Grammar practice · Skill 4 of 14

Subject-Verb Agreement Exercises

Subject-verb agreement means the verb must match its subject: she writes, but they write. To get it right, find the real subject first, then ask whether it is one thing or more than one. The seven rules here cover the slips TOEFL students actually make, and 40 exercises with answers let you test each one.

40 questions 8 levels of 5 7 rules Level 1 free

1 in 7

What we measured

of the 8,000 most recent writing responses we evaluated had a verb corrected to agree with its subject.

What are the rules of subject-verb agreement?

He, she and it need a verb ending in -s

In the present simple, the tense for habits and facts, a verb adds -s when its subject is one person or thing: he, she, it, or a singular noun such as my roommate or the library. The ending is small and easy to forget when you write fast. Verbs ending in -o, -ch, -sh or -ss add -es (goes, teaches), and three common verbs change shape: have becomes has, do becomes does, be becomes is.

Right:She studies in the library after class.
Right:My roommate has two part-time jobs.
Right:The shuttle goes to the airport every hour.

Not:She walk to class every day.Instead:She walks to class every day.
Not:This noise make it hard to sleep.Instead:This noise makes it hard to sleep.

Match the verb to the real subject, not the nearest noun

Long subjects hide the word that counts. In "The list of courses is online", the subject is list, so the verb is singular, even though courses sits right next to it. Phrases starting with of, in, for or along with only add detail, and so do clauses starting with who or that. Cross them out in your head, then match the verb to the word that is left. The exception is quantity words such as a lot of and most of: there, the noun after of decides.

Right:The students in my chemistry lab are friendly.
Right:The woman who runs the writing center is from Ohio.

Not:The list of courses are online.Instead:The list of courses is online.
Not:The quality of the dorm rooms are very good.Instead:The quality of the dorm rooms is very good.

After do or does, the next verb stays plain

In questions and negatives, do or does carries the ending, and the main verb goes back to its plain form. Think of the -s as something that can appear only once: if does has it, the next verb cannot. So write does not give, never does not gives. Use does with he, she, it and singular nouns. Use do with I, you, we, they and plural nouns. An adverb in the middle changes nothing: does not directly give.

Right:This course does not require a textbook.
Right:Do your classes meet on Fridays?
Right:Does your roommate know about the party?

Not:The professor do not accept late work.Instead:The professor does not accept late work.
Not:This study does not directly tests that idea.Instead:This study does not directly test that idea.

Each, every and everyone take a singular verb

Everyone sounds like a crowd, but grammatically it counts as one: everyone is, everyone has. The same goes for everybody, someone, anyone, nobody and no one. Each and every work the same way, because they make you look at people one at a time: every student has, each class meets. Watch out for each of the. The noun after it is plural, but the subject is still each, so the verb stays singular.

Right:Everyone in my dorm is ready for finals.
Right:Every library on campus closes at midnight.
Right:Each of the rooms has a window.

Not:Everyone have their own opinion.Instead:Everyone has their own opinion.
Not:Each of the students have a locker.Instead:Each of the students has a locker.

There is or there are: look after the verb

In a sentence starting with there, the real subject comes after the verb, so you have to look ahead. A singular or uncountable noun takes there is, and a plural noun takes there are. With a lot of, check the noun that follows it: there are a lot of students, there is a lot of traffic. The same check works for there was and there were. You will hear "there's two problems" in casual speech, but write there are on the exam.

Right:There is a printer on the third floor.
Right:There are many ways to save money on books.
Right:There was a long line at the bookstore.

Not:There is many students in the cafeteria at noon.Instead:There are many students in the cafeteria at noon.
Not:There are a lot of traffic near campus today.Instead:There is a lot of traffic near campus today.

People is plural, information is singular

Two kinds of noun mislead students. People has no -s, but it is the plural of person, so it takes a plural verb: people are, people have. Uncountable nouns, which cannot be counted one by one, do the opposite. Information, advice, research, homework, equipment and knowledge always take a singular verb, however large the amount: the information is, research shows. Academic subjects ending in -s, such as physics and economics, are singular too.

Right:People are usually friendly on this campus.
Right:The information on this page is out of date.
Right:Research shows that naps improve memory.
Right:Physics is my hardest class this semester.

Not:Many people thinks the exam was fair.Instead:Many people think the exam was fair.
Not:The equipment in this lab are new.Instead:The equipment in this lab is new.

