Subject-verb agreement grammar guide: English ESL worksheets pdf & doc - Free Printable

Let's solve this "Agreement of Subject and Predicate" test step by step. The goal is to choose the correct verb form (singular or plural) that agrees with the subject in each sentence.

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🔹 Key Rules to Remember:

1. Compound subjects joined by "and" → usually plural.
2. Subjects joined by "or" / "nor" → verb agrees with the nearer subject.
3. "Either...or", "Neither...nor" → verb agrees with the closer subject.
4. Collective nouns (e.g., family, team) → can be singular or plural depending on context; if acting as a unit → singular; if individuals → plural.
5. "Each of", "One of", "Many of", "Most of", "Some of" → the verb agrees with the noun after "of", not the preceding word.
6. "All of", "None of", "Any of" → depend on the noun they refer to.
7. "A list of", "A number of" → "a list" = singular; "a number of" = plural.
8. "Everything", "Nothing", "Anything", "Something" → always singular.
9. "The latest news" → singular (news is uncountable).
10. Inverted sentences (e.g., "There is...", "Here are...") → subject follows the verb; check for agreement.

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Now, let’s go through each sentence:

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1. Strawberries and cream _____ my favourite dessert.

- "Strawberries and cream" is a compound subject joined by and → plural.
- But it refers to one dish, so treated as singular.
- ✔ is

> ✔️ Answer: is

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2. Marie or her sister _____ to bring my books tomorrow morning.

- "Marie or her sister" → either/or structure → verb agrees with nearer subject ("her sister").
- "Her sister" is singular → verb should be singular.
- ✔ is

> ✔️ Answer: is

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3. Neither you nor he _____ the right to say such things.

- "Neither...nor" → verb agrees with nearer subject: "he".
- "He" is singular → verb singular.
- ✔ has

> ✔️ Answer: has

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4. Either the suspect or the witnesses _____

- "Either...or" → verb agrees with nearer subject: "the witnesses" (plural).
- So, plural verb needed.
- ✔ are

> ✔️ Answer: are

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5. Look! _____ two magazines and a book on the table.

- Inverted sentence: "There are..." structure.
- "Two magazines and a book" → plural.
- ✔ There are

> ✔️ Answer: There are

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6. We found out that all players, as well as the coach, _____ down with the flu.

- "As well as" does not affect subject-verb agreement.
- Main subject: "all players" → plural.
- ✔ were

> ✔️ Answer: were

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7. A list of foreign words, including foreign proper names, _____ at the end of the book.

- "A list" is singular → subject is singular.
- ✔ is

> ✔️ Answer: is

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8. Her family _____ with each other.

- "Family" here refers to individual members interacting → plural.
- ✔ argue (or "disagree", but since no options given, assume base form)
- If "family" is a unit → singular, but "with each other" implies plural action.
- ✔ argue

> ✔️ Answer: argue

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9. The latest news _____ not very encouraging.

- "News" is an uncountable noun → singular.
- ✔ is

> ✔️ Answer: is

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10. Everything _____ its price.

- "Everything" is singular.
- ✔ has

> ✔️ Answer: has

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11. Each of them _____ ready to do it.

- "Each of them" → each is singular → verb must be singular.
- ✔ is

> ✔️ Answer: is

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12. Anything _____ possible in this situation.

- "Anything" is singular.
- ✔ is

> ✔️ Answer: is

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13. Part of the house _____ to her brother.

- "Part of the house" → "part" is singular → verb singular.
- ✔ belongs

> ✔️ Answer: belongs

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14. One never _____ what can happen tomorrow.

- "One" is singular pronoun → verb singular.
- ✔ knows

> ✔️ Answer: knows

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15. Many of them _____ their help.

- "Many of them" → "many" is plural → verb plural.
- ✔ offer

> ✔️ Answer: offer

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16. Most of them _____ writers.

- "Most of them" → "them" refers to people → plural.
- ✔ are

> ✔️ Answer: are

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17. Some of these facts _____

- "Some of these facts" → "facts" is plural → verb plural.
- ✔ are

> ✔️ Answer: are

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18. _____ a lot of snow on the roof.

- Inverted sentence → "There is..."
- "Snow" is uncountable → singular.
- ✔ There is

> ✔️ Answer: There is

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19. When we came to the park _____ a lot of people there

- Inverted sentence → "There were..."
- "People" is plural → verb plural.
- ✔ there were

> ✔️ Answer: there were

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20. Nothing _____ after his arrival.

- "Nothing" is singular.
- ✔ happened

> ✔️ Answer: happened

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✔ Final Answers:

| No. | Answer |
|-----|---------------|
| 1 | is |
| 2 | is |
| 3 | has |
| 4 | are |
| 5 | There are |
| 6 | were |
| 7 | is |
| 8 | argue |
| 9 | is |
| 10 | has |
| 11 | is |
| 12 | is |
| 13 | belongs |
| 14 | knows |
| 15 | offer |
| 16 | are |
| 17 | are |
| 18 | There is |
| 19 | there were |
| 20 | happened |

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📝 Summary of Key Concepts Used:

- Compound subjects (and): usually plural unless one item.
- Either/or, neither/nor: verb matches closer subject.
- "Each of", "One of", "Many of": verb agrees with noun after "of".
- Collective nouns: plural when referring to individuals.
- Uncountable nouns: "news", "snow", "everything" → singular.
- Inversion: "There is/are", "Here is/are" → use correct verb based on subject.

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