Download Subject Verb Agree Am Lit

Subject and Verb Agreement
 Singular and Plural Subjects
 A singular subject must have a singular verb
 A plural subject must have a plural verb
 Example:
 The planets travel through space.
 The planet Jupiter has sixteen known moons.
 **most singular verbs end in –s **
Intervening Phrases and Clauses
 A verb must agree with its subject, even if a phrase or
clause comes between them
 Example:
 Sam, with several of his friends, observes the sky.
 Your theory, as well as his ideas, lacks support.
 Remember: Plural with plural, singular with singular
Relative pronouns as
subjects
 Remember relative pronouns?? (who, which, that)
 When who, which, or that acts as a subject of a
subordinate clause, its verb is singular or plural,
depending on the number of its antecedent
 The antecedent of a relative pronoun determines its
agreement with a verb
 EX: Sam is the only one (who has applied.)
Compound Subjects
 A compound subject joined by and is generally plural and
must have a plural verb




examples
Wind and rain exist on Earth.
Winds and rainstorms exist on Earth.
Winds and rain exist on Earth.
 Exception to this rule-when the parts of the compound
subject equal one thing and when the word each or every is
used before a compound subject. Then use a singular verb.
The exceptions
 Macaroni and cheese is an easy dish to make.
 Each man and woman was waving a flag.
Compound Subjects
 Two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor must
have a singular verb

Example
 Either Jupiter or Saturn makes a fascinating topic of study.
 Two or more plural subjects joined by or or nor must
have a plural verb
 Example
 Space probes or space shuttles provide information about
space.
Compound subjects
 If one or more singular subjects are joined to one or
more plural subjects by or or nor, the subject closest to
the verb determines agreement
 Neither atmosphere nor clouds exist on Mercury.
 Neither clouds nor atmosphere exists on Mercury.
Compound Subjects
Subjects
Verb
Subjects
Verb
Singular AND Singular
Plural
Singular OR Singular Singular
Singular AND Plural
Plural
Singular OR Plural
Plural
Plural AND Singular
Plural
Plural OR Singular
Singular
Plural AND Plural
Plural
Plural OR Plural
Plural
Use this chart as a reminder for Compound Subjects and Number
Confusing Subjects
 Hard to find subjects- When a subject comes after its verb,
the verb must still agree with the subject in number
 A sentence in which the subject comes after its verb is said
to be inverted-you can check the subject-verb agreement by
mentally putting the sentence in the normal subject-verb
order
 Which of the science reports has she read?
 (She has read which of the science reports?)
Subjects of linking verbs
 a linking verb must agree with its subject, regardless of
the number of the predicate nominative-the noun or
pronoun that renames, identifies, or explains the
subject
 Moon craters are one sign of meteor storms.
 One sign of meteor storms is moon craters.
Collective Nouns
 a collective noun takes a singular verb when the group
it names acts as a single unit
 The class is excited to be learning about the solar
system.
 A collective noun takes a plural verb when the group it
names act as individuals with different points of view
 The class are unable to decide which planets to discuss
in their reports.
Nouns that look like plurals
 Nouns that are plural in form, but singular in meaning take
singular verbs
 Some of these nouns are singular names for branches of
knowledge: acoustics, civics, economics etc.
 Physics is a challenging subject. (S)
 Gymnastics is my favorite Olympic sport to watch. (S)
 Some exceptions: My lost eyeglasses were behind the sofa.
(P) My pants are not in the laundry. (P)
Indefinite Pronouns
 Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs
 Everyone in the room needs to take off her coat.
 Plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs
 Both of these planets were formed at about the same time.
 For those indefinite pronouns that can be either singular or
plural, agreement depends on the number of the antecedent
Indefinite Pronouns
Singular
Plural
Both
Another, Anybody, Anyone
Anything, Each, Either,
Everybody
Everyone, Everything, Little,
Much
Neither, Nobody, No one,
Nothing
One, Other, Somebody, Someone
Something
Both
Few
Many
Others
Several
All
Any
More
Most
None
Some
Indefinite pronouns con’t
 The pronouns all, any, more, most, none, and some
usually take a singular verb if the antecedent is singular
and a plural verb if the antecedent is plural.
 Most of the cake is gone.
 Most of the desserts are gone.
Titles
 A title is singular and therefore takes a singular verb.
 Space is a novel by James A. Michener
 Of Mice and Men is a book by John Steinbeck.
Amounts and
Measurements
 A noun expressing an amount or measurement is usually
singular and requires a singular verb
 singular when expressing single units (ex: one sum of
money)
 Twelve dollars is the price of the ticket.
 Thirty miles was a long distance to travel.
 Half of the invitations were mailed today. (P-half functions
like an indefinite pronoun-refer to the antecedent for
number)