Rule 6. Agreement in number

A. Be sure to use a plural verb if you have a plural subject. This can be tricky when the subject is not immediately obvious; it may help to rearrange the sentence to determine if the subject is plural or singular.

There are an overwhelming number of drunk driving accidents.

 This sentence may “sound right,” but see what happens when you rearrange it.

The number of drunk driving accidents is overwhelming.
The number of drunk driving accidents are overwhelming.

 Now it is clear that the subject is number, which is singular. The correct sentence is

There is an overwhelming number of drunk driving accidents.

 Although this doesn’t “sound right,” it is grammatically correct.

Be consistent with when using singular or plural nouns.

Is the driver endangering society if he refuses to take a field sobriety test?

 Since the noun driver is singular, you must be consistent throughout the sentence.

Practice:

  1. Should the driver of the car lose their license if they won’t take a breathalyser test?
  2. The rule of law states that a driver who is pulled over for suspicion of drunk driving is not in custody and the police can ask them to take a field sobriety test
  3. When a young driver is pulled over by a police officer, they should be courteous and cooperative.
  4. Where are the players’ weight training room?
  5. A good source of vitamin C are oranges and grapefruits.
  6. The driver must produce a valid license and registration if they are asked for it by the police officer.

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