form of the verb.

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Plural Indefinite Pronoun Verb

Plural indefinite pronouns use the base form of the verb.

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'And' Joined Subjects Verb

Subjects joined by 'and' use base form of the verb.

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'Or/Nor' Subject Agreement

With 'or/nor', verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.

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Collective Noun Agreement

Collective nouns usually take a singular verb.

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Study Notes

  • Subject-verb agreement refers to the agreement between a sentence's subject and its verb in number and person.
  • A singular subject requires a singular verb, while a plural subject requires a plural verb.
  • Rule 1: A singular subject noun takes an S form of the verb, e.g., "the lady walks to the grocery store" (Lady is a singular subject, and "walks" is its singular verb form).
  • Rule 2: A plural subject noun must take the base form of the verb, e.g., "the victims run to the police station" (Victims is a plural subject, so "run" is the base form of the verb).
  • Rule 3: Subject pronouns like he, she, and it must take the S form of the verb, e.g., "she eats a lot during breakfast."
  • Rule 4: Subject pronouns like I, you, we, and they must take the base form of the verb, e.g., "they eat my favorite food" (Incorrect: "They it's my favorite food").
  • Rule 5: Singular indefinite pronouns must take an S form of the verb when they are the sentence's subject, e.g., "everybody wants to attend the birthday party."
  • Rule 6: Plural indefinite pronouns must take the base form of the verb when they are the sentence's subject, e.g., "only a few keep Lions as pets."
  • Rule 7: Subjects joined by "and" must take the base form of the verb, e.g., "the president and its members write notes to the public."
  • Rule 8: When two subjects are joined by "or," "nor," "either," or "neither," the verb must agree with the nearer subject, e.g., "neither the students nor the teacher is ready for today's oral defense" (Incorrect: "Neither the teacher nor the students are ready for today's oral defense").
  • Rule 9: Collective nouns, words that imply more than one person but are considered singular, must take a singular verb, e.g., "the team meets every week for their activity."
  • Rule 10: If "there" is the first word in a sentence, the subject follows the verb, e.g., "there are students who failed to submit their reports."
  • Rule 11: Some countable nouns, such as "earnings," "Goods," "odds," "surroundings," "proceeds," and "valuables," have only a plural form, so a plural verb is required, e.g., "the surroundings of the cafeteria exceed my expectations."
  • Rule 12: Non-count nouns, also called mass nouns, must take a singular verb, e.g., "heart attack is the leading cause of death in the country."
  • Rule 13: When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, the verb still agrees with the subject, e.g., "the family together with the relatives is planning to have a vacation" (Correct: "The family and the relatives are planning to have a vacation").
  • Rule 14: When there is one subject and more than one verb, all verbs throughout the sentence must agree with the subject, e.g., "interviews are one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of participants."
  • Rule 15: Subjects that indicate an amount of money, time measurement, title of a book, story, organization, or country, even when in plural form, must take a singular verb or the S form of the verb.

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