Download So, what causes problems with Subject

Subject-Verb Agreement
Ms. Lodhie’s Mini-Lesson on
Sophisticated Writing =)
Recognize him?
(It’s Gollum, from “The Lord of the Rings”)
Famous
Gollum Quotes
What’s common across
the sentences in each
quote, particularly the
underlined portions?
• “We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious. They
stole it from us. Sneaky little hobbitses. Wicked, tricksy,
false!”
• “Yes, precious, she could. And then we takes it once
they're dead.”
• “Oh! Cruel hobbit! It does not care if we be hungry.”
Famous
Gollum Quotes
What’s common across
the sentences in each
quote, particularly the
underlined portions?
• “We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious. They
Thehobbitses.
don’t sound
stole it from us. Sneaky little
Wicked, tricksy,
right because
false!”
subjects and
verbs
• “Yes, precious, she could. And
thendon’t
we takes it once
agree!
they're dead.”
• “Oh! Cruel hobbit! It does not care if we be hungry.”
What Gollum would say…
• There is too many pictures on the wall.
• Everybody but Julio want to go home.
• All the people wants to win the lottery.
The Basic Principle of Subject-Verb
Agreement
 Singular subjects need singular verbs
 plural subjects need plural verbs.
 They must agree in number.
Example (these agree in number):
My brother is a nutritionist. My sisters are mathematicians.
Example (these DON’T Agree in number):
• There is too many pictures on the wall.
• Everybody but Julio want to go home.
• All the people plans to win the lottery.
Try to correct
the verbs to
make the
subjects and
verbs agree!
The Basic Principle of Subject-Verb
Agreement
 Singular subjects need singular verbs
 plural subjects need plural verbs.
 They must agree in number.
Example (these agree in number):
My brother is a nutritionist. My sisters are mathematicians.
Example (NOW these Agree in number!):
• There are too many pictures on the wall.
• Everybody but Julio wants to go home.
• All the people plan to win the lottery.
Try to correct
the verbs to
make the
subjects and
verbs agree!
The Silliness of the English Language
 Singular = 1
 Plural = 2+
 To make a noun plural, we usually add –s
• Singular: girl
• Plural: girls
• Now you try!
• Singular: power
• Plural:__________
The Silliness of the English Language
 Singular = 1
 Plural = 2+
 To make a verb plural, we take away the –s.
Example: “to talk”
• Singular: he talks
• Plural: they talk
• Now you try! “to recommend”
•
Singular: it _________
•
Plural: they __________
So, what causes problems with
Subject-Verb Agreement?!
• 5 things cause problems with Subject-Verb
Agreement:
1. Stuff (words/phrases) in between the Subject
and verb
2. Verb placed before the subject (reversed word
order)
3. Indefinite pronouns (ex. nobody, each)
4. Compound subjects (2+ subjects)
5. Who, Which, and That
So, what causes problems with
Subject-Verb Agreement?!
1. Stuff in between the Subject and verb (prepositional
phrases)
• Without prepositional phrases:
– The man dances with joy
• With “stuff in between” (prepositional phrases):
– The shoes in the closet needs to be shined.
– “in the closet” is a prepositional phrase in-between the subject and the verb,
“shoes” and “needs”
• Correct the sentence:
• _________________________________________________
So, what causes problems with
Subject-Verb Agreement?!
1. Stuff in between the Subject and verb (prepositional
phrases)
• Without prepositional phrases:
– The man dances with joy
• With “stuff in between” (prepositional phrases):
– The shoes in the closet needs to be shined.
– “in the closet” is a prepositional phrase in-between the subject and the verb,
“shoes” and “needs”
• Correct the sentence:
– The shoes in the closet need to be shined.
So, what causes problems with
Subject-Verb Agreement?!
2. Verb before Subject (reversed word order):
Example of a “normal order” sentence: (Subject  verb)
• The cat is in the house.
Example of reversed order sentence (verb  subject)
• Inside the house is the cat.
When reversed order goes wrong (subject-verb disagreement):
CORRECT THESE SENTENCES:
• Inside the garage are the shovel.
• Across the street is Reynosa and Progresso.
• Where is the instructions for the X-Box?
So, what causes problems with
Subject-Verb Agreement?!
2. Verb before Subject (reversed word order):
Example of a “normal order” sentence: (Subject  verb)
• The cat is in the house.
Example of reversed order sentence (verb  subject)
• Inside the house is the cat.
When reversed order goes wrong (subject-verb disagreement):
Check your corrections:
• Inside the garage is the shovel.
• Across the street are Reynosa and Progresso.
• Where are the instructions for the X-Box?
So, what causes problems with
Subject-Verb Agreement?!
3. Indefinite pronouns
Example of a subject-verb agreement issues with indefinite pronouns:
• Nobody have a clue about what they are doing.
• Nobody has a clue about what they are doing
Indefinite pronouns TAKE A SINGULAR VERB
-one words
-body words -thing words
one
nobody
nothing
each
anyone
anybody
anything
neither
everyone
everybody
everything
either
someone
somebody
something
So, what causes problems with
Subject-Verb Agreement?!
3. Indefinite pronouns
EXCEPT…
“All” and “both”, however, are
plural
Example:
• All of the people has a library card.
• Both skateboards is expensive.
All of the people have a library card.
Both skateboards are expensive.
So, what causes problems with
Subject-Verb Agreement?!
3. Indefinite pronouns
Correct the following sentences: (check your answers on the next slide!)
• Everything are ready for the party.
• Neither Fred, nor Ed, nor Ted know the way.
• All of them wants to go.
• Both of them loves to dance.
So, what causes problems with
Subject-Verb Agreement?!
3. Indefinite pronouns
Correct the following sentences:
• Everything is ready for the party.
• Neither Fred, nor Ed, nor Ted knows the way.
• All of them want to go.
• Both of them love to dance.
So, what causes problems with
Subject-Verb Agreement?!
4. Compound subjects (2+ subjects)
 Subjects joined by “and” usually take a plural verb.
•
Example of subject-verb disagreement issue with compound
subjects
– Speculation and fear leads to mass hysteria
– Speculation and fear lead to mass hysteria
Correct the following subject-verb disagreement issues:
• Diet and exercise is ways to be healthy.
• Ambition and luck was Juan’s keys to success.
So, what causes problems with
Subject-Verb Agreement?!
4. Compound subjects (2+ subjects)
 Subjects joined by “and” usually take a plural verb.
•
Example of subject-verb disagreement issue with compound
subjects
– Speculation and fear leads to mass hysteria
– Speculation and fear lead to mass hysteria
Correct the following subject-verb disagreement issues:
• Diet and exercise are ways to be healthy.
• Ambition and luck were Juan’s keys to success.
So, what causes problems with
Subject-Verb Agreement?!
5. “Who”, “Which”, and “That”
 If “who”, “which”, or “that” stand for singular words,
they take singular verbs
Example:
– Rebecca is a person who are very private.
– Rebecca is a person who is very private
 If “who”, “which”, or “that” stand for plural words,
they take plural verbs
Example:
– Joel is one of those people who is very private.
– Joel is one of those people who are very private.
Next Steps for learning!
• Check out the “Subject-Verb Agreement”
Independent Practice resource in the Verb
usage playlist!
• Then, take the Checks for Understanding