What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Master subject-verb agreement rules including compound subjects, inverted sentences, indefinite pronouns, and tricky agreement patterns on the SAT.

How can I study Subject-Verb Agreement effectively?

Start by reading the study notes and working through the examples on this page. Then use the flashcards to test your recall. Practice with the 10 problems provided, checking solutions as you go. Regular review and active practice are key to retention.

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What course covers Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subject-Verb Agreement is part of the SAT Prep course on Study Mondo, specifically in the SAT Reading and Writing section. You can explore the full course for more related topics and practice resources.

Are there practice problems for Subject-Verb Agreement?

Yes, this page includes 10 practice problems with detailed solutions. Each problem includes a step-by-step explanation to help you understand the approach.

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":

❓ Question:

Choose the correct verb: "The group of students (is/are) working on the project."

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"

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

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)

❓ Question:

Choose the correct verb: "The group of students (is/are) working on the project."

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.

❓ Question:

Choose the correct verb: "Neither the teacher nor the students (was/were) prepared for the fire drill."

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.

❓ Question:

Choose the correct verb: "Neither the teacher nor the students (was/were) prepared for the fire drill."

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.

❓ Question:

Choose the correct verb: "The news about the budget cuts (has/have) worried many employees."

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.

❓ Question:

Choose the correct verb: "The news about the budget cuts (has/have) worried many employees."

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.

❓ Question:

Choose the correct verb: "The number of applicants who (has/have) submitted forms online (has/have) increased dramatically."

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.

❓ Question:

Choose the correct verb: "The number of applicants who (has/have) submitted forms online (has/have) increased dramatically."

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.

❓ 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."

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."

❓ Question:

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."

Subject-Verb Agreement

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Subject-Verb Agreement

The Rule

Tricky Patterns

1. Prepositional Phrase Between Subject and Verb

2. Inverted Sentences

3. Compound Subjects

4. Collective Nouns

📚 Practice Problems

1Problem 1easy

❓ Question:

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