Subject-Verb Agreement: Grammar Practice Worksheets

Grammar Practice Worksheets
Subject–Verb
Agreement
Table of Contents
2 Grammar Notes 11 Exercise 7
Subject–Verb Agreement Fill in the Blanks
5 Exercise 1 12 Exercise 8
Multiple-Choice Find the Errors
Fill in the Blanks Complete the Sentences
Find the Errors Quiz
8 Exercise 4 15 Grammar Assessment

Complete the Sentences
16 Self-Assessment
9 Exercise 5
Find Someone Who
10 Exercise 6
Multiple-Choice
Copyright 2020, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 1
Subject–Verb Agreement
Grammar Notes
SUBJECT–VERB AGREEMENT
Subject–verb agreement in English is generally quite logical. Singular

subjects take a singular verb, while plural subjects take a plural verb.
Plural subjects often end in -s, while singular subjects usually don’t.
Like most grammar rules in English, there are many exceptions, from
irregular plural subjects to singular subjects that end in -s and tricky
pronouns and quantifiers. Let’s take a look at the basic rules and some
common exceptions.
A. Basic Rules
# Rule Example
Singular subjects take a My dog wants dinner.

1
singular verb. S V
Non-count subjects take a Water is essential for survival.

2
singular verb. S V
Plural subjects take a The students study every night.

3
plural verb. S V
Memory Trick
Almost every sentence in the simple present tense needs an -s! If there is
no -s at the end of the subject noun, use a singular verb that ends in -s. If
there is an -s at the end of the noun, use a plural verb.
• A girl walks her dog.
S V
• Juice tastes good.
S V
• The books are all over the floor.
S V
Grammar Notes cont.

B. Other Cases That Follow the Basic Rules
# Case Examples
• Singing is my favourite hobby.

1 Gerunds take a singular verb.
• Trespassing is a criminal offence.
• People talk to me on the bus every day.

2 Irregular plural subjects take a plural verb.
• The police are coming to stop the robbery.
• Maria and Antonio have a baby.

3 Nouns joined by “and” take a plural verb.
• Snow and ice make driving dangerous.
When the subject includes a prepositional

• O ne of the leaders was guilty.
4 phrase, the noun that comes before the
• Members of that group are organizing a fundraiser.
preposition agrees with the verb.
C. Cases That Don’t Follow the Basic Rules
# Case Examples
• Each component is sold separately.

1 “Each” and “every” take a singular verb.
• Every reporter wants to do that interview.
The pronouns “everybody/everyone” and • Everyone was tired after the long flight.
2
“nobody/no one” take a singular verb. • Nobody knows what happened.
Non-count nouns that end in -s take • Her good news was a relief.
3
a singular verb. • Mathematics is my first class of the day.
Subjects about time, money, or distance take • Five hours is enough sleep for me.
4
a singular verb. • One thousand dollars was my gift to him.
Grammar Notes cont.

C. Cases That Don’t Follow the Basic Rules cont.
Collective nouns ( family, team, staff, etc.) usually

• My family has three dogs and a cat.
5 take a singular verb, especially in American and
• Our team wins the competition every year.
Canadian English.
When the subject includes certain quantifiers

(all, a lot, most, some, none, etc.) and a prepositional • A lot of my friends have their own cars.
6
phrase, the verb agrees with the noun after • A lot of rain is in the forecast.
the preposition.
When the subject includes a fraction or a • Half of the pasta is vegetarian.

7 percentage, the verb agrees with the noun after • Only 25% of the survey results
the preposition. were favourable.
The subject “a number of” + noun takes a plural

• A number of articles deal with this topic.
8 verb, while “the number of” + noun takes
• The number of attacks is increasing.
a singular verb.
Exercise 1
MULTIPLE-CHOICE
Circle the correct form of the verb.
Ex. Every student in the class a different 6. Mrs. Izaguerra early at work every day.
language.
a) arrive
a) speak b) arrives
b) speaks
7. The coffee very good.
1. Ten kilometres a long way to walk to school.
a) is
a) is b) are
b) are
8. Nineteen hundred dollars a lot
2. Louisa two jobs. to pay to rent that old apartment.
a) has a) is
b) have b) are
3. Giovanni and Maria a small apartment 9. Mr. Iwasaki very well.
and three dogs.
a) dance
a) has b) dances
b) have
10. Almost 50% of the book about
4. The group very large. the vice president.
a) is a) is
b) are b) are
5. Her jacket and gloves on the table.
a) is
b) are
Exercise 2
FILL IN THE BLANKS
Write the correct form of the verb to complete each sentence.
are
Ex. Half of the flowers in the garden roses.
(is / are)
1. Most of the workers in that company from the Chicago area.
(come / comes)
2. Shara six brothers.

