Lesson 3 · Lesson guide
Subject–Verb Agreement
Hello, my dear student!
Hello! “The price of books are high.” Do you see the mistake? Many students do not, because the word just before the verb is “books”. But the verb must agree with the price, not with the books.
This is called subject–verb agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb (is, has, goes), a plural subject takes a plural verb (are, have, go).
In short sentences it is easy. In long IELTS sentences (“The number of students who study abroad has risen”) it is the most common grammar mistake I see. Today you will learn to find the real subject every time.
See you in the exercises,Your teacher
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Find the real subject
Ask: what is the sentence about? Cover the extra words and look at the main noun.
The basic rule
he / she / it → -s
One person or thing: is, has, works. More than one: are, have, work.
- My brother works in a bank.
- My brothers work in a bank.
Long subjects
The price of books is…
The noun after “of” is not the subject. The first noun is.
- The price of books is high.
- The quality of the roads has improved.
Who and with
Students who live nearby walk…
Extra information in the middle does not change the verb.
- The teacher with the most students works on Saturdays.
- Students who live nearby walk to school.
Remember!
Cover “of …”, “who …” and “with …” phrases. The verb agrees with the noun before them.
Tricky subjects
Some words look plural but are singular, and some look singular but are plural.
Always singular
everyone, everybody, nobody, each, every
These words take a singular verb.
- Everyone knows the answer.
- Every student has a laptop.
Uncountable
news, information, advice, money, maths
Singular verb, no -s on the noun (news and maths already end in -s, but they are singular).
- The news is good.
- Maths is my favourite subject.
Always plural
people, children, police
No -s, but plural: people are, children have, the police are.
- People in my city are friendly.
- The police are looking for him.
IELTS Task 1
The number of … is / A number of … are
“The number” is one number → singular. “A number of” means “many” → plural.
- The number of tourists has doubled.
- A number of students are absent today.
Mistakes I correct every day
Not: The price of books are high.Say: The price of books is high.
The subject is the price (singular).
Not: Everyone know the answer.Say: Everyone knows the answer.
Everyone is singular → knows.
Not: People is very kind here.Say: People are very kind here.
People is plural.
Not: The number of cars have increased.Say: The number of cars has increased.
The number (one figure) → has.
Not: There is many reasons.Say: There are many reasons.
After there, look at the noun that follows: many reasons → are.
A note from your teacher
Uzbek verbs often stay the same for one or many (“ular oʻqiydi” or “ular oʻqishadi”). English never lets you skip it.
Useful patterns for IELTS
Tap to hear them. These patterns appear in almost every Task 1 report.
The number of students has risen.
the number → has
The percentage of women who work is higher.
the percentage → is
The amount of money spent on food has fallen.
the amount → has
One of the main reasons is cost.
one → is
Learning a language takes time.
an -ing subject → singular
Check yourself
The quality of the schools ___ improved. (has / have)
The children ___ playing outside. (is / are)
One of my friends ___ in Tashkent. (live / lives)
Now it’s your turn!
8 short parts, each a little harder than the one before. Take your time: mistakes are how we learn.
— Your teacher