Ch. 5

Subject

Verb

Agreeme

nt

Agreement of Subject and Verb A verb should agree in number with its

subject. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.

In a verb phrase, the first helping verb agrees in number with the subject A boy in my class has been delivering

newspapers. A gerund phrase or infinitive phrase used

as a complete subject takes a singular verb Working with you has been a privilege.

Agreement of Subject and Verb

The number of a subject usually is not determined by a word in a phrase or clause following the subject Singular – A book of poems is on the

shelf. Plural – His skills, together with his

humor, have enabled him to become successful.

A negative construction following the subject does not change the number of the subject Carl, not John and I, is doing the artwork.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns- refer to a person, place, thing or idea that may not be specifically named.

The following indefinite pronouns are singular: anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody, someone, and something. Neither of the animals has been fed this

morning.

Indefinite pronouns

The following indefinite pronouns are plural: both, few, many, and several A few in the crowd were rowdy.

The following indefinite pronouns may be either singular or plural, depending on how they are used: all, any, more, most, none, and some Singular – Most of the job was finished. (refers to

singular noun job) Plural – Most of the jobs were finished. (refers to plural

noun job) In these examples, the object of the prepositional phrase

following the indefinite pronoun gives a clue to the number of the pronoun.

Indefinite pronouns

In a sentence that does not include a phrase after a subject, you must find the number of the noun to which the pronoun refers; make sure the verb has the same number as the antecedent Most was interesting. (Most may be

referring to a portion of a book, movie, etc. You need to use context to figure this out.

Most were interesting. (Again, most may be referring to a number of books, things, etc.)

Compound Subjects

A compound subject consists of two or more subjects that are joined by a conjunction and that have the same verb

Subjects joined by and generally take a plural verb Her brother, her uncle, and her cousin

are teachers.

Compound subjects

Subjects joined by and that name only one person, thing, etc., take singular verbs. Singular compound nouns containing and also take singular verbs. The club’s secretary and treasurer was

Edwardo. (one person) Country and western has become our

favorite kind of music.

Compound subjects Singular subjects joined by or or nor take

a singular verb; plural subjects joined by or or nor take a plural verb Mark or Donna knows the address. Neither our phone nor our doorbell was

working.

When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer the verb Neither the potatoes nor the roast is

done.

Special problems in subject verb agreement – Collective nouns

Collective nouns may be either singular or plural, depending on their meaning in a sentence.

Collective nouns – noun whose singular form names a group. Examples – army, committee, team, troop

(pg. 120)

Special problems in subject verb agreement – Collective nouns

A collective noun is singular when it refers to the group as a unit. It is plural when it refers to the individual members or parts of the group. Singular – The class has met its teacher.

(the class as a unit) Plural – The class were disagreeing with

one another. (the class as individuals) Singular – The team is on the field. Plural – The team are working together.

Special s/v agreement problems

A verb agrees with its subject but not necessarily with a predicate nominative. The main ingredient in salsa is tomatoes.

When the subject follows the verb, find the subject and make sure the verb agrees with it. In sentences begin with here or there and

in questions, the subject generally follows the verb.

Here is a set of keys. Do they know the price?

Special s/v agreement problems

A contraction such as here’s or how’s includes the singular verb is or has. Use a contraction like this only when a singular subject follows it. Incorrect – There’s several photos of the

memorial in the magazine. Correct – There are several photos of the

memorial in the magazine.

Special s/v agreement problems

An expression of an amount (a measurement, percentage, or fraction) may be singular or plural, depending on how it is used. Pg. 123-124 Amount – singular when thought of as a

unit, plural when thought of as separate parts

Fraction/percentage – singular when a single word, plural when a plural word

Measurement – generally singular

Special s/v agreement problems

When the relative pronoun that, which, or who is the subject of an adjective clause, the verb in the clause agrees with the word to which the pronoun refers Example – The Merrymount Dancers is a

group of ballet dancers that perform together. (that refers to the plural noun dancers and uses plural verb perform)

A subject preceded by every or many a(an) takes a singular verb. Every parent is looking on with pride.

