ACT English · Grammar & Usage
Subject-Verb Agreement on the ACT: Every Rule, Named and Explained
On the ACT, you will see multiple questions testing subject-verb agreement, but these will almost never be in simple sentences where the subject and verb are back-to-back. The ACT deliberately puts text between the subject and verb, forcing testers to keep the proper subject and verb in mind across a longer span of words. Sometimes, the ACT will even switch the place of subject and verb so that the subject comes after the main verb. Some testers will find “going by ear” to help in some situations with these questions up to a point, but be forewarned: the ACT intentionally constructs these sentences in ways to make a wrong answer sound correct, so you need to have these rules mastered.
Rules covered in this guide
| Rule | Named Method | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Interrupting phrases between subject and verb | The Bracket-Out Method | Very High |
| Compound subjects joined by “and” | The And-Equals-Plural Rule | High |
| Either/or and neither/nor constructions | The Nearest-Noun Rule | Medium |
| Indefinite pronouns (each, everyone, anyone, etc.) | The SAEEN List | High |
| Collective nouns (team, committee, jury, etc.) | The Single-Unit Test | Medium |
| Inverted sentences and “there is / there are” | The Flip Test | Medium |
Rule 1
Interrupting Phrases Between Subject and Verb
Very High FrequencyWhen a phrase interrupts a subject and its verb, the verb must agree with the true subject — not with any noun inside the interrupting phrase. The ACT’s most common subject-verb agreement trap places a plural noun directly before the verb inside a prepositional or parenthetical phrase, making the wrong verb sound natural.
The most common interrupting constructions tested on the ACT: prepositional phrases beginning with of, in, between, among, and for; and parenthetical modifiers using along with, as well as, together with, in addition to, and including. None of these phrases change the number of the true subject.
Named Method
The Bracket-Out Method
Locate the verb in question. Work backward and mentally place brackets around every phrase that sits between the nearest preceding noun and that verb — anything set off by commas, dashes, or grouped as a prepositional cluster. Remove the bracketed material and read what remains. The stripped sentence reveals the true subject, and agreement becomes obvious.
Example: “The commissioner, along with his 20 staff members, [runs / run] a tight campaign.” Bracket out “along with his 20 staff members.” Remainder: “The commissioner runs a tight campaign.” Singular subject, singular verb. “Along with” introduces a modifier — it does not create a second subject. Modifiers don’t vote on verb number.
✓ Correct
The collection of rare manuscripts was moved to a climate-controlled vault before the renovation began.
✗ Incorrect — verb matches phrase noun, not subject
The collection of rare manuscripts were moved to a climate-controlled vault before the renovation began.
ACT-style practice question
The director of operations, along with three regional managers, were present at the emergency briefing held after the system failure was discovered.
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Rule 2
Compound Subjects Joined by “And”
High FrequencyWhen two or more distinct subjects are joined by “and,” they form a compound subject and always take a plural verb. This rule has no exceptions on the ACT. It does not matter how singular each individual subject sounds — joining them with “and” makes the combined subject plural.
The ACT frequently layers this rule on top of an interrupting-phrase trap: a long modifier is inserted between the compound subject and the verb, causing students to lose track of the full subject before they reach the verb. Apply the Bracket-Out Method first to expose the complete compound subject, then confirm the plural verb.
Named Method
The And-Equals-Plural Rule
When “and” joins two nouns functioning as the subject of a single verb, the verb is always plural — no exceptions on the ACT. “Patience and persistence are required.” “The CEO and the board have agreed.” The individual nouns may each be singular, but their combination always produces a plural subject.
One ACT-relevant edge case: when “each” or “every” directly precedes a compound subject, the verb becomes singular. “Each student and teacher was given a copy.” This pattern is uncommon on the ACT. When “each” or “every” is absent from the construction, “and” equals plural without exception.
✓ Correct
The mayor and the city council have approved the infrastructure bill after months of negotiation.
