Name: ___________________________Section:___________ Date:______________

1 Activity Title: Subject-Verb Agreement

CONCEPT: Subjects and verbs must AGREE with one another in number (singular or
plural). Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb
must also be plural.
In the present tense, nouns and verbs form plurals in opposite ways: nouns ADD an s to the
singular form; verbs REMOVE the s from the singular form.

Examples: - The dog chases the cat. (singular) - The dogs chase the cat. (plural)

1.The general rule is that singular subjects require singular verbs and plural subjects require plural
verbs.
Examples: She has her computer on. (singular)
They were fixing the tents. (plural)
2. The pronouns I and you always take a plural verb when used as subjects in a sentence.
Examples: I make delicious cakes.
You go to bed early.
The be-verb is an exception. I is used with am in the present tense and was in the past tense.
I am always smiling.
I was at the hotel this morning.

EXERCISES: Directions: Underline the correct verb to complete the sentence.

1. At Yellowstone Park grizzly bears (doesn’t, don’t) have names; they have numbers.
2. In the meeting between human and bear, a wild-card factor (throws, throw) all calculations
and studies to the wind.
3. The Yellowstone authorities should (has, have) kept thorough records on each bear.
4. When some bears (encounters, encounter) people, it is the bear who runs.
5. The great national parks (holds, hold) about 200 grizzlies, with possibly 30 of them being
breeding females.
6. Both Democrats and Republicans (is, are) electing a new leader.
7. Neither threats nor hostile action (scares, scare) the enemy.
8. The actors and the director (understands, understand) the lighting problems.
9. The surfer or the swimmers (is, are) responsible for the littered beach.
10. A good diet and a realistic exercise plan (combines, combine) to help one lose weight.

Directions: This group of sentences contains a mixture of correct and incorrect subject-verb
combinations. Read each sentence carefully. If the subject and verb agree, write "correct" in the
space provided below. If the subject and verb do not agree, change the number of the verb to make
the two agree. Write the corrections in the space below.

1. A sweet potato and some carrots provides Vitamin A, important for healthy eyes.
2. The eyes or the skin is often adversely affected by a lack of Vitamin A.
3. Neither bleach nor dyes really helps unhealthy hair look better.
4. Ripe tomatoes, leafy Brussels sprouts, and a handy orange is rich in Vitamin C.
5. Unfortunately for the sedentary, neither diet nor vitamins alone provide sufficient fuel for good
health.
6. Behind an experimental fenced yard protecting campers in Glacier National Park, six visitors has
been fatally
mauled by grizzlies in the past 19 years.
7. Meandering downriver toward a deer, three grizzly cubs comes within 15 yards of it.
8. To a grizzly almost anything are food except rocks.
9. Lingering snow patches often become playgrounds for grizzlies observed making snowballs.
10. Female grizzlies mates every third year in summer, without their fertilized eggs implanting in the
womb until
fall.
Activity: Choose the appropriate verb to complete the sentence. Encircle the letter of the
correct answer.
1. The owner of several companies ________ visiting our school.
a. are b. were c. is d. am
2. The natives of the Caribbean _______ friendly.
a. was b. are c. is d. have
3. Many boys who live in Elm Street ___________ a baseball game.
a. organize b. organizing c. organizes d. has organizing
4. Intelligence, as well as beauty,________ the judges in selecting the winner of the pageant.
a. have help b. help c. helps d. has help
5. You _______ perfect for the job.
a. is b. am c. are d. was
6. The truck, together with the first six trucks, ________ derailed.
a. was b. am c. were d. have
7. My dogs, Spencer and Tracy, ___________ toads in the backyard.
 a. chasing b. chase c. chases d. has chasing
8. The steps on the old mansion ________ hazardous.
a. had b. are c. was d. has