Download SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT
OBJECTIVES

The students will be able to:

Apply subject-verb agreement rules with
Nouns compound in form but singular in meaning
 Compound subjects
 Compound subjects joined by correlative conjunctions
 Indefinite pronouns
 Compound subjects joined by coordinating conjunctions
 Subjects plural in form but singular in meaning
 Collective nouns

SUBJECT AND VERB…

Must agree in number

Number refers to whether a word is singular or
plural
SINGULAR SUBJECTS
Singular subjects take singular verbs
 A singular subject does not end in “s,” but a
singular verb ends in “s”
 My dog barks loudly. (Correct)
 My dog bark loudly. (Incorrect)
 Ashley (play, plays) basketball.

PLURAL SUBJECTS
Plural subjects take plural verbs
 A plural subject may end in “s,” but the plural
verb does not end in “s”
 The students need paper and pens from school.
 Children run down the street. (Correct)
 Children runs down the street. (Incorrect)

VERB PHRASES
In a verb phrase, the first helping verb must
agree with the subject
 A verb phrase is the combination of one or more
helping verbs with a main verb.


will ride is going
does not want
VERB PHRASES
Mary has ordered a new pair of shoes.
 We are going to the movies this weekend.
 She (go shopping/goes shopping) every weekend.
 I (is talking/am talking) on the phone.
 You (is getting/are getting) on my nerves.

CONTRACTIONS: DOESN’T & DON’T
Doesn’t = Does not (singular)
 Don’t= Do not (plural)
 She ______ know where she put her phone.
 The boys ______ have their homework.

PRACTICE ACTIVITY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A popular saying (is, are) “opposites
attract.”
On the contrary, we (doesn’t, don’t)
often seek relationships with people
who hold different values than our own.
Personality clashes (spoil, spoils)
relationships.
Differences (create, creates) tension.
Typically, a talkative person (prefers,
prefer) the company of other sociable
people.
BELL RINGER (4/7/10)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A quiet individual sometimes (feel,
feels) more comfortable with fellow
introverts.
Teens usually (select, selects) friends
who are most like them.
They sometimes (form, forms) tight-knit
groups called cliques.
Still friendships (has, have) developed
among those with different
personalities.
Open communication (helps, help) all
kinds of friends to get along.
COMPOUND SUBJECTS

A compound subject is made up of two or more
subjects joined by a conjunction such as and, or,
or, nor.
SUBJECTS JOINED BY AND

A compound whose parts are joined by “and”
usually takes a plural verb
Boys and girls make up the student population of the
school.
 The pencil and paper are on my desk.

JOINED BY AND

Sometimes a compound subject joined by “and”
refers to a single thing or idea; it needs a singular
verb
The red beans and rice tastes delicious
 Tasha and Alicia talk a lot during class.
 Kyle and John (is, are) going to join the football team.

SUBJECTS JOINED BY OR OR NOR

When the parts of a subject are joined by or or
nor, the verb should agree with the part closest
to it
Neither outdoor work nor office tasks suit Matt very
well.
 Neither office tasks nor outdoor work suits Matt
very well.

PRACTICE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Psychologists and guidance counselors
have linked personality types to
occupations.
For example, carpentry or engineering
sometimes attract introverted people.
Paramedics and police officers seeks
adventure and risk.
On the other hand, structure and order
suits those with good organizational
ability.
Bookkeepers or office managers
typically has stable, practical
personalities.
MORE PRACTICE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Problem-solving skills and strong verbal
communication is useful for judges and
business people.
Generally, neither lawyers nor the head
of a company like to be told what to do.
Logic or good spatial perception is
needed for jobs in engineering and
mechanics.
Trial and error are one way to find the
right job.
Neither your teacher nor your parents
want to see you in a job that doesn’t suit
you.
ON YOUR OWN (TO BE TURNED IN)
Complete the following exercise. Write the
sentence with the correct verb form.
 Compound Subjects