✗ Incorrect — singular verb with compound subject
The mayor and the city council has approved the infrastructure bill after months of negotiation.
ACT-style practice question
The head curator and the lead archivist, working under a tight deadline imposed by the museum’s board of directors, has catalogued over four thousand items in the new acquisitions wing.
Rule 3
Either/Or and Neither/Nor Constructions
Medium FrequencyWhen subjects are joined by “either…or” or “neither…nor,” the verb agrees with the subject that is closest to it — the noun immediately before the verb. This is the opposite of the “and” rule. With “and,” both subjects combine into one plural unit. With “or” and “nor,” the subjects are presented as alternatives, and only the nearest one determines the verb’s number.
The ACT exploits this rule by placing the plural noun first and the singular noun closest to the verb: “Neither the researchers nor the director was notified.” The plural “researchers” earlier in the sentence makes “was” sound wrong — but “was” is correct. Apply the Nearest-Noun Rule mechanically: find the noun immediately before the verb, match the verb to it, and ignore everything before “or” or “nor.”
Named Method
The Nearest-Noun Rule
Cover everything before “or” or “nor” with your pencil. Read only from that word forward: “nor the director was notified” — singular nearest noun, singular verb. “nor the researchers were notified” — plural nearest noun, plural verb. The covered portion does not affect verb agreement in this construction at all.
This method works because “either…or” and “neither…nor” present alternatives, not a combined unit. Grammar treats only the final alternative — the one immediately before the verb — as the determining subject.
✓ Correct — nearest noun is singular
Neither the senior engineers nor the project manager was notified before the announcement was made.
✗ Incorrect — verb matches far noun, not nearest
Neither the senior engineers nor the project manager were notified before the announcement was made.
ACT-style practice question
Either the principal or the two assistant principals is responsible for approving all schedule changes during the first week of the academic year.
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Rule 4
Indefinite Pronouns (Each, Everyone, Anyone, and More)
High FrequencyCertain indefinite pronouns are always singular on the ACT, regardless of any plural noun that follows them in a prepositional phrase. The classic trap: “Each of the students have submitted their essay.” The word “students” sits immediately before the verb and is plural, making “have” feel correct — but the subject is “each,” which is always singular. The verb must be “has.”
The prepositional phrase “of the students” is a modifier attached to the pronoun. It describes the pronoun; it does not become the subject. The indefinite pronoun is always the subject, and the verb must match it — not the noun inside the phrase that follows.
Indefinite Pronoun Quick Reference
Always Singular — takes singular verb
- each
- every / everyone / everybody / everything
- anyone / anybody / anything
- someone / somebody / something
- no one / nobody / nothing
- either / neither (when used alone as subject)
- one
Always Plural — takes plural verb
- both
- few
- many
- several
- others
Named Method
The SAEEN List
Memorize the core singular indefinite pronouns with the mnemonic SAEEN: Someone/Somebody/Something, Anyone/Anybody/Anything, Everyone/Everybody/Everything, Each, No one/Nobody/Nothing. Every pronoun in this group is singular on the ACT — no exceptions, no context-dependence, regardless of what noun follows in a “of ___” phrase.
When you spot a SAEEN pronoun as the subject, immediately bracket out any following prepositional phrase and pair the verb directly with the pronoun. “Each of the musicians was given a solo.” “Everyone in the stands was standing.” “Nobody among the candidates has withdrawn.” The “of ___” phrase is always a modifier. It does not change the verb.
✓ Correct — verb matches “each,” not “members”
Each of the committee members was asked to review the proposal before the vote.
✗ Incorrect — verb matches nearby “members,” not subject
Each of the committee members were asked to review the proposal before the vote.
ACT-style practice question
Everyone in the three research labs on the fourth floor have submitted their findings to the journal for peer review.
Rule 5
Collective Nouns (Team, Committee, Jury, and More)
Medium FrequencyA collective noun names a group of people or things as a single unit. On the ACT, collective nouns always take singular verbs. The most commonly tested collective nouns are: team, committee, jury, crowd, government, board, faculty, staff, class, group, family, audience, and council.