Special s/v agreement problems

The contractions don’t and doesn’t should agree with their subjects Use don’t with the subjects you and I and

all plural subjects Use doesn’t with all singular subjects

except I and you Some nouns that are plural in form take

singular verbs – list on page 126. Examples include civics, economics, news, physics, genetics

Special s/v agreement problems

Even when plural in form, the title of a creative work (such as a book, song, etc.) generally takes a singular verb. The Odyssey is my favorite epic poem.

Even when in plural form, the name of a country, a city, or an organization takes a singular verb Kenosha is my hometown.

Agreement of pronoun and antecedent

A pronoun should agree in both number and gender with its antecedent

Use singular pronouns to refer to singular antecedents; use plural pronouns to refer to plural antecedents The mountain climbers believe that they

will reach the summit by Friday. Some singular pronouns indicate gender-

Masculine- he, him, his, himself. Feminine – she, her, hers, herself. Neutral – it, its, itself

Indefinite pronouns Indefinite pronouns agree with their antecedents

according to the following rules: 1. Anybody, anyone, anything, each, either,

everybody, everyone, everything, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody, someone and something are singular

When you do not know the gender of the antecedent, use both the masculine and feminine pronouns, connected by or. ***

2. Few, both, many, and several are plural 3. All, any, more, most, none and some may be

singular or plural, depending on how they are used Most of these coins are rare, but I don’t know what they

are worth. (they is used because most refers to the plural noun coins)

Compound Antecedents

Pronouns agree with compound antecedents according to the following rules 1. Use a plural pronoun to refer to two or

more antecedents joined by and The guide and the ranger wrapped their

rain ponchos in their saddle rolls. 2. Use a singular to refer to two or more

singular antecedents joined by or or nor Neither Heidi nor Beth took her umbrella

with her.

Special Problems in Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

A collective noun is singular when the noun refers to the group as a unit and plural when the noun refers to the individual members or parts of the group The orchestra were tuning their instruments when the

conductor arrived. (their – members were tuning separate instruments)

An expression of an amount (a measurement, percent or fraction) may take a singular or plural pronoun, depending on how it is used Amount – singular when a unit, plural when separate

parts Fraction or percentage – singular when it refers to a

singular word, plural when refers to a plural word Measurement - singular

Special Problems in Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Some nouns that are plural in form take singular pronouns List pg. 135 – civics, electronics, news,

etc. take singular pronouns – look at how they are used

Some nouns plural in form but refer to single items take plural pronouns – binoculars, eyeglasses, shorts, etc.

Even when plural in form, the title of a creative work or the name of a country, city, etc, take a singular pronoun

Special Problems in Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

The number of a relative pronoun (that, which or who) is determined by the number of its antecedent Singular – Jessica, who always takes pride

in her work, has been appointed editor. Plural – All who want to volunteer their

time should sign up.

Easy Tutorial 1. Billy _______________ to buy a new skateboard. (want, wants)

2. Those two boys _______________ to buy new skateboards. (want, wants)

3. Grandpa _______________ a hamburger for dinner. (cook, cooks)

4. Grandma and Grandpa _______________ dinner together. (cook, cooks)

5. The dogs _______________ when the mail carrier comes. (growl, growls)

Wants

Want

Cooks

Cook

Growl

Easy Tutorial 6. The brown dog _______________ when someone comes in. (growl, growls)

7. All three computers ______________ when you turn them on. (beep, beeps)

8. That computer _______________ when you turn it on. (beep, beeps)

9. The basketball _______________ across the court. (roll, rolls)

10. Three tennis balls _______________ across the court. (roll, rolls)

Growls

Beep

Beeps

Rolls

Roll

1. A black cat (bring, brings) bad luck, according to an old superstition.

2. Young children often (protest, protests) when bedtime (roll, rolls) around.

3. My thoughts often (become, becomes) confused when I sit down to write an essay.

4. When it is hot and humid, my clothes (stick, sticks) to me.

5. A person (need, needs) to set goals if he or she wants to succeed.

Exercise 1 – Easy

6. The damages (were, was) not serious, but the cost of repairs was over a thousand dollars.

7. My head (feel, feels) as if it is about to burst.

8. Joseph (have, has) two sisters, one brother, and several pets.

9. When a tree (fall, falls) in a forest and no one is present, does it make a sound?

10. The food containers (is, are) stacked in the lower cabinet.

11. Mothers (like, likes) to see their children grow into independent adults.

12. My brother (work, works) at the Baptist Hospital as a physical therapist.

Exercise 1 – Easy

13. The little girl (have, has) a beautiful smile, even though her two front teeth (are, is) missing.

14. A kitten (open, opens) its eyes when it is about ten days old.

15. Some boys (pitch, pitches) with one hand and (bat, bats) with another.

Exercise 1 – Easy

Exercise Two: In each sentence below, circle the verb that agrees with its subject, underline the subject.

1. Marvin’s excuses for not having completed his research paper (bore, bores) me.

2. Speeding in restricted zones, especially those near schools, (endanger, endangers) lives.

3. One computer for two or three students (seem, seems) inadequate.

4. The popularity of violent movies (reflect, reflects) the values of our society.

5. Honeydews, one of the favorite melons of consumers, (taste, tastes) clean and sweet.

Exercise 2 – Easy

6. Coaches who are disciplined and who demand discipline from their players usually (have, has) winning teams.

7. The annual sales of video games in the United States probably (exceed, exceeds) abillion dollars.

8. Small amounts of tar and nicotine (damage, damages) the health of smokers.

9. Fiberglass, often used as an insulating material in homes, (cause, causes) allergic reactions in some people.

10. The women riding in the back seat of the car (was, were) not injured in the accident.

11. Animals which sleep in the day and are active at night (have, has) good night vision.

12. The students waiting in line for tickets to the concert (expect, expects) to get good seats.

Exercise 2 – Easy

Subject

Verb

Agreeme

nt Easy Tutorial Completed!

Begin Mediu

m Tutoria

l

Delayed Subjects :Often, the subject of a sentence will come after the verb. A simple way to identify the subject is as follows:

1. First identify the verb2. Then ask the question "Who or what...?"These steps may help you select the subject of most sentences.

Other points to remember: The subject is never within a prepositional

phrase. To find the subject of a question, turn the

question into a statement. The words there and here are never the subjects.

Exercise 2 – Medium

Delayed Subjects :

Instructions: underline the subject once and the verb twice. Check to see if the subject and verb agree. If not, change the verb to agree with the subject.

1. There are many unverified legends about the life of Benjamin Franklin.

2. In the science building hangs the new projector screens.

3. There is almost seven million volumes in the Library of Congress.

4. How much is these bananas?

Exercise 2 – Medium

hang

are

are

Delayed Subjects :

5. Where are Mary's brothers?

6. There is the socks you bought for soccer practice.

7. There was thousands of people at the parade.

8. In the small pond swims four large fish.

9. There's no one left in the room.

10. In later life comes great wisdom.

Exercise 2 – Medium

are

were

swim

Delayed Subjects :

11. There is a ninety percent chance of rain in today's forecast.

12. There’s three finalists in the speech competition.

13. From the horizon comes an eerie, shimmering light.

14. Near the barn stands two old oak trees.

15. When is Christmas holidays scheduled on the school calendar?.

Exercise 2 – Medium

there are

stand

are

Delayed Subjects :

5. Where are Mary's brothers?

6. There is the socks you bought for soccer practice.

7. There was thousands of people at the parade.

8. In the small pond swims four large fish.

9. There's no one left in the room.

10. In later life comes great wisdom.

Exercise 2 – Medium

are

were

swim

Subject

Verb

Agreeme

nt Easy Tutorial Completed!

Begin Hard

Tutorial

Medium Tutorial Completed!

Compound SubjectsWhen two or more subjects are joined by a conjunction, the result is a compound subject.

A compound subject joined by the conjunction and is usually plural and therefore requires a verb that does not end in s.

Examples: The house and the barn belong to Sam's

family. A slice of toast and a glass of juice are on

the table.

Exercise 2 – Medium

Compound SubjectsNote: When two or more subjects are joined by the conjunction or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject that is closer to it (usually the second subject).

Examples: Fudge or cookies are a good choice for

dessert.Neither Tammy nor her sister likes to

travel.

Either the clerk or the secretary _____ (has/have) the keys to the rover.