AGREEMENT PROBLEMS IN SENTENCES

Some sentences can be trick, such as those with
subjects in unusual positions, those
containing predicate nouns, or those in
which prepositional phrases separate
subjects and verbs.
SUBJECTS IN UNUSUAL POSITIONS

A subject can follow a verb or part of a verb
phrase in a question, a sentence beginning with
here or there, or a sentence in which an adjective,
an adverb, or a phrase is placed first
SUBJECTS IN UNUSUAL POSITIONS
Type of Sentence
Question
Examples
Does birth order shape
personality?
Sentence beginning with Here are some famous
here or there
first-borns with
successful careers.
Sentence beginning with From years of study
phrase
come our ideas about
birth order.
TIPS TO HELP FIND THE SUBJECT IN
THESE KINDS OF SENTENCES
Choosing the Correct Verb


(Is, Are) last-borns more rebellious than middle
children?
1.
2.
3.
Turn the sentence around, putting the subject before
the verb (answer the question)
1.
Last-borns (is, are) more rebellious than middle
children.
Determine whether the subject is singular or plural
1.
Last-borns (plural)
Make the subject and verb agree
1.
Last-borns are more rebellious than middle
children.
PREDICATE NOUNS

In a sentence containing a predicate noun, the
verb should agree with the subject, not the
predicate noun
One interesting topic is dreams and their meanings.
 Dreams are the voice of the subconscious.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

The subject of a verb is never found in a
prepositional phrase. Don’t be fooled by words
that come between a subject and a verb.
Mentally block out those words. Then, it will be
easy to tell whether the subject is singular or
plural.
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
This book by two psychologists describes
personality traits.
 Some theories of personality development are
complex.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
 Writers
often use prepositional phrases to
paint visual pictures. When you use a
prepositional phrase between a subject
and a verb, make sure that the verb
agrees with the subject, not the object of
the preposition.

At one o’clock it he morning I walked down
through the same section [of San Francisco].
Everything still stood intact. There was no fire.
And yet there was a change. A rain [of ashes]
was falling.
MORE EXAMPLES:

Question:



Is that book interesting?
That book is interesting.
Have & There:
Here are the new magazines.
 The new magazines are here.


Beginning Phrase:
In the library are meeting rooms.
 Meeting rooms are in the library.

MORE EXAMPLES

Predicate Nouns:
My favorite reading material is mysteries.
 Mysteries are my favorite reading material.


Prepositional Phrases:
Books about baseball entertain fans.
 Baseball on the field or in books entertains fans.

REVIEW
1.
2.
3.
Agreement in number
Compound subjects
Agreement problems in sentences
1. AGREEMENT IN NUMBER

Remember:

Singular subjects take singular verbs


Plural subjects take plural verbs


Maria works well with her classmates.
The players run around the field.
Doesn’t and Don’t
Use doesn’t with singular subjects
 Use don’t with plural subjects
 Use don’t with the pronoun you

2. COMPOUND SUBJECTS
The subject can be compound when it is joined by
the conjunctions and, or, or nor
 Joined by “and”


The subject takes the plural verb


Lions and tigers roam in the jungle.
Joined by “or” or “nor”

