What is Subject Verb Agreement?
Subject-verb agreement is a grammar rule that requires the verb in a sentence to match its subject in number. If the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. This principle shows up in everyday writing, but on the Digital SAT RW section, it becomes a precision skill. The exam often places extra words or phrases around the subject, which makes it harder to spot the correct verb form at first glance.
Mastering subject-verb agreement helps you read more accurately, write more clearly, and avoid common grammar traps that the SAT uses to test your attention to detail. Even students who speak and write English fluently can miss these questions because the test hides the subject or distracts them with a closer noun that is not actually part of the core sentence.
Examples of Subject Verb Agreement
Let’s take a look at an example that helps you ground the concept further in straightforward sentences.
- Singular example: The committee approves the new proposal.
- Here, “committee” is treated as a singular unit, so the verb takes the singular form, “approves.”
- Plural example: The committee members approve the new proposal.
- Now the subject is “members,” which is plural, so the verb shifts to “approve.”
While the example appears relatively straightforward, the SAT rarely presents them in such a clear format. Instead, the exam adds extra wording to make the sentences more challenging to analyze.
How Subject Verb Agreement Shows Up on the SAT?
In the Digital SAT RW section, you won’t see long passages devoted to grammar. Instead, you will see short, sentence-level items that ask you to select the verb form that agrees with the subject or improve the clarity of the sentence. Most questions are written so that the incorrect answer choices appear grammatically natural at first glance, which means you need to identify the subject quickly and disregard the surrounding noise.
Typical SAT appearances include:
- Intervening phrases: Phrases between the subject and verb that make the number unclear.
- Inverted order: Sentences where the verb appears before the subject.
- Collective nouns: Words like “team” or “group” that look plural but function as singular.
- Indefinite pronouns: Subjects like “everyone” or “each,” which always take singular verbs.
- Compound subjects: Sentences with “and” or “or” connecting two subjects.
Each type requires careful attention, and the rules shift depending on the sentence’s structure. This is why many SAT students lose points even though they understand basic grammar. A dedicated SAT Prep Course can help you systematically recognize these patterns and apply the rules correctly in complex or unfamiliar sentences.
SAT Subject Verb Agreement Rules with Examples
Subject-verb agreement questions on the Digital SAT RW measure how well you can identify the subject of a sentence and match it with the correct verb form. The rules themselves are simple, but the exam makes them challenging by adding extra wording, placing multiple nouns close together, or rearranging the sentence in subtle ways. Once you understand the core grammar rules and the patterns, most subject-verb agreement SAT questions become predictable and easier to solve.
Below are the essential rules every student must know, followed by additional patterns that appear frequently in SAT-style sentences.
Essential Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement
The RW section expects you to recognize whether a subject is singular, plural, or part of a compound structure. These 3 rules form the foundation for almost every subject-verb agreement SAT question you will see. Understanding them deeply allows you to move faster through sentence-level items and avoid the traps built into SAT wording.
Singular Subjects Take Singular Verbs
A singular subject refers to one person, place, thing, or idea. In the present tense, a singular verb usually ends in -s, which can feel counterintuitive because plural nouns typically end in -s, whereas plural verbs do not. This reversal is what makes many students second-guess themselves on test day.
A simple example shows the basic pattern: The researcher collects data for the experiment. The subject “researcher” is singular, so the verb takes the singular form “collects.”
The SAT often makes this rule harder by placing long descriptive phrases between the subject and the verb. These extra words may contain plural nouns that pull your attention away from the actual subject.
For instance, “The rise of online study platforms supports a more flexible learning experience.” Although “platforms” is plural, it is not acting as a plural noun. The subject is “rise,” which is singular. Identifying the core noun behind the action is essential for solving these questions quickly and accurately.
Plural Subjects Take Plural Verbs
A plural subject refers to more than one individual or item. In the present tense, plural verbs do not end in -s. When choosing between forms like "write" and "writes", the version without "s" is almost always the plural option.
A basic example looks like this: The results from several recent studies show clear improvements in comprehension.
Here, “results” is the subject, and it is plural. The phrase “from several recent studies” adds detail but does not change the number of the subject. When you mentally remove the additional phrase, the correct verb form becomes easy to see. Plural subject questions often tempt students with singular verb forms because a singular noun may appear closer to the verb.
Compound Subjects Follow Predictable Patterns
A compound subject occurs when two or more subjects are connected in a sentence. The connecting word determines whether the verb should be singular or plural. When two subjects are joined by ‘and,’ they function together as a plural subject and require a plural verb: The teacher and the principal discuss the schedule together. Even though the subjects refer to different people, they function as a single, unified unit in this sentence.
