Subject-verb agreement on the TEAS
Subject-verb agreement trips up many students during the TEAS exam. The test includes grammar items that look straightforward but can become tricky under time pressure. If you want to reduce careless mistakes and improve your score on the English section, focus on reliable rules, targeted practice, and a few test-day habits that make agreement problems easier to spot.
Why subject-verb agreement matters on the TEAS
The TEAS English section assesses your ability to communicate clearly. Errors in subject-verb agreement not only lower your raw score but also reflect weaknesses in sentence structure and editing. On multiple-choice questions, incorrect agreement is a common distractor. Recognizing when a verb should be singular or plural helps you eliminate wrong choices quickly.
Common pitfalls to watch for
Certain constructions cause confusion repeatedly. Collective nouns (team, family), indefinite pronouns (everyone, none), and phrases between the subject and verb can mask the true number of the subject. For example, in the sentence "The group of students is meeting today," the subject is group, which is singular, so the verb is is. Many candidates mistakenly match the verb to students instead.
Other traps include compound subjects joined by and or or. "The nurse and the instructor are here" is plural because and joins two people. But when subjects are joined by or, the verb must agree with the subject closest to it: "Either the doctor or the nurses are available" versus "Either the nurses or the doctor is available."
Simple rules that handle most questions
- When the subject is singular, use a singular verb; when plural, use a plural verb.
- Ignore intervening phrases that start with of, along with, including, or by: they do not change the subject''s number.
- Indefinite pronouns such as everyone, somebody, and each take singular verbs.
- Plural pronouns like both, few, and many take plural verbs.
Memorize these and you will correctly answer the majority of agreement items on the TEAS.
How to practice efficiently
Short, focused drills beat long, unfocused study sessions. Work with sets of 10 to 20 sentences that target one pattern at a time. Time yourself to simulate test conditions, then review mistakes carefully to spot recurring weaknesses. Using a timed teas practice test once a week will show whether your error rate on agreement questions is falling.
When to guess and when to work it out
If a question can be resolved in two or three seconds by applying a clear rule, do it and move on. If the sentence is awkward or contains multiple clauses, mark it and return if time allows. Practice will shrink the number of items that feel ambiguous on test day.
Examples and quick edits
Try rewriting the sentence to isolate the subject. For "The list of medications are on the table," change to "The list is on the table." Rewriting exposes the subject and makes the correct verb obvious. Another useful tactic is to replace tricky indefinite pronouns with concrete nouns in practice: swap everyone for each student, then see which verb sounds right.
Next steps and resources
Look for practice materials that include answer explanations rather than just scores. A focused teas english practice test will provide the grammar items and feedback you need to improve efficiently. For comprehensive prep that covers other nursing entrance assessments as well, consider branded practice platforms and mock exams that align with TEAS content.
With disciplined practice, attention to common traps, and a few editing habits, subject-verb agreement stops being a recurring problem. Start small, track your mistakes, and use targeted practice to build speed and confidence before test day.
For more support, use Nursing Mocks while planning your study sessions.