(has / have)
3. My brother and I a lot of money when we go to the mall.

(spend / spends)
4. That football team very good.

(is / are)
5. Two hours the perfect length for a movie.

(is / are)
6. Roberto and his sister from Venezuela.

(come / comes)
7. My mother’s advice usually old-fashioned.

(is / are)
8. Six people in that small house.

(live / lives)
9. Physics a difficult subject for me.

(is / are)
10. The police many arrests on Saturday nights.

(make / makes)
Exercise 3
FIND THE ERRORS
Find one mistake in each sentence and rewrite the sentence correctly.
Ex. That police officer are always standing at the front of the school.
That police officer is always standing at the front of the school.
1. John work too much.
2. My sister never have time to talk to me.
3. Nine kilometres take five minutes on the highway.
4. She never cry when she has an argument with her boyfriend.
5. His sisters comes home very late every night.
6. One of my friend is from India.
7. His hair are short and blond.
8. The cheese are from France.
9. My brother and sister lives in a big house.
10. A lots of people in the class are from Thailand.
Exercise 4
COMPLETE THE SENTENCES
Complete the following sentences with a verb that agrees with the subject.
is spaghetti
Ex. One of my favourite meals with meatballs.

1. Two hours
2. Watching TV
3. One of my best friends
4. Larissa and José
5. The counsellor’s advice
6. The news from northern Africa
7. None of the children
8. Every student in the class
9. More than 60% of the people in the country
10. Half of the cookies
Exercise 5
FIND SOMEONE WHO
Find someone who agrees with the sentences in the chart.

Walk around the classroom and ask your classmates questions.
Write your classmate’s name if he/she answers “yes.”
Ex. Is Friday the best day of the week?
# Sentence Name
1 Friday is the best day of the week.
2 Watching sports is boring.
3 Two hours of studying on weekends is enough.
4 Mathematics is your favourite subject.
5 Coffee and tea are both delicious.
6 Ten kilometres is a long walk.
7 Pizza is your favourite food.
8 The number of quizzes in this class is too many.
9 One hundred dollars is a lot of money.
10 Going to the movies is fun.
Exercise 6
MULTIPLE-CHOICE
Ex. A lot of the words in Chapter 6 new. 6. Two-thirds of the test about Sigmund Freud
and Carl Jung.
a) is
b) are a) is
b) are
1. Six blocks not too far to walk.
7. About 40% of the teams their games
a) is
at night.
b) are
a) play
2. S
ome of the vocabulary words in the b) plays
lesson difficult.
8. All of my money in my purse.
a) is
b) are a) is
b) are
3. Most of that movie place in China.
9. One of my friends at the mall.
a) take
b) takes a) work
b) works
4. Most of the people I know from Europe.
10. Some of the newscasters on
a) come
Channel 47 very young.
b) comes
a) is
5. Half of the book about soccer. b) are
a) is
b) are
Exercise 7
FILL IN THE BLANKS
Write the correct form of the verb to complete each sentence.
was
Ex. Six blocks not too far to walk.
(was / were)
1. Almost all of the air near the factory polluted.

(is / are)
2. Some of Louisa’s friends cars.

(has / have)
3. Most of the teachers the bus to school.

(take / takes)
4. Most of my brother’s mail in the late afternoon.

(come / comes)
5. Half of the boxes full.

(was / were)
6. One-third of the program about the war.

(is / are)
7. Seventy percent of the books in Spanish.

(was / were)
8. Many of the dogs fleas.

(has / have)
9. All of the windows closed for the night.

(is / are)
10. Some of these TV shows very interesting.

(is / are)
Exercise 8
FIND THE ERRORS
Find one mistake in each sentence and rewrite the sentence correctly.
Ex. My father’s advice are always good.
My father’s advice is always good.
1. He always go to church on Sunday.
2. In the morning, Inez drink two cups of coffee.
3. The professors at this college is nice, but they give us too much homework.
4. One of my teachers were sick yesterday.
5. Min Ju and her brother does not talk to each other.
6. Economics were my major when I was in university.
7. Every day offer a chance to learn something new.
8. The police is coming right now.
9. Farid have four brothers and one sister.
10. In the hot summer weather, 19 kilometres are too long to run.
Exercise 9
COMPLETE THE SENTENCES
Complete the following sentences with a verb that agrees with the subject.
Ex. Snowboarding takes a long time to learn.

