Subject-verb agreement is a crucial concept in the English language. It refers to the fact that the subject and verb of a sentence must agree in number. That is, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. In this article, we will discuss subject-verb agreement in class 8 with some answers.

Examples of Subject-Verb Agreement

1. Singular subjects require singular verbs:

– The boy runs to school every day. (boy is singular, so runs is singular)

– My mother studies English at night. (mother is singular, so studies is singular)

2. Plural subjects require plural verbs:

– The boys play baseball in the park. (boys is plural, so play is plural)

– My parents watch TV after dinner. (parents is plural, so watch is plural)

3. Singular subjects joined by “or” or “nor” require a singular verb:

– Either the cat or the dog is responsible for the mess. (cat and dog are singular, so is is singular)

– Neither the teacher nor the student likes pop quizzes. (teacher and student are singular, so likes is singular)

4. Plural subjects joined by “or” or “nor” require a plural verb:

– Either the boys or the girls are going to the dance. (boys and girls are plural, so are is plural)

– Neither the apples nor the oranges are ripe yet. (apples and oranges are plural, so are is plural)

Also, some subject-verb agreement rules are:

– The indefinite pronouns anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody, anybody, nobody use singular verbs.

– The pronouns each, either, and neither are also singular.

– The pronouns both, few, and several are plural.

– Collective nouns like team, group, and family can be either singular or plural depending on the context.

Examples of Exercises on Subject-Verb Agreement

1. The flowers in the vase (was/were) beautiful.

Answer: were (flowers is plural)

2. The dog in the backyard (barks/bark) every night.

Answer: barks (dog is singular)

3. One of the boys (is/are) going to the party.

Answer: is (one is singular)

4. The committee (has/have) made their decision.

Answer: has (committee is singular)

5. Either my sister or my brother (is/are) going to drive me to the airport.

Answer: is (either is singular)

Conclusion

Understanding subject-verb agreement is essential to write grammatically correct sentences. By following these rules and practicing exercises, you will improve your writing and communication skills. Remember to pay attention to the number of subjects and choose the correct verb form accordingly.