Post on 13-Dec-2015
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Subject Verb Agreement
Subjects and verbs agree in number. If one thing (noun or pronoun) is being referred to, it takes a singular verb (She is.) If two or more things are being referred to, it takes a plural verb (They are).
Common Verb Agreement
Singular Verb Agreement
I amYou areHe, she it is
Plural Verb Agreement
We areYou are They are
Plural Subjects
Connecting subjects with "and" usually makes them plural; therefore, to check for proper agreement you can substitute the pronouns "they" or "we" for plural subjects.
Nor or Or
Connecting subjects with "or" or "nor" can require either a singular verb or plural verb; use the subject closer to the verb to decide which form is correct.
Nor or Or
ExampleNeither Father nor the girls are going to the movie.
Either Maya or Sam is the winner.
Prepositional phrases
Prepositional phrases never contain the subject of the sentence. In most cases, you should ignore the prepositional phrase when trying to determine the correct verb form to use.
Prepositional phrases
Example:The girls in the store are friends.That style of shoe is very popular.The owner of the dogs is licensed.
Singular Indefinite Pronouns
Singular indefinite pronouns require singular verbs. Examples of singular indefinite pronouns include: one, anyone, everyone, someone, nobody, anybody, everybody, somebody, nothing, anything, everything, something, each, either, neither.
Singular Indefinite Pronouns
Examples:Everyone has a favorite holiday.Somebody has left the lights on. Nobody wants to wash the dishes.
“Here" and “There”
The words "here" and "there" are not used as subjects. When they start a sentence, you must look elsewhere for the subject. Also, you must be careful to find the correct subject when dealing with questions because the subject will often not be the first word of the question.
“Here" and “There”
Examples:Are there any hotdogs left in the refrigerator?
Here is the book you requested.
Singular Nouns that end in “s”
Some nouns that end in "s" are singular in meaning and require a singular verb. Other nouns that end in "s" are singular in meaning but require a plural verb.
Singular Nouns that end in “s”
Examples:The news is on at six.These scissors are dull.Five dollars is a lot of money.Mathematics is an easy
subject.
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns such as "class" or "team" may be singular or plural depending upon how they are used: emphasis on the group takes a singular verb; emphasis on members acting individually requires a plural verb.
Collective Nouns
Examples:The soccer team members are excited about the next game.The team runs during practice.The family has a long history.
Miscellaneous
In an adjective clause, the verb agrees with the antecedent of the relative pronoun (who, which, that), which is usually the nearest noun. When "only one" is emphasized among a larger number, always use "one" as the singular antecedent.
Miscellaneous
Weights, measures, time, and money can be either singular or plural. If they are thought of as whole quantities, they are singular; if they are countable, separate units, then they are considered plural.
Miscellaneous
Examples:Fifty feet of hose is enough. (singular) Ten one-dollar bills are on the table. (plural)
Assignment
Complete the Subject Verb Worksheet that accompanies this lesson. You must have 75% accuracy to show proficiency.
Part 3 - The Idiom
Idioms are spoken phrases that cannot be found in the dictionary. An idiom is an expression that means something other than the literal meanings of its individual words.
get into hot water
This expression means to get into trouble or to be in or get into a difficult situation in which you are in danger of being criticized or punished.
Next Lesson
Our next lesson will be on sentence fragments and run-ons. In addition we will discuss new punctuation: hyphens and dashes.