Subject-Verb Agreement
Master subject-verb agreement rules including compound subjects, inverted sentences, indefinite pronouns, and tricky agreement patterns on the SAT.
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Subject-Verb Agreement
The Rule
A verb must agree in number with its subject.
- Singular subject → singular verb
- Plural subject → plural verb
Tricky Patterns
1. Prepositional Phrase Between Subject and Verb
"The box of chocolates is on the table."
- "box" is the subject (singular), not "chocolates"
- Cross out prepositional phrases to find the true subject
2. Inverted Sentences
"Among the trees stands a small cabin."
- The subject is "cabin" (singular), which comes after the verb
3. Compound Subjects
- "A and B" → plural: "Tom and Jerry are friends."
- "A or B" → verb agrees with B: "The teacher or the students are responsible."
- "Neither A nor B" → verb agrees with B: "Neither the cats nor the dog is inside."
4. Collective Nouns
Words like "team," "group," "committee," "family":
- Usually treated as singular: "The team is winning."
- Plural when emphasizing individual members: "The team are arguing among themselves."
5. Indefinite Pronouns
| Always Singular | Always Plural | Singular OR Plural |
|---|---|---|
| each, every, either, neither | both, few, many, several | all, any, most, none, some |
| anyone, everyone, someone | (depends on noun referred to) |
6. Relative Clauses
"She is one of the students who are passing." (who = students = plural) "She is the only one of the students who is passing." (only one = singular)
SAT Tips
- Find the actual subject — ignore phrases between subject and verb
- "There is/are" — look at what follows to determine the verb
- When in doubt, identify the subject first, then match the verb
📚 Practice Problems
1Problem 1easy
❓ Question:
Choose the correct verb: "The group of students (is/are) working on the project."
💡 Show Solution
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.
2Problem 2easy
❓ Question:
Choose the correct verb: "The group of students (is/are) working on the project."
💡 Show Solution
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.
3Problem 3medium
❓ Question:
Choose the correct verb: "Neither the teacher nor the students (was/were) prepared for the fire drill."
💡 Show Solution
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.
4Problem 4medium
❓ Question:
Choose the correct verb: "Neither the teacher nor the students (was/were) prepared for the fire drill."
💡 Show Solution
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.
5Problem 5medium
❓ Question:
Choose the correct verb: "The news about the budget cuts (has/have) worried many employees."
💡 Show Solution
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.
6Problem 6medium
❓ Question:
Choose the correct verb: "The news about the budget cuts (has/have) worried many employees."
💡 Show Solution
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.
7Problem 7hard
❓ Question:
Choose the correct verb: "The number of applicants who (has/have) submitted forms online (has/have) increased dramatically."
💡 Show Solution
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.
8Problem 8hard
❓ Question:
Choose the correct verb: "The number of applicants who (has/have) submitted forms online (has/have) increased dramatically."
💡 Show Solution
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.
9Problem 9expert
❓ Question:
Choose the correct verb: "Amid the chaos of the crowded market, where vendors and customers (negotiate/negotiates) prices and exotic spices (fill/fills) the air with fragrance, (stand/stands) a centuries-old temple."
💡 Show Solution
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."
10Problem 10expert
❓ Question:
Choose the correct verb: "Amid the chaos of the crowded market, where vendors and customers (negotiate/negotiates) prices and exotic spices (fill/fills) the air with fragrance, (stand/stands) a centuries-old temple."
💡 Show Solution
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."
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