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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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 13-15

Subject-verb agreement

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Choose the correct verb after “The number of”: “The number of solar panels on the island ____ increased this year” (has / have).
“The number of” · Subject-verb agreement
2. 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
3. Choose the correct verb for academic subjects ending in -ics: “Mathematics ____ my favourite subject at school” (is / are).
Choose the correct verb fo… · Subject-verb agreement
4. 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
5. Choose the correct verb with the head noun “quality”: “The quality of these mangoes ____ excellent” (is / are).
“quality” · Subject-verb agreement
6. Choose the correct verb in the relative clause: “She is one of the researchers who ____ marine turtles” (study / studies).
Choose the correct verb in… · Subject-verb agreement
7. Choose the correct verb for “Each”: “Each of the coral samples ____ labelled with its depth” (was / were).
“Each” · Subject-verb agreement
8. Choose the verb that agrees with the compound subject joined by “and”: “The captain and the navigator ____ checking the tide chart” (are / is).
“and” · Subject-verb agreement
9. Choose the correct verb in the inverted “There” sentence: “There ____ four lifejackets stored under the bench” (are / is).
“There” · Subject-verb agreement
10. 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
11. Choose the correct verb for the singular pronoun “Somebody”: “Somebody ____ left a notebook in the laboratory” (has / have).
“Somebody” · Subject-verb agreement
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 46 · 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 “The number of”: “The number of solar panels on the island ____ increased this year” (has / have).
has
“The number of…” has the singular head noun “number” and takes a singular verb (“has”).
2. 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”).
3. Choose the correct verb for academic subjects ending in -ics: “Mathematics ____ my favourite subject at school” (is / are).
is
Academic disciplines such as mathematics, physics and economics are singular nouns and take “is”.
4. 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.
5. Choose the correct verb with the head noun “quality”: “The quality of these mangoes ____ excellent” (is / are).
is
The singular head noun “quality” governs the singular verb “is”.
6. Choose the correct verb in the relative clause: “She is one of the researchers who ____ marine turtles” (study / studies).
study
The relative pronoun “who” refers to the plural antecedent “researchers”, so the verb is plural (“study”).
7. Choose the correct verb for “Each”: “Each of the coral samples ____ labelled with its depth” (was / were).
was
“Each” is always grammatically singular, even when followed by “of the + plural noun”.
8. Choose the verb that agrees with the compound subject joined by “and”: “The captain and the navigator ____ checking the tide chart” (are / is).
are
Two distinct nouns joined by “and” form a plural subject requiring “are”.
9. Choose the correct verb in the inverted “There” sentence: “There ____ four lifejackets stored under the bench” (are / is).
are
After dummy “there”, the verb agrees with the true subject that follows (“four lifejackets” → “are”).
10. 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”.
11. 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”.
12. 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”.

12 questions · Seed 46 · 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 “The number of”: “The number of solar panels on the island ____ increased this year” (has / have).
“The number of” · Subject-verb agreement
2. 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
3. Choose the correct verb for academic subjects ending in -ics: “Mathematics ____ my favourite subject at school” (is / are).
Choose the correct verb fo… · Subject-verb agreement
4. 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
5. Choose the correct verb with the head noun “quality”: “The quality of these mangoes ____ excellent” (is / are).
“quality” · Subject-verb agreement
6. Choose the correct verb in the relative clause: “She is one of the researchers who ____ marine turtles” (study / studies).
Choose the correct verb in… · Subject-verb agreement
7. Choose the correct verb for “Each”: “Each of the coral samples ____ labelled with its depth” (was / were).
“Each” · Subject-verb agreement
8. Choose the verb that agrees with the compound subject joined by “and”: “The captain and the navigator ____ checking the tide chart” (are / is).
“and” · Subject-verb agreement
9. Choose the correct verb in the inverted “There” sentence: “There ____ four lifejackets stored under the bench” (are / is).
“There” · Subject-verb agreement
10. 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
11. Choose the correct verb for the singular pronoun “Somebody”: “Somebody ____ left a notebook in the laboratory” (has / have).
“Somebody” · Subject-verb agreement
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 46 · 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 “The number of”: “The number of solar panels on the island ____ increased this year” (has / have).
has
“The number of…” has the singular head noun “number” and takes a singular verb (“has”).
2. 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”).
3. Choose the correct verb for academic subjects ending in -ics: “Mathematics ____ my favourite subject at school” (is / are).
is
Academic disciplines such as mathematics, physics and economics are singular nouns and take “is”.
4. 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.
5. Choose the correct verb with the head noun “quality”: “The quality of these mangoes ____ excellent” (is / are).
is
The singular head noun “quality” governs the singular verb “is”.
6. Choose the correct verb in the relative clause: “She is one of the researchers who ____ marine turtles” (study / studies).
study
The relative pronoun “who” refers to the plural antecedent “researchers”, so the verb is plural (“study”).
7. Choose the correct verb for “Each”: “Each of the coral samples ____ labelled with its depth” (was / were).
was
“Each” is always grammatically singular, even when followed by “of the + plural noun”.
8. Choose the verb that agrees with the compound subject joined by “and”: “The captain and the navigator ____ checking the tide chart” (are / is).
are
Two distinct nouns joined by “and” form a plural subject requiring “are”.
9. Choose the correct verb in the inverted “There” sentence: “There ____ four lifejackets stored under the bench” (are / is).
are
After dummy “there”, the verb agrees with the true subject that follows (“four lifejackets” → “are”).
10. 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”.
11. 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”.
12. 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”.

12 questions · Seed 46 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification