AgreementChapter 5

Subject-Verb Agreement (s/v)• Subjects must agree in number with

verbs.• Singular verbs end in –s.• Note the chart on p. 118. (ESL

students please memorize this chart.)• Caleb (write, writes) his vocabulary story

each week.• Their vocabulary stories (is, are)

entertaining.

Compound Subjects• 2 subjects joined by and take a plural

verb.• Elizabeth and Faith (write, writes)

continuing vocabulary stories.• If 2 subjects are joined by or, nor,

either—or, or neither—nor, the verb must match the number of the closest subject.• Neither flip-flops nor sandals (is, are)

appropriate.

Exception• If the a subject joined by and acts as

a unit, it takes a singular verb.• Macaroni and cheese (is, are) one of my

favorite dishes.

Intervening Phrases• A person with a dislike of cats of (is,

are) allergic.• My pens, not my pencil, (is, are) red.• The gift, four sets of individual salt

and pepper shakers, (is, are) appreciated.

Intervening Phrases• The subject must match the verb of

the sentence in number.• Intervening phrases such as

negative, prepositional, and appositive phrases do NOT affect the verbs number.o10th grade vocabulary stories, not 9th

grades, (is, are) due on Tuesdays.oEdgar Allan Poe, the father of the

detective story and popular short story writer, (is, are) the author of “The Raven.”

Predicate Nouns• Subjects and predicate nouns do not

need to agree.oThe homework (is, are) to read AL pages

and to work on vocabulary story 10.oIan’s prized possession (is, are) his

skates.

Inverted Order• The words there and here are NEVER

subjects.• There (is, are) not homework tonight.• When (is, are) homecoming?

Problem Nouns and Pronouns• Memorize the chart on p. 125!oOveralls (is, are) not my favorite.oSoapsuds (is, are) annoying if they

overflow from a washing machine.oPolitics (is, are) a complex topic.oVictoria Falls (is, are) beautiful.

• Look for the word pair to indicate a singular verb. Pairs indicates a plural verb.

-ics• Words that end in –ics that indicate a

field of study indicate a singular verb.• Words that end in –ics that refer to an

activity, product, or characteristic use a plural verb.oHome economics (is, are) a useful class.oThe electronics within a TV (is, are)

complicated.

Collective Nouns• Club, audience, class, crew, team,

etc.• Collective nouns that refer to a group

as a unit are singular.• Collective nouns that focus on the

individual members of a group are plural.• The jury (give, gives) its verdict

tomorrow.• The jury (was, were) unable to agree

among themselves.

Indefinite Pronouns• Memorize the charts on p. 129.• Always singular pronouns take a

singular verb.• Always plural pronouns take a plural

verb.• Look at the context of the sentence,

specifically the Ops, to determine the verb for either singular or plural pronouns.oAll of the pie (was, were) eaten.oAll of the cookies (was, were) delicious.

Indefinite Pronouns• The number of takes a singular verb.• A number of takes a plural verb.• Everyone (needs, need) to study for

the American Literature test.• Many (does, do) study for the test.• None of the students (was, were) at

school on Friday due to the snowstorm. • None of the students in this class (is,

are) in 12th grade.

Titles and Quotations• Titles that are used as subjects take a

singular verb even if the title is plural.oHard Times (was, were) written by

Charles Dickens.• Quotations take a singular verb.o“Give me liberty, or give me death” (was,

were) said by Patrick Henry.o“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me

your years” (is, are) a famous quotation from Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.

Amounts• Amounts viewed as a single unit take

a singular verb.• Five hours and fifteen minutes (is,

are) a long time.

Relative Pronouns• Who, which, that• Relative pronouns at act as subject

must be considered singular or plural according to their antecedents.oThis is the book that (is, are)

recommended.oThese are the books that (is, are) classics.

• The phrase, “the only one of the,” takes a singular verb.• The phrase, “one of the,” takes a

plural verb.

Pronoun-Antecedent agreement• Pronouns must match their

antecedents in number and gender.• Poe wrote short stories, but he also

wrote poetry.• He/she vs. he

Compound Antecedents• Antecedents joined by and take a

plural pronoun.• Poe and Hawthorne wrote (his, their)

stories during the Romantic Era.• Antecedents joined by or and nor

take a pronoun that matches the closest antecedent in number and gender.• Neither the girls nor Kody (wants,

want) (his, her, their) free ice cream cone.

Indefinite Pronouns as Antecedents• If an indefinite pronoun acts as an

antecedent for a personal pronoun, the pronoun must match the indefinite pronoun in number.• Memorize the chart on p. 129.• Everyone get out (his/her, their) book

out.• All of the students (has, have)

(his/her, their) books.• All of the field (has, have) flowers

growing in (it, them).

TRANSITIONAL

YOUR TOPIC GOES HEREYOUR SUBTOPIC GOES HERE

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