Subject Verb Agreement
The cat (sleep / sleeps) on the windowsill every afternoon.
sleeps
The mechanics repaired the engine in less than two hours.
Active
Reason: The subject (mechanics) performs the action (repaired).
Peanut butter and jelly (is / are) my favorite quick snack
is — Peanut butter and jelly functions here as a single compound idea/dish, taking a singular verb.
Neither the teacher nor the students (was / were) ready for the surprise quiz.
were — When using neither/nor, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it (students = plural).
Identify all the being verbs in the following paragraph:
Although I am tired today, the morning was very productive, and our team will be ready for tomorrow's presentation.
am, was, be
They (wants / want) to visit the zoo this weekend.
want
The missing documents were recovered by the investigative team.
Passive Voice
Reason: The subject (the missing documents) receives the action (were recovered), which was performed by the agent introduced by "by" (the investigative team).
The manager and the employee (disagrees / disagree) on the project strategy.
disagree — Two distinct individuals (manager and employee) joined by and form a plural subject.
Either the broken pipes or the leaking roof (is / are) causing the water damage.
is — When using either/or, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it (leaking roof = singular).
List the being verbs
am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been
There (is/are ) a bag full of groceries in the car.
is
The chef prepared a special meal for the guests.
Active Voice
Reason: The subject (the chef) is performing the action (prepared).
The violin and the cello (requires / require) frequent tuning.
require — Two distinct instruments (the violin and the cello) joined by and form a plural subject.
Either the lead singer or the guitarists (sets / set) up the sound equipment before the show.
set — When using either/or, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. The closest subject is the guitarists (plural), so use the plural verb set.
Identify the being verb -
The new mountain trail was steep and rocky.
Was
One of the dogs (was/were) was barking loudly.
was
All final applications must be submitted before midnight.
Passive Voice
Reason: The subject (all final applications) receives the action (must be submitted). The person performing the submission is not explicitly stated.
Rice and beans (is / are) a staple dish in many cultures.
is — Rice and beans refers to a single combined dish/meal, so it takes a singular verb.
Neither the main server nor the backup systems (was / were) affected by the power outage.
were — When using neither/nor, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. The closest subject is the backup systems (plural), so use the plural verb were.
Identify the being verb:
They are very enthusiastic about the upcoming science fair.
are
The jury (has / have) reached a unanimous verdict.
has
The strong winds blew the heavy patio furniture across the yard.
Active Voice
Reason: The subject (the strong winds) is performing the action (blew).
The CEO and founder of the company (speaks / speak) at the conference today
speaks — The singular article The before CEO and founder indicates that both titles refer to the same single individual.
Neither the players nor the head coach (wants / want) to forfeit the championship game.
wants — The subject closest to the verb is the head coach (singular), so use the singular verb wants.
Identify the being verb:
.She will be the main speaker at the conference tomorrow.
be