Subject–verb agreement

The central rule is simple: singular subject → singular verb; plural subject → plural verb. Agreement and tense are separate issues.

Regular present singular verbs end in -s; plural verbs do not.

Example: The bird flies. The birds fly.

Do not assume the noun immediately before the verb is the subject.

Example: The box of pencils is heavy.
Subject = box, not pencils.

Ignore prepositional phrases between subject and verb.

Example: The collection of paintings is valuable.
Cross out of paintings.

Ignore non-essential information between subject and verb.

Example: The professor, along with her students, is attending.
Core = professor is.

Agreement must also be correct inside relative/essential clauses.

Example: The machines that produce the parts are new.
That refers to plural machines, so produce is plural.

Verb-before-subject sentences still obey normal agreement.

Example: Across the valley stand several towers.
Subject = several towers, so plural stand.

102. A compound subject joined by AND is plural.

Example: Speed and accuracy are important

There is/was/has been” → singular; “there are/were/have been” → plural.

Example: There are several reasons.
Agree with the noun after the verb

A gerund used as a subject is singular.

Example: Swimming every morning is healthy.
The whole activity is one thing.

105. Collective nouns are singular under the book’s SAT convention.

Example: The committee has decided.
Words such as team, company, committee, school, city, country take singular verbs in these SAT questions.

106. Clauses beginning with “that,” “what,” or “whether” can function as singular subjects.

Example: What she discovered was surprising.

Indefinite pronouns

107. Treat these as singular: one, each, every, another, neither, and—under this book’s SAT convention—none/any in the tested constructions.
Example: Each of the players is ready.
Do not let plural players distract you.

108. These are plural: few, both, several, many, others, a number.
Example: Several have responded.

109. “Some, more, most, all” depend on what they refer to.
Example: Most of the water is clean. / Most of the bottles are clean.
Singular/uncountable referent → singular; plural referent → plural.

110. With neither…nor / either…or, the verb agrees with the noun closest to it.
Example: Neither the teachers nor the principal is attending.
Closest noun = principal.

111. “Neither” standing alone is singular.
Example: Neither was available.