EXERCISE: SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Locate the subject and underline it once. Then locate the verb and underline it twice.

1. Kemo Sabe (means/mean) “soggy shrub” in Navajo.

2. Emus cannot (walks/walk) backwards.

3. A journey of a thousand miles (begins/begin) with a blister.

4. The homework for those classes (is/are) very time-consuming.

5. My notes from that class (isn’t/aren’t) very hard to read.

6. The buildings under the bridge (seems/seem) empty.

7. The name of all the continents (ends/end) with the same letter that they start with.

8. Predictions about how long a patient with cancer will live (is/are) often inaccurate.

9. A ban on advertising all types of junk food (is/are) probably the only way to stop the spread of obesity.

10. The pressurized situation in many hospitals (has/have) resulted in a stressed workforce and low morale amongst
nurses.

11. Unfortunately, many children in that city (lives/live) on the streets.

12. On rainy days, hikers on their lunch break often (eats/eat) on the porch.

13. The equipment in those storage rooms (is/are) used by gym classes.

14. Ancient cultures such as Greece and Rome (is/are) studied in the fifth grade.

15. Mathematics, in addition to history and science, (is/are) a required subject.

16. There (is/are) many ways we can use Facebook as a professional communication tool.

17. There (was/were) once a thriving civilization in the jungles of Yucatan.

18. Here (is/are) a translation of Popol Vuh, the Mayan book about the dawn of life.

19. Under the pillow (is/are) a quarter.

20. In the sky (is/are) millions of stars.

21. On top of the mountain (is/are) two small cabins.

22. Visible near Monte Alban in Southern Mexico (is/are) massive pyramids constructed over two thousand years ago.

23. (Has/Have) archeologists identified the builders of the pyramids?

24. Why (does/do) the student always come late?

25. John and his friend Lisa (likes/like) to hang out at the lounge on Saturdays.
26. Each of the girls (is/are) wearing her best dress.

27. Every dog and cat (has/have) paws.

28. Every cat and dog in the neighborhood (was/were) fighting.

29. They each (is/are) great tennis players.

30. Peanut butter and jelly (is/are) my favorite sandwich.

31. Starbucks (has/have) launched an “I’m In” campaign to encourage national service.

32. The Grapes of Wrath (is/are) John Steinbeck’s greatest novel.

33. Neither (notices/notice) the sky.

34. Neither steel nor glass (cuts/cut) a diamond.

35. Neither the CFO nor members of his staff (is/are) surprised by the revenue declines.

36. One of my friends (is/are) from France.

37. Only one of the President’s nominees (was/were) confirmed.

38. From the mountain top, everyone (seems/seem) to see something different.

39. No president of the United States (was/were) an only child.

40. No word in the English language (rhymes/rhyme) with month.

41. Nobody (lives/live) in the cabins.

42. Here is some good advice: Don’t sneeze when someone (is/are) cutting your hair.

43. Something (is/are) worrying them.

44. Both of those teachers (gives/give) a lot of homework.

45. Few students (loves/love) Math.

46. Many people (quits/quit) looking for work when they find a job.

47. Some of the money (was/were) stolen from my wallet.

48. Some of the students (is/are) not listening to their teacher.

49. All of the syrup (has/have) leaked out on the refrigerator shelf.

50. All of the studies (is/are) current.

51. None of this (is/are) easy.

52. Any of the dessert (is/are) up for grabs.

53. Any of the dogs (wants/want) to go.

54. Most of the garden (has/have) been planted.

55. Most of the people (has/have) already seen that show.

56. Most of the flour from the cookies (has/have) been absorbed by the batter.

57. If a man (is/are) wearing a striped suit, it’s against the law to throw a knife at him in Natoma, Kansas.

58. More than one student (has/have) tried this.

59. The team (is/are) heading for practice this afternoon.

60. The team (is/are) eating with their families tonight.

61. Our staff (meets/meet) on Tuesday mornings to discuss customer complaints.

62. Our staff (works/work) hard to meet their goals and deadlines.

63. The orchestra (performs/perform) my favorite music.

64. The orchestra (was/were) turning up one by one.

65. For weeks, the cast (was/were) rehearsing their lines with one another.

66. Brown rice (is/are) nutritious.

67. The lens (was/were) cracked.

68. These scissors (is/are) dull.

69. A deer (was/were) nibbling the lettuce.

70. Two deer (was/were) standing in the middle of the road.

71. One means of campaigning (is/are) direct mail.

72. Two other means (is/are) TV advertising and mass rallies.

73. The number of frogs in the pond (is/are) twice the number of fish.

74. The number of people who are suffering from stress (is/are) on the increase.

75. The number of hardworking students in this class (is/are) quite large.

76. A number of students in this class (is/are) hard workers.

77. A number of protesters (is/are) gathering outside the capitol building today.

78. An increasing number of patients seem to be dissatisfied with conventional medicine and (has/have) turned to
alternative therapies.
79. Fifty dollars (is/are) a lot to ask.

80. Three months (is/are) not long enough.

81. Ten kilometers (is/are) too far to walk.

82. Fifty percent of the job (is/are) routine.

83. Fifty percent of the computers (has/have) CD-ROM drives.

84. Half of the cake (was/were) eaten.

85. Half of his articles (is/are) peer-reviewed.

86. The majority of students in this class (is/are) hard workers.

87. Lisa is the only one of my students who (has/have) passed with an A.

88. Lisa is one of my students who (has/have) passed with an A.

89. Elderly people who have a large family (is/are) generally healthier and happier than those who have fewer contacts
with other people.

90. It is a misdemeanor to show movies that (depicts/depict) acts of felonious crime in Montana.

91. The fact that people live longer nowadays (has/have) led to an increased number of elderly people in society.

92. They love the view of the river valleys which (spreads/spread) in three directions.

93. They live in a city which (has/have) a high crime rate.

94. She goes to Douglas College which (has/have) three campuses.

95. The only nation whose name (begins/begin) with an A but doesn’t end in an A is Afghanistan.

96. The reason why allergies are becoming more common (is/are) still not known.

97. The pop you get when you crack your knuckles (is/are) actually a bubble of gas bursting.

98. Having good friends (is/are) a wonderful thing.

99. Whatever they want to do (is/are) fine with me.

100. Not a new machine but new workers (is/are) needed for the job.