Exercise 2 – Medium

has

Compound Subjects :

1. Ben and Pete (want, wants) to buy a new computer.

2. The color and style (is, are) important to most teenagers.

3. The price or warranty (is, are) not as important as other factors.

4. Neither a new television nor stereo (interest, interests) Ben and Pete.

5. A large monitor and quality sound (impress, impresses) them.

6. The manager and sales clerk (try, tries) to convince them to buy an expensive model.

Exercise 3 – Hard

Compound Subjects :

7. Neither Ben nor Pete (want, wants) to make a rush decision about the computer.

8. Video editing and computer graphics (provide, provides) new possibilities for the user.

9. Most people know when a computer system or program (work, works) properly, and they can usually do minor repairs themselves.

10. A computer course and a reference guide (is, are) necessary for serious users.

11. A new keyboard or mouse (attract, attracts) those interested in upgrading their systems.

Exercise 3 – Hard

Compound Subjects :

13. Neither the directions on the package nor the brochure (explain, explains) how to play the game.

14. Both the hard drive and the software installed on our old computer (is, are) damaged.

Exercise 3 – Hard

Compound exceptionsExceptions: Though subjects joined by and are usually considered plural, there are two exceptions to this rule.

Exception # 1: When the two subjects are really naming one person or thing, the subject is singular and the verb should end in s.

Macaroni and cheese is my favorite food.The librarian and reading teacher is Mrs. Jones.

Exercise 2 – Hard

Compound SubjectsException Two:

When the word every precedes a compound subject, it makes that subject singular, and the verb should end in s.

Every dog and cat has been vaccinated.

Exercise 2 – hard

Compound Subjects :

1. (Does, Do) every boy and girl in kindergarten visit the museum?

2. Clowns and fools, as well as heroes, (appear, appears) in many of Shakespeare's plays.

3. Either the plaintiff or the defendant (has, have) changed his mind about the suit.

4. Neither the President nor his family members (was, were) safe.

5. Fish and chips (is, are) a specialty of local restaurants.

Exercise 3 – Hard

Compound Subjects :

6. Every dog and cat (is, are) required to wear a tag certifying that it has been vaccinated.

7. The cook and housekeeper (is, are) paid a larger salary than the gardener because of the extra requirements of her job.

8. Rain, snow, or fog (is, are) hazardous to beginning drivers.

9. (Do, Does) dogs and monkeys have the ability to think?

10. Both Jane and her brother (like, likes) riding horses.

Exercise 3 – Hard

Subject

Verb

Agreeme

nt Easy Tutorial Completed!

Quiz Time!

Medium Tutorial Completed!Hard Tutorial Completed!

3 errors in Paragraph 18 errors in paragraph 2

QuizSome of the sentences in the following passage have errors in subject-verb agreement. Draw a line through each faulty verb and write the correct form above it.

One of the symbols of our nation consist of sticks tied in a bundle.

These sticks represent the individual states, and the bundle represent the United States.

The symbol, like our flag, makes a statement. The symbol means "United we stand; divided we fall."

Quiz

represents

Single Subject

Single Subject

consists

QuizThe symbol and the statement comes from an old story, one of the fables told by an ancient Greek storyteller named Aesop.

In this story, a man have several sons who are always quarreling with one another.

The father, with frequent admonitions, try to get the sons to stop their arguing and fighting.

But nothing works.

Quiz

Single Subject

Come

CompoundSubjects

Single Subject

has

tries

Quiz Finally, the father decide to give his sons a practical lesson in the effects of disunity.

He ask them to bring him a bundle of sticks.

Handing the bundle to each of his sons, he tells them to break it in two shorter pieces.

Each of the sons try to break the bundle, but none of them are able to do so.

Quiz

Single Subject

decides

Singular Subject

Single Subject

asks

tries

Single Subject

QuizThere is too much strength when the sticks has been tied together.

Next the father unties the bundle and hand a single stick to each of his sons and ask each son to break his stick.

Of course, all of the sons is able to break the sticks easily.

Quiz

plural Subject

have

Single Subject

hands

are

Plural Subject

QuizThe father then tell his sons, "You are like the sticks.

If you are united like the bundle of sticks, you are strong enough to withstand any attacks from enemies.

But if there is quarreling and fighting among you, your enemies will be able to defeat you easily."

Quiz

tells

Single Subject

Single Subject

Single Subject

Plural Subject

QuizThe motto of the United States mean the same thing.

The individual states become strong when they are united, but if they try to stand alone, they can be picked off one by one.

Quiz

means

Single Subject

plural Subject