Master ACT English agreement questions by finding the true subject and antecedent, ignoring the words the test buries in between, and matching number every time.
Singular subject → singular verb; plural subject → plural verb.
Cross out every phrase between the subject and the verb before matching.
Words after "of, along with, as well as, together with" are NOT the subject.
"The box of tools is heavy" — the subject is "box," not "tools."
each, every, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anyone, no one, nobody, someone.
both, few, many, several.
Most collective nouns take a singular verb (team, committee, jury, pair).
To make the members act plurally, name them: "two falcons perch," not "a pair perches."
A pronoun matches the number of the noun it replaces; a singular antecedent cannot take "they/their."
On the ACT English test, agreement questions almost never look like a grammar quiz. You see an underlined verb or pronoun and four ways to write it, the first usually reading NO CHANGE. Your job is to decide whether that verb matches its subject in number, or whether that pronoun matches the noun it stands for. The test rarely puts the subject right next to the verb — it slides a long phrase between them so your ear latches onto the wrong noun. The whole skill is locating the true subject or the true antecedent, then matching it, no matter how many distracting words the sentence stacks in the middle.
A verb agrees with its subject: a singular subject takes a singular verb ("the engine runs"), a plural subject takes a plural verb ("the engines run"). The trap is that the ACT separates the two with a prepositional phrase or a clause, and the last noun before the verb is often plural when the real subject is singular. In "The crate of rare orchids was shipped overnight," the subject is "crate" (singular), not "orchids" — "of rare orchids" is just a prepositional phrase describing the crate. Cross out everything between the subject and the verb and the match becomes obvious: "The crate … was."
Prepositional phrases (of, in, with, along with, as well as, together with) never contain the subject. "The mayor, along with three council members, supports the plan" stays singular, because only "the mayor" is the grammatical subject; "along with three council members" is an interrupter, not part of the subject.
Two constructions hide the subject after the verb. Sentences that begin with "There is / There are" take their number from the noun that follows: "There were three reasons for the delay" (reasons is plural). Sentences that open with a prepositional phrase can also invert: "Behind the old barn stands a single oak" — the subject is "oak," singular, even though it comes after the verb. When a sentence feels backwards, find the noun doing the action and match it.
Collective nouns — team, committee, family, jury, audience, staff — are treated as singular on the ACT because they name one unit: "The committee has reached its decision." Indefinite pronouns split into two lists worth memorizing. These are always singular: each, every, either, neither, everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, anyone, no one, nothing. "Each of the runners has a number." These are always plural: both, few, many, several. A handful (some, most, all, none) flex with the noun they refer to, but the ACT leans on the reliably singular group, especially each and everyone, which sound plural but are not.
The same logic governs pronouns. A pronoun must agree in number with the noun it replaces — its antecedent. If the antecedent is singular, the pronoun is singular; if plural, plural. The classic ACT error pairs a singular antecedent with the plural "they" or "their": "Every applicant must submit their portfolio" mismatches singular "applicant" with plural "their." Because the ACT tests standard written English, it expects "his or her portfolio," or a rewrite that makes the antecedent plural: "All applicants must submit their portfolios." Collective nouns take singular pronouns too: "The team celebrated its victory," not "their victory."
Beyond number, watch two more pronoun issues. Case: use subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) for subjects and object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) for objects. The test loves compound phrases: "between you and me" is correct, not "between you and I," because "between" is a preposition and needs object pronouns. A quick check is to drop the other person — you would say "between … me," never "between … I." Clarity: a pronoun with no clear single antecedent is wrong. "When the coach met the referee, he apologized" is ambiguous — who apologized? The ACT will offer a version that names the person, and that clearer choice usually wins.
Choose the best version: "The stack of unopened letters ___ on the hallway table for weeks." (NO CHANGE: have sat / sit / were sitting / has sat)
Choose the best version: "The championship team ___ celebrating long after the stadium lights went dark." (NO CHANGE: were still / are still / have been still / was still)
Choose the best version: "Each of the twelve orchestras ___ its own distinctive tuning before the festival begins." (NO CHANGE: establish / are establishing / establishes / have established)
Choose the best version: "Every volunteer at the shelter is expected to bring ___ own reusable water bottle to the shift." (NO CHANGE: their / them / his or her / they're)
Choose the best version: "Beneath the floorboards of the abandoned inn ___ a cache of letters and a rusted iron key." (NO CHANGE: was / lies / were / has been)
Choose the best version: "The grant was divided evenly between the young architect and ___ after the review board approved the design." (NO CHANGE: I / myself / me / we)
Matching the verb to the nearest noun instead of the true subject.
Cross out every prepositional phrase and interrupter between the subject and the verb, then match. "The list of names is long," not "are long."
Treating "each," "every," "everyone," or "neither" as plural because they refer to a group.
These indefinite pronouns are always singular. "Each of the players has a locker," "Neither of the plans works."
Pairing a singular antecedent with "they" or "their" because it sounds natural in speech.
Standard written English needs number agreement: use "his or her," or make the antecedent plural ("All students bring their laptops").
Choosing "I" in a compound object like "between you and I" because it sounds formal.
After a preposition, use the object pronoun. Drop the other name — "between … me" — to check.
The bundle of frayed climbing ropes ___ stored in a cedar chest at the back of the gear room.
Which choice best fits the conventions of Standard English?
The debate club, along with its two faculty advisers, ___ hosting the regional tournament this spring.
Which choice best fits the conventions of Standard English?
Neither of the two proposed bridge designs ___ the city's strict requirements for both cost and durability.
Which choice best fits the conventions of Standard English?
When a new employee joins the firm, ___ is assigned a mentor for the first ninety days.
Which choice best fits the conventions of Standard English?
High on a ledge above the crashing surf ___ two nesting falcons that biologists had searched for all season.
Which choice best fits the conventions of Standard English?
The award for best short documentary went to the two first-year students and ___ who had filmed the project on a borrowed camera.
Which choice best fits the conventions of Standard English?
Choose the right ACT English verb by reading the sentence for time cues, keeping tense consistent, and using standard past and participle forms.
Fix ACT English dangling modifiers and faulty parallelism by putting descriptive phrases next to what they describe and matching items in a series.
Fix ACT English run-ons, comma splices, and fragments by counting independent clauses and choosing punctuation that legally joins or separates them.