Subject Verb Agreement 2

Subject-Verb Agreement

Can’t they all just get along?


Agreement – Subjects and Verbs must agree in person and number: Singular Verbs take Singular

Subjects Plural Verbs take Plural

Subjects

Simple, right?


SV Agreement – Present Tense:

PERSON SING. PLURAL1st I sweep. We

sweep.2nd You sweep. You

sweep.3rd He sweepS. They

sweep. Notice how the verb changes its form in

third person singular.


5A,B. Agreement In Number The Hendersons is/are at the

movie theater. The boxes has/have arrived

from Spain. The actor is/are reciting his

lines.


5C. With Phrases and Clauses Sometimes a phrase will come

between the subject and verb, but don’t let this confuse you! You still only need the subject and verb agree.1. The students (at school)

has/have many different jobs.2. Members (of the club)

make/makes sandwiches at a shelter.

Examples Rule 5 A,B,C

Three students in my biology class volunteer/volunteers at the museum.

The plays that Shakespeare wrote is/are numerous.


5D. Indefinite Pronouns-Pronouns that don’t refer to anything specific. SINGULAR INDEFINITE PRONOUNS:anyone anybody anythingeveryone everybody

everythingsomeone somebody

somethingno one nobody nothingone each either neither

Subject-Verb Agreement You must be very careful with these

pronouns. They are not often used correctly in speech, so they don’t usually sound right. Don’t rely on sound – use your rules. Everyone in Mrs. Williams’

English class works hard.

Each of my friends calls me on the weekends.


5E. Plural Indefinite Pronouns both few many

several

Both of Kim’s uncles make custom-designed furniture.

Several of us are joining the team.


5F. Some indefinite pronouns can be either Singular or Plural depending on the situation. all any more most none

some

All of your work is excellent.All of the farmers are planting.

Examples Rule 5 D,E,F

Both of the cats is/are sleeping.

Some of the cake is/are frozen.

None of our other national parks has/have as many geysers as Yellowstone.

Each of my friends has/have a favorite dessert.


5G. Compound Subjects If two or more singular

subjects are joined by and, they take a plural verb.Judith and Hamnet were twins

of Shakespeare.Romeo and Juliet meet at a

masquerade.


5G. Compound Subjects If a compound subject only

names one thing, it takes a singular verb.Chutes and Ladders is a board

game.Yogurt and granola is

Melanie’s favorite snack.


5H. Compound Subjects If two or more singular subjects are

joined by or or nor, they take a singular verb. Neither Mary nor Jonas is going to

the play. If two or more plural subjects are

joined by or or nor, they take a plural verb. Either the Johnsons or the Kosciks

are attending the play.


5I. Compound Subjects If a singular subject and a plural

subject are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject closer to it.Either the play or the poems

are written in this book.Either the poems or the play is

written in this book.

Examples Rule 5G,H,I First, find the conjunction. Then

determine agreement. The Globe Theater and William

Shakespeare has/have endured time. His closest friend and advisor is/are

Richard Burbage. Either this play or this poem is/are

written in Latin. Is/are Romeo or Juliet responsible for

the death? Neither his mother nor his siblings

was/were educated.


5J Contractions – remember don’t and doesn’t are really do and does. Use them accordingly. The child at the park

don’t/doesn’t know what to do. Some of the children

don’t/doesn’t have to attend the play.


5K Collective Nouns – name a group of people or things. Audience, class, club, herd, team,

family

Use a singular verb when the noun is one single unit.

Use a plural verb if the noun refers to multiple members (usually doing different things).


5K Collective Nouns – name a group of people or things. Ned’s family is/are planning a

summer reunion. Ned’s family live/lives in forty

different states.

Examples Rule 5J,K

The shoes in the closet don’t/doesn’t fit me very well.

The team of baseball players is/are winning the game.

The flock of seagulls is/are flying off in all different directions.


5L Predicate Nominatives – a verb agrees with the subject, not the predicate nominative. Karen’s favorite dessert is

strawberries. The subject of his report is

solutions to combat crime.


5M Inverted Order – a verb must agree with its subject even when the sentence is out of order.

In a wooden box in the closet is/are all of our old photographs.

Here is/are some books I really liked.

Examples Rules 5L,M

Where is/are all of the books I’ve lent you?

The marching bands is/are the main attraction.

The attraction is/are the marching bands.


5N Amounts – if the amount is single, use a single verb; if the amount is plural – plural verb.

Two dollars is the value of that old coin.

These two dollars are badly torn.

Three months is a long time. These three months are passing very

slowly.


5O Singular/Plural Exceptions – some nouns are ‘pairs’ of things, or exceptions to all rules. Measles is/are a serious disease. Your eyeglasses is/are on the

bookshelf next to the dictionary. These statistics come/comes from the

CDC. Statistics is/are a required course for

psychology majors.

Examples Rules 5N,O

Mumps cause/causes fever and painful swelling.

Mathematics is/are my favorite subject.

Four hundred thousand dollars was/were destroyed at the bank.


5P Titles – the title of a work of art is always singular.

Van Gogh’s First Steps is a copy of a drawing.

“The Daisies” is a song that I enjoy.

Examples Rules 5P

The Dogs and the Cats, by Joe Schmoe, is/are my favorite book.

The United Nations was/were founded in 1945.


5Q Subjects preceded by every or many a take singular verbs.Every homeowner has

joined the club.Many a litterbug has spent

time in jail.


5R When a clause is within a sentence, the verb in the clause must agrees with its antecedent.The Garcias, who live next

door, are going with us to the lake.

This is the store that has the discount sale.

Date post:	24-Jun-2015
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Subject Verb Agreement 2

Education