111 Subject-Verb Agreement Power Test

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules

Read and understand the following subject-verb agreement rules carefully before taking the 111 power test below. You may also reuse the items below for pretest and posttest purposes.

1. A singular subject takes a singular verb (is, was, has, does, with-s), and a plural subject takes a plural verb (are, were, have, do, without-s).
   • Kenneth washes the dishes.
   • Meteorologists study weather patterns.
2. Intervening words like as well as, together with, with, including, plus, in addition to, accompanied by, do not affect the number of the subject.
   • The choreographer, together with the dancers, performs gracefully.
3. Compound subjects joined by or, nor, either…or, neither…nor require a verb that agrees with the nearer subject.
   • Either Franz or his classmates want to have a good job in the future.
4. Compound subjects joined by and or both…and require a plural verb. If the compound subject is considered as one unit or is modified by each or every, it will take a singular verb.
   • The suspect and his lawyer answer the questions.
   • Both Rap and Jigs work at the hospital.
   • Bread and butter is my favorite breakfast.
   • Each man and woman appears to be studious.
5. If the subject consists of two nouns, and each of these is preceded by article the, the verb must be plural. If the second noun is not preceded by the, the verb must be singular.
   • The owner and the manager of the restaurant are foreigners.
   • The owner and manager of the restaurant is a foreigner.
6. A collective noun (band, committee, jury, team, etc.) requires a singular verb when the group is regarded as one unit, but when the individuals in the group act separately, a plural verb is required.
   • The orchestra poses for its photograph.
   • The orchestra tune their instruments.
7. The verb agrees with its subject, not with a predicate noun.
   • Her problem is her friends.
   • Her friends are her main problem.
8. The verb agrees with the subject, not with the object of the preposition.
   • Onto his knees sinks the young man.
   • The demand for more BPO agents is rising.
9. The verb agrees with the positive subject, not with the negative one.
   • The teacher, not the students, explains the theory.
10. The verb agrees with the antecedent of the relative pronoun.
    • Kenneth is one of the students who speak Spanish.
11. The expression the number of takes a singular verb, and a number of takes a plural verb.
    • The number of students participating in the rally is big.
    • A number of talented students are needed for the play.
12. Many takes plural verb, and many a takes singular verb.
    • Many agree to the proposal of the resource speaker.
    • Many a participant agrees to the suggestion.
13. A singular verb is used when the subject denotes quantity, fraction, percentage, currency, and length of time, but if they are followed by the phrase of the, the object of the phrase determines the number of the verb.
    • Ten pesos is the admission fee.
    • Four meters is the length of the board.
    • Three years seems a long time.
    • One-half of the cake was eaten by the visitors.
    • One-half of the students were given a chance by the teacher.
14. A singular verb is used when the subject is a title of a book, a play, a story, or a musical composition.
    • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a good Disney movie.
15. A singular verb is used for nouns plural in form but singular in meaning like physics, economics, mathematics, news, politics, mechanics, ethics, mumps, and measles.
    • Economics is a very interesting subject.
16. A plural verb is used for nouns in pairs like scissors, pants, tweezers, slippers, shoes, tongs, pliers, and pincers, but if the expression a pair of is used, the verb is singular.
    • The scissors are sharp.
    • A pair of scissors is sharp.
17. A singular verb is used for singular indefinite pronouns each, every, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, everything, anyone, anybody, anything, someone, somebody, something, no one, nobody, and nothing. 
    • Everyone listens attentively.
    • Neither of the girls likes chocolate cake.
18. A plural verb is used for plural indefinite pronouns both, few, many, and several.
    • Few have time for the activities.
    • Both wish to help the victims.
19. A verb is singular or plural depending on the subject of the phrase after the indefinite pronouns all, any, most, none, and some.
    • Most of the workers have left the building.
    • Most of the forest lies to the east.
20. A verb is singular or plural depending on the number of the subject after expletive here and there, but after expletive it, singular verb is always used.
    • Here is the list of graduating students.
    • There are visitors at the library.
    • It is the senators who must approve.

