StudyPebble

Subject-Verb Agreement With Long Phrases

The SAT almost never puts a subject directly next to its verb on agreement questions. It inserts a prepositional phrase, a descriptive clause, or a list of details in between, so the noun nearest the verb is the wrong one. Removing the interrupting material makes the answer obvious.

The rule

Cross out every prepositional phrase and descriptive clause between the subject and the verb, then match what remains.

Take the sentence: the collection of rare manuscripts in the university archives was donated last year. The verb belongs to collection, which is singular, not to manuscripts or archives. Crossing out of rare manuscripts and in the university archives leaves the collection was donated, which is clearly correct. Nouns inside prepositional phrases can never be the subject.

The words that begin those phrases are worth memorizing as a group: of, in, on, with, along with, as well as, including, and between. A subject followed by along with her colleagues stays singular, because along with does not create a compound subject the way and does. The SAT uses this pairing constantly.

Descriptive clauses do the same job. In: the researcher who published three studies on migratory patterns is speaking tonight, the clause between the subject and the verb contains the plural studies and patterns, and neither is the subject. The researcher is speaking is the skeleton of the sentence.

Inverted sentences hide the subject after the verb. In sentences beginning with there is, there are, here is, or a prepositional phrase such as among the finalists, the subject comes later. In: among the finalists were two students from the same school, the subject is students, which is plural, so were is correct even though the sentence opens with a singular-sounding phrase.

The practical routine is short. Find the verb, ask who or what is doing it, cross out everything between that noun and the verb, and read the two words together. Doing it in that order prevents the nearest-noun reflex, which is what these questions are built to exploit.

The trap

Matching the verb to the noun closest to it, which is usually inside a phrase and cannot be the subject.

Try it

Try one
Real question

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The panel of experts ______ reviewing proposals submitted last month.

Splitting a mammoth tusk into usable blades ______ far more planning than early archaeologists assumed. Experimental knappers working with modern ivory report that one misjudged strike can waste a whole section of tusk near the base that took the animal a decade to grow.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  • A) have required
  • B) were requiring
  • C) requires ✓
  • D) require

Why: The subject is the gerund phrase "Splitting a mammoth tusk into usable blades," which is singular no matter how many plural nouns it contains, so "requires" is correct. "Require" and "have required" agree with "blades," the noun closest to the blank, and "were requiring" is plural as well as past progressive, which conflicts with the present-tense claim the next sentence supports. Require is plural verb matched to "blades," the nearest noun, rather than to the gerund phrase that serves as the subject. Have required is plural, and the perfect turns a general statement into a past accumulation. Were requiring is plural and past progressive, which does not fit a claim about the process in general.

Practice more of these free

Questions students ask

Does as well as make a subject plural?

No. Only the word and creates a compound plural subject. Phrases like as well as, along with, together with, and in addition to add information without changing the number of the subject, so a singular subject keeps a singular verb.

How do I handle sentences starting with there is or there are?

The subject comes after the verb in those sentences. Find the noun that follows and match the verb to it. There are three reasons is correct because reasons is plural, while there is one reason takes the singular form.

Guides that cover this