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SBI PO Subject-Verb Agreement

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This page covers SBI PO Subject-Verb Agreement with complete concept notes, 17 graded practice MCQs, key points and exam-specific tips. Free to study.

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Concept Notes

Subject-Verb Agreement— Rules & Concept

Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic

Subject-Verb Agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject and verb in a sentence must match in number and person. Simply put, if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.

Key RulesCore rules you must know cold
1

Singular subjects take singular verbs (He runs)

2

Plural subjects take plural verbs (They run)

3

Collective nouns are usually singular (The team is playing)

4

'And' makes subjects plural (Ram and Shyam are friends)

5

'Or/Nor' follows the nearest subject (Either Ram or his friends are coming)

Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs

SSC CGL consistently asks 2-3 questions on Subject-Verb Agreement. Common question types include: - Error detection in sentences - Fill in the blanks with correct verb form - Sentence improvement questions - Para jumbles where agreement affects meaning Shortcut Formula for Collective Nouns: Team/Committee/Family/Government + acting as ONE unit = Singular verb Team/Committee/Family/Government + acting as INDIVIDUALS = Plural verb

Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1

Identify the structure - 'Neither...nor' construction

2
Step 2

Apply proximity rule - verb agrees with nearest subject

3
Step 3

Nearest subject is 'students' (plural)

4
Step 4

Therefore, use 'were' (plural verb) Answer: Neither the teacher nor the students WERE present. Worked Example 2: Question: The committee (has/have) decided to postpone the meeting.

1
Step 1

Identify subject - 'committee' (collective noun)

2
Step 2

Determine if acting as unit or individuals

3
Step 3

'Decided' suggests unanimous action = acting as one unit

4
Step 4

One unit = singular verb Answer: The committee HAS decided to postpone the meeting. Powerful Exam Shortcuts: Trick 1 - FANBOYS Rule for Subjects: When subjects joined by 'For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So' - only 'And' makes it plural, others follow proximity rule. Trick 2 - Percentage/Fraction Formula: Percent/Fraction + OF + Singular noun = Singular verb Percent/Fraction + OF + Plural noun = Plural verb Example: 50% of the water IS pure / 50% of the students ARE present Trick 3 - Distance/Time/Money Rule: When talking about total amount as ONE unit = Singular verb Example: Five kilometers IS a long distance (not 'are') Most Common Trap (#1 Student Mistake): Students get confused by words between subject and verb. Always identify the MAIN subject, ignore the words in between. Wrong thinking: 'The bag of books are heavy' (thinking 'books' is subject) Correct: 'The bag of books IS heavy' (subject is 'bag', not 'books') Quick Identification Method: Cross out prepositional phrases (of, in, on, at, with, by, for) to find the real subject. 'The leader of all political parties' → Cross out 'of all political parties' → Subject is 'leader' (singular) Special Cases to Remember: - None can be singular or plural depending on context - Each, every, either, neither are always singular - Data can be singular (modern usage) or plural (traditional) - Scissors, trousers, spectacles are always plural Exam Success Strategy: In error detection questions, immediately scan for subject-verb mismatches. This appears in 60% of grammar-based error detection questions in SSC CGL. Practice identifying the main subject by eliminating prepositional phrases and modifying clauses.

Key Points to Remember

  • Singular subject takes singular verb, plural subject takes plural verb
  • Formula: 'Or/Nor' constructions - verb agrees with NEAREST subject
  • Collective nouns acting as one unit take singular verbs
  • Only 'And' makes compound subjects plural, 'Or/Nor' follows proximity rule
  • Cross out prepositional phrases to identify the main subject
  • Each, every, either, neither are ALWAYS singular
  • Percentage Formula: % + OF + singular noun = singular verb
  • Distance/Time/Money as total amount = singular verb (Five years IS enough)
  • Words between subject and verb do NOT affect agreement
  • None can be singular or plural depending on the noun that follows

