Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MASTERING SUBJECT
VERB AGREEMENT
Mother Earth (be) suffering because of man’s
abuse of nature.
God (give) us the freewill to choose between
right and wrong.
He always (do) his work perfectly.
The President always (have) the last say
before a bill becomes a law.
A SINGULAR SUBJECT MUST
HAVE A SINGULAR VERB.
We (be) expected to support the cleanliness
drive.
Those who will take the LET (attend) review
classes.
Law enforcers (do) their duties promptly.
Children normally (have) short attention
span.
A PLURAL SUBJECT MUST HAVE A
PLURAL VERB.
The decision of the administrators to postpone the
seminar on garbage segregation (is, are) untimely.
The book which she borrowed from me (was, were)
missing.
Melody, together with her sister, (has, have) plans
to visit Disneyland in Hongkong.
The children, as well their mother, (consult,
consults) the doctor.
Ben and Jun, like their father, (love, loves) to go
hunting.
A PHRASE OR CLAUSE THAT INTERVENES
BETWEEN THE SUBJECT AND ITS VERB DOES
NOT AFFECT THE NUMBER OF THE SUBJECT.
She is the only one of those girls who (take,
takes) interest in planting trees.
One of the boys who (help, helps) the lady (is,
are) my cousin.
Singing and dancing which (keep, keeps) one’s
spirit alive (is, are) good forms of exercise.
THE ANTECEDENT OF A RELATIVE
PRONOUN DETERMINES THE
AGREEMENT WITH ITS VERB.
Either teacher or student (is, are) not exempted
from waste segregation.
Neither the father nor his son (exemplify,
exemplifies) good virtues.
Nelly or her sister (get, gets) high grades.
The policeman nor the fireman (protect, protects)
properties.
TWO OR MORE SINGULAR SUBJECTS JOINED
BY OR/NOR MUST HAVE A SINGULAR VERB.
Neither the parents nor the students (is, are)
interested in using plastic materials.
Either the boys or the girls (experience,
experiences) physical and emotional changes.
Men nor women (has, have) some peculiarities.
Apples or carrots (prevent, prevents) cancer.
TWO OR MORE PLURAL SUBJECTS JOINED
BY OR/NOR MUST HAVE A PLURAL VERB.
Either the government officials or other leaders
(spearhead, spearheads) the campaign to declog the
rivers around Metro Manila.
Neither the television shows nor computer games
(hook, hooks) the attention of many children.
Either the principal or the teachers (play, plays)
important role in molding the learners.
Neither the supervisors nor the superintendent (is, are)
held accountable for the performance of the pupils.
IF ONE OR MORE SINGULAR SUBJECTS
ARE JOINED TO ONE OR MORE PLURAL
SUBJECTS BY OR/NOR, THE SUBJECT
CLOSEST TO THE VERB DETERMINES
THE AGREEMENT.
A candle and a rosary (is, are) what we need in
order to start the vigil.
The teacher and class adviser of Pauline (is, are)
in her early twenties.
Mary and Joseph (has, have) been chosen by
God to take good care of Jesus.
The secretary and muse of the class (gain,
gains) much popularity.
A COMPOUND SUBJECT JOINED BY AND IS
GENERALLY PLURAL AND MUST HAVE A PLURAL
VERB; EXEMPTION TO THIS RULE TAKES PLACE
WHEN THE SUBJECT REFERS TO THE SAME
PERSON.
Under the second floor (is, are) the Principal’s
Office.
At their backyard (lies, lie) a vegetable garden.
Behind bars (is, are) several miserable souls.
Underneath the tree (rest, rests) a tired farmer.
A SUBJECT THAT COMES AFTER ITS VERB
MUST AGREE WITH IT IN NUMBER.
Fireworks (were, was) the signal to begin the
activity.
The price of good work (is, are) more work.
She (look, looks) better now than when she was
first confined at the hospital.
Sometimes, some children (is, are) more sensible
than adults.
A LINKING VERB MUST AGREE WITH ITS
SUBJECT REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER
OF ITS PREDICATE NOMINATIVE.
The committee (hold, holds) a meeting about the
forthcoming activity.
The body (decide, decides) to invite guests from
other municipalities.
The Congress (convene, convenes) to finalize the
annual budget.
A COLLECTIVE NOUN TAKES A SINGULAR VERB
WHEN THE GROUP IT NAMES ACTS AS A SINGLE
UNIT. A COLLECTIVE NOUN TAKES A PLURAL
VERB WHEN THE GROUP IT NAMES ACTS AS
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS WITH DIFFERENT
POINTS OF VIEW.
A number of students (decide, decides) to join
the marathon contest.
The number of teachers (was, were) not enough.
A number of people (vouch, vouches) for his good
character.
The number of enrollees (exceed, exceeds) the
number of rooms available.
THE PHRASE A NUMBER USES A
PLURAL VERB; THE PHRASE THE
NUMBER USES A SINGULAR VERB.
Measles (is, are) a communicable disease.
Politics (hinder, hinders) our economic growth.
The statistics (present, presents) our alarming
situation.
Economics (is, are) an interesting subject.
NOUNS THAT ARE PLURAL IN FORM
BUT SINGULAR IN MEANING AGREE
WITH SINGULAR VERB.
Several in the class (excel, excels) in Physics.
Many (are, is) called but few are chosen.
Both (claim, claims) to be the owner of the land.
Everything (is, are) under control.
Everybody (love, loves) to listen to music.
Something (bother, bothers) me.
Nothing in this world (is, are) permanent.
SINGULAR INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
(EVERYONE, SOMEONE, EVERYBODY,
NOBODY, EVERYTHING, SOMETHING,
NOTHING, EACH) TAKE SINGULAR VERBS;
PLURAL INDEFINITE PRONOUNS (FEW, BOTH,
MANY, SEVERAL) TAKE PLURAL VERBS.
Charles Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities (is, are) a
classic.
The Three Musketeers (was, were) an interesting
movie.
A TITLE IS SINGULAR AND MUST
HAVE A SINGULAR VERB.
Two kilometers (is, are) a long way to go.
Fifteen minutes (is, are) a short time to wait.
Two hundred pesos (is, are) just enough to buy a
shirt.
A NOUN EXPRESSING AN AMOUNT OR
MEASUREMENT IS USUALLY SINGULAR
AND REQUIRES A SINGULAR VERB.
Onehalf of the cake (was, were) eaten.
Onehalf of the cakes (was, were) sold.
Threefourths of the tomatoes (has, have) been
taken.
FRACTIONS TAKE A SINGULAR OR
PLURAL VERB DEPENDING UPON THE
NOUN IN THE OFPHRASE.
Most of the food (was, were) eaten.
None of the tickets (has, have) been left.
All (seem, seems) to be dissatisfied with the oil
price hike.
THE PRONOUN ALL, ANY, MORE, MOST, NONE AND
SOME USUALLY TAKE SINGULAR VERB IF THE
ANTECEDENT IS SINGULAR AND A PLURAL VERB IF
IT IS PLURAL.