Grammar 1A Subject-verb Agreement Exercises PDF

Subject‐verb agreement A. In each sentence below, circle the verb that agrees with its subject 1. Many (argue, argues) that intelligence (is, are) what intelligence tests (test, tests). 2. Correct referencing (is, are) one way of avoiding plagiarism. 3. Mathematics (is, are) a very popular subje...

Subject‐verb agreement A. In each sentence below, circle the verb that agrees with its subject 1. Many (argue, argues) that intelligence (is, are) what intelligence tests (test, tests). 2. Correct referencing (is, are) one way of avoiding plagiarism. 3. Mathematics (is, are) a very popular subject at selective schools. 4. The tweezers (was, were) found on the couch. 5. Good French cheeses (is, are) hard to find in Sydney. 6. Everybody at university (has, have) rights and responsibilities. 7. There (is, are) a lot of incorrect information in her essay. 8. There (is, are) many articles you could use for your assignment. 9. The number of academics working this summer (has, have) increased this year. 10. A number of academics (has, have) questioned the validity of the results. 11. The green team (is, are) the winning team this year. 12. Half of the lectures (was, were) cancelled. 13. Half of the funding (was, were) used to build new classrooms. 14. A clear argument and correct sentence structure (is, are) essential in a good essay. 15. Either answer (is, are) acceptable. 16. Neither my mother nor my father (has, have) a university degree. 17. The lecturer or the tutors (was, were) able to answer questions. Exercise by R.Sheret B: Complex subjects: circle the verb that agrees with its subject. 1. Planning for assignments (is, are) essential. 2. The child’s needs (is, are) of paramount importance. 3. Marvin’s excuses for not having completed his research paper (bore, bores) me. 4. Speeding in restricted zones, especially those near schools, (endanger, endangers) lives. 5. One computer for two or three students (seem, seems) inadequate. 6. The popularity of violent movies (reflect, reflects) the values of our society. 7. Honeydews, one of the favorite melons of consumers, (taste, tastes) clean and sweet. 8. It is the coaches who are disciplined and who demand discipline from their players that usually (have, has) winning teams. 9. Fiberglass, often used as an insulating material in homes, (cause, causes) allergic reactions in some people. 10. The women riding in the back seat of the car (was, were) not injured in the accident. 11. The students waiting in line for tickets to the concert (expect, expects) to get good seats. 12. Both the hard drive and the software installed on our old computer (is, are) damaged. 13. Neither the directions on the package nor the brochure (explain, explains) how to play the game Writing Centre n.d., Subject‐verb agreement, Hinds Community College, viewed 12 September 2011,. C: Find the mistakes: Underline the subject , double underline the head noun & circle the verb. Do they agree? If not, change the verb. 1. All the furniture in the classroom have to be moved for the exam. 2. Accommodation near university is easy to find. 3. The competition between the finalists was fierce. 4. The last two competitions in the tournament is the most important 5. Throwing and catching is important skills in most sports. 6. Listening and note-taking is a skill you develop at university. 7. When is Christmas holidays scheduled on the school calendar? 8. There was thousands of people at the parade. 9. There is a ninety percent chance of rain in today's forecast. 10. Not only was his essay late, but it was also a copy of his flat mate’s. 11. From the horizon comes an eerie, shimmering light.* 12. In later life come great wisdom.* Exercise by R.Sheret & Writing Centre n.d., Subject‐verb agreement, Hinds Community College, viewed 12 September 2011,.  EXTRA EXERCISE Take a paragraph you have written for one of your assignments. Swap it with another student’s. Locate the subject (head noun) of each sentence/ clause. Locate each verb. Check that each verb agrees with each subject.