Sentence Improvement
🔒 Log in to trackAgreement and verb-form fixes
🔒 Log in to trackWhen the highlighted segment is (or contains) a verb, run the agreement audit: find the TRUE subject.
Interrupters that never change number: of the..., as well as, along with, together with, in addition to, accompanied by, and not, besides. The verb follows the first, real subject:
- The list of candidates was displayed (list).
- One of the students has won (one).
- The captain, as well as the players, was fined (captain).
Always-singular subjects: each, every, everyone, everybody, either, neither, nobody, one. Always-plural in effect: cattle, police, people.
Verb form after helpers: after did/does/do → base form; after have/has/had → past participle; after be → -ing (continuous) or participle (passive). Improvement items highlight the wrong slot of this chain: did he arrived → did he arrive.
There is/there are: the verb agrees with the noun AFTER it — There is a temple and two shops is acceptable SSC usage when the first noun governs; but standard items usually keep simple agreement with the real subject, so audit that noun first.
Detailed notes
The audit: find the true subject
When the bold part contains (or ends in) a verb with a helper — was/were, has/have, is/are, does/do — run the agreement audit:
- Find the true subject: the noun the sentence is about.
- Cross out the interrupters: phrases that begin with of, with, along with, as well as, together with, besides, including never contain the subject.
- Match the helper to the subject's number.
Interrupters that hide the subject
- The bundle of old files was sent… (bundle, not files)
- The captain, as well as the openers, was blamed… (as-well-as adds; it does not make a plural)
- The quality of the mangoes was poor.
- The list of holidays has been announced.
One-of / each-of / neither-of — singular, always
- One of my cousins has settled in Wellington.
- Each of the candidates is to report at nine.
- Neither of the two answers was acceptable.
Nearness rule for paired subjects
With either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also, the verb agrees with the nearer subject:
- Either the secretary or the joint secretaries are responsible.
- Not only the students but also the wardens were honoured.
Quantity and collective phrases
- A number of + plural noun → plural verb: A number of films have been censored this month.
- The number of → singular: The number of films has fallen.
- Many a + singular noun → singular: Many a farmer has shifted to drip irrigation.
- Amounts as one unit → singular: Ten thousand rupees is a big amount.
- Collective nouns (jury, committee) → usually singular with its.
Compound subjects and the passive
Two nouns joined by plain and take a plural helper: The principal and the secretary were present (two people). But one person with one article is singular: The principal and secretary was present (one person holding both posts). In the passive, the same audit runs on the be helper: The bridge was built (singular subject) but The bridges were built. The helper is always the first place to look, because it moves with the subject while the participle never changes.
In improvement format
The bold part usually holds only the helper (was / were / has / have) or helper + participle. Fix the helper to the true subject and keep the rest of the bold part untouched — the smallest change wins. If the original already agrees, No substitution required is the answer.
Quick revision
- of / with / along with / as well as → never the subject; the noun BEFORE the phrase is.
- one of, each of, neither of, many a → singular helper.
- either…or / neither…nor / not only…but also → nearer subject.
- a number of → plural; the number of → singular; amounts as units → singular.
- Fix only the helper; leave the participle alone unless it too is faulty.
Types of questions asked
Every way this subtopic shows up in exams — how to recognise it, the formula or logic to use, and a solved example.
Type 1: Interrupter-phrase agreement fixvery common3 practice Q
The bold helper (was/were, has/have) sits after 'X of Y' or 'X, as well as Y,' and was matched to the wrong noun.
- Cross out the of/with/as-well-as phrase.
- Read the sentence with only the true subject and the helper.
- Pick the helper that matches the subject's number, leaving the participle untouched.
Why it works: the interrupter is designed to be heard as the subject; crossing it out removes the illusion.
Example: "The captain, as well as the openers, (were) blamed for the collapse." was / No substitution required / have been / are
The subject is the captain; 'as well as the openers' only adds information → the captain was blamed. The plural helpers repeat the illusion.
Type 2: One-of / each-of / neither-of fixvery common2 practice Q
The subject phrase begins with one of, each of, or neither of, and the bold helper is plural.
- Remember the head word: one, each, neither — all singular.
- The plural noun after 'of' is a decoy.
- Choose the singular helper (has, is, was).
Why it works: these three openers are unconditionally singular, so the fix is mechanical once you see the opener.
Example: "Each of the shortlisted candidates (are) to report by nine tomorrow." is / No substitution required / were / have been
Each → singular → each is to report. 'Were' and 'have been' follow the plural noun, not the opener.
Type 3: Nearness-rule fix (or / nor / not only…but also)common2 practice Q
Two subjects are joined by either…or, neither…nor, or not only…but also, and the bold helper agrees with the FIRST subject instead of the nearer one.
- Ignore the first subject.
- Look at the subject just before the bold helper.
- Match the helper to that nearer subject.
Why it works: the nearness rule outranks every other consideration in paired subjects, and the setter always makes the two subjects differ in number.
Example: "Either the secretary or the joint secretaries (is) responsible for the circular." are / No substitution required / was / has been
Nearer subject = joint secretaries (plural) → are responsible. 'Is' and 'was' follow the distant 'secretary'.
Type 4: Quantity-phrase agreement fix (a number of / many a)common2 practice Q
The subject is a quantity phrase — a number of, the number of, many a — and the helper's number contradicts the phrase's rule.
- Read the phrase slowly: a number of (plural) or the number of (singular)?
- many a + singular noun → singular, despite the plural meaning.
- Match the helper, keep the rest of the bold part as it is.
Why it works: the article before 'number' is one letter of print with full control of the verb; 'many a' hides a singular under a plural meaning.
Example: "A number of films (has been) censored this month." have been / No substitution required / are been / was
A number of = many → plural: a number of films have been censored. ('The number of films has…' would be the singular frame.)
Shortcut tricks
⚡ Cover the phrase, read the skeleton
Physically cover 'of the candidates'-type phrases with a finger and read what remains: 'The list ___ displayed'. The agreeing verb is now obvious.
Example: One of the students have won the quiz. Options: has / were / are / No substitution required.
Skeleton: 'One ___ won' → has. Plural options die on rung 2.
⚡ Helper-chain audit
did → base, have → participle, be → -ing/participle. When the highlight contains a helper, check the partner form first — that is where the planted error lives.
⚡ Two-subject sentence check
If two subjects are joined by and, the verb is plural — unless the pair names one thing ('bread and butter is'). SSC plants singular verbs before such pairs.
Where students lose marks
Agreeing with the nearest noun instead of the head subject.
Writing a participle where the base form belongs after did.
Choosing a passive-looking option that adds or deletes an agent and changes meaning.
Marking plural verbs correct after 'each of the + plural noun' because the plural noun is nearer.
Practice sets — 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Each answer comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 7 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.