1. Isabella’s hair
2. A lot of students
3. None of the lawyers
4. Going to the beach
5. Two hundred dollars
6. All of the students
7. A lot of the words in Chapter 2
8. Every person I know
9. Twenty-five percent of the book
10. A lot of the cheese in the refrigerator
Exercise 10
QUIZ
1. A lot of the coaches in the 7. Some of the singers on the

tournament from Asia. program very nervous.
a) is a) is
b) are b) are
2. Seventeen people to this class. 8. Every student in the class
homework every night.
a) comes
b) come a) does
b) do
3. The police called
immediately after the accident. 9. Mathematics my best subject in school.
a) was a) is
b) were b) are
4. One of my friends hired for the job. 10. All of the cities in southern California
really rain.
a) was
b) were a) needs
b) need
5. Ana and Gustav to get married.
11. The news about the World Cup.
a) wants
b) want a) is
b) are
6. A lot of the information in that
article wrong. 12. Looking online usually me
find answers to my questions.
a) is
b) are a) helps
b) help
Grammar Assessment
Student / Group:
Date CLB Level Assessed By Target Skill Competency
Subject–Verb
Grammatical Knowledge
Agreement
Achieved Achieved with Help Needs Improvement

Criteria
demonstrates correct usage

of singular verbs with singular
and non-count subjects
demonstrates correct
usage of plural verbs with
plural subjects
uses the correct verb

form with common exceptions
to the basic subject–verb
agreement rules
uses the correct verb form

with nouns in a series
Notes
Self-Assessment
SUBJECT–VERB AGREEMENT
Add check marks () to show what you've learned in this lesson.
Name: Date:
Yes (very well) Yes (with help) Not yet

Can I...
use singular verbs with singular subjects?
use singular verbs with non-count subjects?
use plural verbs with plural subjects?
choose the correct verb form in cases that don’t

follow the basic rules on subject–verb agreement?
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Grammar Practice Worksheets

8 Exercise 4 15 Grammar Assessment

Subject–verb agreement in English is generally quite logical. Singular

Singular subjects take a My dog wants dinner.

Non-count subjects take a Water is essential for survival.

Plural subjects take a The students study every night.

Grammar Notes cont.

• Singing is my favourite hobby.

• People talk to me on the bus every day.

• Maria and Antonio have a baby.

When the subject includes a prepositional

C. Cases That Don’t Follow the Basic Rules

• Each component is sold separately.

Grammar Notes cont.

Collective nouns ( family, team, staff, etc.) usually

When the subject includes certain quantifiers

When the subject includes a fraction or a • Half of the pasta is vegetarian.

The subject “a number of” + noun takes a plural

Circle the correct form of the verb.

5. Her jacket and gloves on the table.

Write the correct form of the verb to complete each sentence.

2. Shara six brothers.

3. My brother and I a lot of money when we go to the mall.

4. That football team very good.

5. Two hours the perfect length for a movie.

6. Roberto and his sister from Venezuela.

7. My mother’s advice usually old-fashioned.

8. Six people in that small house.

9. Physics a difficult subject for me.

10. The police many arrests on Saturday nights.

That police officer is always standing at the front of the school.

1. John work too much.

2. My sister never have time to talk to me.

3. Nine kilometres take five minutes on the highway.

5. His sisters comes home very late every night.

6. One of my friend is from India.

7. His hair are short and blond.

8. The cheese are from France.

9. My brother and sister lives in a big house.

10. A lots of people in the class are from Thailand.

1. Two hours

3. One of my best friends

4. Larissa and José

5. The counsellor’s advice

6. The news from northern Africa

7. None of the children

8. Every student in the class

9. More than 60% of the people in the country

10. Half of the cookies

Find someone who agrees with the sentences in the chart.

Ex. Is Friday the best day of the week?

1 Friday is the best day of the week.

2 Watching sports is boring.

3 Two hours of studying on weekends is enough.

4 Mathematics is your favourite subject.

5 Coffee and tea are both delicious.

6 Ten kilometres is a long walk.

7 Pizza is your favourite food.

8 The number of quizzes in this class is too many.