Why Subject-Verb Agreement Matters
Every language has rules that help people understand each other. In English, one of the most important rules is subject-verb agreement (the idea that the subject and verb in a sentence must match in number). This rule has been part of English grammar for over a thousand years.
When you say "She runs" instead of "She run," you are following this rule without even thinking about it. But on the SHSAT, test writers create tricky sentences to see if you really understand the rule. Let's look at how this grammar rule developed over time.
Today, subject-verb agreement is one of the most tested grammar skills on the SHSAT. The big question is: How do you find the true subject of a sentence, even when the test tries to trick you?
Core Principles of Subject-Verb Agreement
Before you can fix agreement errors, you need to understand a few key ideas. A subject is the person, place, thing, or idea that performs the action in a sentence. A verb is the action word or state-of-being word. Agreement means they must match: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
Singular = Singular
Plural = Plural
Ignore the Middle Words
Watch for Tricky Subjects
Compound Subjects Use "And" or "Or"
Seeing Agreement in Action
The diagram below shows how to identify the true subject and pick the right verb. Notice how the words between the subject and verb can be distracting. The key is to draw a line straight from the subject to the verb and ignore everything in between.
As you can see above, the SHSAT loves to put a prepositional phrase (a group of words starting with "of," "in," "with," "between," or similar words) between the subject and the verb. The noun inside that phrase is almost never the subject. Train yourself to mentally cross out those phrases.
How Subject-Verb Agreement Works
The Basic Rule
Here is something that confuses many students: for most verbs in the present tense, a singular subject takes a verb that ends in -s, and a plural subject takes a verb that does not end in -s. This is the opposite of how nouns work! For nouns, adding -s makes them plural ("dog" → "dogs"). For verbs, adding -s makes them singular ("run" → "runs").
Special Rules for "Be," "Have," and "Do"
The verbs be, have, and do are irregular. They don't follow the simple -s pattern. "Be" is the trickiest: it changes to "am," "is," "are," "was," and "were." Memorize these forms because they appear on the SHSAT all the time.
| Subject | Be (Present) | Be (Past) | Have (Present) | Do (Present) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | was | have | do |
| He / She / It | is | was | has | does |
| We / You / They | are | were | have | do |
Indefinite Pronouns
An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that doesn't refer to a specific person or thing. Words like "everyone," "somebody," "each," "neither," and "anyone" are always singular, even though they seem to talk about many people. Other indefinite pronouns like "both," "few," "many," and "several" are always plural. A few—"some," "all," "most," and "none"—can be singular or plural depending on what they refer to.
SHSAT Tricky Subject-Verb Situations
The SHSAT doesn't just test simple sentences. It uses special patterns to trick you. Below is a diagram showing the six trickiest situations you'll encounter on test day.
Inverted Sentences Explained
Most sentences put the subject first: "The books are here." But some sentences flip the order, putting the verb before the subject. These are called inverted sentences. Watch out for sentences that start with "Here" or "There." In the sentence "There are three reasons," the subject is "reasons" (plural), not "there." The word "there" is never a subject.
Compound Subjects with "Or" and "Nor"
When two subjects are joined by "or" or "nor," the verb agrees with the subject closer to the verb. For example: "Neither the teacher nor the students were ready." Here, "students" is closer to the verb, and "students" is plural, so we use "were."
Worked Example: SHSAT-Style Question
Let's walk through a question just like you would see on the real SHSAT. Read the sentence below and find the correct verb form.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Even strong students make agreement mistakes on the SHSAT. Here are the most common errors and simple strategies to beat them.
| Common Mistake | Why It Happens | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Matching verb to the nearest noun instead of the subject | A plural noun in a prepositional phrase sits right next to the verb, so it sounds right | Cross out ALL prepositional phrases before choosing the verb |
| Treating "everyone" or "each" as plural | These words feel like they mean "many people," so students pick a plural verb | Memorize: every-, any-, some-, no- + body/one/thing = always singular |
| Forgetting inverted sentence order | "There" or "Here" at the start looks like a subject | Flip the sentence around: "The books are here" → subject is clear |
| Confusing "or/nor" with "and" | Students use a plural verb for all compound subjects | "And" = plural. "Or/Nor" = match the closer subject. |
| Ignoring the tense of the verb | Past tense verbs (like "walked") are the same for singular and plural, so students stop checking | Always check: the SHSAT may use "was/were" or present tense to test you |
Beyond the Basics: Advanced Agreement
Once you've mastered the basic rules, there are a few advanced patterns that the hardest SHSAT questions may test. Understanding these will give you an edge on test day.
| Basic Rule | Advanced Version | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular subject → singular verb | Titles, company names, and amounts are singular even if they look plural | "The Chronicles of Narnia is a great series." |
| Collective nouns are usually singular | Collective nouns can be plural if the members act individually | "The jury are unable to agree." (rare on SHSAT) |
| "Or/Nor" → match closer subject | "Not only...but also" follows the same closer-subject rule | "Not only the students but also the teacher was surprised." |
| Indefinite pronouns follow set rules | "The number of" is singular; "A number of" is plural | "The number of students is rising." vs. "A number of students are absent." |
These advanced patterns don't appear on every SHSAT, but knowing them makes you prepared for the toughest questions. In high school English classes, you'll dive deeper into these concepts. For now, focus on mastering the core rules—especially crossing out prepositional phrases and recognizing indefinite pronouns—because those are tested the most.
Practice Problems
Try these five problems on your own before reading the answers. They go from easier to harder, just like the real SHSAT.
Subject-Verb Agreement: Quick Review
Subject-verb agreement means that a singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb. On the SHSAT, always start by finding the verb, then ask "Who or what does this action?" to locate the true subject. Cross out prepositional phrases and relative clauses to avoid getting tricked by nouns that are not the subject.
Remember these high-frequency SHSAT patterns: indefinite pronouns like "everyone" and "each" are always singular. Subjects joined by "and" are plural, while subjects joined by "or" or "nor" match the closer subject. In inverted sentences starting with "There" or "Here," flip the sentence to find the real subject. Finally, collective nouns like "team" and "class" are usually singular. Master these rules, and you'll be ready to ace SHSAT agreement questions with confidence!