- The teacher has completed this chapter.
- Ram and Shyam are business partners.
- The men were against the popular opinion.
- My family is quite large.
- The jury has been unable to decide yet.
- The army is going through its training.
- Each and every member has to vote.
- Either of the two candidates is eligible.
- Neither Rishi nor Rhea was helpful.
- My mother, along with others, was worried.
- She along with her friends is taking the exam.
- Deepak with his friends has signed the petition.
- Much has been said…
- None of the candidates has responded.
- A number of cases have been reported.
- A lot of startups have started…
- Twenty years is the minimum age.
- Two dollars is a small amount.
- Physics is difficult.
- The United States of America is going to conduct elections.
- The book “Management Principles” is insightful.
- Should talk
- Won’t you go
- Do you like
- Most of the workers are on strike.
- Half of the class was/is empty.
- The teacher ______ (have)completed this chapter.
- Ram and Shyam ______(be)business partners.
- She ______(reach) her office by 9 a.m. daily.
- Rahul and his friends ______ (be)also invited to the party, yesterday.
- Neither you nor your sister should ______(talk) to them.
- Twenty years ______(be) the minimum age to fill this form.
- A bouquet of flowers ______ (be)required for the event.
- A pair of socks ______ (have)been missing from my wardrobe.
- Much ______(have) been said in the news reports.
- The information provided to you ______ (be)wrong.
- The company ______(think) of its stakeholders.
- Either of the two dresses shall ______ (look)good.
- Each and every member ______ (have)to vote.
- A large number of soldiers ______ (have)died for the country.
- Half of the class ______(be) empty.
- Physics ______(be) difficult to understand.
- The quality of food here ______ (have)gone down.
- My mother, along with others, ______ (be)worried.
- She ______(need) not take a lot of stress.
- None of the candidates ______ (have)responded.
- He ______(enjoy)cooking in his leisure time.
- The book Management Principles ______(be) quite insightful.
- Two dollars ______ (be)a small amount.
- A lot of startups ______(have)started in the past few years.
- Politics ______(have )been one of the debatable topics.
- Neither Rishi nor Rhea ______(be) helpful.
- A series of seminars ______(be)conducted.
- All means of communication ______ (be)shut down.
- My glasses ______ (be)nowhere to be found.
- That woman ______(sell) vegetables.
- It ______(be) these papers that I have been looking for.
- The United States of America ______(be) going to conduct elections soon.
- South Africa ______ (be)all out before we knew it.
- There ______(be) plenty of space for guests at the venue.
- Either you or I should ______(take) the lead.
- The jury ______ (have)been unable to decide yet.
- A lot of students ______(fail) to clear this exam.
- I ______ (dance)and he sings.
- Neither she nor I ______(be) involved.
- The men ______(be) against the popular opinion.
- The lawyer and the assistant ______ (enter)together.
- Neither the principal nor the teachers ______(be) convinced.
- Several attempts ______(have) been made.
- The army ______(be) going through its training.
- James ______(be) invited as the chief guest.
- Both the plans ______(be) wonderful.
- Everyone ______(have)been informed about the incident.
- A number of cases ______(have) been reported in the area.
- The committee ______ (have)varying solutions.
- This set of questions ______(be) pretty easy.
- I ______(listen )to music often.
- My goals’ list ______(be) pretty long.
- My family ______ (be)quite large.
- According to the news, the shower ______ (be)to take place.
- The library ______(be) closed.
- The courier ______(have) arrived.
- These ______(be) religious rituals.
- Deepak with his friends ______ (have)signed the petition.
- Do you ______(like) these events?
- The dog and the cat ______ (have)been fed.
- She along with her friends ______(be) taking the exam.
- The panel of judges ______ (have)sentenced him to death.
- They ______(wish) me on my birthday every year.
- He ______(run) in the race to represent his college.
- Lisa ______(contribute)in charity every month.
- They ______(be) really supportive.
- The clouds ______(have) disappeared.
- _____(have) the plan been finalised?
- These indigenous foods ______(be)great.
- He and they ______(be) not a part of the wedding.
- This part of the book ______ (be)boring.
- Either of the two candidates ______ (be)eligible.
- Most of the workers ______(be) on strike.
- My neighbourhood ______(be) very popular.
- Won’t you ______(go) there tomorrow?
- The labourers ______(work)in this factory.
