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Quizzes > Literature & Language > English & Grammar

Test Your Skills with Our Subject-Verb Agreement Exercise Quiz

Think you can master the subject verb agreement worksheet choosing part 1 answers? Dive into the exercise now!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration of subject verb agreement quiz with books, pencils, grammar symbols on coral background

Practice subject to verb agreement in quick, real-world sentences so you can spot errors fast and write clearly. You'll get instant feedback on each item to check gaps before a test or polish emails, with coverage of singular/plural traps, tricky phrases, collective nouns, and verbs that change with number.

The dog ____ in the yard every day.
have run
runs
run
is running
The subject 'the dog' is singular and in simple present tense singular third-person subjects require the verb form ending in -s, making 'runs' correct. 'Run' is used with plural subjects. Continuous forms like 'is running' indicate an ongoing action and don't match the simple present requirement. For more details, see .
My friends ____ playing soccer after school.
is
enjoys
are
enjoy
The plural subject 'friends' requires the base form 'enjoy' in simple present. 'Enjoys' is for singular third-person subjects. 'Is' and 'are' are forms of 'to be' and don't fit the verb 'enjoy.' Refer to subject-verb agreement rules at .
The student and the teacher ____ in the classroom.
is
are
were
was
When two singular nouns are joined by 'and,' they form a plural subject, so the plural verb 'are' is required. 'Is' and 'was' are singular forms, while 'were' is past tense. More examples can be found at .
The list of items ____ on the table.
are
have been
were
is
The true subject is 'The list,' which is singular, so it takes the singular verb 'is.' 'Of items' is a prepositional phrase and does not affect verb number. See for details on subjects with intervening phrases.
Neither John nor Mary ____ responsible for the mess.
were
is
was
are
With 'neither...nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it - in this case, 'Mary,' which is singular, so 'is' is correct. 'Are' and 'were' are plural forms. For more on correlative conjunctions, visit .
Each of the students ____ a locker assigned.
had
have
having
has
Indefinite pronouns like 'each' are singular and require a singular verb, so 'has' is correct. 'Have' and 'had' are plural or past forms, and 'having' is not a finite verb form. See more at .
The pair of scissors ____ missing.
have been
are
were
is
The head noun 'pair' is singular even though it refers to two parts, so it takes the singular verb 'is.' 'Scissors' is part of a prepositional phrase and doesn't affect the verb. For guidance, see .
The news ____ surprising.
is
has been
are
were
The noun 'news' is singular in form and meaning, so it takes the singular verb 'is.' 'Are' and 'were' are plural or past plural forms. For additional examples, visit .
Everyone ____ invited to the party.
are
was
were
is
Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone' are singular and require a singular verb, so 'is' is correct. 'Are' and 'were' would be plural, and 'was' is past tense. See details at .
A number of people ____ absent today.
were
is
was
are
'A number of' is treated as a plural expression and takes a plural verb, so 'are' is correct. In contrast, 'the number of' uses a singular verb. More at .
The number of people ____ absent today.
were
are
is
was
With 'the number of,' the true subject is 'number,' which is singular, so it takes 'is.' 'Are' would incorrectly treat it as plural. For more on this distinction, see .
The committee ____ meeting on Friday.
were
is
are
was
Collective nouns like 'committee' are usually singular in American English when acting as one unit, so they take a singular verb 'is.' 'Are' treats the group as separate individuals. See for collective noun usage.
Not only the manager but the employees ____ responsible for the error.
were
was
are
is
With 'not only...but,' the verb agrees with the noun closer to it - in this case, 'employees,' which is plural, so 'are' is correct. 'Is' would treat the manager alone. More on correlative conjunctions at .
One of the boys ____ broken the window.
have
had
has
having
Although 'boys' is plural, the true subject is 'one,' an indefinite pronoun requiring a singular verb 'has.' 'Have' would be for plural subjects. For more, see .
The pair of gloves ____ its match.
was
is
were
are
The head noun 'pair' is singular, so it takes 'is.' The prepositional phrase 'of gloves' does not affect verb number. For guidance, visit .
My favorite pair of jeans ____ ripped.
was
are
were
is
'Pair' is the head noun, which is singular, so it takes 'is.' Even though 'jeans' is plural in form, the verb agrees with 'pair.' More at .
Five dollars ____ a high price to pay.
was
are
were
is
Amounts of money are treated as singular units, so 'five dollars' takes 'is.' 'Are' would treat the amount as individual dollars. See for more on quantities.
Ten miles ____ a long walk.
was
were
is
are
Distances, as singular measurements, take a singular verb: 'ten miles is.' 'Are' would treat miles as separate entities. More on this topic at .
The cost of the repairs ____ more than I expected.
is
were
are
was
The head noun 'cost' is singular, so it requires 'is.' 'Of the repairs' is a modifying phrase. For deeper explanation, see .
One-third of the cake ____ eaten.
were
have been
was
has been
Fractions are singular when referring to a singular noun like 'cake,' so they take 'has been.' 'Have been' would be correct if the noun were plural. More at .
Mathematics ____ fascinating.
is
were
was
are
Subjects that are academic disciplines are singular and take 'is.' 'Mathematics is.' 'Are' would be incorrect. See for usage with singular collective ideas.
The data ____ inconsistent across studies.
were
is
are
was
Though 'data' is often used as a mass noun, its traditional use treats it as plural, requiring 'are.' 'Is' is a modern usage but not the traditional standard. More on this at .
Politics ____ often a contentious topic.
were
was
are
is
Like other academic disciplines, 'politics' is singular in meaning and takes 'is.' 'Are' would incorrectly treat it as multiple topics. For further reading, see .
The team ____ winning the championship this year.
is
are
was
were
Collective nouns like 'team' are singular when acting as a single unit, so 'is' is correct here. 'Are' would imply individual members rather than the group as one entity. See more at .
The box of ornaments, as well as the figurines, ____ displayed in the cabinet.
was
are
is
were
The true subject is 'The box,' which is singular and takes 'is.' The phrase 'as well as the figurines' is parenthetical and does not change the verb number. For more on intervening phrases, see .
Either the teacher or the students ____ decided to postpone the exam.
have
has
had
having
With 'either...or,' the verb agrees with the noun closest to it - in this case 'students,' which is plural, so 'have' is correct. 'Has' would agree with 'teacher' instead. For detailed rules, visit .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify subject-verb agreement errors -

