Subject-Verb Agreement — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
Mathematics are my favorite subject because the puzzles challenge my logical thinking skills daily.
Corrected: Mathematics is my favorite subject because the puzzles challenge my logical thinking skills daily.
Subjects like mathematics, physics, and economics end in -s but are treated as singular because they name a single field of study.
2. Fix the sentence:
The news about the rescued sea turtles were broadcast across every local television station.
Corrected: The news about the rescued sea turtles was broadcast across every local television station.
The noun 'news' is grammatically singular even though it ends in -s, so it pairs with singular verbs like 'was.'
3. Fix the sentence:
Physics explain how forces act on objects when athletes throw a ball or kick.
Corrected: Physics explains how forces act on objects when athletes throw a ball or kick.
Academic subjects ending in -ics, such as physics and economics, function as singular nouns and require singular verbs.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Civics is taught in our school every Wednesday so students understand how government works.
Subjects ending in -ics, such as civics and economics, are singular and take singular verbs like 'is.'
2. The measles is a contagious illness, but vaccines have made cases extremely rare today.
Diseases like measles, mumps, and rabies are grammatically singular nouns despite ending in -s.
3. Economics studies how families, businesses, and nations make decisions about limited resources.
Like mathematics, economics is singular because it names a single field, so it takes a verb with -s such as 'studies.'
4. Statistics is a powerful tool for analyzing data collected during scientific experiments.
When statistics refers to the academic discipline, it is singular; when it refers to numerical data, it is plural.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. Why does 'news' take a singular verb even though it ends with the letter s?
Sample answer: The word 'news' is uncountable, like 'information' or 'water.' It cannot be made plural by counting separate items, so it always takes a singular verb. We say 'The news is sad' instead of 'are sad.'
Some nouns ending in -s are treated as singular because they refer to one mass concept rather than multiple countable units.
2. How can you tell whether 'statistics' should pair with a singular or plural verb?
Sample answer: If 'statistics' names the school subject, I use a singular verb because it refers to one field of study. If it means the actual numbers being reported, I use a plural verb because each statistic is countable.
Statistics is singular as a discipline but plural when referring to data points, so meaning controls the verb form.