When subjects are joined by ‘or’ or ‘nor,’ the verb must agree with the subject that appears closest to the verb. This pattern demands careful reading, since sentences can shift from plural to singular or vice versa depending on the order.
- Either the director or the actors are preparing for the rehearsal.
- Either the actors or the director is preparing for the rehearsal.
In each sentence, the verb changes form because the subject nearest to it changes. The SAT uses this structure to assess whether students are attending to the entire subject, not just the first noun in the sentence. Compound subject questions reward slow, deliberate reading. Once you identify the connector and check which subject controls the verb, the correct form becomes straightforward.
Additional Rules Worth Remembering
Beyond the main rules, a few subject structures appear often on the Digital SAT and can make agreement harder to notice. Indefinite pronouns such as each, everyone, anybody, and someone always take singular verbs, even when a plural noun appears later in the sentence. Collective nouns, such as team, committee, audience, and company, behave as singular when the group is acting together. The SAT also uses subjects that come from infinitive or gerund phrases, such as "to practice" or "to study regularly." Even though these ideas may seem broad, they function as singular subjects in a sentence.
Another pattern to watch for is the placement of extra phrases between the subject and the verb. These added details do not change whether the subject is singular or plural, but they often contain nearby nouns that can mislead students. In the same way, a long list of items inside a phrase does not automatically make the subject plural unless those items form a true compound subject joined by and. Learning to look past these distractions through high-quality SAT study guides helps you locate the real subject quickly and choose the correct verb on SAT-style questions.
Common Subject Verb Agreement SAT Traps and Complications
Even when you know the main rules, the Digital SAT often builds sentences in ways that make the correct subject harder to spot. These traps don’t change the rules themselves. Instead, they test whether you can read carefully and avoid matching the verb to the wrong noun. Below are 3 of the most common complications SAT students face.
The SAT frequently places extra information between the subject and the verb. These interruptions can be short or long and often include plural nouns, lists, or descriptive phrases. None of these changes the number of the subject, but they can easily pull your attention away from it.
Example: The success of new learning platforms, especially those used for digital test prep, has influenced study habits.
Incorrect choice: have
Correct subject: success
The phrase “of new learning platforms… test prep” looks complicated, but it does not affect the subject.
Sometimes the sentence begins with a descriptive phrase, an introductory element, or a prepositional phrase that delays the subject. When this happens, many students choose a verb based on the first noun they see rather than the actual subject that comes later.
Example: Along the rows of displays in the science fair stands a project that focuses on solar energy.
Incorrect choice: stand
Correct subject: project
When the verb comes first, it becomes even more important to pause and identify the core noun that is acting.
When two subjects are joined by and, the verb is usually plural. However, when one or both subjects are collective nouns, such as team, committee, audience, or group, the sentence may still function as a singular unit, depending on its meaning.
Example: The coach and the team plan to review the footage. (Plural because two separate subjects.)
The team and its coach meets before each game. (Here, “team and its coach” refers to a single unit acting together.)
This trap occurs because collective nouns appear plural but behave as singular when they act as a single group.
SAT Subject Verb Agreement Practice Questions
Now that you understand the main rules and the common traps the SAT uses, it’s time to apply these ideas to real practice. Below, you’ll find a set of subject-verb agreement SAT practice questions pulled directly from the UWorld’s SAT QBank. These items mirror the style, difficulty, and structure of what you will see on the Reading & Writing section.
Passage: Tetris
The popular digital game Tetris is a modern adaptation of the classic puzzle game Pentominoes. In both games, players arrange blocks of different geometric shapes on top of the blocks below to fit within a confined space; in Tetris, completing an entire row with the blocks ______ the row to disappear, creating more space for new shapes to be added.
Question
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
| A. cause | |
| B. are causing | |
| C. have caused | |
| D. causes |
Explanation
Rule: A gerund is always singular, so its corresponding verb must also be singular.
Because the answer choices are singular or plural verbs, locate the subject of the missing verb and identify whether that subject is singular or plural. Select the corresponding singular or plural verb.
A sentence's subject is never part of a prepositional phrase, so the plural noun "blocks" in the prepositional phrase that concludes the gerund phrase cannot be the subject.
"Completing" a row with blocks is what causes the row to disappear, so the subject of the verb is the gerund phrase "completing…blocks." Because gerunds and gerund phrases are always singular, the corresponding verb is the singular causes.
When three of the answer choices are plural verbs and one is singular, the singular verb is usually correct
(Choices A, B, and C) These answers are plural verb forms that don't correspond with the singular subject "completing." You can see why these choices are incorrect when you replace the gerund with a singular pronoun before each of the verbs.
