When a long phrase sits between the subject and the verb, the verb must still match the subject. Strip the phrase, match the pair, then put the phrase back.
This lesson is part of grammar choices that change meaning. If basic agreement is still uncertain, start with correcting subject-verb agreement.
What is the strip-and-check method?
Use three steps.
- Find the verb, then ask “who or what” before it to find the subject.
- Put brackets around every phrase or clause between the subject and the verb.
- Read the subject and the verb together, then put the brackets back.
Phrases that start with of, in, with, who, which, as well as, along with or together with are the usual candidates.
Worked example: a long sentence in three stages
Take this original sentence: “The collection of rare coins, together with two old maps and a letter from 1950, are displayed in the museum.”
Stage 1: the verb is “are”. Who or what is displayed? “The collection”.
Stage 2: bracket the middle. “The collection (of rare coins, together with two old maps and a letter from 1950) are displayed.”
Stage 3: read “The collection are displayed”. It does not fit, because “collection” is singular. The repaired sentence is: “The collection of rare coins, together with two old maps and a letter from 1950, is displayed in the museum.”
“Together with” does not add a second subject. If the writer means all three items are equal, “and” would make a plural subject, and the sentence would change to “The coins, two old maps and a letter from 1950 are displayed.”
The mistake: agreeing with the last noun
Your eye lands on “letter” or “maps” right before the verb, and the verb follows. The sentence sounds natural because the nearest nouns are plural.
| Habit | Sentence | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| Nearest noun | The list of winners are on the board. | “winners” is not the subject |
| Stripped check | The list (of winners) is on the board. | subject is “list” |
The fix is to bracket before you decide, even in sentences that sound fine.
Where does the meaning change?
Sometimes the verb form changes the meaning. “A number of students are absent” talks about a group of students. “The number of students is 40” talks about the figure 40. Both are correct in different contexts, so choose the verb to match the idea you want.
Check yourself
Correct the sentences. (1) “The team of volunteers, along with their leader, are ready.” (2) “The bag of oranges and apples are on the table.” (3) “The number of entries have doubled.”
Answer
(1) “The team of volunteers, along with their leader, is ready.” The subject is “team”, and “along with” adds no second subject.
(2) “The bag of oranges and apples is on the table.” The subject is “bag”. The “and” sits inside the phrase with “of”.
(3) “The number of entries has doubled.” The subject is “number”, which is singular.
What to study next
Continue with distinguishing a defining clause from extra information, where the commas around a clause change the meaning. Log repeat errors in the mistake log.
For a teacher to check your long sentences, see online one-to-one English tuition.