Answer key for a subject-verb agreement grammar worksheet.

It looks like you've uploaded a Subject-Verb Agreement worksheet with an answer key, and the sentences are already marked as "CORRECT" with explanations. However, it seems that the verbs themselves are missing in the blanks (e.g., “______ calming”), and you’re likely asking for help to fill in the correct verbs based on subject-verb agreement rules.

Let’s go through each sentence, identify the correct verb form, and explain why based on the clues provided.

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1. The rhythm of the pounding waves ______ calming.

- Correct verb: *is*
- Explanation: The subject is "The rhythm" — singular. Even though "waves" follows, it's part of a prepositional phrase ("of the pounding waves") that modifies "rhythm." So, the verb must agree with "rhythm" → singular.
- ✔ Answer: is

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2. All of the dogs in the neighborhood ______ barking.

- Correct verb: *were*
- Explanation: "All of the dogs" = plural subject. The phrase "in the neighborhood" is just additional information. So, the verb should be plural.
- ✔ Answer: were

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3. A high tax, not to mention unemployment, ______ votes.

- Correct verb: *influences*
- Explanation: The subject is "A high tax" — singular. "Not to mention unemployment" is a parenthetical addition and does not change the number of the subject. So, use singular verb.
- ✔ Answer: influences

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4. My friends and my mother ______ each other.

- Correct verb: *like*
- Explanation: Two subjects joined by "and" → compound subject → plural. So, the verb must be plural.
- ✔ Answer: like

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5. The team and the band ______ on the field.

- Correct verb: *were*
- Explanation: Two nouns joined by "and" → plural subject → plural verb.
- ✔ Answer: were

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6. Building a good marriage and building a good log fire ______ similar in many ways.

- Correct verb: *are*
- Explanation: Two gerund phrases ("Building...") joined by "and" → plural subject → plural verb.
- ✔ Answer: are

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7. John or Doris ______ to us regularly.

- Correct verb: *writes*
- Explanation: Singular subjects joined by "or" → use singular verb. The verb agrees with the subject closest to it, but both are singular, so either way, it's singular.
- ✔ Answer: writes

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8. Either Patty or Tom ______ asked to lead the meeting.

- Correct verb: *was*
- Explanation: "Either...or" connects two singular subjects. Use singular verb. The verb agrees with the nearest subject ("Tom"), which is singular.
- ✔ Answer: was

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9. Neither Carol nor Ted ______ excluded from the meeting.

- Correct verb: *is*
- Explanation: "Neither...nor" connects two singular subjects. The verb agrees with the nearer subject ("Ted") → singular.
- ✔ Answer: is

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10. Neither the basket nor the apples ______ expensive.

- Correct verb: *were*
- Explanation: "Neither...nor" — the verb agrees with the nearer subject ("the apples") → plural → plural verb.
- ✔ Answer: were

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11. Neither the apples nor the basket ______ expensive.

- Correct verb: *was*
- Explanation: "Neither...nor" — verb agrees with the nearer subject ("the basket") → singular → singular verb.
- ✔ Answer: was

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12. Either Maria or you ______ late for class.

- Correct verb: *were*
- Explanation: "Either...or" — verb agrees with the nearer subject ("you") → second person plural → "were".
- ✔ Answer: were

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13. Either you or Maria ______ late for class.

- Correct verb: *are*
- Explanation: "Either...or" — verb agrees with the nearer subject ("Maria") → third person singular? Wait — no! "You" is second person, and even though "Maria" is closer, "you" is the subject before "or", but the rule says agree with the nearest subject. Here, "Maria" is the nearest → singular → is?

Wait — let’s double-check.

Actually, the rule is: "Either you or Maria" — the verb agrees with the subject closest to the verb. But in this case, since "you" is closer to the verb than "Maria"? No — actually, the structure is:

> Either [you] or [Maria] ______

So, "you" comes first, then "Maria". But the verb agrees with the nearest subject — so if the blank is after "Maria", then "Maria" is the nearest → singular → is?

But wait — standard grammar rule:
> When using "either...or" or "neither...nor", the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

So:
- "Either you or Maria is late" → incorrect? Actually, no — because "you" is second person, and "you" takes plural verb form even when singular.

But here's the catch: "you" is always treated as plural in verb agreement, regardless of number.

So:
- "Either you or Maria is late" → ✘
- Correct: "Either you or Maria are late" → ✔

Because "you" takes "are", and since "you" is the first subject, and the verb must agree with the closest one, but "you" is second person, and always uses plural verb forms.

So:
✔ Answer: are

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14. Hardest hit by the high temperatures and drought ______ the farmers.

- Correct verb: *were*
- Explanation: This is an inverted sentence — the real subject is "the farmers" (plural), and the verb should match. Despite the fronting, the subject is still "the farmers" → plural.
- ✔ Answer: were

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15. Neither of them ______ going to the show.

- Correct verb: *is*
- Explanation: "Neither" is singular. "Of them" adds detail. So, "Neither of them" = singular → singular verb.
- ✔ Answer: is

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16. Each of them ______ a good seat.

- Correct verb: *has*
- Explanation: "Each" is singular, even though "them" refers to multiple people. "Each" means "every one" → singular verb.
- ✔ Answer: has

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✔ Final Answers (filled in):

1. is
2. were
3. influences
4. like
5. were
6. are
7. writes
8. was
9. is
10. were
11. was
12. were
13. are
14. were
15. is
16. has

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🔍 Summary of Key Rules Used:

| Rule | Example |
|------|--------|
| Intervening words don’t change subject number | "The rhythm of the waves" → "rhythm" is singular → *is* |
| Subjects joined by "and" → usually plural | "friends and mother" → *like* |
| "Either/or" / "Neither/nor" → verb agrees with the nearer subject | "Neither the basket nor the apples" → "apples" is nearer → *were* |
| "Each", "neither", "either", "everyone" → singular | "Each of them" → *has* |
| Inverted word order → find true subject | "Hardest hit... were the farmers" → "farmers" is subject → *were* |

Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a printable worksheet or need more examples!