Subject-Verb Agreement Exercises in English

This guide is intentionally narrower than nearby Masha English resources. The grammar guide explains the rules of subject-verb agreement. This page is an exercise companion: it gives repair drills, speaking practice, paragraph correction, and transfer tasks so learners can use the rule automatically. If you need the broader topic, use the linked resource section at the end. Stay with this page when you want focused rehearsal: what to say, how to repair a weak sentence, how to ask for clarification, and how to practise the language until it is easy to reuse.

Every agreement decision is the same four questions asked in order. One: what is the real subject — which noun actually does the verb? Two: is there an extra phrase between the subject and the verb ('of questions,' 'in the folder,' 'with my colleagues') that you should ignore? Three: is the subject singular, plural, or a special case — each, everyone, team, information? Four: which verb form matches?

Practise the questions out loud as labels: 'Subject: list. Extra phrase: of questions. Singular. Verb: is.' Labelling feels slow for the first twenty sentences; after that it becomes the quiet check you run while writing, and eventually while speaking.

Scenario 1: Finding the real subject. Extra phrases hide the subject. Weak version: 'The list of questions are long.' Improved version: 'The list of questions is long.' Drill it as a spoken label — 'Subject: list. Of questions is extra. Verb: is.' — then run the same label on list of files, box of supplies, group of students, number of emails, and set of instructions. The pattern is identical; only the nouns change.

Scenario 2: Each, every, and everyone. These words mean one by one, so they take a singular verb even when many people are involved. Weak version: 'Each employee have a badge.' Improved version: 'Each employee has a badge.' Say five in a row — each customer has, every student needs, everyone in the room agrees — because the singular verb after a plural idea must be heard, not just understood.

Scenario 3: Third person singular at speed. In fast speech the -s drops first. Weak version: 'She work from home on Fridays.' Improved version: 'She works from home on Fridays.' Drill short subject-verb chunks — she works, he checks, it takes, the app opens — ten times at natural speed. If you have to slow down to say the -s, it is not automatic yet.

Scenario 4: Agreement across a paragraph. Mixed subjects cause mixed errors. Weak version: 'The files in the folder needs attention, and the report are late.' Improved version: 'The files in the folder need attention, and the report is late.' Edit one sentence at a time: underline each subject, label it singular or plural, then check its verb. Real editing is this mechanical — that is exactly why it works.

These four pairs cover the traps that appear most often in real writing. Read the weak version aloud first — hearing the error builds faster recognition than reading silently.

Weak: The manager and the assistant is here. Improved: The manager and the assistant are here. Why it works: two subjects joined by 'and' usually need a plural verb. Weak: There is many reasons. Improved: There are many reasons. Why it works: after there is/are, the noun that follows controls the verb.

Weak: My team work late. Improved: My team works late. Why it works: team is a collective noun acting as one unit in this sentence. Weak: The information are useful. Improved: The information is useful. Why it works: information is uncountable and always takes a singular verb.

After each pair, write a twin sentence with your own noun: 'My documents are ready,' 'There are two problems with the invoice.' The twin sentence is the test of whether you learned the pattern or memorized the example.

Use the correction labels as a spoken editing script: 'Real subject: files. Extra phrase: in the folder. Plural. Verb: need.' Say the labels while editing anything — an email draft, an essay paragraph, a chat message before you send it.

Use the speaking drills as pronunciation work, not grammar work: the goal is that 'she works' and 'the reports are' come out correctly at full speed. Two minutes of chunks a day beats a weekly worksheet, because the error you are fixing is a habit of the mouth as much as a rule on the page.

Beginner / A2-B1: Practise present simple with he, she, it, and plural subjects in short sentences. - Intermediate / B1-B2: Add there is/there are, each/every, prepositional phrases, and collective nouns. - Advanced / B2-C1: Edit paragraphs for agreement across long subjects, clauses, and formal writing. - Role or learner goal: Workers can practise emails and reports; students can practise essays; exam candidates can practise editing under time pressure. - Country, exam, or workplace context: Subject-verb agreement matters in exams, workplace emails, academic writing, and spoken English. Country context does not change the rule, but local workplace examples can make practice more realistic.

1. Subject hunt. Underline the real subject in 20 sentences before choosing the verb. 2. Each and every drill. Write ten sentences with each, every, everyone, and all. 3. There is / there are practice. Describe a room, schedule, or project list with ten sentences. 4. Paragraph repair. Correct one short paragraph and explain each fix. 5. Speaking speed drill. Say 20 third-person singular sentences without dropping -s.

Matching the verb to the nearest noun: Find the real subject, not the noun beside the verb. - Dropping -s in speech: Practise short he/she/it verb chunks aloud. - Using plural verbs after each and every: Remember each and every usually mean one by one. - Forgetting uncountable nouns: Learn common singular patterns like information is and advice is. - Editing only by feeling: Underline subjects and label singular or plural.

Day 1: Review singular and plural present-simple verbs. - Day 2: Practise he/she/it -s in speaking drills. - Day 3: Work on there is and there are with real examples. - Day 4: Practise each, every, everyone, and all. - Day 5: Edit sentences with extra phrases between subject and verb. - Day 6: Correct a paragraph and explain the rules aloud. - Day 7: Write a work, study, or exam paragraph and self-check every subject and verb. At the end of the week, choose one scenario and perform it without reading. Then check three things: Did you state the purpose early? Did you give the most important detail? Did you ask a question that the other person can answer? If one part is weak, repeat only that part instead of starting the whole page again.

Subject Verb Agreement: Use this next to grammar practice, subject-verb agreement, and sentence repair. - English Grammar Practice Online: Use this next to grammar practice, subject-verb agreement, and sentence repair. - Grammar for Speaking English: Use this next to grammar practice, subject-verb agreement, and sentence repair. - Grammar for Work Emails: Use this next to grammar practice, subject-verb agreement, and sentence repair. - Present Simple: Use this next to grammar practice, subject-verb agreement, and sentence repair. - A1 Present Simple: Use this next to grammar practice, subject-verb agreement, and sentence repair. - Writing Assistant: Use this next to grammar practice, subject-verb agreement, and sentence repair. - Common English Mistakes ESL Students: Use this next to grammar practice, subject-verb agreement, and sentence repair.

Take one paragraph you actually wrote this week — an email, a message, homework. Underline every subject, cross out every phrase between subject and verb, and check each pair. If you find zero errors two weeks in a row, move the practice to speech: record one minute of talking about your day and listen only for the third-person -s. Agreement is mastered in your own sentences, not in anyone's exercise list.

Round 1: Email sweep. Open your five most recent sent emails and check every subject-verb pair. Note which trap caused any error — that trap is your target for the week.

Round 2: Recording hunt. Record ninety seconds about your weekend, then listen twice: once for meaning, once only for he/she/it verbs. Count the dropped -s endings, then retell the same story until the count is zero.

Round 3: Trap paragraph. Write one paragraph that deliberately uses all the special cases — each, everyone, team, information, there are — correctly. Building a correct minefield teaches more than fixing someone else's.

Round 4: Speed flips. Say pairs at natural speed, flipping number each time: 'the report is — the reports are,' 'there is one issue — there are two issues.' Thirty seconds a day keeps the pattern warm between longer sessions.

Write six sentences about your real work or study week using one trap each: a long subject with 'of,' an each/every sentence, a there is/are sentence, a collective noun, an uncountable noun, and two subjects joined by 'and.' Read them aloud.

Then swap every singular subject for a plural one and fix the verbs. If you can flip the whole set without stopping, the routine — subject, extra phrase, singular or plural, verb — is doing its job.