Subject–Verb Agreement · TOEFL Error Correction · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
← TOEFL Error Correction

Phil Young’s English School · Sheet 1 of 11

Subject–verb agreement

The single most frequent grammar error in TOEFL writing and the most heavily tested point in error-identification questions. Twelve patterns below, then thirty exercises: choose the verb, find the error, correct the sentence.

0 of 30 answered

The twelve patterns

Find the real subject, strip everything else away, then match the verb to it.

1 · Words between the subject and the verb
The list of participants have been posted.
The list of participants has been posted.

A prepositional phrase (of participants, in the reports, from the archives) can never contain the subject. Cross it out and the verb becomes obvious. This is the pattern TOEFL tests most often.

2 · Along with, as well as, together with, in addition to
The director, along with several board members, were present.
The director, along with several board members, was present.

These phrases add information, not subjects. Only and creates a compound subject. Commas around the phrase are a reliable signal.

3 · Each, every, either, neither, one of
Each of the proposals were reviewed twice.
Each of the proposals was reviewed twice.

These determiners are singular even when followed by a plural of-phrase. Each student and teacher was given a copy — each also overrides the and rule.

4 · Neither…nor, either…or, not only…but also
Neither the professor nor her assistants was available.
Neither the professor nor her assistants were available.

The verb agrees with whichever subject sits closer to it. Reverse the order and the verb changes: Neither her assistants nor the professor was available.

5 · A number of / the number of
A number of students is waiting outside.
A number of students are waiting outside. · The number of students is falling.

A number of means many and is plural. The number of names a single figure and is singular.

6 · Fractions, percentages, most of, some of, half of
Two-thirds of the sample were contaminated.
Two-thirds of the sample was contaminated. · Two-thirds of the samples were contaminated.

The opposite of pattern 1: with quantity expressions, the noun after of does decide the verb. The same applies to most of, some of, half of, all of, none of and percentages.

7 · There is / there are and other inversions
There has been several attempts to replicate the study.
There have been several attempts to replicate the study.

In there and here sentences the subject follows the verb. The same happens after fronted phrases: Among the findings were two anomalies.

8 · Nouns ending in -s that are singular; plural-only nouns
Statistics are a required course. · The police was called.
Statistics is a required course. · The police were called.

Singular despite the -s: economics, mathematics, physics, politics, statistics (the field), news, ethics, measles. Always plural: police, people, cattle, scissors, trousers. Note the split: statistics on emissions are published = the figures.

9 · Irregular and Latin plurals
The criteria for selection was announced last week.
The criteria for selection were announced. · The criterion was announced.

Plural forms TOEFL reuses constantly: criteria, phenomena, data, media, analyses, hypotheses, theses. Their singulars: criterion, phenomenon, datum, medium, analysis, hypothesis, thesis.

10 · Uncountable nouns that look plural in meaning
The evidence from the two studies contradict each other.
The evidence from the two studies contradicts the earlier findings.

Evidence, research, information, advice, equipment, knowledge, progress, feedback take singular verbs no matter how much is meant. They also cannot take a or a plural -s.

11 · Gerund, infinitive and clause subjects; measurements
Swimming in cold water improve circulation. · Twenty miles are too far.
Swimming in cold water improves circulation. · What surprised the reviewers was the conclusions.

Gerunds, infinitives and noun clauses are singular. So are amounts of time, money and distance treated as one unit: Ten years is a long wait. In what-clauses the verb agrees with the clause, not with the plural complement. The exception is a compound: two gerunds joined by and are plural — Reading and writing are assessed separately — because and outranks every other rule on this list except each and every.

12 · Relative clauses and collective nouns
One of the theories that has shaped linguistics were developed in 1957.
One of the theories that have shaped linguistics was developed in 1957.

Inside the relative clause the verb agrees with the antecedent (theories); the main verb agrees with one. Collective nouns — committee, team, government, faculty, staff — take singular verbs in the American English TOEFL expects: The committee was unable to decide.

Set A · Choose the correct verb

Questions 1–12. Tap the form that fits.

Set B · Find the error

Questions 13–22. Four parts of each sentence are underlined. Tap the one that is wrong. Only one contains an error.

Set C · Correct the sentence

Questions 23–30. Each sentence contains exactly one verb that does not agree with its subject — and at least one other verb that is already correct. Find the error, write the corrected verb, and name the pattern behind it. Write your version in your notebook, then reveal the correction and compare.

Answer key