Exercise of Subject-Verb Agreement: Test Your Grammar Skills
Subject-verb agreement is one of the fundamental rules of English grammar that every writer and speaker must adhere to. It refers to the agreement in number between the subject and the verb, which means that a singular subject requires a singular verb, while a plural subject requires a plural verb. To test your grammar skills, here are some exercises of subject-verb agreement with answers.
1. The girl with red hair and green eyes (is/are) the new student in our class.
Answer: is
Explanation: Although the subject consists of two nouns, the phrase “with red hair and green eyes” is a prepositional phrase that modifies the subject. The subject itself is “the girl,” which is singular and requires a singular verb.
2. Neither my friends nor my family members (was/were) supportive of my decision to pursue a career in music.
Answer: was
Explanation: The subject “neither my friends nor my family members” is a compound subject that is joined by the coordinating conjunction “nor.” In this case, the verb must agree with the noun closest to it, which is “members” and is singular.
3. The number of students who (attends/attend) the after-school program has increased significantly.
Answer: attend
Explanation: The subject “the number of students” is singular and requires a singular verb. However, the verb must agree with the object of the preposition “of students,” which is “students” and is plural.
4. Each of the boys (has/have) a different opinion about the movie.
Answer: has
Explanation: The subject “each of the boys” is a distributive pronoun that refers to each individual boy separately. Therefore, it is singular and requires a singular verb.
5. The group of dancers (perform/performs) every Wednesday at the community center.
Answer: performs
Explanation: The subject “the group of dancers” is singular and requires a singular verb. Although the plural noun “dancers” is part of the subject, it is not the head noun and does not affect subject-verb agreement.
Conclusion
Subject-verb agreement may seem like a trivial aspect of grammar, but it plays a crucial role in making your writing and speaking clear, concise, and grammatically correct. By practicing exercises like the ones above, you can improve your grammar skills and avoid common errors that can undermine your credibility as a writer.
