Practice Exercises for Subject Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement is one of the most fundamental aspects of English grammar. It refers to the usage of verbs that agree with the subject of a sentence in terms of number and person. However, many people find this rule tricky, particularly when it comes to more complex sentences.

Thankfully, there are plenty of practice exercises that can help you improve your understanding of subject-verb agreement. Here are just a few examples:

1. Identify the subject and verb in a sentence

This may seem simple, but breaking down a sentence into its constituent parts is an important first step in understanding subject-verb agreement. To practice, take a few sentences and identify the subject and verb in each one. For example:

– The cat sits on the mat. (Subject: cat, verb: sits)

– They are going to the movies. (Subject: they, verb: are going)

2. Match subject and verb tenses

In English, verbs must match their subject not only in terms of number, but also in tense. To practice this, try matching the tense of the verb with the tense of the subject. For example:

– She is singing a song. (Present continuous tense)

– They were watching a movie. (Past continuous tense)

3. Use the correct verb form with compound subjects

When there are two or more subjects in a sentence, it is important to use the appropriate form of the verb. If the subjects are joined by « and, » use a plural verb. If they are joined by « or, » use a singular verb. For example:

– John and Sarah are going to the party. (Plural verb)

– Either John or Sarah is going to the party. (Singular verb)

4. Make subjects and verbs agree in tricky cases

There are some cases where subject-verb agreement can be tricky. For example, when the subject is an indefinite pronoun like « everyone » or « nobody, » the verb must agree with the singular pronoun. Similarly, when the subject is a collective noun like « team » or « group, » the verb can be either singular or plural depending on the context. To practice, try completing the following sentences:

– Nobody __________ what`s going to happen next. (knows/know)

– The team __________ the championship last year. (won/wins)

By practicing exercises like these, you can improve your understanding of subject-verb agreement and become a better writer. Remember to always read and reread your writing to ensure that your subjects and verbs agree. Happy writing!