SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT EXERCISE 1 (ESL)
B1–B2 · IntermediateSubject-verb agreement sounds simple at first — singular subject, singular verb — but English has a number of patterns that complicate that basic rule. This exercise focuses on some of the trickiest ones, including neither/nor, either/or, collective nouns, and nouns that look plural but take a singular verb.
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Choose the correct verb form to complete each sentence.
GRAMMAR REVIEW! Subject-Verb Agreement — tricky cases
The basic rule is simple: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. The difficulty lies in a number of special cases.
Neither/nor and either/or:
When two subjects are joined by neither/nor or either/or, the verb agrees with the subject closer to it:
Neither the teacher nor the students were ready.
Neither the students nor the teacher was ready.
Collective nouns:
Words like team, family, group, committee can take a singular or plural verb depending on whether you view the group as a unit or as individuals:
The team is well prepared. (unit) / The committee are arguing. (individuals)
Nouns that end in -s but are singular:
Some nouns look plural but always take a singular verb: news, mathematics, physics, economics, measles.
The news is good.
Indefinite pronouns:
Each, every, either, neither, one, nobody, somebody, anyone are all singular.
Neither of the candidates has answered the question.
There is / There are:
The verb agrees with the noun that follows it, not with there:
There is a problem. / There are several problems.
The basic rule is simple: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. The difficulty lies in a number of special cases.
Neither/nor and either/or:
When two subjects are joined by neither/nor or either/or, the verb agrees with the subject closer to it:
Neither the teacher nor the students were ready.
Neither the students nor the teacher was ready.
Collective nouns:
Words like team, family, group, committee can take a singular or plural verb depending on whether you view the group as a unit or as individuals:
The team is well prepared. (unit) / The committee are arguing. (individuals)
Nouns that end in -s but are singular:
Some nouns look plural but always take a singular verb: news, mathematics, physics, economics, measles.
The news is good.
Indefinite pronouns:
Each, every, either, neither, one, nobody, somebody, anyone are all singular.
Neither of the candidates has answered the question.
There is / There are:
The verb agrees with the noun that follows it, not with there:
There is a problem. / There are several problems.
KEEP PRACTICING — MORE EXERCISES FOR YOU:
Subject-verb agreement is one of the most commonly tested grammar points — these exercises cover it from multiple angles.
More subject-verb agreement exercises:
Subject-verb agreement 2 (B1/B2)
Related exercises:
Isn’t or aren’t? 1 (A2/B1)
There is / there are 1 (A2/B1)
There is / there are 2 (A2/B1)
Do or does? 1 (A1/A2)
Do or does? 2 (A1/A2)
Do or does? 3 (A1/A2)
Do, does, is, or are? 1 (A1/A2)
Collective nouns + agreement 1 (B1/B2)
Auxiliary verbs 1 (A2/B1)
Auxiliary verbs 2 (A2/B1)
Auxiliary verbs 3 (A2/B1)
Browse all grammar exercises →
Subject-verb agreement is one of the most commonly tested grammar points — these exercises cover it from multiple angles.
More subject-verb agreement exercises:
Subject-verb agreement 2 (B1/B2)
Related exercises:
Isn’t or aren’t? 1 (A2/B1)
There is / there are 1 (A2/B1)
There is / there are 2 (A2/B1)
Do or does? 1 (A1/A2)
Do or does? 2 (A1/A2)
Do or does? 3 (A1/A2)
Do, does, is, or are? 1 (A1/A2)
Collective nouns + agreement 1 (B1/B2)
Auxiliary verbs 1 (A2/B1)
Auxiliary verbs 2 (A2/B1)
Auxiliary verbs 3 (A2/B1)
Browse all grammar exercises →
