#Subject-Verb Agreement: Your Ultimate Guide 🚀

Hey there! Ready to nail the Subject-Verb Agreement questions on the SAT? It’s all about making sure your subjects and verbs match up, and while it sounds simple, there are some tricky spots. Let's break it down so you feel super confident! This guide is designed to be your go-to resource the night before the exam.

Jump to Basic Principles | Jump to Special Cases | Jump to Phrases and Clauses | Jump to Collective Nouns | Jump to Final Exam Focus | Jump to Practice Questions

#Basic Principles of Agreement

• Singular vs. Plural:
  • Singular: The cat is sleeping. (one cat, singular verb)
  • Plural: The cats are sleeping. (multiple cats, plural verb)
• Verb Forms:
  • Verbs change form to match the subject. Think is (singular) vs. are (plural).
  • Most verbs add an '-s' for singular in the present tense: He walks vs. They walk.
• Irregular Plurals:
  • Nouns like children, mice, and geese don't follow the typical '-s' rule. Be aware of these!
• Singular '-s' Nouns:
  • Some nouns ending in '-s' are actually singular: mathematics, news, physics. The news is good.
• Intervening Words:
  • Don't let extra words between the subject and verb confuse you! The subject still determines the verb. The dog, along with its puppies, is sleeping.
• Compound Subjects:
  • Joined by "and": Usually plural. Tom and Jerry are friends.
  • Joined by "or" or "nor": Verb agrees with the closest subject. Either the students or the teacher is responsible.

#Special Cases and Exceptions

• Singular '-s' Nouns (again!):
  • Nouns like measles, economics, and athletics are singular. Economics is a challenging subject.
• Titles:
  • Titles of books, movies, etc., are always singular. "The Lord of the Rings" is a great movie.
• Fractions and Percentages:
  • Can be singular or plural depending on the noun they modify. Half of the cake is gone. vs. Half of the students are absent.
• Time, Money, Measurement:
  • Usually singular when considered as a unit. Ten dollars is too much.
• "Each," "Every," "Either," "Neither":
  • Always singular. Each student has a book.
• Indefinite Pronouns (like "everyone," "somebody"):
  • Usually singular. Everyone is invited.
• The pronoun "none":
  • Can be singular or plural depending on context. None of the cake is left. vs. None of the students are absent.

#Agreement Errors with Phrases and Clauses

#Intervening Phrases and Clauses

• Prepositional Phrases:
  • The box of chocolates is on the table. (Ignore "of chocolates")
• Relative Clauses:
  • The teacher who assigns the most homework is Mr. Smith. (Ignore "who assigns the most homework")
• Parenthetical Expressions/Appositives:
  • The teacher, along with her students, is going on a field trip. (Ignore "along with her students")
• Modifying Phrases:
  • Phrases like "as well as," "along with," "including" don't change the subject. The CEO, as well as his assistants, is attending the meeting.
• Interrupting Expressions:
  • Expressions like "in addition to," "together with," "accompanied by" don't affect agreement. The president, accompanied by his advisors, is holding a press conference.

#Complex Sentence Structures

• "There is"/"There are" Sentences:
  • The true subject comes after the verb. There are many books on the shelf. (books is plural)
• Inverted Sentences:
  • Subject follows the verb. Into the room walk the students. (students is plural)
• "One of the" Sentences:
  • Verb agrees with "one," not the plural noun. One of the books is missing.
• "The number of" vs. "A number of":
  • The number of students is increasing. (singular) vs. A number of students are absent. (plural)
• "More than one":
  • Use a singular verb. More than one student is failing.

#Agreement Rules for Special Cases

#Collective Nouns and Indefinite Pronouns

• Collective Nouns:
  • Can be singular (group as a unit) or plural (members acting individually). The team is practicing. vs. The team are wearing their new uniforms.
  • Singular: The family is going on vacation. (acting as a unit)
  • Plural: The jury are unable to reach a unanimous decision. (members acting individually)
• Indefinite Pronouns:
  • Most are singular: Everybody is excited.
  • Always plural: both, few, many, several. Both of the cars are in the garage.
  • Can be singular or plural: all, any, more, most, some. All of the water is gone. vs. All of the students are present.

#Compound Subjects and Tricky Nouns

• Subjects Joined by "and":
  • Usually plural. Peanut butter and jelly are a classic combination.
  • But can be singular if they form a single unit. Macaroni and cheese is my favorite dish.
• Subjects Joined by "or" or "nor":
  • Verb agrees with the closer subject. Neither the dogs nor the cat is allowed on the furniture.
• Always Plural Nouns:
  • scissors, pants, glasses. My glasses are on the table.
• Singular-Looking Nouns:
  • news, mathematics, physics. The news is on at 6 PM.
• Nouns of Quantity:
  • Singular when referring to a single unit. Twenty dollars is too much.

#Final Exam Focus

High-Priority Topics:

• Basic subject-verb agreement (singular vs. plural)
• Compound subjects (especially with "or" and "nor")
• Collective nouns (singular vs. plural usage)
• Intervening phrases and clauses
• Indefinite pronouns

Common Question Types:

• Identifying subject-verb agreement errors in sentences.
• Choosing the correct verb form in a sentence with a complex subject.
• Correcting errors in sentences with intervening phrases or clauses.

Last-Minute Tips:

• Read Carefully: Don't rush! Pay close attention to the subject and verb in each sentence.
• Identify the Subject: Find the true subject of the sentence, ignoring any extra phrases.
• Simplify: If needed, mentally remove the phrases between the subject and verb to check for agreement.
• Trust Your Ear: If something sounds wrong, it probably is. Go with your gut!
• Time Management: Don’t spend too long on one question. If you’re stuck, make an educated guess and move on.
• Common Pitfalls:
  • Forgetting about intervening phrases.
  • Misidentifying the subject in complex sentences.
  • Not recognizing irregular plural nouns.
  • Confusing collective nouns.

#Practice Questions

Practice Question

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The quality of the recordings (a. is, b. are) not very good.
2. Neither the manager nor the employees (a. was, b. were) happy with the new policy.
3. Each of the students (a. have, b. has) a different opinion.

Free Response Question

Correct the subject-verb agreement errors in the following paragraph. If a sentence is correct, write "Correct".

The team, along with their coach, are excited about the upcoming game. Each of the players have practiced hard for months. The number of fans attending the game are expected to be high. There is many reasons why the team is confident. The news about their star player are encouraging. The team is hoping for a victory.

Scoring Breakdown:

• Sentence 1: The team, along with their coach, is excited about the upcoming game. (1 point)
• Sentence 2: Each of the players has practiced hard for months. (1 point)
• Sentence 3: The number of fans attending the game is expected to be high. (1 point)
• Sentence 4: There are many reasons why the team is confident. (1 point)
• Sentence 5: The news about their star player is encouraging. (1 point)
• Sentence 6: Correct. (1 point)