EnglishAges 13-15

Subject-verb agreement

Match singular, plural, collective and indefinite subjects to their grammatically agreeing verbs. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.

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Age band:Ages 13-15 Ages 16-18

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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 13-15

Subject-verb agreement

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Choose the correct verb after “A number of” (meaning “several”): “A number of students ____ volunteered for the beach clean-up” (have / has).
“A number of” · “several” · Subject-verb agreement
2. Choose the correct verb in the inverted “There” sentence: “There ____ a thermometer and a rain gauge in the box” — wait, for a single item: “There ____ a single compass in the drawer” (is / are).
“There” · Subject-verb agreement
3. Choose the correct verb for a plural-only tool noun: “These scissors ____ too blunt to cut cardboard” (are / is).
Choose the correct verb fo… · Subject-verb agreement
4. Choose the correct verb for the uncountable noun “information”: “All of the information in the report ____ verified” (was / were).
“information” · Subject-verb agreement
5. Choose the correct verb for the singular pronoun “Somebody”: “Somebody ____ left a notebook in the laboratory” (has / have).
“Somebody” · Subject-verb agreement
6. When a compound subject is joined by “either … or”, which noun determines the verb agreement: the nearer subject (“The teacher or the students ARE…”) or always plural?
“either … or” · Subject-verb agreement
7. Choose the correct verb by the proximity rule: “Neither the plates nor the serving bowl ____ cracked” (was / were).
Choose the correct verb by… · Subject-verb agreement
8. Choose the verb that agrees with the singular head noun “box”: “The box of watercolour paints ____ on the top shelf” (is / are).
“box” · Subject-verb agreement
9. Choose the correct verb with “Many a”: “Many a sailor ____ navigated by the North Star” (has / have).
“Many a” · Subject-verb agreement
10. Choose the correct verb by the proximity rule: “Either the coach or the players ____ bringing the cones” (are / is).
Choose the correct verb by… · Subject-verb agreement
11. Choose the correct verb for the uncountable noun “news”: “The news from the weather station ____ encouraging” (is / are).
“news” · Subject-verb agreement
12. Choose the verb that agrees with “Neither”: “Neither of the two answers ____ correct” (is / are).
“Neither” · Subject-verb agreement

12 questions · Seed 42 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 13-15

Subject-verb agreement

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Choose the correct verb after “A number of” (meaning “several”): “A number of students ____ volunteered for the beach clean-up” (have / has).
have
“A number of…” acts as a quantifier meaning “several” and takes a plural verb (“have”).
2. Choose the correct verb in the inverted “There” sentence: “There ____ a thermometer and a rain gauge in the box” — wait, for a single item: “There ____ a single compass in the drawer” (is / are).
is
The true subject “a single compass” is singular, so it takes “is”.
3. Choose the correct verb for a plural-only tool noun: “These scissors ____ too blunt to cut cardboard” (are / is).
are
Bipartite nouns like “scissors”, “pliers” and “trousers” are plural unless preceded by “a pair of”.
4. Choose the correct verb for the uncountable noun “information”: “All of the information in the report ____ verified” (was / were).
was
“Information” is an uncountable noun and always takes a singular verb.
5. Choose the correct verb for the singular pronoun “Somebody”: “Somebody ____ left a notebook in the laboratory” (has / have).
has
“Somebody” is a singular indefinite pronoun and takes “has”.
6. When a compound subject is joined by “either … or”, which noun determines the verb agreement: the nearer subject (“The teacher or the students ARE…”) or always plural?
The nearer subject
By the proximity rule with “or” / “nor”, the verb agrees with whichever subject is closer to it.
7. Choose the correct verb by the proximity rule: “Neither the plates nor the serving bowl ____ cracked” (was / were).
was
With “neither … nor”, the verb agrees with the nearer noun (“the serving bowl”, singular → “was”).
8. Choose the verb that agrees with the singular head noun “box”: “The box of watercolour paints ____ on the top shelf” (is / are).
is
The subject head noun is singular (“The box”), not “paints”, so it takes the singular verb “is”.
9. Choose the correct verb with “Many a”: “Many a sailor ____ navigated by the North Star” (has / have).
has
The distributive expression “Many a + singular noun” takes a singular verb (“has”).
10. Choose the correct verb by the proximity rule: “Either the coach or the players ____ bringing the cones” (are / is).
are
The nearer subject noun “players” is plural, so the verb is “are”.
11. Choose the correct verb for the uncountable noun “news”: “The news from the weather station ____ encouraging” (is / are).
is
Although “news” ends in -s, it is an uncountable singular noun and takes “is”.
12. Choose the verb that agrees with “Neither”: “Neither of the two answers ____ correct” (is / are).
is
In formal English, “neither of” takes a singular verb (“is”).