In British English, collective nouns can take plural verbs when emphasizing individual members acting separately — “The committee have each submitted their recommendations.” The ACT is written in American English exclusively. That usage is always wrong on this test. If you see “the team were” or “the jury have” in an answer choice, eliminate it without further analysis.
Named Method
The Single-Unit Test
Ask: does this noun name one unified thing, even though it is made up of multiple members? If yes — it is a collective noun, and on the ACT it takes a singular verb. “The jury” is one jury. “The team” is one team. “The faculty” is one faculty. Regardless of how many individuals exist within the group, the noun names a single entity.
A quick confirmation: try placing “the whole” before the noun. If the phrase still makes sense, it is almost certainly collective and singular. “The whole committee agrees.” “The whole jury was sequestered.” If you find yourself thinking “but there are twelve jurors” — that is the trap. The noun is “jury,” singular. Match the verb accordingly.
✓ Correct — collective noun takes singular verb
The advisory committee has recommended three policy changes for the upcoming legislative session.
✗ Incorrect — plural verb with collective noun
The advisory committee have recommended three policy changes for the upcoming legislative session.
ACT-style practice question
After three days of deliberation, the jury were unable to reach a unanimous verdict and was subsequently dismissed by the presiding judge.
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Rule 6
Inverted Sentences and “There Is / There Are”
Medium FrequencyIn a standard English sentence, the subject comes before the verb. In an inverted sentence, the verb comes first and the subject follows — which makes automatic agreement checking impossible. The ACT tests two types of inversion: sentences beginning with the word “there” (existential constructions), and sentences that begin with a long prepositional or participial phrase that pushes the real subject to the end of the sentence.
In both cases, the rule is unchanged: the verb agrees with the true subject, wherever that subject appears in the sentence. “There” is never the subject — it is a placeholder. The noun after the verb is always the true subject, and the verb’s number must match it.
Named Method
The Flip Test
Rewrite the inverted sentence in standard subject-verb order by moving the noun that follows the verb to the front of the sentence. The true subject becomes immediately obvious, and agreement is easy to check. “There is/are several reasons for the delay” flipped: “Several reasons are there for the delay.” Plural subject, plural verb — “are” is correct.
The Flip Test works equally well for non-“there” inversions: “Across the valley sits/sit two ancient villages.” Flipped: “Two ancient villages sit across the valley.” Plural subject exposed immediately. Any time the subject seems absent from its expected position before the verb, flip the sentence before choosing an answer.
✓ Correct — verb matches true subject
There are several unresolved questions about the study’s methodology that the authors must address.
✗ Incorrect — verb matches “there,” not true subject
There is several unresolved questions about the study’s methodology that the authors must address.
ACT-style practice question
Scattered throughout the archive’s oldest storage room was dozens of handwritten letters that researchers had overlooked for more than a century.
Quick-Reference Summary: All 6 ACT Subject-Verb Agreement Rules
| Rule | Named Method | The Core Decision | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interrupting phrases between subject and verb | The Bracket-Out Method | Remove the interrupting phrase; match verb to what remains | Very High |
| Compound subjects joined by “and” | The And-Equals-Plural Rule | “And” joining two distinct subjects always = plural verb | High |
| Either/or and neither/nor constructions | The Nearest-Noun Rule | Verb agrees with the noun immediately before it only | Medium |
| Indefinite pronouns (each, everyone, anyone, etc.) | The SAEEN List | SAEEN pronouns are always singular; ignore the “of ___” phrase | High |
| Collective nouns (team, committee, jury, etc.) | The Single-Unit Test | Collective nouns = singular on the ACT, always, no exceptions | Medium |
| Inverted sentences and “there is / there are” | The Flip Test | Reorder to standard subject-verb order; match verb to true subject | Medium |
How to Approach Subject-Verb Agreement Questions on Test Day
Tip 1 — Find the Verb First, Then Hunt the Subject
Don’t read subject-verb agreement questions left to right and wait for something to sound wrong. Start by locating the verb in the underlined portion. Then work backward — stripping out prepositional phrases, participial phrases, and parenthetical modifiers — until you reach the true subject. Only after you’ve identified the subject do you decide whether the verb needs to be singular or plural. This sequence prevents the most common mistake on these questions: matching the verb to the nearest noun instead of the actual grammatical subject.
