Test preparation

When using either/or neither/nor, the verb agrees with the subject the closest to it.

Example:

• Neither my friend nor her parents have arrived yet.
• Either my brothers or my sister is going to help you.

In case of group of people, the subject-verb agreement depends on whether the group is acting as one unit or as individuals:

• If the group acts as a single unit, use a singular verb.

Example: The group is planning a trip.

• If the group members are acting individually, use a plural verb.

Example: The group are arguing among themselves

No. Some nouns like mathematics, news, and politics end in “s” but are singular and take a singular verb.

Example: Mathematics is difficult.

Here are some examples of subject-verb agreement:

• The girl is reading a book.
• The boys are playing football.
• Each of the books has a different topic.
• Each of the players has a unique skill.
• The children were playing in the park.
• Ten kilometers is a long distance to walk.

There are 26 rules in subject-verb agreement. These cover a wide range of situations, such as rules for singular/plural subjects, compound subjects, collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, distances, time, money, and exceptions.

Subject-verb agreement means the verb in a sentence must match the subject in number. If the subject is singular, the verb should be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.

Example:

• He runs fast. (singular subject + singular verb)
• They run fast. (plural subject + plural verb)

The rule of the simple present tense is as follows:

• Positive Sentence or Affirmative Sentence: Subject + verb (base form) + object (e.g., "He plays football").
• Negative Sentence: Subject + does not/do not + verb (base form) + object (e.g., "She does not like coffee").
• Questions or Interrogative Sentences: Do/Does + subject + verb (base form) + object? (e.g., "Does he work here?").

The verb 'be' is an irregular verb used when used in the Simple Present Tense. It is essential because it forms the basic English sentences. The verb is used to describe identity, conditions, emotions, etc. 'Be' changes to am, is, are- depending on the subject. It also functions as a helping verb in more complex structures.

Stative Verbs are the verbs which describe the state, emotion, though or possession. Verbs such as knows, owns, likes, etc. are not used in the continuous tense and hence are used in the simple present tense. 

For example: 

• I own a shop. 
• She knows the answer.