Download Subject Verb agreement

SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
But first, some vocabulary!
• Collective noun- a noun that denotes a group of individuals
(faculty, committee, team, congress, crowd, army)
• Relative pronoun- (that, which, who) introduces the relative
clause and refers to some antecedent
• Relative clause- a clause introduced by a relative pronoun
(“who visits frequently” in the clause “John, who visits
frequently…”)
• Antecedent- the word to which a pronoun refers (usually
comes before the pronoun)
• Indefinite pronoun-a pronoun that refers to something that is
not quite exact (anybody, everyone, nobody, someone, all,
any, most, none, some)
Agreement of Subject and Verb
•A verb must agree in number (singular or
plural) with its subject.
•For example:
•The student was proud of her quarter
grades.
•The students were proud of their quarter
grades.
Plural Verbs vs. Singular Verbs
•Examples of singular verbs: is,
am, likes, eats, depends, needs,
listens, tastes, understands,
loves, hates
•Examples of plural verbs: are,
like, eat, depend, need, listen,
taste, understand, love, hate
Do NOT Be
Confused!!
Do not be confused
by words that come
between the
subject and the
verb!!
Be sure you know
what/where the
subject in the
sentence actually is
before determining
the appropriate
verb.
• WHERE IS THE SUBJECT?
• The manager, as well as the
players, is required to display
good sportsmanship.
• Gasoline, one of the many
existing fuels, is more efficient
for powering automobiles.
• Jackie and Robyn, as well as
Charlie, are going to the
dance.
Compound
Subjects
• Examples:
• Neither Bev nor Kendra is
going to the dance.
Compound subjects
joined by or or nor
require a singular
verb.
• Note: When one of the subjects joined by or or
nor is singular and one is plural, the verb must
agree with the subject nearer the verb
Compound subjects
joined with and
require a plural
verb.
• Neither Yoshi nor his friends
are singing to the band
anymore.
• Strength and balance are
necessary for gymnastics.
Collective
Nouns
Collective nouns
require a singular verb
when they refer to a
group as a unit.
Collective nouns
require a plural verb
when they refer to the
individuals within the
group.
• Examples:
• The favored team is losing, and the
crowd is getting ugly.
• (Both team and crowd are
considered units in this sentence,
requiring the singular verb is.)
• The pair were finally reunited after
20 years apart.
• (Pair refers to two individuals, so
the plural verb were is required.)
Indefinite
Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns
refer to something that
is not exact.
Some are singular, for
example: each, one,
everybody, another,
anybody, someone,
nobody, everything
Some are plural, for
example: all, many,
most, none, few, and
some, several
• Examples:
• Everybody is invited to the
cafeteria for refreshments.
• Nobody wants to do
homework.
• One doesn’t need to try so
hard.
• Several like chocolate cake.
• Many ask for ice cream.
• Few have the intelligence to do
so.
Do NOT Be
Confused!!
Do not be
confused by
words or
phrases that
come between
the indefinite
pronoun and the
verb.
•Example
•One of the
participants is
(not are) going
to have to stay
late to clean up.
Relative
Pronouns
Relative pronouns
introduce a relative clause
( who, which, that)
Antecedent is the word to
which the pronoun refers
When a relative pronoun
is used as the subject of a
clause, the number of the
verb is determined by the
antecedent of said
pronoun.
.
• Examples:
• Which careers appeal to you
depend on your interest.
• This is one of the books that
are required for class. (The
relative pronoun that
requires the plural verb are
because its antecedent,
books, is plural.)
Special
Cases
Some nouns that are
plural in form but singular
in meaning (mumps,
measles, news,
mathematics, economics,
gallows, shambles, etc.)
take a singular verb.
Some nouns that are
plural in form but singular
in meaning (scissors,
trousers, tidings, etc.) take
a plural verb.
• Examples
• Measles is still considered a
serious disease in many parts
of the world.
• The scissors are missing again.
QUIZ!
• The students _____ (goes/go) to class everyday.
• How _____ (do/does) she do it?
• Which careers appeal to you _______ (depend/depends) on
your interests.
• Pride and Prejudice, one of my favorite books, _____ (is/are)
considered by some to be one of the greatest novels ever.
• Neither the equipment nor the uniforms _____ (has/have)
arrived yet.
• The new shopping mall ______ (open/opens) in two weeks.
• The army _____ (is/are) going to withdraw from Iraq by the
end of the year.