Subject Verb Agreement with Intervening Phrases Worksheet with Answer

Subject-verb agreement is one of the most important aspects of English grammar, and mastering it is essential for effective communication. However, intervening phrases can complicate matters, making it challenging to maintain subject-verb agreement in your writing. That`s where worksheets with answers come in handy. In this article, we`ll discuss subject-verb agreement with intervening phrases and provide a worksheet with answers to help you practice.

Intervening phrases are phrases that come between the subject and the verb. They can be prepositional phrases, gerund phrases, or infinitive phrases, among others. For example, consider the sentence, "The book on the shelf, with its worn cover, is my favorite." Here, the intervening phrase "with its worn cover" separates the subject, "book," and the verb, "is." This intervening phrase can make it difficult to determine the correct verb tense to use.

To maintain subject-verb agreement in sentences with intervening phrases, you need to ensure that the verb agrees with the subject and not the intervening phrase. This means that the verb should agree with the number of the subject, whether it is singular or plural, and not with any intervening words or phrases.

Here`s an example of a sentence with intervening phrases:

"The woman, with her suitcase and coat, is waiting for the train."

The subject here is "woman," which is singular, so the verb "is" also needs to be singular. The intervening phrases "with her suitcase and coat" do not affect the subject-verb agreement, so we can ignore them.

To help you practice subject-verb agreement with intervening phrases, here`s a worksheet with answers:

1. The child, with his toys and books, ________ playing in the park.

a) is

b) are

Answer: a) is

2. The team, consisting of several experienced players, ________ the tournament last year.

a) won

b) have won

Answer: a) won

3. The group of friends, including Sarah and Tom, ________ to the concert together.

a) went

b) have gone

Answer: a) went

4. The book, along with its companion guide, ________ on the bestseller list for several weeks.

a) has been

b) have been

Answer: a) has been

5. The flowers, with their delicate petals and bright colors, ________ a beautiful sight in the garden.

a) make

b) makes

Answer: b) makes

By practicing with worksheets like these, you can improve your understanding of subject-verb agreement with intervening phrases and use it effectively in your writing.

In conclusion, maintaining subject-verb agreement can be challenging when intervening phrases are involved. However, by paying close attention to the subject and ensuring that the verb agrees with it and not any intervening phrases, you can master subject-verb agreement with ease. And with practice using worksheets like the one provided in this article, you`ll be well on your way to becoming a pro!