ICL #1 – SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT

BASIC PRINCIPLE:
Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need plural verb.
Examples:
I am happy.
He is happy.
They are happy.
Rule no. 1.
If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular too.
Example: She writes every day.
Exception: When using the singular “they,” use plural verb forms.
Example: The participant expressed satisfaction with their job. They are currently in a
managerial role at the organization.
Rule no. 2
If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.
Example: They write every day.
Sometimes, however, it seems a bit more complicated than this.
Rule no. 3
When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected
by and, use a plural verb.
Example: The doctoral student and the committee members write every day.
Example: The percentage of employees who called in sick and the number of employees who left
their jobs within 2 years are reflective of the level of job satisfaction.

I.DIRECTIONS: Read each sentence carefully and underline the correct form of the verb. Copy
and answer the questions.
1. She (write/writes) a new poem every week.
2. The cat and the dog (is/are) playing in the yard.
3. My sister and I (enjoy/enjoys) hiking in the mountains.
4. The athlete and her coach (work/works) closely together to achieve their goals.
5. They ________ (watch/watches) movies on weekends.
6. The teacher ________ (teach/teaches) math and science.
7. The apple and the banana ________ (is/are) on the table.
8. John ________ (go/goes) to the gym every morning.
9. The birds ________ (chirp/chirps) in the morning.
10. My brother and sister ________ (is/are) going to the park.
11. The book on the shelf ________ (belong/belongs) to me.
12. The cat ________ (sleep/sleeps) on the sofa.
13. The sun and the moon ________ (is/are) shining brightly.
14. Mary ________ (do/does) her homework every evening.
15. The flowers in the garden ________ (bloom/blooms) in spring.
16. The company and its employees ________ (is/are) celebrating the anniversary.
17. The dog ________ (bark/barks) loudly at night.
18. The tree and the bushes ________ (provide/provides) shade in the park.
19. The committee members ________ (has/have) voted on the proposal.
20. The boy and his friends ________ (play/plays) soccer after school.
21. My mom and dad ________ (cook/cooks) dinner together.
22. The cat and the kittens ________ (sleep/sleeps) peacefully in the sun.
23. The birds (sing/sings) beautifully in the morning.
24. The cat (purr/purrs) loudly when it’s happy.
25. The students (study/studies) diligently for their exams.