Tip 2 — Scan All Four Answer Choices Before Re-Reading
Before you carefully re-read the sentence, look at all four answer choices. If you see that some choices are singular (was, has, is) and others are plural (were, have, are), the question is explicitly testing subject-verb agreement. This classification tells you what to look for before you look for it. Find the true subject, determine its number, and eliminate every choice with the wrong form. In most cases this process eliminates two or three choices immediately, leaving only a tense decision — which is a much simpler question.
Tip 3 — Be Careful Checking by Ear
The distinction between “there is” and “there are” can be especially tricky if you’re going by ear. A lot of spoken English ignores this rule in day-to-day speech. For example, you will often notice this tendency with the contraction “there’s” followed by a plural predicate. E.g., “There’s many things wrong with this usage.”
Tip 4 — Treat Tense and Agreement as Two Separate Filters
When answer choices vary in both number and tense, apply two filters in sequence — always starting with agreement. Classify every answer choice as singular or plural and eliminate all choices that don’t match the true subject. If one answer survives, you’re done. If two survive and both agree in number, apply the tense filter: look at the surrounding sentences for time context — past-tense verbs nearby, time markers like “by the end of” or “since,” and whether the action is completed or ongoing. Agreement first, tense second, every time.
Common Questions About Subject-Verb Agreement on the ACT
Use “has.” The subject is “each,” not “students.” “Each” is a singular indefinite pronoun — it belongs to the SAEEN group, and every pronoun in that group is always singular on the ACT regardless of what noun follows it. The phrase “of the students” is a prepositional modifier that describes “each”; it does not become the subject.
The reason “students” pulls at you is proximity: it sits immediately before the verb, and a nearby plural noun triggers a plural instinct in most readers. The ACT constructs these sentences specifically to exploit that reflex. The fix is mechanical: identify the pronoun “each” as the subject, recognize it as singular, and pair it with “has.” A useful mental substitution: replace “each” with “every single one” — “Every single one of the students has submitted the essay” — and the singular verb becomes obvious.
Yes — and this distinction is one of the most frequently tested traps in the entire ACT English section. “And” is a coordinating conjunction that creates a compound subject, which always takes a plural verb. “Along with,” “as well as,” “together with,” and “in addition to” are prepositional phrases, not conjunctions. They introduce a modifier — they do not add a second subject to the sentence.
Compare directly: “The senator and her chief of staff are attending the summit” — two subjects joined by “and,” plural verb. “The senator, along with her chief of staff, is attending the summit” — one subject with a parenthetical modifier set off by commas, singular verb. The subject in the second sentence is still only “the senator.”
The practical check: if the connecting phrase is set off by commas or dashes, it is a modifier, not part of the subject. Apply the Bracket-Out Method — remove everything between the commas — and match the verb to what remains.
Use the Flip Test: rewrite the sentence in standard subject-verb order by moving the noun after the verb to the front. “There are three reasons for the delay” becomes “Three reasons are there for the delay.” The subject — “reasons” — is now immediately before the verb, and agreement is obvious.
“There” is never the subject on the ACT. It is a placeholder that delays the real subject to a position after the verb. Flipping exposes the real subject immediately.
The same technique works for sentences beginning with prepositional phrases: “Among the finalists was/were two students from the same school.” Flip: “Two students from the same school were among the finalists.” Plural subject, plural verb — clear at a glance. Any time the subject seems to be missing from its expected position, flip before you choose.