Exam-Specific Tips

  • Either, neither, each, every, everyone, someone, anyone are always singular
  • Scissors, trousers, spectacles, pliers are always plural nouns
  • Data is accepted as both singular (modern) and plural (traditional) in exams
  • The number of + plural noun takes singular verb (The number of students IS)
  • A number of + plural noun takes plural verb (A number of students ARE)
  • More than one takes singular verb despite plural meaning
  • News, mathematics, physics, economics are singular despite 's' ending
  • Cattle, police, people are always plural
Practice MCQs

Subject-Verb Agreement — Practice Questions

17graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis

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Practice 1easy

In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error. Neither the manager nor the employees (A) was / (B) interested in attending the conference, (C) so the event (D) was postponed indefinitely.

Practice 2easy

In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error. Neither the manager nor the employees (A) was (B) satisfied with (C) the new working conditions (D). (A) was (B) satisfied with (C) the new working conditions (D) No error

Practice 3easy

In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error. Either the director or the supervisors (A) is (B) responsible for (C) monitoring the project progress (D). (A) is (B) responsible for (C) monitoring the project progress (D) No error

Practice 4easy

In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error. The number of applicants (A) have increased (B) significantly this year (C) compared to last year (D). (A) The number of applicants (B) have increased (C) this year (D) compared to last year (E) No error

Practice 5easy

In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error. A number of students (A) have submitted (B) their assignments (C) on time (D). (A) A number of students (B) have submitted (C) their assignments (D) on time (E) No error

Practice 6easy

In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error. The committee (A) have decided (B) to implement new policies (C) across all departments (D). (A) The committee (B) have decided (C) to implement new policies (D) across all departments (E) No error

Practice 7medium

Neither the manager nor the employees (A) wants / (B) want / (C) are wanting / (D) have wanted to attend the mandatory training session. No error

Practice 8medium

The committee, along with the board members, (A) have decided / (B) has decided / (C) are deciding / (D) were deciding to implement the new policy next quarter. No error

Practice 9medium

The series of lectures on quantum physics (A) have been / (B) has been / (C) are being / (D) were scheduled for next month. No error

Practice 10medium

A number of applicants (A) has applied / (B) have applied / (C) is applying / (D) are being applied for the senior analyst position. No error

Practice 11medium

The research team, which includes experts from five countries, (A) are conducting / (B) is conducting / (C) have conducted / (D) were conducting a comprehensive study on climate change. No error

Practice 12medium

In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error. (A) Each of the students in the two classes / (B) have been asked to submit / (C) their project reports / (D) by next Friday. / No error

Practice 13hard

The majority of the workforce (A) have expressed their concerns about the new policy, and the management (B) are considering their feedback seriously. (C) Each of the team members (D) have been assigned specific responsibilities. No error

Practice 14hard

The committee, which comprises representatives from five different departments, (A) have decided to postpone the annual conference. (B) The decision, along with the recommendations, (C) were announced yesterday by the chairperson. (D) No error

Practice 15hard

Neither the manager nor the employees (A) was willing to compromise, which (B) have created a deadlock situation. (C) The union, as well as the workers, (D) are demanding immediate negotiations. No error

Practice 16hard

The number of applicants who (A) has applied for the scholarship (B) are increasing every year, which (C) have prompted the university to revise its selection criteria. (D) No error

Practice 17hard

The series of lectures that (A) was delivered by the renowned economist (B) have been highly appreciated by the students. (C) The data collected from the survey (D) suggests that consumer behaviour are changing rapidly. No error

60-Second Revision — Subject-Verb Agreement

  • Remember: Cross out prepositional phrases to find the real subject
  • Formula: Or/Nor constructions - verb agrees with nearest subject
  • Trap: Don't let words between subject and verb confuse agreement
  • Quick check: Each, every, either, neither = always singular verbs
  • Collective nouns: Acting as unit = singular, as individuals = plural
  • Special rule: 'The number of' = singular, 'A number of' = plural
  • Time/Distance/Money as total amount = singular verb
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