Subject-Verb Agreement Power Test

1. One who (has, have) desultory work habits will find his work confusing and time consuming.
2. It (is, are) good but very risky to engage in a platonic relationship with someone you cannot marry.
3. Religious congregations as well as civic organizations (show, shows) their magnanimity in times of emergency by giving assistance to the victims of calamities.
4. The pervading indifference shown by the employees (is, are) an overt hostility to the new management.
5. The scrupulous customs security guard (check, checks) all the new arrivals with courtesy.
6. Many guidance counselors (use, uses) eclectic methods in helping students achieve normal adjustment.
7. The United States government (is, are) on the fence about the internal political troubles of the country.
8. Some Filipino exporters (has, have) made a mark in the foreign market.
9. The school (issue, issues) provisional receipts to students making reservations.
10. The system of notation and expressions in Mathematics (is, are) highly abstract.
11. Most of our rivers (is, are) navigable.
12. There (is, are) several multisyllabic words in Social Studies.
13. The intrinsic merit of forming the habit of constant reading (is, are) that it enriches one’s life.
14. A multitude of heterogeneous groups of people (attend, attends) the historic funeral.
15. Very few (afford, affords) to live in affluence while surrounded by suffering hungry people.
16. The Manila Electric Company (give, gives) a lurid explanation on the frequent power interruptions.
17. My teacher’s forte (is, are) interpreting Shakespeare.
18. The parents of the bar topnotcher (display, displays) a supercilious attitude when their son is proclaimed the most outstanding alumnus of the university.
19. There (is, are) so many boutiques all over the city.
20. To operate smoothly, the management (has, have) no choice but acquiesce to the reasonable demands of the striking employees.
21. The two competing campus fraternities (has, have) finally come to terms.
22. The concerned citizens of the country (keep, keeps) an eye out for a clean, free, and fair election.
23. Her accidental meeting with her boyfriend at a party after she broke her date with him on the excuse that she was sick (is, are) one for the books.
24. A hard working scholar in all conscience (deserve, deserves) to pass his academic subjects in college.
25. The college students reviewing for their final examinations (is, are) fit to be tied because of the intolerable noise of the children playing in the street.
26. With the hard times we are facing today, he (take, takes) a dim view of his plan of buying a new car.
27. The ad hoc committee in Teaching Observation (has, have) arrived.
28. The Department Head of Nutrition and Dietetics (is, are) a connoisseur of food.
29. Young wives and matrons today (like, likes) to attend seminars on Chinese and French cuisine.
30. The millionaire staying in the Philippine Village Hotel (is, are) a bon vivant.
31. Neither mother nor her friends (was, were) in the birthday party of the mayor last night.
32. Measles (is, are) a deadly disease if not attended soon.
33. The house of my instructor (is, are) almost ten kilometers away from the school, where she teaches.
34. The students of STI College (has, have) already passed their projects.
35. Reyes, together with her students, (was, were) invited by the English 1 class yesterday afternoon.
36. My cousin and my uncle (is, are) going to Manila on Tuesday morning to visit our grandmother.
37. Bow and arrow (makes, make) a primitive weapon.
38. Yesterday, somebody (was shouting, were shouting) very loud when I arrived from work.
39. The favorite subject of my son (is, are) Physics.
40. Either the brass jars or the tray (is, are) hers.
41. Two thirds of the land owned by my parents (belong, belongs) to my sister.
42. Nobody in our class (has, have) read the Bible.
43. Some of the students of the Math class always (cheat, cheats) during examinations.
44. Many of the poor members of the Cainta Christian Church (attend, attends) church regularly.
45. There (is, are) many customs in our provinces which are different from those of the cities.
46. The committee (is, are) making plans for the increase of salaries.
47. Bread and butter (was, were) eaten by the Americans when they came yesterday.
48. Very few people (listen, listens) to the Word of God, the Bible.
49. Every boy and girl (has, have) helped to make the occasion memorable.
50. My mother and best friend (love, loves) to cook pork and beans whenever I come to visit.
51. He (forgive, forgives) anyone who comes to him for forgiveness.
52. The residents of that barrio (will have vacated, has vacated) their houses by tonight before the storm comes.
