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Subject-Verb Agreement

English Language · Grammar

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Overview

A verb must agree with its subject in number; most errors come from words that hide the true subject.

Key points

Singular subjects take singular verbs: "The list of items is long."
Each, every, either, neither, everyone, somebody take singular verbs.
Two subjects joined by "and" take a plural verb; joined by "or/nor" the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
Collective nouns (team, committee) take a singular verb when acting as one unit.
"The number of" takes a singular verb; "a number of" takes a plural verb.

Explanation

Words like "along with", "as well as", "together with" do not change the subject: "The teacher, along with her students, is coming."
Uncountable nouns (news, information, furniture) take singular verbs.
Plural-looking subjects such as "Mathematics" and "Physics" take singular verbs.
"One of the + plural noun + who" takes a plural verb in the relative clause: "one of the players who have…".

Step by step

Read the whole sentence and find its subject, verb and tense.
Apply the specific rule (agreement, article, preposition, tense).
Re-read the corrected sentence for meaning and style.

Examples

"The list of items are long" → "is long" (subject = list).
"Neither the teacher nor the students was present" → "were present" (nearer subject = students).
"A number of students are absent" is correct; "The number of students is small" is correct.

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Agreeing with the noun nearest the verb.
Trap: Treating "along with" as "and".
Trap: Using plural verbs with "news" or "information".

Quick revision

Find the true subject.
Or/nor → nearer subject.
The number → singular; a number → plural.

Practice MCQs

Choose the grammatically correct sentence about Nisha’s inspection file in Surat.
1. Neither of the two applications from Surat are ready for inspection.
2. Neither of the two applications from Surat is ready to inspection.
3. Neither of the two applications from Surat being ready for inspection.
4. Neither of the two applications from Surat is ready for inspection.
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Answer: (d) Neither of the two applications from Surat is ready for inspection.. The verb agrees with the head subject, not a nearby plural noun.
Choose the grammatically correct sentence about Meera’s inspection file in Kochi.
1. The quality of the reports submitted from Kochi are ready for inspection.
2. The quality of the reports submitted from Kochi is ready to inspection.
3. The quality of the reports submitted from Kochi being ready for inspection.
4. The quality of the reports submitted from Kochi is ready for inspection.
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Answer: (d) The quality of the reports submitted from Kochi is ready for inspection.. The verb agrees with the head subject, not a nearby plural noun.
Choose the grammatically correct sentence about Nisha’s inspection file in Lucknow.
1. Each of the researchers in Lucknow are ready for inspection.
2. Each of the researchers in Lucknow being ready for inspection.
3. Each of the researchers in Lucknow is ready to inspection.
4. Each of the researchers in Lucknow is ready for inspection.
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Show answer
Answer: (d) Each of the researchers in Lucknow is ready for inspection.. The verb agrees with the head subject, not a nearby plural noun.
Choose the grammatically correct sentence about Pooja’s inspection file in Patna.
1. One of Pooja’s closest friends in Patna are ready for inspection.
2. One of Pooja’s closest friends in Patna being ready for inspection.
3. One of Pooja’s closest friends in Patna is ready to inspection.
4. One of Pooja’s closest friends in Patna is ready for inspection.
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Show answer
Answer: (d) One of Pooja’s closest friends in Patna is ready for inspection.. The verb agrees with the head subject, not a nearby plural noun.
Choose the grammatically correct sentence about Ravi’s inspection file in Pune.
1. Each of the engineers in Pune being ready for inspection.
2. Each of the engineers in Pune is ready to inspection.
3. Each of the engineers in Pune is ready for inspection.
4. Each of the engineers in Pune are ready for inspection.
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Show answer
Answer: (c) Each of the engineers in Pune is ready for inspection.. The verb agrees with the head subject, not a nearby plural noun.
Choose the grammatically correct sentence about Kabir’s inspection file in Jaipur.
1. The quality of the reports submitted from Jaipur being ready for inspection.
2. The quality of the reports submitted from Jaipur is ready for inspection.
3. The quality of the reports submitted from Jaipur is ready to inspection.
4. The quality of the reports submitted from Jaipur are ready for inspection.
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (b) The quality of the reports submitted from Jaipur is ready for inspection.. The verb agrees with the head subject, not a nearby plural noun.
Choose the grammatically correct sentence about Ishaan’s inspection file in Kochi.
1. The quality of the reports submitted from Kochi is ready for inspection.
2. The quality of the reports submitted from Kochi are ready for inspection.
3. The quality of the reports submitted from Kochi being ready for inspection.
4. The quality of the reports submitted from Kochi is ready to inspection.
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Show answer
Answer: (a) The quality of the reports submitted from Kochi is ready for inspection.. The verb agrees with the head subject, not a nearby plural noun.
Fill in the blank: “Neither the researcher nor the manager ____ checked in at the Kochi office.”
1. has
2. had been
3. having
4. have
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Answer: (a) has. With neither…nor, the verb generally agrees with the nearer subject.
Choose the grammatically correct sentence about Arjun’s inspection file in Jaipur.
1. The quality of the reports submitted from Jaipur being ready for inspection.
2. The quality of the reports submitted from Jaipur is ready to inspection.
3. The quality of the reports submitted from Jaipur is ready for inspection.
4. The quality of the reports submitted from Jaipur are ready for inspection.
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (c) The quality of the reports submitted from Jaipur is ready for inspection.. The verb agrees with the head subject, not a nearby plural noun.
Fill in the blank: “Neither the manager nor the teacher ____ completed the task at the Pune office.”
1. had been
2. having
3. has
4. have
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Show answer
Answer: (c) has. With neither…nor, the verb generally agrees with the nearer subject.
Choose the grammatically correct sentence about Ishaan’s inspection file in Patna.
1. One of Ishaan’s closest friends in Patna is ready for inspection.
2. One of Ishaan’s closest friends in Patna is ready to inspection.
3. One of Ishaan’s closest friends in Patna are ready for inspection.
4. One of Ishaan’s closest friends in Patna being ready for inspection.
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Show answer
Answer: (a) One of Ishaan’s closest friends in Patna is ready for inspection.. The verb agrees with the head subject, not a nearby plural noun.
Fill in the blank: “Neither the analyst nor the designer ____ submitted the form at the Nagpur office.”
1. having
2. had been
3. has
4. have
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Answer: (c) has. With neither…nor, the verb generally agrees with the nearer subject.
Fill in the blank: “Neither the coach nor the auditor ____ returned at the Indore office.”
1. have
2. has
3. having
4. had been
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Show answer
Answer: (b) has. With neither…nor, the verb generally agrees with the nearer subject.
Choose the grammatically correct sentence about Asha’s inspection file in Surat.
1. Neither of the two applications from Surat is ready to inspection.
2. Neither of the two applications from Surat is ready for inspection.
3. Neither of the two applications from Surat being ready for inspection.
4. Neither of the two applications from Surat are ready for inspection.
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (b) Neither of the two applications from Surat is ready for inspection.. The verb agrees with the head subject, not a nearby plural noun.
Fill in the blank: “Neither the engineer nor the researcher ____ responded at the Jaipur office.”
1. have
2. has
3. having
4. had been
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (b) has. With neither…nor, the verb generally agrees with the nearer subject.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Overview

Key points

Explanation

Step by step

Examples

Traps and advanced points

Quick revision

Practice MCQs

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