Subject-Verb Agreement Rules with practice exercise

Subject-Verb Agreement

In a sentence, the person or thing that performs the action is called the subject, and the action word is called verb. The main verb in a sentence must always agree with its subject in number and person, whether the subject is a noun or pronoun. This is known as subject-verb agreement


Rule:   If the noun or pronoun subject in a sentence is singular,the                 verb must be singular. If noun or pronoun is plural, the                     verb must be plural. 




Example:     Mr. Lal is a kind man. 

                     Asha and Rohit are good friends.


Rule:    The verb in each sentences changes according to the number               and person of the subject.


Example:     Rohit lives in Delhi.

                      My friends live in Agra.


Rule:    In the case of personal pronoun, the third person singular                  pronouns ( he/she/it) always take singular verb in all the                     tenses. 


Example:     He goes to school daily . 
                     
                      They  cook food for school students.


Rule:    Third person pronoun 'they' takes a plural verb in all the                      tenses.


Example:     They are playing cricket.
                     
                      We are going to temple.


Rule:    Second person 'you' always take plural verb in the all the                  tenses even if it refers to a single person.


Example:     You are good in Music.
                      
                      You are best leader in the world.


Rule:    The first person 'we' take a plural verb in all the tenses.


Example:     We are Indian.
                      
                      We are going to market.


Rule:    I is the first person takes a singular verb with am and was. I              take a plural verb .


Example:     I go for walk daily.
                      
                     I have do my best.


Rule:    Collective noun usually take a singular verb.


Example:     The teachers staff is ready for  dance competition.
                      
                      On my birthday my friends gave me a bouquet of                              flowers.


Rule:    Some sentences the subject may not be placed next to verb                 when a group of words acts as a subject. The main word is                 actually the subject.


Example:     The book of stories that she read were interesting.
                      The group of women are ready to their performance.

Rule:    When there is group of words used as a subject, the main                   word act as the subject.


Example:      My school teachers, who are singer want to perform on                       stage.
                      
                      The children, who are best in drawing participate in                          drawing completion.


Rule:    When a sentences begin with the word 'there ' the noun                       placed  after the verb is actual subject of the sentences.


Example:     There is a parrot in the cage.
                      
                      There are many plants in the garden.


Rule:    Nouns denoting food, clothing, furniture, stationery, rupees,              dollars are singular and takes singular verb. 


Example:      Food is very tasty.
                      
                      Wooden furniture is the best for children.


Rule:    A lot of or plenty of is used to indicate quantity , it takes a                 singular verb but when it used in numbers both take plural.


Example:     A lots of girls are going to picnic 
                      
                      A lots of water is  in a tank. 


Rule:    News is always takes a singular subject and singular verb.


Example:     This is the breaking news of Sushant death.

                       This news is fake. 


Rule:    One of is always consider as a singular subject and takes                      singular verb.


Example:     One of the boys in the class is making project.
                      
                      One of the houses of the valley is very beautiful.


Rule:    If the two subjects are regarded as one , the verb will be                     singular.


Example:      Bread and butter is likes every one.


Rule:    If the subject and the verb are separated by a group of                         words, the verb must agree with the subject.


Example:     The girl, in pink suit  is my best friend.
                      
                      The man,  the leader of the party is my father.  


Rule:    When the name of a country , a book or film is denoted in a               plural noun, it is used with a singular verb.


Example:     The United States of America has effected with carona                       virus.
                      
                      The United Kingdom has launched a new vaccine for                          children.


Rule:    When a plural number is used for distance, weight and                       amounts of money as a single figure or quantity, it is                           considered singular and takes a singular verb.


Example:    Five years is a long time .
                    
                    One thousand rupees is very small amount to buy a car.

Rule:    Words like trousers, scissors, jeans, shorts,                         glasses/spectacles, shoes,                         take plural verb.


Rule:    Whenever we use 'a pair of .......' we use a singular verb.


Example:      A pair of scissors is use for cutting anything.
                      
                      A pair of shoes is black.


Rule:    A  singular of verb is used when any of the following is he                 subject of sentences -------anyone, another, anybody, each,                 either, every, everybody, everything, neither , nobody, none,              somebody, something and someone.

Example:    Everybody is waiting to start match.
                    
                    Either of  the two boys is best for music.


Rule:    When 'either-or ' and neither-nor' are used in sentence with                  singular nouns or pronouns they take singular verbs.

Example:      Neither Gopi nor Meera is attending the class.
                       
                      Either teacher or principal is arranging for annual                              function.


Rule:    When 'neither -nor' and either -or are used with plural nouns               or pronouns, they go with plural verbs.


Example:      Neither the men nor women are not agreeing to wear                           long coat.
                       
                       Either the wooden chairs or tables are kept in my                                 room.


Rule:    When 'as well as' or 'along with ' are used to join two                    nouns in a sentences, the verb agrees with noun                           mentioned first.

Example:     The students along with the teachers are discussing the                       new CBSE pattern .
                      
                      My family with all my friends is celebrate my birthday                        party.


Rule:         Words like trousers, scissors, jeans, shorts,                                            glasses/spectacles, shoes, take plural verb.

Example:     The scissors are not working properly.
                     The jeans are very loose for me.


Practice Exercise


Fill in the blanks with correct form of the verb given in the brackets.
  1. Geeta ............ to cooking from her mother. (learn)
  2. Rahul ........... delicious cake. (make)
  3. You ............. good writer. (be)
  4. I ............ planning to write a book for girls. (be)
  5. ......... (be) you go out today?
  6. Why......... you left. (has)
  7. Roshan and Reema ............ good player. (be)
  8. She ........... to dance. (learn )
  9. July ........... the seventh month of the year. (be)
  10. Mumbai , Chennai and Calcutta ............. important ports of India. (be)
  11. Kapil Dev ....... a good cricketer. (be)
  12. Your son ......... shown good progress. ( has)
  13. Fruit ......  good for health. (be)
  14. The news of his death ........... true (be)
  15. My uncle's pen ......... in his pocket.(be)
  16. This pen ........... well. (write)
  17. Those men ......... lazy. (be)
  18. I ........... no car. (has)
  19. We  not ........ enough fruit. (do)
  20. He ........ finished all the milk. (be)
  21. There ......... some boys at the door. (be)
  22. She ............. to richest family of our city. (belong)
  23. Monu ........... money. (waste)
  24. They ...... very strong. (be)
  25. It ......... 6 o'clock now. (be)

Answer:    1.learns   2.makes  3.are  4.am  5.are  6.have   7.are   8.learns   9.is   10.are   11.is   12.has   13.is   14.was   15.is   16.writes   17.are   19.have   20.has   21.are   22.is    23.wastes   24. are   25.is 

 
  
 


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