    Pinpoint mismatches between subjects and verbs in a variety of sentences to spot common grammatical mistakes.

  2. Apply agreement rules to singular and plural subjects -

    Use clear guidelines to choose the correct verb form for both singular and plural subjects in diverse contexts.

  3. Analyze complex sentence structures -

    Break down sentences with intervening phrases or clauses to determine the true subject and ensure proper verb agreement.

  4. Distinguish tricky cases with collective nouns and indefinite pronouns -

    Learn how to handle subjects like "team," "none," and "each" to select the appropriate singular or plural verb.

  5. Evaluate your writing for agreement consistency -

    Review your own sentences to reinforce correct subject-verb alignment and boost your grammar confidence.

  6. Strengthen skills with immediate feedback -

    Benefit from instant quiz results that explain your mistakes and guide you toward mastery of subject to verb agreement exercises.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Identifying the True Subject -

    Drop phrases that come between the subject and verb, like prepositional phrases, to reveal the main noun. According to Purdue OWL, once you find the true subject (e.g., in "The bouquet of roses smells sweet," bouquet is singular), you ensure your verb agrees correctly and reinforce your understanding with a subject verb agreement worksheet choosing part 1 answers.

  2. Handling Indefinite Pronouns -

    Most indefinite pronouns - everyone, someone, each - are singular and require singular verbs (e.g., "Everyone is ready"). Cambridge University Grammar notes that mastering this with a focused subject to verb agreement exercise can dramatically improve your accuracy in tricky sentences.

  3. Working with Collective Nouns -

    Collective nouns such as team, jury, or committee take singular or plural verbs depending on whether you view the group as a single unit or individuals (e.g., "The team is winning" vs. "The team are arguing among themselves"). Oxford English Grammar encourages reviewing these distinctions before tackling your next subject verb agreement quiz.

  4. Agreement in Compound Subjects -

    Subjects joined by "and" usually need a plural verb ("Cats and dogs make good pets"), but when joined by "or"/"nor," the verb agrees with the nearer subject ("Neither the teacher nor the students were late"). Purdue OWL suggests testing this rule on a subject verb agreement practice test to see it in action.

  5. Special Cases: Inversion and 'There is/There are' -

    In sentences that start with "there is/are" or invert the subject-verb order (e.g., "Here are the results"), locate the true subject after the verb to decide singular or plural form. University of Illinois resources recommend using a subject verb agreement test to solidify your skill in recognizing these patterns quickly.

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