SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT
Subject is the person/people/thing(s) that do the
activity.
I, you,
they, we, she, he, it, my dad and my mom, Linda, Sussi, Linda and Sussi, the
bank, the flight schedule, etc.
Verb is a word used to describe an action, state,
or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence.
KINDS OF VERB
1.
ACTION VERB
• Also known as
MAIN VERB.
• Action verbs
are words that express action (give, eat, walk, etc.) or possession (have, own,
etc.).
• Action verbs
can be either transitive (with object) or intransitive (without object).
Example:
1.
Laurissa
raises her hand. (kkt)
2.
Abdus gave Becky the pencil. (kkt)
3.
Laurissa rises slowly from her seat. (kki)
4.
He was pontificating about art and history. (kki)
2. LINKING VERBS
A linking verb connects the subject of a sentence to a noun or adjective
that renames or describes the subject.
To Be: is, am, are, was, were
Example:
Lisa is in love with Jason.
We were there!
I am happy
Verb: seem, appear, become, grow, remain, get,
prove, turn, look, sound, smell, taste, feel.
Example:
She looks pale.
I feel happy
That sounds great!
Your cook smells good.
3.
HELPING VERBS
Helping verbs are used before action or linking verbs to convey
additional information regarding aspects of possibility (can, could, etc.) or
time (was, did, has, etc.)
MODALS always function as Helping Verbs.
MODALS: can, could, may, might, shall, will, ought to, should, would.
Examples:
1.
Tejo is
(helping verb) going (main verb)
to Florida.
2.
The trip might
(helping verb) be (main
verb) dangerous.
3.
Tanya could learn to fly helicopters. (Could helps the main verb, learn.)
4.
Janine will drive to Idaho tomorrow. (Will helps the main verb, drive.)
“Subject Verb Agreement”
1. Subjects and
verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the
background of the concept.
Examples:
The dog growls when it is angry.
The
dogs growl when they are angry.
2. Don’t get
confused by the words that come between the subject and verb; they
do
not affect agreement.
Examples:
The dog, who is
chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.
3. Prepositional
phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect
agreement.
Examples:
The colors of the
rainbow are beautiful.
4. When
sentences start with “there” or “here,” the subject will always be placed
after the verb, so care
needs to be taken to identify it correctly.
Examples:
There is a problem with the balance sheet. Here are the
papers you requested.
5. If two
subjects are joined by and, they typically require a plural verb form.
Examples:
The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.
6. The verb is
singular if the two subjects separated by and refer to the same
person
or thing.
Examples:
Red
beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.
7. If one of the
words each, every, or no comes before the subject, the verb is
singular.
Examples:
No
smoking or drinking is allowed.
Every
man and woman is required to check in.
8. If the
subjects are both singular and are connected by the words or, nor,
neither/nor,
either/or, and not only/but also the verb is singular.
Examples:
Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.
9. The only time
when the object of the preposition decides plural or singular verb forms is
when noun and pronoun subjects like some,
half, none, more, all, etc. are followed by a prepositional phrase.
In these sentences, the object of the preposition determines the form of the
verb.
Examples:
All of the chicken is gone.
All
of the chickens are gone.
10. The singular
verb form is usually used for units of measurement or time.
Examples:
Four quarts of oil was required to
get the car running.
11. If the
subjects are both plural and are connected by the words or, nor,
neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, the verb is plural.
Examples:
Dogs
and cats are both available at the pound.
12. If one
subject is singular and one plural and the words are connected by the words or,
nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, you use the verb form of
the subject that is nearest the verb.
Examples:
Either the bears or
the lion has escaped from the zoo.
Neither
the lion nor the bears have escaped from
the zoo.
13. Indefinite
pronouns (everything, anything, everyone, someone, somebody, nothing, etc)
typically take singular verbs.
Examples:
Everybody
wants to be loved.
Everything
is gonna be alright.
14. Except for
the pronouns (few, many, several, both, all, some) that always take the plural form.
Examples:
Few
were left alive after the flood.
Several
students understand the material.
15. If two
infinitives are separated by and they take the plural form of the verb.
Examples:
To
walk and to chew gum require great skill.
16. When gerunds
are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular verb
form of the verb; but,
when they are linked by and, they take the plural form.
Examples:
Standing
in the water was a bad idea.
Swimming
in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.
17. Collective
nouns like family, committee, herd, senate, class, crowd, etc. usually take a
singular verb form.
Examples:
The
herd is stampeding.
Cooper
family always attends the annual party.
18. Titles of
books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular
verb.
Examples:
The
Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.
Harry
Potter has reached Top 3 Best Seller books.
Exercise :
Subject and Verb Agreement Exercise
Choose the
correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject.
1.
Annie and her
brothers ( are) at school.
2.
Either my
mother or my father (are) coming to the meeting.
3.
The dog or the
cats (are) outside.
4.
Either my shoes
or your coat (are) always on the floor.
5.
George and
Tamara (don't) want to see that movie.
6.
Benito
(doesn't) know the answer.
7.
One of my
sisters (is) going on a trip to France.
8.
The man with
all the birds (live) on my street.
9.
The movie,
including all the previews, (takes) about two hours to watch.
10.
The players, as
well as the captain, (want) to win.
11.
Either answer
(are) acceptable.
12.
Every one of
those books (are) fiction.
13.
Nobody (know)
the trouble I've seen.
14.
(Are) the news
on at five or six?
15.
Mathematics
(are) John's favorite subject, while Civics (are) Andrea's favorite subject.
16.
Eight dollars
(are) the price of a movie these days.
17.
(is) the
tweezers in this drawer?
18.
Your pants
(are) at the cleaner's.
19.
There (were)
fifteen candies in that bag. Now there (is) only one left!
20.
The committee
(debate) these questions carefully.
21.
The committee (lead)
very different lives in private.
22.
The Prime
Minister, together with his wife, (greets) the press cordially.
23.
All of the CDs,
even the scratched one, (is) in this case.
