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Year 10 English — Agreement with harder subjects

Make the verb agree when the subject is a quantity, a fraction, an inverted phrase or a subject buried in an added phrase.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.Sort each subject by the verb it needs.

    Groups: Takes a singular verb · Takes a plural verb

    • All of the roads
    • Every one of the roads
    • A number of visitors
    • More than one answer
    • Both of the answers
    • The number of visitors

  2. 2.Which sentence is correct?

    • a) Half of the mangoes was ripe.
    • b) Half of the mangoes is ripe.
    • c) Half of the mangoes has ripe.
    • d) Half of the mangoes were ripe.

  3. 3.Put the steps of choosing the right verb in the order you should do them.

    • Next, look at the word that is left standing — that is the real subject.
    • Then decide whether that word names one thing or more than one.
    • First, cross out every phrase beginning with with, along with or as well as — and of-phrases too, unless the subject is a fraction, most, some, all, both or none.
    • Finally, choose the verb form that matches it, and read the whole sentence back.

  4. 4.A number of students ____ absent today.

    • a) was
    • b) is
    • c) has
    • d) are

  5. 5.Write "was" or "were": Among the papers on the desk ____ a torn map.

  6. 6.Write "has" or "have": More than one house ____ been damaged by the storm.

  7. 7.Write "is" or "are": Two-thirds of the water ____ still in the tank.

  8. 8.Sort each sentence by whether the verb agrees with its subject.

    Groups: Agrees · Does not agree

    • The number of letters have grown.
    • The number of letters has grown.
    • A number of letters have arrived.
    • A number of letters has arrived.
    • More than one shop was shut.
    • More than one shop were shut.

Answer key — Year 10 English — Agreement with harder subjects

  1. 1. The number of visitors → Takes a singular verb; A number of visitors → Takes a plural verb; More than one answer → Takes a singular verb; Both of the answers → Takes a plural verb; Every one of the roads → Takes a singular verb; All of the roads → Takes a plural verb
  2. 2. d) Half of the mangoes were ripe.
  3. 3. 1. First, cross out every phrase beginning with with, along with or as well as — and of-phrases too, unless the subject is a fraction, most, some, all, both or none. 2. Next, look at the word that is left standing — that is the real subject. 3. Then decide whether that word names one thing or more than one. 4. Finally, choose the verb form that matches it, and read the whole sentence back.
  4. 4. d) are
  5. 5. was
  6. 6. has
  7. 7. is
  8. 8. A number of letters have arrived. → Agrees; A number of letters has arrived. → Does not agree; The number of letters has grown. → Agrees; The number of letters have grown. → Does not agree; More than one shop was shut. → Agrees; More than one shop were shut. → Does not agree