Writing · Persuasive essay

Grammar, Usage, and Subject-Verb Agreement

Small grammar slips can quietly cost you marks inside your essay. Here is how to keep your subjects and verbs in step, even in the tricky cases.

On the CAEC, the Writing test is a single 75-minute persuasive task, often framed as a letter or email arguing for a position. There is no separate multiple-choice grammar or editing section. Instead, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure are all scored inside the essay you write.

Your essay is marked out of 9 across three equally weighted dimensions: Position & Support, Voice & Presentation, and Conventions, Mechanics & Syntax. Subject-verb agreement lives in that third dimension. Get it right consistently, and one full third of your score takes care of itself. Let's make it automatic.

The core rule: subjects and verbs must match in number

Every sentence has a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a verb (the action or state of being). Subject-verb agreement simply means the verb has to match its subject, singular with singular, plural with plural.

  • Singular subject takes a singular verb: "The student writes a strong opening."
  • Plural subject takes a plural verb: "The students write strong openings."
The quirk of English: in the present tense, the singular verb usually adds an -s (he writes, it works), while the plural verb drops it (they write, they work). That is the opposite of how nouns work, where the -s makes them plural. Keep that flip in mind and most errors disappear.

A worked example from a real essay sentence

Imagine you are writing a letter to your city council arguing for a new community centre. You draft this sentence:

"The list of benefits for local families are hard to ignore."

It sounds fine because "families" sits right before the verb. But the real subject is list, singular, not "families." The words "of benefits for local families" are just a phrase describing the list. Strip the phrase away and you hear it: "The list... are hard to ignore" should be "The list... is hard to ignore."

Weaker (disagrees)

The list of benefits for local families are hard to ignore.

The verb matched the nearest noun instead of the true subject.

Stronger (agrees)

The list of benefits for local families is hard to ignore.

Singular subject (list) takes the singular verb (is).

Tricky case #1: words that come between subject and verb

The most common trap, as we just saw, is an intervening phrase, usually starting with "of," "with," "along with," or "as well as." These phrases never change the subject. Find the real subject, then ignore everything in between.

  • Incorrect: "Each of the proposals have a cost."
  • Correct: "Each of the proposals has a cost." (The subject is "Each," which is singular.)
  • Incorrect: "The mayor, along with her advisors, support the plan."
  • Correct: "The mayor, along with her advisors, supports the plan." (The subject is "mayor", the "along with" phrase is just extra information.)

Tricky case #2: "each," "every," and friends

Some words feel plural but are grammatically singular. Treat these as singular and pair them with a singular verb: each, every, everyone, everybody, someone, anyone, nobody, neither, either.

  • Correct: "Everyone in our neighbourhood wants safer streets."
  • Correct: "Neither of the options is perfect."
  • Correct: "Every student and teacher benefits from the program." (Even joined by "and," subjects led by "every" stay singular.)
Quick tip: if a word can be followed by "one, " like "everyone" or "anyone, " it is singular. The hidden "one" gives it away.

Tricky case #3: collective nouns (team, group, committee)

Collective nouns name a group as a single unit, team, committee, council, family, staff, audience. In standard usage, when the group acts as one, use a singular verb.

Weaker

The committee are meeting on Tuesday.

Stronger

The committee is meeting on Tuesday.

The group is acting together, so it takes the singular verb. (You may occasionally see a plural verb when the writer means the members acting separately, but for the CAEC essay, treating collective nouns as singular is the clean, safe choice.)

Tricky case #4: subjects joined by "and" vs. "or"

  • Joined by "and" → usually plural: "A library and a gym are both needed."
  • Joined by "or" / "nor" → the verb agrees with the nearer subject: "Neither the council nor the residents want delays." (nearer subject = residents, plural) but "Neither the residents nor the council wants delays." (nearer subject = council, singular).

A few other usage errors graders notice

Agreement is the big one, but these everyday usage slips also fall under Conventions, Mechanics & Syntax. Clearing them up makes your writing read as polished and controlled.

  • their / there / they're: "their" shows ownership, "there" is a place, and "they're" means "they are."
  • its / it's: "its" shows ownership; "it's" means "it is." When in doubt, expand it: if "it is" fits, use the apostrophe.
  • your / you're: "your" shows ownership; "you're" means "you are."
  • Consistent verb tense: do not drift between past and present. Pick a tense for your argument and stay with it.

A quick four-step agreement check

When you proofread your essay in the final minutes, run any shaky-sounding sentence through this:

  1. Find the verb. What is the action or the "is/are" word?
  2. Find its true subject. Ask "who or what" does that verb, ignore any "of," "with," or "along with" phrase.
  3. Decide: singular or plural? Remember "each," "every," and collective nouns are singular.
  4. Match the verb to it. Add or drop the present-tense -s as needed.

Your turn: fix the agreement

Each sentence below has a subject-verb agreement or usage error. Find the true subject, decide if it is singular or plural, and rewrite the verb. Try all four before you peek.

  1. The group of volunteers were ready to help.
  2. Each of the new programs offer free childcare.
  3. Neither the principal nor the parents wants the school to close.
  4. Our community deserve a safe place for its children.
Tap to reveal the answers
  • 1. The group of volunteers was ready to help. ("Group" is a singular collective noun; "of volunteers" is just a phrase.)
  • 2. Each of the new programs offers free childcare. ("Each" is singular, so add the -s.)
  • 3. Neither the principal nor the parents want the school to close. (With "nor," the verb matches the nearer subject, here "parents," which is plural.)
  • 4. Our community deserves a safe place for its children. ("Community" is a singular collective noun; note "its" is already correctly used for ownership.)

Why this matters for the CAEC

On the CAEC writing test, there is no checklist of grammar questions to answer, your control of grammar shows up in the essay you write. Consistent subject-verb agreement is one of the clearest signals of strong conventions, and conventions are a full third of your 9-point score. Clean, in-step sentences let your argument shine through.

Want more practice like this? Explore our Writing lessons, dig into the CAEC Ready Workbook for full essay practice, or start with a free writing sample to test yourself.

Disclaimer

This article is a general study lesson. CAEC Ready is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government, ministry of education, or official CAEC testing provider.

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