- Much ______(be)to be learnt from this story.
- half of the students______ (be) present.
- My mother and others ______(be)worried.
- The committee______ (have)many solutions.
- has – Singular subject “teacher”.
- are – Compound subject joined by and.
- reaches – Habitual action, third person singular.
- were – Past tense, plural subject.
- talk – Modal should takes base verb.
- is – Period of time treated as singular.
- is – Subject is “bouquet” (singular).
- has – “Pair” is singular.
- has – “Much” is singular.
- was – “Information” is uncountable.
- thinks – Singular collective noun as one unit.
- look – Modal shall + base verb.
- has – “Each and every” is singular.
- have – “A large number of” = plural.
- was – “Half of the class” (class = singular).
- is – Subject name of a subject.
- has – Subject “quality” is singular.
- was – Real subject “mother”.
- needs – Third person singular.
- has – “None” treated as singular here.
- enjoys – Third person singular.
- is – Book title is singular.
- is – Amount treated as singular.
- have – “A lot of” + plural noun.
- has – “Politics” is singular.
- was – Verb agrees with nearer subject “Rhea”.
- was – “A series” is singular.
- were – “All means” is plural.
- are – “Glasses” is plural noun.
- sells – Third person singular.
- is – Emphatic sentence structure.
- is – Country name treated as singular.
- was – Team name treated as singular.
- was – “Plenty of space” is singular.
- take – Modal should + base form.
- has – Jury treated as one body.
- fail – Plural subject.
- dance – First person singular.
- am – Nearest subject “I”.
- were – Plural subject.
- entered – Past tense; one action together.
- were – Nearest subject “teachers”.
- have – “Several” is plural.
- is – Army as a unit.
- was – Past passive construction.
- are – “Both” is plural.
- has – “Everyone” is singular.
- have been – “A number of” = plural.
- has – Committee as one body.
- is – Subject is “set”.
- listen – First person present tense.
- is – Subject “list” is singular.
- is – Family as one unit.
- is – Singular subject “shower”.
- is – Singular noun.
- has – Singular subject.
- are – “These” is plural.
- has – Real subject “Deepak”.
- like – Auxiliary do + base verb.
- have – Compound subject.
- is – Subject “She”.
- has – Panel as one body.
- wish – Plural subject.
- runs – Third person singular.
- contributes – Third person singular.
- are – Plural subject.
- have – Plural noun.
- Has – Singular subject “plan”.
- are – Plural noun.
- are – Compound subject.
- is – Singular subject.
- is – “Either of” is singular.
- are – “Most of the workers” is plural.
- is – Singular subject.
- go – Modal won’t + base verb.
- work – Plural subject.
- is – “Much” is singular.
- are- "half of the students "-(plural verb)
- were- compound subject
- has- committe(singular)
With References from Cambridge and Oxford Grammar
Part A: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct verb that agrees with the subject.
1. Either the manager or the employees (is/are) responsible for the mess in the break room.
2. The jury (was/were) divided in their opinion.
3. A number of people (has/have) applied for the position.
4. Neither the teacher nor the students (knows/know) the answer to this.
5. The data (suggest/suggests) a different outcome than we expected.
6. Mathematics (is/are) an important subject in engineering.
7. The number of students in the class (is/are) increasing.
8. Each of the books (has/have) a unique serial number.
9. There (was/were) a book, two pens, and a notebook on the desk.
10. The committee (has/have) not reached a consensus yet.
11. The flock of birds fly over the fields every evening.
12. Either of the solutions are acceptable.
13. There is many issues to discuss before the meeting ends.
14. One of my friends have started a new business.
15. The team play very well under pressure
16. Neither of the explanations make sense to me.
17. The percentage of errors in your essay are too high.
18. A bouquet of flowers make the room look cheerful.
19. The list of required readings include several classic novels.
20. The police is investigating the case thoroughly.
Answer Key: Advanced Subject-Verb Concord Worksheet
Part A: Multiple Choice
1. Either the manager or the employees (is/are) responsible for the mess in the break room.
Answer: are - Cambridge Grammar of English - Verb agrees with the nearer subject.
2. The jury (was/were) divided in their opinion.
Answer: were - Oxford - Collective noun acting individually.
3. A number of people (has/have) applied for the position.
Answer: have - Cambridge - 'A number of' is plural.
