Subject-Verb Agreement Worksheet For Class 10
A verb has to agree with its subject in number (singular or plural) and person (first person, second person or third person). This is the basic rule of subject – verb agreement. For example, when the subject is the first person singular pronoun I, in the simple present tense, we use the verb am with it.
- I am tired.
Likewise, when the subject is a singular noun, we use is with it in the simple present tense.
- He is an architect.
In the simple past and past continuous tense, we use was with singular subjects and were with plural subjects.
- She was working.
- The students were writing their exam.
When the subject is an ing form, the verb should be singular.
- Reading is a good job.
Some group nouns can take a singular or plural verb. Examples are: family, party, team, government, class, jury, staff, audience, club, committee, union
Worksheet 1
Fill in the blanks with a verb form that agrees with the subject.
1. Smoking cigarettes ……………………….. injurious to health. (is / are)
2. She ……………………….. a living by writing stories. (makes / make)
3. Collecting stamps ………………………. his hobby. (is / are)
4. Neither Janet nor Maria ……………………….. a car. (own / owns)
5. Either he or his parents ……………………….. to pay the dues. (has / have)
6. The headmaster as well as the teachers ……………………….. present at the meeting. (was / were)
7. He along with his friends ………………………… holidaying in Morocco. (is / are)
8. Two-thousand pounds …………………………. not a small sum. (is / are)
9. Mathematics ……………………….. difficult for many students. (is / are)
10. Rohan and Sania ……………………….cousins. (is / are)
11. Neither ghee nor butter ……………………….. with me. (agree / agrees)
12. I know a man who ……………………….. old radios. (repair / repairs)
Answers
1. is (Here the subject is the gerund smoking; gerunds are treated as singular.)
2. makes
3. is (Here the subject is the ing form collecting.)
4. owns
5. have
6. was (When we connect two nouns with as well as, the verb agrees with the former noun.)
7. is (When we connect two nouns with ‘along with’, the verb agrees with the former noun.)
8. is
9. is
10. are (When we connect two singular nouns with and, the verb is plural.)
11. agrees (When you connect two singular nouns with neither/nor, the verb is singular.)
Worksheet 2
Fill in the blanks with a verb form that agrees with the subject.
1. Neither my wife nor my parents ………………………….. in favour of my decision to quit job. (was / were)
2. Every student ………………………… to take the test. (has / have)
3. Much money ………………………… required to finish the project. (is / are)
4. A little knowledge ……………………………. a dangerous thing. (is / are)
5. Both my sisters ……………………………. doctors. (is / are)
6. Plenty of people …………………………. to buy cars. (want / wants)
7. Too much mathematics ……………………………. taught in high school. (is / are)
8. My jeans …………………………… too tight for me. (is / are)
9. My family …………………………….. of my parents, my wife, my children and me. (consist / consists)
10. The team ……………………………. confident of winning. (is / are)
11. The committee ………………………….. not announced its decision yet. (has / have)
12. Some of my friends ……………………………… going abroad. (is / are)
13. A number of people ………………………….. to emigrate. (want / wants)
14. The majority of us ………………………………. against the proposal. (is / are)
Answers
1. were, 2. has, 3. is. 4. is, 5. are, 6. want, 7. is, 8. are, 9. consist / consists (family can be singular or plural), 10. is / are, 11. has / have, 12. are, 13. want, 14. are
Notes
Collective nouns can be used with singular or plural nouns.