Practice Subject-Verb Agreement Exercises: Improve Your Writing Skills
As a copy editor, one of the most common errors I come across in writing is a lack of subject-verb agreement. This is when the subject and verb in a sentence do not agree in number, meaning they are not both singular or plural. This can be a simple mistake, but it can make your writing sound amateurish and unprofessional. Luckily, there are plenty of practice exercises available to help you improve your subject-verb agreement.
Before we dive into the exercises, let`s review the basic rules of subject-verb agreement. The subject of a sentence is usually a noun (person, place, or thing) or a pronoun (he, she, it, they, etc.). The verb is the action or state of being that the subject is performing or experiencing. In English, the verb usually changes depending on the number of the subject. For example:
– Singular subject, singular verb: The cat sits on the mat.
– Plural subject, plural verb: The cats sit on the mat.
However, some irregular verbs do not change in the past tense, so it is important to memorize these. For example:
– Singular subject, singular verb: She goes to school every day.
– Plural subject, singular verb: They go to school every day.
Now, let`s look at some practice exercises to help you master subject-verb agreement.
Exercise 1: Choose the correct verb
Choose the correct verb to match the subject in each sentence.
1. The dog (bark/barks) loudly at strangers.
2. The apples (is/are) ripe and ready to be picked.
3. Neither the teacher nor the students (know/knows) the answer.
4. One of the boys (is/are) going to win the prize.
5. The group of musicians (plays/play) different instruments.
Exercise 2: Rewrite the sentence
Rewrite the sentence to correct the subject-verb agreement error.
1. The boys and the girl was playing outside.
2. The birds in the tree is singing loudly.
3. Each of the students have a book to read.
4. The company with several locations was growing fast.
5. Neither the cat nor the dogs likes to be alone.
Exercise 3: Identify the error
Identify the error in subject-verb agreement in each sentence.
1. The committee are meeting today.
2. The news are always bad.
3. The team of scientists are studying the effects of climate change.
4. The herd of sheep is grazing in the field.
5. The pack of wolves were howling at the moon.
Answer key:
Exercise 1:
1. barks
2. are
3. know
4. is
5. plays
Exercise 2:
1. The boys and the girl were playing outside.
2. The birds in the tree are singing loudly.
3. Each of the students has a book to read.
4. The company with several locations were growing fast. (Should be: The company with several locations was growing fast.)
5. Neither the cat nor the dogs like to be alone.
Exercise 3:
1. The committee is meeting today.
2. The news is always bad.
3. The team of scientists is studying the effects of climate change.
4. The herd of sheep is grazing in the field.
5. The pack of wolves was howling at the moon.
By practicing these exercises, you will become more comfortable with subject-verb agreement and be able to avoid common errors in your writing. It may seem tedious, but paying attention to the details will help you become a better writer and communicate more effectively. Happy practicing!