4. Neither the teacher nor the students (knows/know) the answer to this.
Answer: know - Cambridge - Verb agrees with the nearer subject.
5. The data (suggest/suggests) a different outcome than we expected.
Answer: suggest - Oxford - 'Data' treated as plural in formal contexts.
6. Mathematics (is/are) an important subject in engineering.
Answer: is - Cambridge - Uncountable noun, singular verb.
7. The number of students in the class (is/are) increasing.
Answer: is - Oxford - 'The number of' is singular.
8. Each of the books (has/have) a unique serial number.
Answer: has - Cambridge - 'Each' is singular.
9. There (was/were) a book, two pens, and a notebook on the desk.
Answer: were - Oxford - Verb agrees with nearest plural noun.
10. The committee (has/have) not reached a consensus yet.
Answer: has - Cambridge - Collective noun as a single unit.
Part B: Sentence Correction
11. The flock of birds flies over the fields every evening.
12. Either of the solutions is acceptable.
13. There are many issues to discuss before the meeting ends.
14. One of my friends has started a new business.
15. The team plays very well under pressure.
16. Neither of the explanations makes sense to me.
17. The percentage of errors in your essay is too high.
18. A bouquet of flowers makes the room look cheerful.
19. The list of required readings includes several classic novels.
20. The police are investigating the case thoroughly.
2. Neither the manager nor the workers ___ ready to compromise.
(a) is (b) are (c) have (d) were
(a) is (b) are (c) were (d) have been
(a) is (b) are (c) have (d) were
(a) is (b) are (c) has (d) have
(a) are (b) were (c) is (d) have
(a) are (b) is (c) were (d) have been
(a) is (b) are (c) was (d) has
(a) are (b) is (c) have (d) were
(a) is (b) are (c) were (d) have
11. The jury were unanimous in its decision.
|
Sl. No. |
Correct Answer |
Explanation |
|
1 |
has
been |
“Each” →
singular |
|
2 |
are |
Verb agrees with nearest
subject “workers” |
|
3 |
Is |
Measurement = singular |
|
4 |
Is |
Subject = “quality” |
|
5 |
is |
Collective noun as a unit |
|
6 |
Is |
Nearest subject
“principal” |
|
7 |
is |
"Bread and butter” =
one item |
|
8 |
are |
"A number of” =
plural |
|
9 |
Is |
“The number of” =
singular |
|
10 |
is |
“Furniture” =
uncountable |
|
11 |
Error: were → Correction: was |
Collective noun as one
group |
|
12 |
Error: is → Correction: are
|
Verb agrees with
“friends” |
|
13 |
Error: have → Correction: has |
“Each” is singular |
|
14 |
Error: has → Correction: have |
“Police” = plural |
|
15 |
Error: are → Correction: is |
“Politics” = singular
noun |
Competitive Grammar Worksheet
Subject–Verb Agreement (Advanced Level)
Section A — Choose the Correct Form of the Verb
(a) are (b) were (c) is (d) have
2.The committee ___ agreed to postpone the meeting.
(a) have (b) has (c) were (d) was
3.Each boy and each girl ___ given a certificate.
(a) have been (b) has been (c) were (d) are
4.Ten rupees ___ not enough to buy this book.
(a) are (b) is (c) have (d) were
5.More than one student ___ late for class.
(a) is (b) are (c) have been (d) were
6.The jury ___ divided on the verdict.
(a) is (b) are (c) has (d) was
7.Time and tide ___ for none.
(a) waits (b) wait (c) have waited (d) are waiting
8.The poet and the critic ___ present at the seminar.
(a) was (b) were (c) has been (d) is
9.Either the captain or his players ___ responsible for the loss.
(a) is (b) are (c) was (d) has been
10.None but the brave ___ the fair.
(Identify the part containing an error.)
- (A) The quality of the goods / (B) were / (C) not satisfactory. / (D) No error
- (A) Neither the students / (B) nor the teacher / (C) are willing to go. / (D) No error
- (A) The news / (B) have been confirmed / (C) by the official sources. / (D) No error
- (A) Not only the teacher / (B) but also his assistants / (C) was present. / (D) No error
- (A) One of the boys / (B) have failed / (C) in the examination. / (D) No error
- Mathematics ___ a tough subject for many students.
- A pair of shoes ___ lying under the bed.