The verb will agree with the closest subject

Either the students or the teacher will create the next
test.
3. AGREEMENT PROBLEMS IN
SENTENCES
1.
2.
3.
Subjects in unusual positions
Sentences with predicate nouns
Sentences in which prepositional phrases
separate subjects and verbs
**Remember you can easily solve these
problems by switching the order of the
subject and verb.
REVIEW EXERCISE: THE FOLLOWING
PARAGRAPH CONTAINS FOUR ERRORS IN
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Does you know any identical twins? Then
you can probably observe their obvious
physical similarities. Although people
commonly believe that identical twins
raised apart will develop different
personalities, the opposite appears to be
true. From studies at a college have been
gathered information comparing the
personality traits of twins separated at
birth. There are evidence that separated
twins still develop similar traits.
Apparently, genes is an important factor
in personality development.
Do you know any identical twins? Then
you can probably observe their obvious
physical similarities. Although people
commonly believe that identical twins
raised apart will develop different
personalities, the opposite appears to be
true. From studies at a college has been
gathered information comparing the
personality traits of twins separated at
birth. There is evidence that separated
twins still develop similar traits.
Apparently, genes are an important factor
in personality development.
FOR EACH SENTENCE, WRITE THE VERB
THAT AGREES WITH THE SUBJECT. THIS
WILL BE TURNED IN.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Personality types (have, has) been studied for centuries.
(Has, Have) you seen the movie Twilight?
There (is, are) usually a dominant personality.
Fear and anger (is, are) experienced by most athletes.
Even school or work (demand, demands) a degree of selfcontrol.
A Type A person (seem, seems) competitive and
aggressive.
These skills and techniques (help, helps) others besides
athletes.
(Does, Do) different personalities know about one
another?
Multiple personality disorder (are, is) caused by severe
traumas.
The challenge of sports sometimes (affect, affects) an
athlete’s confidence.
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS AS SUBJECTS

Some pronouns do not refer to a definite, or
specific, person, place, thing, or idea. They are
called indefinite pronouns.
**When used as subjects, some indefinite
pronouns are always singular, some are
always plural, and others can be singular or
plural, depending on how they are used
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
SINGULAR
another anybody anyone anything
each either everything neither
nobody no one nothing one
somebody someone something
PLURAL
both few many several
SINGULAR
OR
PLURAL
all any most none some
SINGULAR & PLURAL

Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs
Everyone wonders how twins get along.
 Anything about twins fascinates me.


Plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs
Many of my friends know a pair of twins.
 Several are friends themselves.

SINGULAR OR PLURAL?

All, any, most, none, and some can be either
singular or plural. When you use one of these
words as a subject, think about the noun it refers
to. If the noun is singular, use a singular verb, if
it is plural, use a plural verb
SINGULAR OR PLURAL?
Most of this book deals with twin research.
 All of the studies have been conducted by
scientists
*Sometimes an indefinite pronoun refers to a noun
in a previous sentence.
 Sometimes Myla and Melissa coincidentally buy
the same outfit. Both are surprised to find out.

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS AS SUBJECTS
EXERCISE
SINGULAR INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
Another
 Anybody
 Anyone
 Anything
 Each
 Either
 Everybody
 Everyone
 Everything

Much
 Neither
 Nobody
 No one
 Nothing
 One
 Somebody
 Someone
 Something

PLURAL INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
Both
 Few
 Many
 Others
 Several

EITHER PLURAL OR SINGULAR
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
All
 Any
 Most
 None
 Some

EXAMPLES
Nobody lives without air. (singular)
 Many study the process of photosynthesis.
(plural)


A prepositional phrase can follow the indefinite
pronouns that can be either singular or plural.
The object of the preposition will determine
whether the pronoun is singular or plural.
Some of the building is brick. (singular)
 Some of the sunflowers are large. (plural)

WRITE THE CORRECT VERB IN THE
SENTENCE.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Another (wants, want) to look at the bike.
Anybody (study, studies) French before taking a trip to
France.
Anyone (understand, understands) the importance of
this issue.
One (tell, tells) us about his days in baseball.
Each of the members (speak, speaks) for three minutes.
Either of these books (convey, conveys) the mood of the
1980s.
Everybody (want, wants) a copy of that videotape.
Both of these schools (is, are) outstanding.
Everyone who participates (receives, receive) an award.
Everything in this room (appears, appear) to be an
antique.
COLLECTIVE NOUNS AND OTHER
SPECIAL SUBJECTS

A collective noun names a group.
It has a singular meaning when the group acts as a
unit
 It has a plural meaning when showing that each
member of the group acts as an individual

The team wants to buy the coach a gift. (one group,
singular)
 The team agree to purchase their own jerseys. (individuals,
plural)

