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Agreement Subject and Verb A verb agrees with its subject in number Singular subjects take singular verbs Plural subjects take plural verbs Singular verbs have an “S” on the end and plural verbs do NOT have an “S” on the end. Singular verb: runs Plural verb: run Think about a football game. Only one side has the ball at one time. The ball represents an “s”. If the offense (subject) has an “s” on it or if it is plural, then the defense (verb) will NOT have an “s” on it. Only one side can have the ball (the “s”). Examples: The car comes to a sudden stop. Car (offense) does not have the ball (“s”) Comes (defense) has to have the ball (“s”) Many senators oppose the new tax bill. Senators (offense) has the ball (“s”) Oppose (defense) cannot have the ball (“s”) Prepositional phrases between subjects and verbs The number of a subject (singular or plural) is not changed by a prepositional phrase following the subject. In other words, the object (noun) in a prepositional phrase can NEVER be the subject of a sentence. Examples: The lights on the Christmas tree create a festive atmosphere. On the Christmas tree is a prepositional phrase, so tree cannot be the subject Lights (offense) is the PLURAL subject Create (defense) is the PLURAL verb Indefinite Pronouns The following indefinite pronouns are SINGULAR: Anybody, anyone, each, either, everybody, everyone, neither, nobody, no one, one, somebody, someone These indefinite pronouns (offense) do NOT have the ball (“S”), so the verb (defense) MUST have the ball (“S”) Examples Everyone was invited to the party. Everyone (offense)-no ball Was (defense)-has the ball Either of the answers is correct. Either (offense) Is (defense) Of the answers-prepositional phrase Indefinite pronouns The following indefinite pronouns are plural: Both, few, many, several This means these pronouns (offense) have the ball (“s”), so the verb (defense) will NOT have the ball (“s”). Examples: Both of the apples are good. Both (offense) has the ball Are (defense) does not have the ball Few of the guests know about the surprise. Few (offense) has the ball Know (defense) does not have the ball Indefinite pronouns The following indefinite pronouns may be either singular or plural depending on the number of the object of the prepositional phrase following the subject (offense): All, any, most, none, some This means that for the first and ONLY time will you use the object of the preposition to determine if the verb should be singular or plural Examples: All of the fruit looks ripe. Fruit (object of preposition) is singular, so All (offense) does not have the ball Looks (defense) has to have the ball All of the pears look ripe. Pears (OP) is plural, so All (offense) has the ball Look (defense) cannot have the ball Compound subjects Subjects (offense) joined by “and” usually take a plural verb (defense) This means the subject will have the ball if it is two singular subjects joined by “AND” and the verb will not have the ball Examples Last year a library and a museum were built in our town. Library/museum are joined by “and” which makes the offense have the ball Were built is the verb and it does not have the ball (“s”) Compound subjects Subjects joined by “or” / “nor”: You must look at the second subject in order to see if the verb (defense) has the ball (“S”) or not. A pen or pencil is fine. Pencil follows “or”, so it does not have the ball Our dog or her cats drink all the water. Cats follow “or”, so the offense has the ball Collective nouns Collective nouns may be either singular or plural according to what is taking place Army, club, fleet, public, swarm, flock, committee, family, etc. This means if the collective noun (offense) is acting together as ONE group, then it is singular. If the collective noun (offense) is acting separately, then it is plural. Examples: The science class is taking a field trip. Class is acting as ONE (no ball) The science class are working on their astronomy projects. Class is not acting as ONE (has the ball)