Skill 22: Make inverted verbs agree

When the subject and verb are inverted, it can be difficult to locate them, and it can therefore be a problem to make them agree.

(behind the house) was the bicycles i wanted.
(behind the houses) were the bicycle i wanted.

In the first example it is easy to think that house is the subject, because it comes directly in front of the verb was. house is not the subject, however, because it is object of the preposition behind. The subject of the sentence is bicycles, and the subject bicycles comes after the verb because of the place expression behind the house. Because the subject bicycles is plural, the verb should be changed to the plural were. In the second example the subject bicycle comes after the verb were because of the place expression behind the house. Because the subject bicycle is singular, the verb should be changed to the singular was.

SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT AFTER INVERTED VERBS

question
negative
place v s
condition (no if)
comparison

After question words, negative expressions, place expressions, conditions without if, and comparisons, the verb agrees with the subject, which may be after the verb.