Grammar · From lesson 10
TOEIC Grammar: Subject–Verb Agreement (Rules and Traps)
A singular subject takes a singular verb (the report is, the manager has, the system works); a plural subject takes a plural verb. In the present simple, the third-person singular adds -s; with be, agreement applies in the past too (was/were), and with have in the present perfect (has/have). The TOEIC makes agreement hard by hiding the real subject.
Free extract from the Noto Tracks TOEIC course
| Situation | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Phrase after the subject | The verb agrees with the head noun, not the nearest noun | The cost of the new machines is high. |
| Relative clause after the subject | Skip the clause | The engineer who designed the bridges has retired. |
| Relative clause verb | Agrees with the noun before who/which/that | clients who pay early / a client who pays early |
| each, every, either, neither, one + noun | Singular verb | Every room has a view. |
| Two subjects joined by and | Plural verb | The manager and her assistant are away. |
| either … or / neither … nor / not only … but also | Verb agrees with the nearer subject | Neither the manager nor the assistants were informed. |
| A along with / as well as / together with B | Agrees with A | The CEO, along with two directors, is attending. |
| the number of + plural noun | Singular verb | The number of complaints has dropped. |
| a number of + plural noun | Plural verb | A number of customers have asked for refunds. |
| -ing form or clause as subject | Singular verb | Meeting deadlines is essential. / What we need is more time. |
| Amounts of money, time, distance | Usually singular | Three weeks is not enough time. |
| Uncountable nouns | Singular verb | The equipment was delivered. |
| There is / There are | Agrees with the noun after the verb | There are several options. |
The results of the customer survey conducted by our research team ------- that most users prefer the mobile app.
(A) shows (B) show (C) showing (D) has shown
Answer: (B) — bracket the phrases: The results [of the customer survey] [conducted by our research team]. The head noun is results, plural, so the verb is show. (A) and (D) agree with survey or team, the nearest nouns, which is exactly the trap. (C) is not a finite verb.
Quick check: (a) The list of approved vendors (is / are) on the shared drive. (b) A number of interns (has / have) applied for full-time positions. (c) Each of the reports (contain / contains) a summary. — Answers: (a) is, (b) have, (c) contains.
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This page is one section of a full lesson
Lesson 10, "Grammar course 1: Sentence structure and word forms", is in the Noto Tracks TOEIC course. The rest of it covers:
- 2. Sentence structure: the five basic patterns
- 4. Nouns
- 6. Pronouns
- 10. A five-step routine for word-form items
Also in the full lesson
- Practice questions
- Answer key with explanations
- One-page summary
50 questions, free, with an estimated score.
TOEIC is a registered trademark of ETS. This guide is not endorsed or approved by ETS. Noto Studio is not affiliated with ETS. All examples are original.