SAT / PSAT: SAT PSAT Reading Writing - Standard English Conventions, Agreement, Subject-Verb Agreement, Inverted Sentences, Intervening Phrases

What Is This?

Subject-Verb Agreement in Inverted Sentences and sentences with Intervening Phrases ensures that the subject and verb match in number (singular or plural). This topic appears in exams to test your understanding of grammar rules and your ability to apply them in complex sentence structures. Typical questions involve identifying and correcting errors in subject-verb agreement.

Why It Matters

This topic is tested in standardized exams like the SAT, ACT, GRE, and TOEFL, as well as in job-related English proficiency tests. It appears frequently, often carrying 10-20% of the total marks. It tests your ability to understand and apply grammatical rules accurately, which is crucial for effective communication.

Core Concepts

1. Basic Subject-Verb Agreement: The verb must agree with its subject in number.
2. Inverted Sentences: Sentences where the verb comes before the subject.
3. Intervening Phrases: Phrases that come between the subject and the verb.
4. Distinguishing Subject from Object: Ensure you identify the correct subject, not the object or a modifier.
5. Special Cases: Words like "each," "every," "none," and collective nouns that can be tricky.

Prerequisites

1. Basic Grammar: Understanding of nouns, verbs, and sentence structure.
2. Pronoun Agreement: Knowing how pronouns agree with their antecedents.
3. Modifiers: Recognizing and correctly placing modifiers in a sentence.

Without these, you might misidentify subjects and verbs, leading to incorrect agreements.

The Rule-Book (How It Works)

Primary Rule

The verb must agree with its subject in number.

Sub-Rules and Exceptions

1. Inverted Sentences: The verb still agrees with the subject, even if the subject follows the verb.
2. Example: There are several books on the table.
3. Intervening Phrases: Ignore phrases that come between the subject and the verb.
4. Example: The dog, along with the cats, is sleeping.
5. Collective Nouns: Can be singular or plural depending on context.
6. Example: The team is playing well. vs. The team are arguing among themselves.
7. Indefinite Pronouns: Words like "each," "every," "none" are singular.
8. Example: Each of the students has a book.

Visual Pattern

• Subject [Intervening Phrase] Verb
• Verb Subject

Exam / Job / Audit Weighting

• Frequency: Common
• Difficulty Rating: Intermediate
• Question Type: Multiple Choice, Error Identification, Sentence Correction

Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Must-Know Rules, Formulas, Standards, or Principles

1. The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun that is part of a prepositional phrase.
2. In inverted sentences, the verb still agrees with the subject.
3. Indefinite pronouns like "each," "every," "none" are singular.

Worked Examples (Step-by-Step)

Easy

Question: There is several books on the table. Step-by-Step:
1. Identify the subject: "several books" (plural).
2. Identify the verb: "is" (singular).
3. Correct the verb to match the subject: "are." Answer: There are several books on the table. Key Rule: The verb agrees with the subject.

Medium

Question: The list of items are on the table. Step-by-Step:
1. Identify the subject: "list" (singular).
2. Identify the verb: "are" (plural).
3. Correct the verb to match the subject: "is." Answer: The list of items is on the table. Key Rule: The verb agrees with the subject, not the prepositional phrase.

Hard

Question: Neither the teachers nor the student are coming to the meeting. Step-by-Step:
1. Identify the subjects: "teachers" (plural) and "student" (singular).
2. The verb agrees with the nearest subject: "student."
3. Correct the verb to match the nearest subject: "is." Answer: Neither the teachers nor the student is coming to the meeting. Key Rule: The verb agrees with the nearest subject in compound subjects.

Common Exam Traps & Mistakes

1. Mistake: Ignoring intervening phrases.
2. Wrong Answer: The dog, along with the cats, are sleeping.

3. Correct Approach: The subject is "dog" (singular), so the verb should be "is."

4. Mistake: Misidentifying the subject in inverted sentences.

5. Wrong Answer: There is several books on the table.

6. Correct Approach: The subject is "several books" (plural), so the verb should be "are."

7. Mistake: Treating collective nouns as always singular.

8. Wrong Answer: The team is arguing among themselves.

9. Correct Approach: The context suggests plural, so the verb should be "are."

10. Mistake: Treating indefinite pronouns as plural.

11. Wrong Answer: Each of the students have a book.
12. Correct Approach: "Each" is singular, so the verb should be "has."

Shortcut Strategies & Exam Hacks

1. Identify the Subject First: Always find the subject before deciding on the verb.
2. Ignore Intervening Phrases: Focus on the core subject-verb relationship.
3. Use Context for Collective Nouns: Decide singular or plural based on the sentence's meaning.

Question-Type Taxonomy

1. Multiple Choice: Identify the correct verb form.
2. Example: The list of items __ on the table. (A) is (B) are (C) has (D) have

3. Favored by: SAT, ACT

4. Error Identification: Spot the incorrect subject-verb agreement.

5. Example: There is several books on the table.

6. Favored by: TOEFL, GRE

7. Sentence Correction: Rewrite the sentence with correct agreement.

8. Example: Neither the teachers nor the student are coming to the meeting.
9. Favored by: Job interviews, writing assessments

Practice Set (MCQs)

Question 1

Question: The number of people attending the conference __ increasing. Options: A) is B) are C) has D) have Correct Answer: A) is Explanation: "Number" is singular, so the verb should be "is." Why the Distractors Are Tempting: "People" is plural, misleading to "are" or "have."

Question 2

Question: Either the cats or the dog __ sleeping. Options: A) is B) are C) has D) have Correct Answer: B) are Explanation: The verb agrees with the nearest subject, "dog" (singular), but the context suggests plural action. Why the Distractors Are Tempting: "Cats" is plural, misleading to "are" or "have."

Question 3

Question: The committee __ decided to meet next week. Options: A) has B) have C) is D) are Correct Answer: A) has Explanation: "Committee" is singular, so the verb should be "has." Why the Distractors Are Tempting: "Committee" can be thought of as plural, misleading to "have" or "are."

Question 4

Question: There __ several reasons for the delay. Options: A) is B) are C) has D) have Correct Answer: B) are Explanation: "Reasons" is plural, so the verb should be "are." Why the Distractors Are Tempting: The inverted structure can mislead to "is" or "has."

Question 5

Question: Everyone in the room __ their own opinion. Options: A) has B) have C) is D) are Correct Answer: A) has Explanation: "Everyone" is singular, so the verb should be "has." Why the Distractors Are Tempting: "Room" and "opinion" can mislead to "have" or "are."

30-Second Cheat Sheet

• The verb agrees with the subject, not intervening phrases.
• In inverted sentences, the verb still agrees with the subject.
• Indefinite pronouns like "each," "every," "none" are singular.
• Collective nouns can be singular or plural based on context.
• Identify the subject first, then choose the verb.

Learning Path

1. Beginner Foundation: Review basic grammar rules and sentence structure.
2. Core Rules: Study the primary rule and sub-rules for subject-verb agreement.
3. Practice: Work through examples and practice questions.
4. Timed Drills: Practice under exam conditions to build speed and accuracy.
5. Mock Tests: Take full-length practice exams to simulate test day.

Related Topics

1. Pronoun Agreement: Ensures pronouns agree with their antecedents.
2. Modifier Placement: Correctly placing modifiers to avoid ambiguity.
3. Parallel Structure: Maintaining consistent grammatical form within a sentence.