12 questions · Seed 42 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 13-15

Subject-verb agreement

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Choose the correct verb after “A number of” (meaning “several”): “A number of students ____ volunteered for the beach clean-up” (have / has).
“A number of” · “several” · Subject-verb agreement
2. Choose the correct verb in the inverted “There” sentence: “There ____ a thermometer and a rain gauge in the box” — wait, for a single item: “There ____ a single compass in the drawer” (is / are).
“There” · Subject-verb agreement
3. Choose the correct verb for a plural-only tool noun: “These scissors ____ too blunt to cut cardboard” (are / is).
Choose the correct verb fo… · Subject-verb agreement
4. Choose the correct verb for the uncountable noun “information”: “All of the information in the report ____ verified” (was / were).
“information” · Subject-verb agreement
5. Choose the correct verb for the singular pronoun “Somebody”: “Somebody ____ left a notebook in the laboratory” (has / have).
“Somebody” · Subject-verb agreement
6. When a compound subject is joined by “either … or”, which noun determines the verb agreement: the nearer subject (“The teacher or the students ARE…”) or always plural?
“either … or” · Subject-verb agreement
7. Choose the correct verb by the proximity rule: “Neither the plates nor the serving bowl ____ cracked” (was / were).
Choose the correct verb by… · Subject-verb agreement
8. Choose the verb that agrees with the singular head noun “box”: “The box of watercolour paints ____ on the top shelf” (is / are).
“box” · Subject-verb agreement
9. Choose the correct verb with “Many a”: “Many a sailor ____ navigated by the North Star” (has / have).
“Many a” · Subject-verb agreement
10. Choose the correct verb by the proximity rule: “Either the coach or the players ____ bringing the cones” (are / is).
Choose the correct verb by… · Subject-verb agreement
11. Choose the correct verb for the uncountable noun “news”: “The news from the weather station ____ encouraging” (is / are).
“news” · Subject-verb agreement
12. Choose the verb that agrees with “Neither”: “Neither of the two answers ____ correct” (is / are).
“Neither” · Subject-verb agreement

12 questions · Seed 42 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 13-15

Subject-verb agreement

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Choose the correct verb after “A number of” (meaning “several”): “A number of students ____ volunteered for the beach clean-up” (have / has).
have
“A number of…” acts as a quantifier meaning “several” and takes a plural verb (“have”).
2. Choose the correct verb in the inverted “There” sentence: “There ____ a thermometer and a rain gauge in the box” — wait, for a single item: “There ____ a single compass in the drawer” (is / are).
is
The true subject “a single compass” is singular, so it takes “is”.
3. Choose the correct verb for a plural-only tool noun: “These scissors ____ too blunt to cut cardboard” (are / is).
are
Bipartite nouns like “scissors”, “pliers” and “trousers” are plural unless preceded by “a pair of”.
4. Choose the correct verb for the uncountable noun “information”: “All of the information in the report ____ verified” (was / were).
was
“Information” is an uncountable noun and always takes a singular verb.
5. Choose the correct verb for the singular pronoun “Somebody”: “Somebody ____ left a notebook in the laboratory” (has / have).
has
“Somebody” is a singular indefinite pronoun and takes “has”.
6. When a compound subject is joined by “either … or”, which noun determines the verb agreement: the nearer subject (“The teacher or the students ARE…”) or always plural?
The nearer subject
By the proximity rule with “or” / “nor”, the verb agrees with whichever subject is closer to it.
7. Choose the correct verb by the proximity rule: “Neither the plates nor the serving bowl ____ cracked” (was / were).
was
With “neither … nor”, the verb agrees with the nearer noun (“the serving bowl”, singular → “was”).
8. Choose the verb that agrees with the singular head noun “box”: “The box of watercolour paints ____ on the top shelf” (is / are).
is
The subject head noun is singular (“The box”), not “paints”, so it takes the singular verb “is”.
9. Choose the correct verb with “Many a”: “Many a sailor ____ navigated by the North Star” (has / have).
has
The distributive expression “Many a + singular noun” takes a singular verb (“has”).
10. Choose the correct verb by the proximity rule: “Either the coach or the players ____ bringing the cones” (are / is).
are
The nearer subject noun “players” is plural, so the verb is “are”.
11. Choose the correct verb for the uncountable noun “news”: “The news from the weather station ____ encouraging” (is / are).
is
Although “news” ends in -s, it is an uncountable singular noun and takes “is”.
12. Choose the verb that agrees with “Neither”: “Neither of the two answers ____ correct” (is / are).
is
In formal English, “neither of” takes a singular verb (“is”).

12 questions · Seed 42 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification