EnglishAges 16-18

Subject-verb agreement

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

New variation Try interactive challenge Browse templates

Age band:Ages 13-15 Ages 16-18

Choose “Save as PDF” to keep a copy. Use your browser’s paper setting for A4 or Letter.

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 16-18

Subject-verb agreement

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Choose the correct verb when “as well as” follows a singular subject: “The principal, as well as the teachers, ____ attending the assembly” (is / are).
“as well as” · Subject-verb agreement
2. 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
3. Choose the correct verb for the singular pronoun “Somebody”: “Somebody ____ left a notebook in the laboratory” (has / have).
“Somebody” · Subject-verb agreement
4. 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
5. Choose the correct verb when preceded by “A pair of”: “A pair of binoculars ____ lying on the deck” (is / are).
“A pair of” · Subject-verb agreement
6. 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
7. 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
8. Choose the correct verb for the uncountable noun “information”: “All of the information in the report ____ verified” (was / were).
“information” · Subject-verb agreement
9. 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
10. Choose the correct verb for the uncountable noun “news”: “The news from the weather station ____ encouraging” (is / are).
“news” · Subject-verb agreement
11. Choose the verb that agrees with “Neither”: “Neither of the two answers ____ correct” (is / are).
“Neither” · Subject-verb agreement
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 104729 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 16-18

Subject-verb agreement

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Choose the correct verb when “as well as” follows a singular subject: “The principal, as well as the teachers, ____ attending the assembly” (is / are).
is
Parenthetical phrases introduced by “as well as”, “along with” or “together with” do not make a singular subject plural.
2. 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”.
3. 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”.
4. 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”).
5. Choose the correct verb when preceded by “A pair of”: “A pair of binoculars ____ lying on the deck” (is / are).
is
The head noun is singular (“A pair”), so it takes the singular verb “is”.
6. 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”.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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”.
10. 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”.
11. 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. 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”).

12 questions · Seed 104729 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 16-18

Subject-verb agreement

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Choose the correct verb when “as well as” follows a singular subject: “The principal, as well as the teachers, ____ attending the assembly” (is / are).
“as well as” · Subject-verb agreement
2. 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
3. Choose the correct verb for the singular pronoun “Somebody”: “Somebody ____ left a notebook in the laboratory” (has / have).
“Somebody” · Subject-verb agreement
4. 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
5. Choose the correct verb when preceded by “A pair of”: “A pair of binoculars ____ lying on the deck” (is / are).
“A pair of” · Subject-verb agreement
6. 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
7. 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
8. Choose the correct verb for the uncountable noun “information”: “All of the information in the report ____ verified” (was / were).
“information” · Subject-verb agreement
9. 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
10. Choose the correct verb for the uncountable noun “news”: “The news from the weather station ____ encouraging” (is / are).
“news” · Subject-verb agreement
11. Choose the verb that agrees with “Neither”: “Neither of the two answers ____ correct” (is / are).
“Neither” · Subject-verb agreement
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 104729 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 16-18

Subject-verb agreement

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Choose the correct verb when “as well as” follows a singular subject: “The principal, as well as the teachers, ____ attending the assembly” (is / are).
is
Parenthetical phrases introduced by “as well as”, “along with” or “together with” do not make a singular subject plural.
2. 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”.
3. 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”.
4. 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”).
5. Choose the correct verb when preceded by “A pair of”: “A pair of binoculars ____ lying on the deck” (is / are).
is
The head noun is singular (“A pair”), so it takes the singular verb “is”.
6. 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”.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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”.
10. 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”.
11. 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. 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”).

12 questions · Seed 104729 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification