The rule: The verb must agree with its subject, not with any words that come between them.
Example:
* Incorrect: The group of students are going on a field trip.
* Correct: The group of students is going on a field trip.
Explanation:
* The subject is "group," which is singular.
* The verb "are" is plural.
* The words "of students" are a prepositional phrase that modifies the subject but does not change its grammatical number.
Here are some tips to help you identify the subject and verb:
* Find the subject: Ask yourself, "Who or what is doing the verb?"
* Find the verb: Ask yourself, "What is the subject doing?"
* Ignore prepositional phrases: These phrases usually begin with prepositions like "of," "to," "in," "on," etc.
* Watch out for compound subjects: These subjects have two or more parts joined by "and" (usually plural) or "or" (agree with the closer subject).
Remember: Focus on the subject and verb, and don't get distracted by other words that might appear to be the subject.