53. My colleagues (go, goes) to Sta. Lucia Mall every pay day to eat pizza.
54. Sandoval (had, has, have, will have) already left the country when the subpoena arrived.
55. Cedric (has been crying, has cried, have cried) for two hours since this morning because his mother died.
56. The supervisors, as well as the superintendent (has, have) submitted the proposal on the new curriculum.
57. Neither of the officers in the headquarters (know, knows) the new modus operandi.
58. The CEO and major stockholder of the company (respect, respects) the decision raised by the board.
59. Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo (was, were) both written by Dr. Jose Rizal.
60. Four miles (is, are) what he walks every day.
61. The demand for more BPO agents (is, are) continuously rising over the years.
62. To whom (do, does) it belong?
63. To a business minded person, each centavo and bill (is, are) to be treasured.
64. Not one of the listeners (stir, stirs) in his seat.
65. Two-thirds of the answer sheets (has, have) been shredded.
66. “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (is, are) a movie for all ages.
67. Ethics (deal, deals) with methods of understanding between right and wrong.
68. There you (is, are)!
69. Kindly, (produce, produces) two valid identification cards.
70. Nobody (plan, plans) to go to the beach this rainy season.
71. A classmate and a childhood friend of mine (is, are) visiting me over the weekend.
72. Some of the robot (is, are) made up of recycled materials.
73. One-fourth of the ice cream (is, are) eaten.
74. Some of them (go, goes) to the movies on weekends and holidays.
75. The Prime minister, together with his wife (greet, greets) the press.
76. All of the CD’s, even the scratched one (is, are) in this case.
77. The rhythm of the pounding waves (is, are) calming.
78. He seems to forget that there (is, are) things to be done before he can graduate.
79. The way of life in small villages from big cities (is, are) mostly quiet because there are few people.
80. There (was, were) fifteen candies in that bag. Now there is only one left.
81. Harry is not sure if he (prefer, prefers) the course offered in the institute.
82. Marc and Winbert (has gone, have gone) to different countries already.
83. Many (are, is, was, were) chosen but few are called.
84. If somebody (comes, come, came, have come) to beg for food, and looks helpless, we should help him.
85. Mom and Dad (had cleaned, had been cleaning, cleaned) the yard for a week now before the rains fell.
86. Thunder or lightning (gives, give) warning of a coming storm.
87. Everybody (care, cares) much for her.
88. The supporters, not the politician (is, are) initiating the protest.
89. The number of private colleges and universities (has, have) increased.
90. Most of the books in the library (is, are) disposed after the catastrophic flood.
91. The band (perform, performs) in the concert of the pop singer.
92. Pliers (has, have) been bought for household repair purposes.
93. Here (is, are) your requested file.
94. I really hate my classmates who (hit, hits) me below the belt.
95. Philippines (lie, lies) in the Pacific ring of fire.
96. Where (is, are) you going?
97. My boss, as well as his associates (discuss, discusses) the construction of the new building.
98. Nobody (try, tries) to believe me.
99. The foreigner (appreciate, appreciates) his art in the art exhibit.
100. Twenty percent of the total population (remain, remains) informal settlers.
101. As most sports magazines can attest, playing sports such as tennis and basketball (require, requires) not only mental ability but also physical strength.
102. According to the police, the killer of the boys in both cities (is, are) probably between the ages of 40 and 50.
103. Without the new taxes, houses built before World War II (has, have) lower costs than more modern homes do.
104. According to the information on this page, items bought before 1940 (cost, costs) more than items made after that year.
105. Much of the machinery on these farms (is, are) unusable.
106. That Shakespeare was one of the most talented writers (is, are) an understatement to those who are really familiar with the field of literature.
107. Of all the countries in that area of the world, perhaps Nigeria (has, have) the most potential.
108. Far from being a poor city with little diversity, New Orleans certainly (rank, ranks) as one of the most interesting spots in the United States.
109. Despite the bad weather we have had in the past days, there (is, are) no doubt that the tournament will go on.
110. Never (has, have) the weather been so bad in the months of June and July.
111. Of all the grammar points I have studied in my seven years of English, the most recent unit (confuse, confuses) me the most for a variety of reasons.