Which sentence demonstrates proper subject-verb agreement?

Which sentence demonstrates proper subject-verb agreement?

• A. The list of items are on the desk.
• B. The list of items is on the desk.
• C. The lists of item is on the desk.
• D. The list of item are on the desk.

Answer: (B)

Subject-verb agreement depends on the number of the main noun, not the nouns inside a modifying phrase. Here, the main noun is list, which is singular. The phrase of items is a prepositional phrase that doesn’t change the subject’s number. So the verb should be singular: is. That makes the sentence The list of items is on the desk correct. The other sentences mix singular and plural forms in ways that create mismatches: for example, using are with a singular subject, or using is with a plural subject.

Subject-verb agreement depends on the number of the main noun, not the nouns inside a modifying phrase. Here, the main noun is list, which is singular. The phrase of items is a prepositional phrase that doesn’t change the subject’s number. So the verb should be singular: is. That makes the sentence The list of items is on the desk correct. The other sentences mix singular and plural forms in ways that create mismatches: for example, using are with a singular subject, or using is with a plural subject.