5 Trickiest Subject-Verb Agreement Rules on the TOEFL ITP (With Practice Questions)
Subject-verb agreement in TOEFL ITP: 5 trickiest rules, from everyone and along with to neither ... nor and a number of, with examples and a quiz.
“The teacher, along with five students, are in the lab.” Sounds fine, right? On the TOEFL®, it is wrong.
Subject-verb agreement is one of the most frequently tested topics in Section 2 of the TOEFL ITP, especially in Written Expression. The basic rule is simple: a singular subject takes a singular verb (is, was, has, works), and a plural subject takes a plural verb (are, were, have, work).
The problem is that test makers like to slip distracting words between the subject and the verb, so a singular subject looks plural or the other way around. Here are the 5 rules they use most often. (The slides are in Indonesian; the article explains everything in English.)
Why Subject-Verb Agreement Is Tested So Often
In Written Expression, you find the one incorrect part among four underlined parts. Verbs are a favorite target because the error is tiny (is versus are) and easy to miss when you read fast.
The key: find the real subject first, ignore everything attached to it, and only then check the verb. If singular and plural still feel shaky, start with Singular vs Plural and the To Be Guide.
Rule 1: Everyone, Each, Every = Singular
Pronouns beginning with every-, some-, any-, no- (everyone, somebody, anything, nobody) as well as each and every + noun are always singular, even when the meaning is “all people”.
❌ Everyone in the auditorium were listening to the speaker. ✅ Everyone in the auditorium was listening to the speaker.
✅ Each of the students has a laptop. ✅ Every book on the shelf is new.
In the second example, students is plural, but the subject is each, so the verb stays singular.
Note: when each comes after a plural subject, the verb follows that plural subject: The students each have a laptop. This shows up rarely, but it is worth knowing.
Rule 2: Along With, As Well As = Ignore It
Phrases like along with, as well as, together with, accompanied by, in addition to are not substitutes for and. They only add information, so the verb still agrees with the first subject.
❌ The teacher, along with five students, are in the lab. ✅ The teacher, along with five students, is in the lab.
Cross out the phrase between the commas: The teacher is in the lab.
Compare this with and, which really does make the subject plural:
✅ The teacher and five students are in the lab.
Trick: See along with or as well as? Cross out the phrase and match the verb to the noun before it.
Rule 3: Either … Or, Neither … Nor = Follow the Closer Subject
With either … or, neither … nor, and also not only … but also, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it, which is the second one.
❌ Neither the manager nor the employees was happy. ✅ Neither the manager nor the employees were happy.
✅ Either the students or the teacher is responsible.
In the last example, the closer subject is the teacher (singular), so the verb is is.
Careful: the “closer subject” rule applies only to the pairs either … or and neither … nor. When either or neither stands alone as the subject, the verb is singular:
✅ Neither of the answers is correct.
Rule 4: A Number Of vs The Number Of
These two look alike, but they mean different things and take different verbs.
- A number of + plural noun = “several / many” → plural verb
- The number of + plural noun = “the figure, the count” → singular verb
❌ The number of applicants have increased this year. ✅ The number of applicants has increased this year.
✅ A number of applicants have withdrawn.
The core subject in the first example is the number (one figure), not applicants.
Trick: A number = many = plural. The number = one figure = singular.
Rule 5: All, Most, Some, Half, Percentages + Of
With quantity words such as all, most, some, half, none, a lot, percentages, and fractions, the verb depends on the noun after of.
- Plural noun (students, books) → plural verb
- Uncountable (information, water) or singular noun → singular verb
❌ Most of the information in the report were accurate. ✅ Most of the information in the report was accurate.
✅ Half of the students were absent. ✅ Sixty percent of the land is forest.
This is the opposite of Rules 2 and 4: here you must look at the noun after of.
Summary of the 5 Rules
| No | Pattern | Verb agrees with | Correct example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everyone / each / every | Always singular | Everyone was listening. |
| 2 | Along with / as well as | The first subject | The teacher, along with students, is … |
| 3 | Either … or / neither … nor | The closer subject | Neither the manager nor the employees were … |
| 4 | A number of / the number of | Plural / singular | The number of applicants has … |
| 5 | Most / half / % + of | The noun after of | Most of the information was … |
Quick Quiz
Choose the correct verb:
- Nobody in the class (know / knows) the answer.
- The director, as well as the actors, (was / were) at the premiere.
- Either the players or the coach (is / are) going to speak.
- A number of books (is / are) missing.
- Some of the furniture (was / were) damaged.
Answers:
- knows, nobody is always singular.
- was, the real subject is the director.
- is, the closer subject is the coach.
- are, a number of means many.
- was, furniture is uncountable.
Practice Until Your Grammar Instinct Is Sharp
These rules are easy to memorize, but on test day you have to spot them inside long sentences under time pressure. That takes practice.
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