Sentence correction subject verb agreement
61 flashcards covering Sentence correction subject verb agreement for the GMAT Verbal section.
Subject-verb agreement is a key grammar rule that requires the subject of a sentence and its verb to match in number—singular subjects need singular verbs, and plural subjects need plural verbs. For instance, in the sentence "The team wins the game," the singular subject "team" pairs with the singular verb "wins." This concept is essential for clear communication and is a common foundation in English writing, helping to avoid confusion in everyday language and formal texts.
On the GMAT Verbal section, subject-verb agreement frequently appears in Sentence Correction questions, where you must identify and fix errors in given sentences. These questions often include traps like intervening phrases, collective nouns, or compound subjects that can obscure the true subject, leading to mismatched verbs. Focus on pinpointing the main subject and ignoring distractions to select the correct option, as this skill tests your ability to analyze sentence structure under time pressure.
A quick tip: Always cross out prepositional phrases to reveal the real subject.
Terms (61)
- 01
Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement requires that a verb match its subject in number, using a singular form for a singular subject and a plural form for a plural subject to ensure grammatical correctness.
- 02
Singular Subject
A singular subject refers to one entity, such as a person or thing, and must be paired with a singular verb, like 'runs' for 'the dog'.
- 03
Plural Subject
A plural subject refers to more than one entity, such as people or things, and must be paired with a plural verb, like 'run' for 'the dogs'.
- 04
Intervening Phrases
Intervening phrases between a subject and verb can mislead, but the verb must still agree with the subject, not the phrase, such as ignoring 'of the students' in 'The leader of the students is prepared'.
- 05
Compound Subjects with And
Compound subjects joined by 'and' are usually plural and require a plural verb, except when they form a single unit, like 'Peanut butter and jelly is a classic sandwich'.
- 06
Compound Subjects with Or
Compound subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor' take a verb that agrees with the subject closest to the verb, such as 'Either the cat or the dogs are noisy'.
- 07
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns, like 'team' or 'family', are singular when acting as a unit and take a singular verb, but plural if referring to individuals, as in 'The team is winning'.
- 08
Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects
Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone' or 'somebody' are singular and require a singular verb, even if they imply multiple people, such as 'Everyone is invited'.
- 09
Each and Every as Subjects
Words like 'each' or 'every' make the subject singular, so the verb must be singular, as in 'Each of the players has a role'.
- 10
None as Subject
None can be singular or plural depending on context; it takes a singular verb if referring to a singular noun, like 'None of the cake is left', or plural if to a plural noun.
- 11
Either and Neither as Subjects
Either and neither are singular pronouns and require a singular verb, such as 'Neither option works'.
- 12
All and Some as Subjects
All and some can be singular or plural based on the noun they refer to; for example, 'All of the money is gone' (singular) versus 'All of the books are gone' (plural).
- 13
The Number vs. A Number
The phrase 'the number' is singular and takes a singular verb, while 'a number' is plural and takes a plural verb, as in 'The number of errors is high'.
- 14
Fractions and Percentages
Fractions and percentages are singular if referring to a singular whole, like 'Half of the pie is eaten', but plural if to plural parts, like 'Half of the pies are eaten'.
- 15
Relative Clauses and Agreement
In relative clauses, the verb agrees with the antecedent of the relative pronoun, such as 'The student who studies hard passes the exam' where 'who' refers to 'student'.
- 16
Inverted Sentences
In inverted sentences, like questions, the verb still agrees with the subject, not the order, as in 'Are the books on the shelf?' where 'books' is plural.
- 17
Expletive Constructions
In sentences starting with 'there is' or 'there are', the verb agrees with the real subject that follows, like 'There are many reasons' where 'reasons' is plural.
- 18
Agreement with Gerunds
A gerund phrase as a subject is singular and takes a singular verb, such as 'Swimming in the ocean is fun'.
- 19
Appositive Phrases
An appositive phrase renames the subject but does not affect verb agreement; the verb agrees with the main subject, as in 'The mayor, a respected leader, is speaking'.
- 20
Parenthetical Elements
Parenthetical elements inserted between subject and verb do not change agreement; ignore them, like in 'The team (despite the loss) is celebrating'.
- 21
Correlative Conjunctions
With correlative conjunctions like 'not only... but also', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it if the subjects differ, such as 'Not only the players but also the coach is tired'.
- 22
Subject After Verb
Even if the subject follows the verb, as in some questions or for emphasis, agreement is based on the subject, like 'Standing in the back is the winner'.
- 23
Agreement in Complex Sentences
In complex sentences, each clause maintains its own subject-verb agreement, such as 'While the cat sleeps, the dogs play'.
- 24
Prepositional Phrase Interference
Prepositional phrases can create traps by seeming to modify the subject, but the verb agrees with the subject, not the object of the preposition.
- 25
Intervening Adjective Clauses
Adjective clauses between subject and verb do not alter agreement; the verb matches the subject, as in 'The book that has many pages is heavy'.
- 26
Strategy: Identify the True Subject
To ensure correct agreement, first locate the true subject by stripping away modifiers and phrases that might obscure it.
- 27
Strategy: Ignore Intervening Words
A key strategy is to mentally remove words between the subject and verb to check if they agree, preventing common errors.
