SPI English · Spotting Errors
Agreement and Verb Forms
The first check on any sentence is its verb: it must agree with its subject, it must be a full verb, and after some words it must take a fixed form.
Why this matters
Nine questions in the bank turn on the verb, two of them from the 2022 paper. Five are EASY and four MODERATE. The verb is the commonest place for an error, so check it first in every sentence.
Concept 1 of 3: The verb agrees with its subject
Every verb has a subject: the person or thing that does it. A singular subject (one person or thing) takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. In the present tense the singular verb usually ends in -s: she runs, he has, it is. The plural one does not: they run, they have, they are.
Definition
How to check agreement:
- Find the verb, then ask who or what does it. That word is the subject.
- Ignore words that sit between the subject and its verb. In 'The colour of the walls is pale', the subject is colour, not walls.
- An -ing word naming one activity (swimming, cycling) is singular.
- With as well as, along with or together with, the verb follows the first subject.
- Each, every, everyone and one of take a singular verb.
| Subject | Verb form | Correct example |
|---|---|---|
| he, she, it, or one name | singular: adds -s (believes, has, is) | My sister speaks three languages. |
| a plural (many people, the boys, they) | plural: no -s (want, have, are) | The boys want a new ball. |
| an -ing word for one activity | singular | Swimming keeps you fit. |
| A as well as B, A along with B | agrees with A | The captain, along with his players, was praised. The words after 'as well as' do not change the verb. |
| each, every, everyone, one of the | singular | Each of the girls has a bag. |
Find the true subject first. The noun just before the verb is often a trap.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 1 · Spotting Errors · Agreement and Verb Forms
Many people prefers a heavy breakfast to a heavy lunch.
The nearest noun is not always the subject
In 'The box of pencils is on the table', the noun next to the verb is 'pencils', but the box is on the table. Ask who or what does the verb before you decide singular or plural.
An activity is one thing
A subject like 'Playing video games' looks plural because of 'games', but it names one activity. It takes a singular verb: 'Playing video games wastes time.'
Concept 2 of 3: Every clause needs a full verb, and a passive needs be
A clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb. If the verb part is missing a word, the clause does not say anything. Watch 'had' and 'was' most of all: they are helpers, and a helper alone often cannot say where someone was or what was done.
Definition
Two checks:
- Is there a full verb? 'The guests were in the hall' works. 'The guests had in the hall' does not: 'had' needs a third form after it (had gone, had been).
- Did the subject do the action? If not, the verb must be passive: a form of be plus the third form of the verb. 'The wall was painted', 'The road had been repaired'.
- Passive forms: is made, was made, has been made, had been made, will be made.
- Test: ask 'who did it?'. If the answer is someone other than the subject, the passive is needed.
Worked example
Find the part with the error. (a) The new bridge (b) had opened by the minister (c) last March. (d) No error
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
SPI · 2022 · SPI Entrance Examination 2022 · Q136Easy
Example 2 · Spotting Errors · Agreement and Verb Forms
Spot the error in the given sentence in each of the next five questions. The sentence is divided into three parts. These are indicated by [a], [b] and [c]. One of these three parts may contain an error. You need to identify that particular part and mark your answer accordingly. If there is no error then mark [d].
[a] One particular Friday, when Harkwar and Kunthi returned to their hut
[b] after making their modest purchases of vegetables and a pound of goat's meat
[c] Punwa and Putali had not at the hut to welcome them.
'Had' alone is not a full verb here
'Had' as a helper must be followed by a third form: had gone, had been. 'They had not at home' is wrong; say 'They were not at home' or 'They had not been at home'.
A thing that is acted on needs 'been'
'The shops had opened' is fine, because shops can open. 'The tents had put up' is wrong, because tents are put up by someone: 'The tents had been put up'.
Concept 3 of 3: The form after a word: to, -ing or the third form
Some words decide the form of the verb that follows them. After 'decide' you need 'to' and the verb. After 'enjoy' you need the -ing form. These pairs are fixed and must be learnt. The third form of a verb (broken, written) can also describe a noun, and then it shows that something was done to it.
Definition
Learn these groups:
- to + verb after refuse, agree, decide, hope, want, plan, promise.
- -ing after enjoy, finish, avoid, mind, keep, and after a phrase that ends in the preposition to: look forward to, be used to, object to.
- Plain verb, no to after can, could, must, should, will, would, may.
- Third form as a describing word: a broken cup, a trusted friend, a lost child. The cup was broken; it did not break anything.
| After this word | Use | Correct example |
|---|---|---|
| refuse, agree, decide, hope, want | to + verb | She agreed to help us. |
| enjoy, finish, avoid, mind, keep | -ing | He enjoys swimming. |
| look forward to, be used to, object to | -ing | I am used to waking early. Here 'to' is a preposition, so the verb after it takes -ing. |
| can, must, should, will, may | plain verb, no to | You must sit down. |
| a noun the action is done to | third form before the noun | a broken window, a trusted friend |
If you are not sure, say the pair aloud: 'decided joining' and 'must to go' sound wrong because they are.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 3 · Spotting Errors · Agreement and Verb Forms
Hearing a love one's voice can convey emotions without the constant visual reminders of separation.
Not every 'to' is followed by a plain verb
In 'look forward to', 'be used to' and 'object to', the 'to' is a preposition. A preposition takes the -ing form: 'I object to waiting', not 'I object to wait'.
Something done to a noun takes the third form
A window that someone broke is 'a broken window', not 'a break window'. When the noun had the action done to it, use the third form (broken, written, stolen) before it.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (2)
The verb agrees with its subject5 rows
| Subject | Verb form | Correct example |
|---|---|---|
| he, she, it, or one name | singular: adds -s (believes, has, is) | My sister speaks three languages. |
| a plural (many people, the boys, they) | plural: no -s (want, have, are) | The boys want a new ball. |
| an -ing word for one activity | singular | Swimming keeps you fit. |
| A as well as B, A along with B | agrees with A | The captain, along with his players, was praised. The words after 'as well as' do not change the verb. |
| each, every, everyone, one of the | singular | Each of the girls has a bag. |
Find the true subject first. The noun just before the verb is often a trap.
The form after a word: to, -ing or the third form5 rows
| After this word | Use | Correct example |
|---|---|---|
| refuse, agree, decide, hope, want | to + verb | She agreed to help us. |
| enjoy, finish, avoid, mind, keep | -ing | He enjoys swimming. |
| look forward to, be used to, object to | -ing | I am used to waking early. Here 'to' is a preposition, so the verb after it takes -ing. |
| can, must, should, will, may | plain verb, no to | You must sit down. |
| a noun the action is done to | third form before the noun | a broken window, a trusted friend |
If you are not sure, say the pair aloud: 'decided joining' and 'must to go' sound wrong because they are.
Watch out for (6)
- The nearest noun is not always the subject→ The verb agrees with its subject
- An activity is one thing→ The verb agrees with its subject
- 'Had' alone is not a full verb here→ Every clause needs a full verb, and a passive needs be
- A thing that is acted on needs 'been'→ Every clause needs a full verb, and a passive needs be
- Not every 'to' is followed by a plain verb→ The form after a word: to, -ing or the third form
- Something done to a noun takes the third form→ The form after a word: to, -ing or the third form
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