Subject-Verb Agreement (SAT Writing)

Basic Rule

Subjects and verbs must AGREE in number

Singular subject → singular verb Plural subject → plural verb

Singular vs. Plural Verbs

Present Tense Pattern

Singular verbs: Add "s" or "es"

• The dog runs
• She goes
• It is
• He has

Plural verbs: No "s"

• The dogs run
• They go
• They are
• They have

Opposite of nouns!

• Singular noun + s: "cats"
• Singular verb - s: "run" (plural verb)

Finding the Subject

Ignore Words Between Subject and Verb

The dog [in the yard] runs fast.

• Subject: "dog" (singular)
• Ignore: "in the yard"
• Verb: "runs" (singular) ✓

The students [in the class] are studying.

• Subject: "students" (plural)
• Ignore: "in the class"
• Verb: "are" (plural) ✓

Common Interrupters (Ignore These!)

Prepositional phrases:

• of, in, on, at, with, by, for, from

Example: "The box [of chocolates] is on the table."

• Subject: "box" (singular)
• NOT "chocolates"!
• Verb: "is" (singular) ✓

Modifying clauses:

• who, which, that

Example: "The teacher [who teaches my classes] is strict."

• Subject: "teacher" (singular)
• Ignore: "who teaches my classes"
• Verb: "is" (singular) ✓

Tricky Subjects

Indefinite Pronouns

ALWAYS SINGULAR:

• Everyone, everybody, everything
• Anyone, anybody, anything
• Someone, somebody, something
• No one, nobody, nothing
• Each, either, neither
• One

Examples:

• Everyone is here. ✓
• Each of the students has a book. ✓
• Neither is correct. ✓

ALWAYS PLURAL:

• Both, few, many, several

Examples:

• Both are correct. ✓
• Many have arrived. ✓

DEPENDS ON CONTEXT:

• All, some, most, none

Examples:

• All of the cake is gone. (singular - cake)
• All of the students are here. (plural - students)

Compound Subjects

Joined by "AND" → PLURAL

"Tom and Jerry are friends."

• Two subjects = plural verb ✓

Joined by "OR" or "NOR" → Match CLOSER subject

"Either the teacher or the students are responsible."

• "Students" (plural) is closer → "are" ✓

"Either the students or the teacher is responsible."

• "Teacher" (singular) is closer → "is" ✓

Collective Nouns

Usually SINGULAR (group acts as one unit)

• Team, group, family, class, committee, audience

Examples:

• The team is winning. ✓
• The family has arrived. ✓

Exception: When members act individually

• The team are arguing among themselves. ✓

Inverted Sentences

Questions

Verb comes BEFORE subject

"Is the dog running?"

• Subject: "dog" (singular)
• Verb: "is" (singular) ✓

"There is" / "There are"

"There" is NOT the subject!

"There is a book on the table."

• Subject: "book" (singular)
• Verb: "is" (singular) ✓

"There are three books on the table."

• Subject: "books" (plural)
• Verb: "are" (plural) ✓

Sentences Starting with Prepositional Phrases

"In the garden grows a rose."

• Subject: "rose" (singular)
• Verb: "grows" (singular) ✓

Common SAT Errors

Error 1: Fooled by Interrupters

❌ "The list of names are long." ✓ "The list of names is long."

• Subject: "list" (singular), not "names"

Error 2: "Each" or "Every"

❌ "Each of the players have a uniform." ✓ "Each of the players has a uniform."

• "Each" is always singular!

Error 3: Compound Subject with "Or"

❌ "Neither the students nor the teacher are ready." ✓ "Neither the students nor the teacher is ready."

• Match closer subject: "teacher" (singular)

Error 4: "There is/are"

❌ "There is many problems." ✓ "There are many problems."

• Subject: "problems" (plural)

SAT Strategies

Step 1: Find the Subject

Cross out interrupters (prepositional phrases, clauses)

Step 2: Determine Number

Is subject singular or plural?

Step 3: Match the Verb

Singular subject = singular verb Plural subject = plural verb

Step 4: Check Special Cases

• Indefinite pronouns (everyone = singular)
• Compound subjects (and = plural, or = match closer)
• "There is/are" (find real subject after verb)

Quick Tests

The "They" Test

Replace subject with "they" or "it"

"The box of chocolates [is/are] sweet." → "It [is/are] sweet." → "It is sweet." ✓

Cover the Interrupter

Put brackets around phrases between subject and verb

"The student [in one of my classes] [is/are] absent." → "The student [is/are] absent." → "The student is absent." ✓

Flip Questions

Rewrite questions as statements

"Is the dogs barking?" → "The dogs is barking." → sounds wrong! → "Are the dogs barking?" ✓

SAT Tips

• Find the subject first - ignore interrupters!
• Prepositional phrases don't contain the subject
• "Of" phrases are almost always interrupters (ignore!)
• Everyone, each, either = SINGULAR (despite sounding plural)
• Compound with AND = plural
• Compound with OR = match closer subject
• "There is/are" - "there" is NOT the subject!
• Collective nouns (team, group) = usually singular
• Singular verbs end in "s" (runs, goes, is, has)
• Plural verbs no "s" (run, go, are, have)
• When in doubt, cover interrupters and read subject + verb only
• "One of the ___" → verb matches "one" (singular!)