Subject Verb Agreement

Carlos is the only one of those students who __________ lived up to the potential described in the yearbook. Has or Have

Answer: Has The 'who' refers, in this case, to 'the only one,' which is singular.

Not only the students but also their instructor ________ been called to the principal's office. Has or Have

Answer: Has With paired conjunctions such as either ... or and not only ... but also, the subject closer to the verb -- in this case, the singular 'instructor' -- determines whether the verb will be singular or plural.

Most of the milk _____ gone bad. Six gallons of milk _______ still in the refrigerator. Has........are or Have.....is

Answer: Has....are 'Most' is not a countable noun here (you can't count 'the milk' in the first sentence), so the verb must be singular. You can count the gallons of milk, though, so the subject in the second sentence is plural.

The students and instructors each ________for a new facility by next year. Hope or Hopes

Answer: Hope When 'each' or 'every' comes after the compound subject, a plural verb -- 'hope' -- is appropriate.

Each and every student and instructor in this building __________ for a new facility by next year. Hope or Hopes

Answer: Hopes The subject of the verb is 'each and every,' which is singular: the correct verb choice, then, is 'hopes.'

Four years _______ a long time to spend away from your friends and family. Is or Are

Answer: Is The quantity of 'four years' here is meant to be taken as a whole, as one quantity, so the verb should be singular.

One of my best friends _____________ an extra on Seinfeld this week. Is or Are

Answer: Is The subject of this sentence is 'one,' which is, of course, singular. Don't let the intervening prepositional phrase (with its plural 'friends') fool you.

The International Club, as well as the Choral Society and the Rowing Club, __________ to submit a new constitution. Need Or Needs

Answer: Needs The subject here is 'The International Club,' which is singular. The modifying phrase that comes after 'as well as' modifies the subject but does not compound it as the word 'and' would do.

Rice and beans, my favorite dish, __________ me of my native Puerto Rico. Remind or Reminds

Answer: Reminds 'Rice and beans' is one dish, so we need a singular verb to agree with it.

To an outsider, the economics of this country ________ to be in disarray. Seem or Seems

Answer: Seem 'Economics,' in this case, means any number of aspects of or facts about the country's financial health, so we need a plural verb. When the word 'economics' refers to the course or the discipline, it is singular.

A large number of voters still ___________ along straight-party lines. Votes or Vote

Answer: Vote 'Number' is a collective noun, but the elements within the collective noun, the voters, are acting separately in this case (we hope!), so the verb should be plural: 'vote.'

Politics __________ sometimes a dirty business. Is or Are

Answer: is 'Politics,' in this case, is one thing, so we need a singular verb.