How To Solve Subject-Verb Agreement Questions Quickly

June 27, 2025

How To Solve Subject Verb Agreement Quickly

If you want to know How to Solve Subject Verb Agreement then you are on the right page.

A Subject is said to be in Agreement with the Verb when the plurality of both is on the same terms. This means that a Singular Subject takes a Singular Verb and a Plural Subject takes a Plural Verb.

How To Solve Subject-Verb Agreement Questions


How To Solve Subject-Verb Agreement Quickly

A sentence is made up of two parts: Subject and Verb.

SUBJECT that tells us what the sentence is about. It can be either a noun (book, cars, Mary, etc)or a pronoun(they, she, etc). It can be either singular or plural.

VERB represents the action of a sentence (is, went, will place, have taken, etc)

How to make the subject and verb agree:

  1. Spot the Subject First:
    Ignore additional words, prepositions, or phrases. Focus only on the main subject.
  2. Check for Connectors:
    Words like and, or, nor, along with, as well as affect verb agreement.
  3. Apply Basic Rules Instantly:
    Keep the 10 rules above memorized for faster recall.
  4. Ignore Modifiers:
    Don’t get confused by phrases between the subject and verb.
    Example: The quality of the apples is good. (Quality = subject)
  5. Handle Tricky Scenarios Smartly:
    Be cautious with collective nouns, uncountable nouns, and phrases starting with ‘There’ or ‘Here’.
how to solve subject verb agreement

Rules to Solve Subject-Verb Agreement Questions

  1. Singular Subject Takes Singular Verb
    Example: She writes beautifully. (Not write)
  2. Plural Subject Takes Plural Verb
    Example: They write every day.
  3. Subjects Joined by ‘And’ Are Plural
    Example: Ram and Shyam are good friends.
  4. Words like ‘Each’, ‘Every’, ‘Either’, ‘Neither’ Are Singular
    Example: Each of the students is intelligent.
  5. With ‘Or’, ‘Nor’, Verb Agrees with the Nearest Subject

    • Example: Neither the teacher nor the students are ready.

    • Example: Neither the students nor the teacher is ready.

  6. Collective Nouns Are Usually Singular
    Example: The team is playing well.
  7. Fractions and Percentages Depend on the Noun
    • Example: 50% of the cake is gone.
    • Example: 50% of the students are present.

  8. Uncountable Nouns Take Singular Verbs
    Example:     Information is important.

  9. Titles of Books, Movies, and Organizations Are Singular
    Example: ‘The Avengers’ is a great movie.

  10. Use ‘There’ or ‘Here’ – Verb Agrees with the Subject That Follows

    • Example: There is a pen on the table.
    • Example: There are books on the shelf.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Being Confused by Words Between Subject and Verb

  • Ignore modifiers between the subject and verb.
    Wrong: The flavor of the candies are nice.
    Correct: The flavor is nice.

Mistaking Closest Noun for Subject

  • The verb does not always agree with the nearest noun unless linked by ‘or’/‘nor’.
    Wrong: The bouquet of roses smell nice.
    Correct: The bouquet smells nice.

Misinterpreting Collective Nouns

  • Don’t assume they are always plural. It depends on whether the group is acting as one or individually.
    Example: The jury has given its verdict. (Single decision)
    Example: The jury are arguing among themselves. (Individuals acting separately)

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Bonus: Subject-Verb Agreement

Word/Phrase Verb
Each, Every, Either, Neither Singular
Both, Few, Many, Several Plural
None (of uncountable) Singular
None (of plural countable) Plural
The number Singular
A number (of) Plural
50% of cake Singular
50% of students Plural
Jury (acting as one) Singular
Jury (acting individually) Plural

Sample Questions

Question 1.

The cost of grocery these days ___ rose.

  1. Has
  2. Have
  3. Is
  4. Are

Correct Answer: A
Explanation:

The subject is singular that is a cost which is why “has” is the right answer.

Question 2.

He and his sister were carried by his father on his shoulders.

  1. His father carried his sister and him on his shoulders.
  2. On his father’s shoulders, he and his sister were carried.
  3. His father carried him and his sister on his shoulders.
  4. No change

Correct Sentence: A
Explanation:

The sentence is correct as the subject comes before the verb (father carried), also it uses “his sister and him” which is grammatically the right form.

Question 3.

Choose the right sentence:

  1. Each one of the pants have a pocket.
  2. Each one of the pants has a pocket

Correct Answer: B
Explanation:

‘Each one’ is an appositive that always takes singular form with it. Therefore, has is the correct choice.

Question 4.

Identify the error in the sentence:

This artist, along with some other, plays the guitar on stage.

  1. This artist
  2. Along with
  3. Other
  4. Plays

Correct Answer: C
Explanation:

The subject does not agree with the verb here as the sentence use ‘along with’ where “others” should be used instead of “other.”

Also Check Out

Suject Verb Agreement Question and Answers
Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts For Subject Verb Agreement
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