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SAT Grammar Strategy

Subject-Verb Agreement on the SAT

How to Find the Real Subject Every Time

Master sentence structure, punctuation, and clarity with repeatable rules.

5 Min Read

Grammar Rule

Clarity Focus

5 Practice Qs

Identify the subject and verb, then make sure punctuation does not split them or add extra ideas.

Find the subject + verb first. That is the sentence core.
Only add commas around extra information, never inside the core.
Re-read the sentence without the modifier to test clarity.

Subject-verb agreement questions are a source of some of the easiest points on the SAT Reading and Writing section. The underlying rule is simple: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb, and you already know it. What makes these questions challenging is that the SAT never presents the rule in a straightforward way. This guide assumes you have that core rule down and focuses on the advanced structures the SAT actually uses to trip you up: inverted sentences, correlative conjunctions, and tricky relative clauses.

Instead, test writers bury the real subject under layers of prepositional phrases, appositives, and non-essential clauses so your eye drifts to the wrong noun. They flip sentences around so the subject shows up after the verb. They use phrases like "along with" to trick you into thinking the subject is plural when it isn't. Once you see through these patterns, though, agreement questions become fast, reliable points, often solvable in under 30 seconds.

The Core Rule (And Why the SAT Makes It Hard)

The rule is one sentence: a verb must agree in number with its subject. That's it. "The dog runs." "The dogs run." You've been doing this since elementary school.

The SAT makes it hard by putting distance between the subject and the verb. Consider this sentence:

"The collection of rare stamps from countries across Southeast Asia is valuable."

The subject is "collection", singular. But by the time you wade through "of rare stamps from countries across Southeast Asia," your brain is thinking about stamps, countries, and Asia, all plural-sounding things. The SAT is betting you'll choose "are" instead of "is."

Your job is to not take the bait.

The Four Structures the SAT Uses to Disguise Agreement

1. Prepositional Phrases Between Subject and Verb

This is the most common trick. A prepositional phrase (starting with words like of, in, with, from, for, on, at, between) sits between the subject and verb, containing a noun of a different number than the subject.

"The box of chocolates was left on the counter." (Not "were", "box" is singular.)
"The results of the experiment were inconclusive." (Not "was", "results" is plural.)

2. "Along With" and Similar Phrases

Phrases like "along with," "together with," "as well as," and "in addition to" do not create compound subjects. Only the word "and" does. This catches a lot of students off guard.

"The professor, along with her graduate students, presents the findings." (Subject is "professor", singular.)
"The captain, as well as the crew members, was honored at the ceremony." (Subject is "captain", singular.)

3. Inverted Sentence Order

Sometimes the SAT flips the sentence so the subject comes after the verb. This is especially common with sentences beginning with prepositional phrases or "there is/there are."

"Among the shelves sits a dusty first edition." (Subject is "edition", singular, hiding after the verb.)
"There are several reasons for the policy change." (Subject is "reasons", plural.)

4. Either/Or and Neither/Nor

With "either...or" and "neither...nor," the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. This rule feels strange, but it's consistent on the SAT.

"Neither the teacher nor the students were prepared." (Verb matches "students", plural, closer.)
"Either the students or the teacher was responsible." (Verb matches "teacher", singular, closer.)

When you see an agreement question, follow these three steps:

Find the verb that's being tested (it's usually underlined or part of the answer choices).
Cross out every phrase between the subject and the verb, prepositional phrases, appositives, non-essential clauses. If it's between commas or starts with "of," "with," "along with," "including," or similar words, ignore it.
Match what's left. The remaining noun is your subject. Does it match the verb in number? If not, fix it.

That's really all there is to it. The hard part isn't the grammar, it's not getting distracted by the extra words the SAT throws at you.

Practice Subject-Verb Agreement with SAT-Style Questions

Try the following questions in order. They start straightforward and build to the kinds of sentences the SAT uses to trip students up. For each one, practice the cross-out method before looking at the answer choices.

Passage

The arrangement of tropical flowers on the dining table create a striking centerpiece for the evening reception.

easy

Which choice best maintains subject-verb agreement in this sentence?

Passage

The committee of faculty advisors, who recently reviewed the scholarship applications, recommend that the university increase funding for research grants.

easy

Which choice ensures proper subject-verb agreement?

Passage

Among the dusty volumes lining the top shelf of the university's oldest library sit a leather-bound manuscript believed to date from the fifteenth century.

medium

Which choice correctly maintains subject-verb agreement?

Passage

Neither the lead researcher nor her laboratory assistants was able to replicate the results described in the original study.

medium

Which choice uses the correct verb form?

Passage

The effectiveness of the new policies, along with the enthusiasm of the staff members who helped implement them, have contributed to a measurable improvement in student performance.

medium

Which choice maintains proper subject-verb agreement?

Key Takeaways for Subject-Verb Agreement

The SAT hides the subject on purpose. Prepositional phrases, appositives, and non-essential clauses are placed between the subject and verb to pull your attention toward the wrong noun. Use the cross-out method to strip them away.
"Along with" is not "and." Phrases like "along with," "together with," "as well as," and "in addition to" do not create compound subjects. Only "and" does.
Watch for inverted sentences. When a sentence starts with a prepositional phrase or "there is/there are," the subject often comes after the verb. Mentally rearrange the sentence to find it.
With "neither/nor" and "either/or," match the closer subject. The verb agrees with whichever noun is nearer to it. This is a rule worth memorizing outright.

Conclusion: The Core Rule for Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement questions reward one habit above all else: finding the true subject before you look at the verb. The grammar rule is simple, the SAT just makes you work to apply it. Practice the cross-out method on the questions above until it becomes automatic, and these will become some of the fastest, most reliable points on your test.

Remember: cross out the clutter, find the subject, match the verb. Do that consistently, and agreement questions stop being tricky, they become free points.

About the Instructor

Thomas Meli

Founder, Deep Test Prep

"Viewing the SAT as a transformative rite of passage, my approach builds self-awareness, sharpens critical thinking, and fosters a love of learning that supports students far beyond test day."

With over 20 years of teaching and 500+ hours of training in compassionate communication, Thomas uses scientifically proven methods to help students target and achieve their SAT goals.