Choose the sentence where the subject and verb agree in number.

Choose the sentence where the subject and verb agree in number.

• A. The list of options are on the screen.
• B. The list of options is on the screen.
• C. The lists of option is on the screen.
• D. The lists of options are on the screen.

Answer: (B)

Subject-verb agreement means the verb must match the number of the main subject. In this sentence, the main subject is the singular noun “list,” and the phrase “of options” is a prepositional phrase that describes that list, not a different subject. Therefore the verb should be singular: “is.” This keeps the number in agreement and is the natural, correct way to state it. A common pitfall is when the main subject is singular but the verb is plural (or vice versa) because of a nearby plural noun in a phrase. For example, mixing “list” with “are” would create a mismatch, while starting with a plural subject like “lists” would require “are.” The key is to identify the head noun that the verb must agree with.

Subject-verb agreement means the verb must match the number of the main subject. In this sentence, the main subject is the singular noun “list,” and the phrase “of options” is a prepositional phrase that describes that list, not a different subject. Therefore the verb should be singular: “is.” This keeps the number in agreement and is the natural, correct way to state it.

A common pitfall is when the main subject is singular but the verb is plural (or vice versa) because of a nearby plural noun in a phrase. For example, mixing “list” with “are” would create a mismatch, while starting with a plural subject like “lists” would require “are.” The key is to identify the head noun that the verb must agree with.