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We will use the standard of underlining subjects once and verbs twice.

Being able to find the right subject and verb will help you correct errors of subject-verb agreement.

The list of items is/are on the desk.
If you know that list is the subject, then you will choose is for the verb.

Exceptions to the Basic rule:
a. The first person pronoun I takes a plural verb ( I go, I drive).
b. The basic form of the verb is used after certain main verbs such as watch, see, hear, feel, help, let, and make. ( He watched Ronaldo score the winning goal).

A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of. This is a key rule for understanding subjects. The word of is the culprit in many, perhaps most, subject-verb mistakes.

Hasty writers, speakers, readers, and listeners might miss the all-too-common mistake in the following sentence:

A bouquet of yellow roses lend color and fragrance to the room.

This rule can lead to bumps in the road. For example, if I is one of two (or more) subjects, it could lead to this odd sentence:

Neither she, my friends, nor I am going to the festival.

If possible, it's best to reword such grammatically correct but awkward sentences.

Neither she, I, nor my friends are going to the festival.
OR
She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.

As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.

But note these exceptions:

In those sentences, breaking and entering and bed and breakfast are compound nouns.
NOTE
Some think it is incorrect to place a personal pronoun first in a multi-subject sentence.

I, my dad, and my step-mom are going to the movies.
She and Orville bought a dog.

While not grammatically incorrect per se, it is a courtesy to place the pronoun last, except when awkward to do so as shown under Rule 3 above.

Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along with, as well as, besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not part of the subject. Ignore them and use a singular verb when the subject is singular.

The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Rule 5b. Parentheses are not part of the subject.

Example: Joe (and his trusty mutt) always welcome.
If this seems awkward, try rewriting the sentence.
NOTE:
The word there's, a contraction of there is, leads to bad habits in informal sentences like There's a lot of people here today, because it's easier to say "there's" than "there are." Take care never to use there's with a plural subject.

Rule 7. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.

Three miles is too far to walk.
Five yearsis the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollarsis a high price to pay.
BUT
Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills)were scattered on the floor.

With words that indicate portions-e.g., a lot, a majority, some, all-Rule 1 given earlier in this section is reversed, and we are guided by the noun after of. If the noun after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.
NOTE
Some teachers, editors, and the SAT testing service, perhaps for convenience, have considered none to be strictly singular. However, authorities agree that none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. When none is clearly intended to mean "not one," it is followed by a singular verb.

With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population, the verb might be singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent.
NOTE
Anyone who uses a plural verb with a collective noun must take care to be accurate-and also consistent. It must not be done carelessly. The following is the sort of flawed sentence one sees and hears a lot these days:

The staff is deciding how they want to vote.
Careful speakers and writers would avoid assigning the singular is and the plural they to staff in the same sentence.

Rewriting such sentences is recommended whenever possible. The preceding sentence would read even better as:
The staff members are deciding how they want to vote.
Shouldn't Joe be followed by was, not were, given that Joe is singular? But Joe isn't actually here, so we say were, not was. The sentence demonstrates the subjunctive mood, which is used to express a hypothetical, wishful, imaginary, or factually contradictory thought. The subjunctive mood pairs singular subjects with what we usually think of as plural verbs.

I wish it were Friday.
She requested that heraise his hand.
The foreman demanded that Joewear safety goggles.

In the first example, a wishful statement, not a fact, is being expressed; therefore, were, which we usually think of as a plural verb, is used with the singular it. (Technically, it is the singular subject of the object clause in the subjunctive mood: it were Friday.)

Normally, he raise would sound terrible to us. However, in the second example, where a request is being expressed, the subjunctive mood is correct.

Note: The subjunctive mood is losing ground in spoken English but should still be used in formal speech and writing.

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The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb while a plural subject takes a plural verb. Being able to find the right subject and verb will help you correct errors of subject-verb agreement.

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After each sentence select the verb form that will best fit in the blank. The explanation will describe the process of arriving at the correct choice for that sentence. If you choose the correct response, it might still be a good idea to consult the explanation, to see if your understanding of the verb choice is the same as ours.

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After each sentence select the verb form that will best fit in the blank. The explanation will describe the process of arriving at the correct choice for that sentence. If you choose the correct response, it might still be a good idea to consult the explanation, to see if your understanding of the verb choice is the same as ours.