One of the, and -ing subjects, take a singular verb

After one of the, the noun is plural, but the verb stays singular, because the subject is one: one of my friends is a nurse. A subject starting with an -ing word works the same way. In "Reading books is relaxing", the subject is the activity, which is one thing, even though books sits right before the verb. Do not let the plural noun next to the verb pull it into the plural. Two activities joined by and, as in reading and writing, do take a plural verb.

Right:One of my classmates is from Peru.
Right:Reading books is the best way to build vocabulary.
Right:Living off campus costs more than I expected.

Not:One of the reasons are the cost.Instead:One of the reasons is the cost.
Not:Taking notes help me remember the lecture.Instead:Taking notes helps me remember the lecture.

Where this costs you marks on the TOEFL

Grammar has no section of its own on the TOEFL iBT, so agreement counts inside Writing and Speaking. In Write an Email and the Academic Discussion you type fast, and the danger is the long subject: "the main reason for these changes are" looks fine at speed. One slip is small, but the same slip in every paragraph makes your control of basic grammar look insecure. In the Interview you cannot go back, so "she go" stays in your answer. In Listen and Repeat, a final -s is easy to lose when you say the sentence back. The fix is a last check: find each present-tense verb and name its subject.

If your first language is...

First language	What to watch for
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai speakers	Verbs in these languages do not change to show who is doing the action, so the -s in "she writes" has no match in your language. It may never feel necessary, so do not wait for it to. Treat it as a checking step: find every he, she and it, then look at the end of the verb.
Hindi, Urdu, Tamil and Telugu speakers	Your verbs usually change to match the subject, so the idea is familiar. The surprise is where English puts its -s. On a noun it means more than one (students), but on a verb it means only one (she studies). If the subject has a plural -s, the verb normally does not, and the reverse.
Spanish, Portuguese and French speakers	Your verbs change for every person, so you understand agreement well. The trap is "there is". Spanish hay, Portuguese há and French il y a stay the same for one thing or many, so "there is many reasons" feels natural. English must change: there is, there are. Spanish speakers should also watch gente, which is singular and leads to "people is".
Arabic speakers	In Arabic, a plural noun for things rather than people normally takes singular agreement, so "the books is new" can feel right. In formal Arabic, a verb placed before its subject also stays singular. English has neither habit: every plural noun takes a plural verb, wherever it stands.

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Subject-verb agreement exercises: Level 1 with answers

Try these before you open an answer. Each one explains why, not only what.

My roommate _____ coffee before every class. (drink / drinks)
Show the answer
drinks
My roommate is one person, the same as he or she, so the verb needs -s.
My parents _____ near Dallas, so I fly home for the holidays. (live / lives)
Show the answer
live
Parents is more than one person, the same as they. The -s is only for one person or thing, so this verb takes no ending.
Find the mistake: Every morning, she go to the gym before class.
Show the answer
Every morning, she goes to the gym before class.
She is one person, so the verb needs an ending. Go ends in -o, so it adds -es: she goes.
These days, my brother _____ math at a high school in Denver. (teach, one word)
Show the answer
teaches
My brother means he, so the verb needs an ending. Teach ends in -ch, so it adds -es.
Put in order, with one piece left over: This app [much / make / studying / easier / makes].
Show the answer
This app makes studying much easier.
An app is one thing, the same as it, so the verb needs -s. That leaves make as the extra piece.

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FAQ

Common questions

What is subject-verb agreement?

It means the verb matches its subject in number. One person or thing takes a singular verb, as in the student writes. More than one takes a plural verb, as in the students write. The idea is simple, but long subjects and words such as everyone, people and information can make the real subject hard to see.

Is "everyone" singular or plural?

Everyone is singular, so it takes a singular verb: everyone is here, everyone has a copy. The same is true of everybody, someone, anyone and no one. This surprises students, because the word clearly means many people. Later in the same sentence you can still use their: everyone has their own desk. That is normal English.

Is "people" singular or plural?

In everyday use, people is plural. It is the plural of person, so write people are and people have, even though there is no -s. For one, say a person. You may also meet peoples, which means different national or ethnic groups, as in the peoples of South America, but you will rarely need it.

How can I test my subject-verb agreement?

Each level on this page works as a short subject verb agreement quiz: five questions, instant answers and a reason for every one. Level 1 is free, and a plan opens the rest. Score three out of five to unlock the next level. For a harder subject verb agreement test, the last two levels use long sentences and traps.

Do agreement mistakes lower my TOEFL score?

They can. One wrong verb is a small slip, but basic errors repeated across an email or a discussion post make your grammar look unreliable, and grammar counts inside both Writing and Speaking. Agreement is also quick to improve, because the rules are few. A final check of your verbs before time runs out is worth the effort.

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