Subject – Verb Agreement Exercise

In each of the following sentences supply a verb in agreement with its subject.

1. The jury …………………. divided in their opinion.

2. The Three Musketeers ………………………. written by Dumas.

3. Either John or Peter ………………………. at the top of the list of successful candidates.

4. Fire and water ………………………. not agree.

5. Neither he nor I ……………………… responsible for this.

6. His friends, as well as he, ………………………… punished.

7. Two and two …………………….. four.

8. Neither William nor James ………………….. been invited.

9. Every one of them ………………………… honest.

10. The poet and thinker ……………………… dead.

Answers

1. The jury are divided in their opinion.

2. The Three Musketeers is written by Dumas.

3. Either John or Peter is at the top of the list of successful candidates.

4. Fire and water do not agree.

5. Neither he nor I am responsible for this.

6. His friends, as well as he, were punished.

7. Two and two make four.

8. Neither William nor James has been invited.

9. Every one of them is honest.

10. The poet and thinker is dead.

Grammar notes

Group nouns like jury, committee and team are followed by plural verbs when the group is perceived as a collection of individuals doing their things.

Either … or and neither … nor are used with singular verbs.

Every one of is followed by a plural pronoun and singular verb.