- 28
Example: Simple Singular Agreement
In 'The car drives smoothly', the singular subject 'car' correctly pairs with the singular verb 'drives'.
Correct: The car drives. Incorrect: The car drive.
- 29
Example: Simple Plural Agreement
In 'The cars drive smoothly', the plural subject 'cars' correctly pairs with the plural verb 'drive'.
Correct: The cars drive. Incorrect: The cars drives.
- 30
Example: With Intervening Phrase
In 'The color of the leaves changes', the singular subject 'color' agrees with 'changes', ignoring the intervening phrase 'of the leaves'.
Correct as is. Trap: Might think 'leaves' affects it.
- 31
Example: Compound Subject Error
In 'Bacon and eggs are a great breakfast', the compound subject 'bacon and eggs' is plural, so 'are' is correct, but errors occur if treated as singular.
- 32
Example: Collective Noun Correct
In 'The jury reaches a verdict', the collective noun 'jury' is singular, so 'reaches' agrees, assuming it acts as a unit.
Correct: The jury reaches. Plural if: The jury are divided.
- 33
Example: Indefinite Pronoun Error
In 'Everyone in the room have arrived', it's incorrect because 'everyone' is singular, so it should be 'has arrived' to agree.
Correct: Everyone has arrived.
- 34
Example: Each as Subject
In 'Each of the students has a book', 'each' is singular, so 'has' agrees, even though 'students' is plural.
- 35
Example: None with Singular Noun
In 'None of the water is clean', 'none' is singular here, matching with 'is' for the singular noun 'water'.
Contrast: None of the apples are clean.
- 36
Example: Either as Subject
In 'Either answer is correct', 'either' is singular, so 'is' agrees with it.
- 37
Example: All with Plural Noun
In 'All of the players are ready', 'all' takes a plural verb because 'players' is plural.
- 38
Example: The Number Phrase
In 'The number of participants is increasing', 'the number' is singular, so 'is' is correct.
- 39
Example: Fraction with Singular
In 'Two-thirds of the pizza is gone', the fraction refers to a singular whole, so 'is' agrees.
- 40
Example: Relative Clause Agreement
In 'The woman who is singing has a great voice', the verb 'is' agrees with 'woman', the antecedent of 'who'.
Error if: The women who is singing.
- 41
Example: Inverted Question
In 'Do the birds fly south?', the plural subject 'birds' agrees with the plural verb 'fly'.
- 42
Example: Expletive with Plural
In 'There are several options', the verb 'are' agrees with the plural subject 'options'.
- 43
Example: Gerund as Subject
In 'Running a marathon requires training', the gerund 'running' is singular, so 'requires' agrees.
- 44
Example: Appositive in Sentence
In 'My brother, the doctor, works hard', the verb 'works' agrees with the singular subject 'brother', ignoring the appositive.
- 45
Example: Parenthetical Ignore
In 'The committee (including its chair) votes tomorrow', 'votes' agrees with the singular 'committee'.
- 46
Example: Correlative Conjunction
In 'Not only the students but also the teacher is present', the verb 'is' agrees with the singular 'teacher'.
- 47
Example: Subject After Verb
In 'Here comes the bus', the singular subject 'bus' agrees with 'comes'.
- 48
Example: Complex Sentence Agreement
In 'Although the storm rages, the ship sails on', each verb agrees with its subject: 'storm' with 'rages' and 'ship' with 'sails'.
- 49
Common Trap: Plural Nouns in Phrases
Prepositional phrases with plural nouns can trick test-takers into using plural verbs, but the subject determines agreement.
- 50
Common Trap: Intervening Adjectives
A string of adjectives between subject and verb doesn't change agreement, as in 'The long, winding road leads to the mountain'.
- 51
Strategy: Check for Singular/Plural
Always verify if the subject is singular or plural by examining its form and context before selecting the verb.
- 52
Strategy: Rephrase for Clarity
If a sentence is confusing, rephrase it mentally to isolate the subject and verb for accurate agreement.
- 53
Advanced: Agreement in Subordinate Clauses
In subordinate clauses, the verb agrees with the subject of that clause, regardless of the main clause, like 'where the birds fly'.
- 54
Advanced: With Quantifiers
Quantifiers like 'more than one' make the subject plural, so the verb must be plural, as in 'More than one error was found'—wait, no, 'more than one' is singular.
- 55
Advanced: Agreement with Who/That
Pronouns like 'who' or 'that' require verbs agreeing with their antecedents, such as 'The team that wins celebrates'.
- 56
Advanced: Trap with Possessives
Possessive forms don't affect subject-verb agreement; the subject itself determines the verb, like 'The dog's toys are scattered'.
- 57
Advanced: In Series of Nouns
In a series, the verb agrees with the main subject, not the series, as in 'The book, pen, and paper are on the table'.
- 58
Example: None with Plural Noun
In 'None of the employees are working', 'none' takes a plural verb because 'employees' is plural.
- 59
Example: Fractions with Plural
In 'One-third of the students are absent', the fraction with a plural noun 'students' requires a plural verb.
- 60
Strategy: Use Substitution
Substitute a simple word for the subject to test verb agreement, like replacing a compound subject with 'they'.
- 61
Advanced: Agreement in Conditional Sentences
In conditional sentences, each clause maintains agreement independently, such as 'If the team wins, celebrations begin'.