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Mark passes Joanna in the hallway.

“Hey,” he asks, “what are you up to?”

“Oh, I am waiting for someone and their friend. What about


you?”

“Me? One of my friends have class at noon and I am about to


meet up with him.”

“Cool, cool. Well, have a nice day.”


“Hey,” Mark asks, “what are you up to?”

“Oh, I am waiting for Maria and her friend. What about you?”

“Me? One of my friends has class at noon and I am about to


meet up with him.”

“Cool, cool. Well, have a nice day.”


Make the verb agree with its subject, not with
the word that comes between the two.

Example: The tulips in the pot on the balcony need


watering.

Example: One of the players throws the ball


across the field.
Treat compound subjects connected by and as plural.

Example: Jill’s natural ability to lead and her desire to help


others have led her to a career in counseling.
{“Natural ability and her desire” form a compound
subject. }

Example: In this simulation, employees and the manager


communicate to achieve similar goals.

{“employees” and “manager” form a compound


subject}
When the parts of the subject form a single unit or when they
refer to the same person or thing, treat the subject as singular.

Example: Sue’s friend and adviser was surprised by her


decision.
When a compound subject is preceded by each or every,
treat it as singular.

Every car, truck, and van is required to pass


inspection.
With compound subjects connected by or or nor, make the
verb agree with the subject nearer to it.

Example: A driver’s license or two credit cards are required.

Example: Two credit cards or a driver’s license is required.


Treat most indefinite pronouns as singular.
Indefinite pronouns include: anybody, anyone, each, either,
everybody, everyone, everything, neither, none, no one,
someone, something, etc.
Example: Everybody who signed up for the ski trip was
taking lessons.

Example: Each of the books has been read.


Example: Each of these volunteers was to represent an
employee in an experimental business situation.

Example: Everyone must give up some freedom to be


accepted in society because if he or she does not, then
society could not exist.
Treat collective nouns as singular unless the meaning is
clearly plural.
Some collective nouns in the American English language are
treated as singular: jury, committee, audience, crowd, class,
troop, family, couple, etc.
They describe a group of persons or things as a unit.

Example: The class respects the professor.


Example: The committee of senators meets weekly.
Example: Our business team has submitted the report.

Example: A number of children are attending the show.


Some words that appear plural are usually treated as
singular.
Words such as athletics, economics, mathematics, physics,
statistics, measles, news, etc. are usually singular.

Example: Language Arts is one of the most challenging


courses at this school.
Titles of works and companies are singular.

Example: Holes is a book about Stanley Yelnats.


have
1. The piano as well as the pipe organ ____________ to be
tuned for the big concert.
A. has
B. have
are
2. The mayor together with his two brothers ____________
going to be indicted for accepting bribes.
A. are
B. is
is
3. Neither of my two suitcases ____________ adequate
for this trip.
A. is
B. are
has
4. Everybody in the class ____________ done the homework
well in advance.
A. has
B. have
takes
5. The jury ____________ their seats in the
courtroom.
A. take
B. takes
seems
6. Neither the teacher nor the students ____________
to understand this assignment.
A. seem
B. seems
is
7. Hartford is one of those cities that ____________
working hard to reclaim a riverfront.
A. is
B. are
is
8. John or his brother ____________ going to
be responsible for this.
A. are
B. is
are
9. A few of the students ____________ doing so well
they can skip the next course.
A. are
B. is
has
10. One of my instructors ____________ written a
letter of recommendation for me.
A. have
B. has

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