- The furniture in the house ___ quite expensive.
- The number of tourists visiting India ___ increasing every year.
- None of the information you gave me ___ correct.
Answer Key with Explanations
| Sl. No. | Correct Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is | “Neither of” takes a singular verb. |
| 2 | Has | Committee is treated as a unit, so it is singular. |
| 3 | Has been | “Each” is always followed by a singular verb. |
| 4 | Is | Money is singular when referring to a whole amount. |
| 5 | Is | “More than one” is grammatically singular. |
| 6 | Are | Collective noun acting as individuals. |
| 7 | Waits | “Time and tide” is a single compound idea. |
| 8 | Were | Refers to two different persons. |
| 9 | Are | Verb agrees with the nearer subject “players”. |
| 10 | Deserve | “The brave” functions as a plural noun. |
| 11 | Error in (B): were → was | The subject “quality” is singular. |
| 12 | Error in (C): are → is | Verb agrees with nearer subject “teacher”. |
| 13 | Error in (C): are → is | “News” is always singular. |
| 14 | Error in (C): was → were | Verb agrees with nearest plural noun “assistants”. |
| 15 | Error in (B): have → has | “One of” takes a singular verb. |
| 16 | Is | The subject is singular. |
| 17 | Is | “A pair” is treated as singular. |
| 18 | Is | “Furniture” is an uncountable noun. |
| 19 | Is | “The number of” takes a singular verb. |
| 20 | Is | “Information” is an uncountable noun. |
📘 SUBJECT–VERB AGREEMENT — QUICK REVISION CHART
📗A. Collective Nouns — Singular vs Plural
(Treated as singular when the group acts as one unit)
Example--
1.The committee is discussing the issue.
2.The jury has given its verdict. Most exam-preferred form
(Treated as plural when members act individually)
Example--
1.The committee are divided in their opinions.
(Rarely used in exams unless “members / their” is present)
Pronoun clue → its = singular, their = plural.
The team changed its captain.
The team changed their captain.
(Always check pronoun agreement)
📗B. Common Collective Nouns
Singular (formal/exam use). Plural (contextual use)
Example --
1.The family has arrived.
2.The family are arguing among themselves.
3.The government is planning reforms.
4.The government are divided on the issue.
5.The audience was silent.
6.The audience were leaving in groups.
7.The team has won.
8.The team are celebrating with their fans.
9.The class is writing its exam.
10.The class are discussing their results.
📗 C. Tricky Agreement Traps
- Either / Neither Verb agrees with the nearest subject
Neither the students nor the teacher is ready.
- Each / Every / Everyone / Anybody Always singular.
Each of the players has a jersey.
- A number of / The number of
(“A number of” → plural “The number of” → singular)
A number of students are absent.
The number of students is rising.
- More than one Singular meaning---
More than one person is missing.
- Uncountable nouns Always singular.
Furniture is, Advice is, Information is
- Titles / Names / Subjects Singular
Mathematics is, Gulliver’s Travels is interesting.
- Distances / Amounts / Time Singular when one unit
Ten kilometers is a long walk.
Five thousand rupees is a big sum.
- Collective + of + plural noun Verb agrees with collective
A bouquet of flowers was on the table.
- None of + plural noun Can take either, (But exams prefer singular)
None of the work is finished.
None of the boys is present.
None of the students are absent.
- Either...or / Neither...nor + different number subjects
Verb matches the nearest subject.
Neither he nor his friends are going.
Neither his friends nor he is going.
Quick Practice (Try mentally)
1. The jury ___ giving its verdict.
2. The team ___ celebrating with their fans.
3. A number of candidates ___ applied.
4. The number of vacancies ___ small.
5. Neither the teacher nor the students ___ ready.
(Answers: 1-is, 2-are, 3-are, 4-is, 5-are)
Examples (Exam-Preferred Forms):
Collective Noun Correct Sentence Explanation
Audience The audience was silent. One group reacting together.
Committee The committee is discussing its plan. One body acting as a unit.
Team The team has won its first match. Group treated as one entity.
Family My family is going on vacation. Seen as one household.
Government The government is planning reforms. Single institution.
Police The police have arrested the thief. (Exception — always plural in form and meaning)
Use Plural Only When:
The sentence clearly talks about members doing different things--
The audience were arguing among themselves.
The committee are divided in their opinions.
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