The meaning of the noun in the sentence
determines whether the singular or plural form
of the verb is needed
 You can determine whether a collective noun
takes a singular or plural verb by substituting
the pronoun it or they

Certain nouns, such as mathematics and mumps,
end in –s but use a singular verb form.
 Nouns such as jeans and scissors also end in –s
and take plural verb, yet they are single objects

The news is on the radio now. (singular)
 These jeans are torn. (plural)

When the subject refers to an amount as a single
unit, it is considered singular
 When it refers to more than one unit, it is plural

Two weeks seems like a long time to wait. (single
unit, singular verb)
 Two weeks have passed since you called. (several
units, plural verb)


The name of a company, title of a book, movie,
play, song, or work of art is a proper noun and
should be treated as singular even if the subject
within the title is plural

The Flintstones is a television show that was made
into a movie.
PRACTICE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ms. Tanaka’s class (is, are) interested in
journalism.
Three weeks (have been, has been)
spent studying newscasts.
Television news (excite, excites) several
of the students.
Jeremy’s family (give, gives) tours of the
television station where his mother
works.
The class (appreciate, appreciates) the
time they each received with Mrs.
Ramos, who showed them how to
operate a video camera.
CLASS WORK
Complete the following and turn in.
 You must write the sentences!!!

PROBLEM SUBJECTS

When collective nouns, nouns ending in s, titles,
and numerical expressions are used as subjects,
it can be difficult to tell where they take singular
or plural verbs
COLLECTIVE NOUNS
 Collective
nouns
name groups of
people or things
GROUP
CLASS
TEAM
STAFF
JURY
FAMILY
COMMITTEE
COLLECTIVE NOUNS

Many collective nouns can take singular or
plural verbs, depending on how they are used

Singular verb


When the noun refers to people or things acting as a group
(doing something together)
Plural verb

When the noun refers to people or things acting as
individuals (a group, but everyone does their own thing)
SINGULAR OR PLURAL?
The choir performs each year in the talent show.
 The choir come from three different schools.
 The custodial staff cleans the school everyday.
 The custodial staff clean their designated area.

SINGULAR NOUNS ENDING IN S
 Some
nouns that end
in s or ics look plural,
but they are actually
singular
MEASLES
NEWS
POLITICS
MATHEMATICS
PHYSICS
ECONOMICS
CERAMICS
MOLASSES
EXAMPLES
Politics attracts people with strong leadership
qualities.
 The weekend news features local personalities.

TITLES
Titles of works of art, literature, and music are
singular
 Even a title that consists of a plural noun takes a
singular verb


The Outsiders is a popular young-adult novel.
MEASUREMENTS AND AMOUNTS
Words and phrases that express weights,
measures, numbers, and lengths of time are often
treated as singular
 They take singular verbs when they refer to
amounts rather than numbers of individual
items

MEASURES AND AMOUNTS
MEASURES
Three- cups
Forty miles
Three pounds is
the approximate
weight of an
adult human’s
brain.
AMOUNTS
Two hours
Eight dollars
Five hours is a
long time to
wait for lunch.
MEASURES AND AMOUNTS

Fractions

A fraction can take a singular or plural verb,
depending on whether it refers to a single part
(singular) or to a number of items (plural).
One-tenth of the brain’s cells are lost during a lifetime. (the
fraction refers a number of cells)
 One-half of the cerebrum controls the body’s left side. (the
fraction refers to one part of the cerebrum)

PRACTICE
1.
2.
3.
Pediatrics are the branch of medicine dealing
with infants and children.
Our class learns the four emotions that
newborns experience: excitement, surprise,
relaxation, and distress.
Six weeks are the age when infants first
express joy.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Twelve months is when babies first experience
sadness.
Linguistics indicate the babies begin to imitate
speech sounds at the age of eight months.
Two-thirds of the care group are absent today.
Five minutes seem a long time until parents
arrive.
8.
9.
10.
The family reacts to a child’s different
responses.
The public often seek advice about raising a
child.
Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care is a classic
book.