- Choice A: It cause…
- Choice B: It are causing…
- Choice C: It have caused…
Things to remember:
A singular verb is needed when its subject is a gerund or gerund phrase.
Passage: Chaucer's Influence on the Language of Literature
British author Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (1387–1400), a collection of narrative poems told by different fictional characters, ______ others to create book, stage, and film adaptations that are based on Chaucer's work.
Question
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
| A. have inspired | |
| B. inspire | |
| C. has inspired | |
| D. are inspiring |
Explanation
Rule: Verbs must agree in number with their corresponding subjects; both need to be singular, or both need to be plural.
Because the answer choices are different forms of the verb "inspire," identify its subject and determine whether the subject is singular or plural. Then, choose the form of "inspire" that agrees in number with that subject.
To find the subject, consider which word performs the action of the verb. The Canterbury Tales is what inspired others to create adaptations of Chaucer's work, so The Canterbury Tales is the subject of the verb.
Because The Canterbury Tales is the title of ONE "collection of narrative poems," the subject is singular, and a singular verb is required. The only answer with a singular verb is has inspired.
When three answer choices are plural verbs and one answer choice is singular, the singular one is usually correct.
(Choices A, B, and D) These answers are plural verbs that don't match the singular subject "The Canterbury Tales," which can be seen when you substitute "The book" for the title of Chaucer's work.
- Choice A: [The book] have inspired…
- Choice B: [The book] inspire…
- Choice D: [The book] are inspiring…
Things to remember:
Locate the subject and choose the verb that matches it in number (singular or plural).
Passage: Turgenev's Fathers and Sons
Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev's Fathers and Sons (1862), a controversial book when published, ______ the tension not only between generations but also between intellectual and societal values.
Question
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
| A. have explored | |
| B. explore | |
| C. are exploring | |
| D. explores |
Explanation
Choice D is correct. Turgenev's novel is the subject exploring the tension, and book titles are always singular. The only third-person singular verb among the answer choices is 'explore.
Strategy to Solve Subject Verb Agreement on the SAT
Subject-verb agreement questions become much easier when you approach them with a clear step-by-step method. The Digital SAT RW section rewards careful reading, not guessing, and the fastest way to stay accurate is to follow a consistent process for every question. Once these steps become automatic, you’ll be able to spot the correct verb form even in sentences with lengthy interruptions or tricky structures.
- Step 1 - Identify the subject before selecting the verb: Many mistakes occur when choosing a verb based on the closest noun instead of the actual subject. Pause for a moment, ignore the distractors, and locate the noun that the sentence is actually about.
- Step 2 - Decide whether the subject is singular or plural: Once you identify the subject, the agreement becomes straightforward. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.
- Step 3 - Remove extra phrases to reveal the core sentence: Interruptions, descriptive details, and prepositional phrases often hide the actual subject. If the short version of the sentence sounds clear, you’ve found the correct subject-verb relationship.
- Step 4 - Apply the main rules and check for traps: Look for patterns the SAT uses often: delayed subjects, lengthy interruptions, compound subjects, and collective nouns. Recognizing these structures helps you avoid the errors many students fall into.
- Step 5 - Use answer choices to confirm meaning and clarity: Sometimes more than one answer feels grammatically correct, but only one fits the meaning of the sentence. Select the option that aligns with the subject and maintains a smooth and logical flow of meaning.
Common Mistakes to Avoid While Solving Subject Verb Agreement Questions
Even when the rules feel familiar, the subject-verb agreement questions on the Digital SAT RW can still cause errors because the test often hides the subject or places distracting nouns nearby. Knowing the common mistakes students make helps you read more carefully and avoid choosing a verb that only seems correct on first glance.
- Matching the verb to the nearest noun instead of the actual subject, especially when a plural noun appears right before the verb.
- Losing track of the subject when long descriptive or prepositional phrases interrupt the sentence and make the structure harder to follow.
- Forgetting that with ‘or’ and ‘nor,’ the verb must agree with the subject closest to it, not the subject that appears first in the sentence.
- Treating collective nouns like team, committee, or audience as plural even when the sentence describes them acting as a single, unified group.
- Assuming indefinite pronouns such as each, everyone, anybody, and someone take plural verbs just because they refer to groups of people.
These mistakes usually happen when students read too quickly or focus more on the words near the verb rather than the sentence’s core structure. Taking a moment to identify the subject, confirm its number, and ignore distracting phrases helps you stay accurate and more confident as you work through SAT grammar items. Periodic self-assessment with a full SAT Practice Test can also highlight which of these mistakes you are still prone to making.
