Subject-Verb Agreement

Step 1: Identify the true subject.

The sentence reads: "The group of students (is/are) working on the project."

The subject is "group" (singular), NOT "students."

"Of students" is a prepositional phrase that modifies "group" — it does NOT determine the verb.

Step 2: Match the verb to the singular subject:

"The group is working on the project." ✅

Answer: "is"

Rule: Ignore prepositional phrases between the subject and verb. The subject of the sentence determines the verb form.

Rule for "neither...nor" and "either...or":

When a compound subject is joined by "neither...nor" or "either...or," the verb agrees with the closer subject.

• "Neither the teacher nor the students" → "students" is closer → plural → were

"Neither the teacher nor the students were prepared for the fire drill." ✅

Compare: "Neither the students nor the teacher was prepared." (Verb matches "teacher" — singular)

Answer: "were"

Memory aid: The verb "looks at" whichever subject is closer to it.

Step 1: Identify the subject.

"The news" is the subject. "About the budget cuts" is a prepositional phrase.

Step 2: Is "news" singular or plural?

"News" is SINGULAR even though it ends in -s.

Other tricky singular nouns: mathematics, physics, economics, politics, measles, the United States.

Step 3: Match the verb:

"The news has worried many employees." ✅

Answer: "has"

SAT Trap: Words ending in -s seem plural but aren't always. Check each word individually — "news," "mathematics," "economics" are all singular.

This sentence has TWO subject-verb pairs:

Pair 1: "applicants who (has/have) submitted"

• Subject = "who" → refers to "applicants" (plural) → have

Pair 2: "The number... (has/have) increased"

• Subject = "The number" (singular) → has

Important distinction:

• "The number of..." = singular (a specific quantity) → "has"
• "A number of..." = plural (meaning "many") → "have"

Complete sentence: "The number of applicants who have submitted forms online has increased dramatically." ✅

Answer: First blank: "have"; Second blank: "has"

SAT Pattern: Sentences with embedded clauses ("who have submitted") are designed to confuse you about which verb goes with which subject.

This is an inverted sentence with multiple clauses:

Clause 1: "where vendors and customers _____ prices"

• Subject = "vendors and customers" (plural) → negotiate ✅

Clause 2: "exotic spices _____ the air"

• Subject = "spices" (plural) → fill ✅

Main clause (inverted): "_____ a centuries-old temple"

• The sentence is inverted: "A centuries-old temple stands amid the chaos"
• Subject = "a temple" (singular) → stands ✅

Complete sentence: "Amid the chaos of the crowded market, where vendors and customers negotiate prices and exotic spices fill the air with fragrance, stands a centuries-old temple."

Answer: negotiate, fill, stands

SAT Insight: Inverted sentences (verb before subject) are a common trap. Mentally rearrange the sentence to find the true subject: "A temple stands amid the chaos."