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    2 - Subject-Verb Agreement

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    Jemie Cortillo
    This document discusses rules for subject-verb agreement in English grammar. It covers when subjects take singular or plural verbs, including with compound subjects, collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, and intervening phrases between the subject and verb. Examples are provided to illustrate each rule for determining if the subject is singular or plural and choosing the correct verb form.

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    2 - Subject-Verb Agreement

    Uploaded by

    Jemie Cortillo
    11 views17 pages
    This document discusses rules for subject-verb agreement in English grammar. It covers when subjects take singular or plural verbs, including with compound subjects, collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, and intervening phrases between the subject and verb. Examples are provided to illustrate each rule for determining if the subject is singular or plural and choosing the correct verb form.

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    2 - Subject-Verb Agreement (1)

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    This document discusses rules for subject-verb agreement in English grammar. It covers when subjects take singular or plural verbs, including with compound subjects, collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, and intervening phrases between the subject and verb. Examples are provided to illustrate each rule for determining if the subject is singular or plural and choosing the correct verb form.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    11 views17 pages

    2 - Subject-Verb Agreement

    Uploaded by

    Jemie Cortillo
    This document discusses rules for subject-verb agreement in English grammar. It covers when subjects take singular or plural verbs, including with compound subjects, collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, and intervening phrases between the subject and verb. Examples are provided to illustrate each rule for determining if the subject is singular or plural and choosing the correct verb form.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 17

    SUBJECT-VERB

    AGREEMENT

    LESSON 2
    OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
    1. A verb must agree with its
    subject in person and in
    number.
     She reads novel.
     The girls read novels.
    2. Singular subjects connected by
    and or both – and usually require a
    plural verb. When the parts of the
    compound subject connected by and
    are each preceded by a noun
    determiner (the, an, a, some, etc.) the
    subject is plural.
     My English instructor and my
    adviser are absent.
    3. A Compound subject
    referring to a single person
    takes a singular verb.
     My English instructor and
    adviser is absent.
    4. If two subjects are joined by
    or, nor, either…or, neither…nor,
    not only…but also, the verb
    agrees with the subject nearer it.
     Neither the President nor the
    other officers have come.
    5. The pronouns neither and
    either are singular and require
    singular verbs even though they
    seem to be referring, in a sense,
    to two things.
    Neither of the two traffic lights
    is working.
    6. When regarded as a unit, a
    collective noun is singular.
    Our class sings very well.
    7. When regarded as individuals, a
    collective noun is plural.
    Our class do not agree on the
    songs for the program.
    8. When preceded by the article a, the
    subject number is plural.
    A number of his abstract paintings
    have been exhibited.
    9. When preceded by the article the, the
    subject number is singular.
    The number of enrollees has increased
    tremendously.
    10. The verb agrees with the affirmative,
    not with the negative subject.
    Melvie, not her sisters, has inherited
    the company.
    11. Singular indefinite pronouns like
    someone, anyone, each, etc. take
    singular verbs.
    Everyone in the team hopes to win.
    12. The plural indefinite pronouns such
    as all, both, few, several, many take
    plural verbs.
    Several have volunteered to assist
    the committee in its project.
    13. Nouns plural in form but singular in
    meaning takes singular verbs.
    Mathematics is his favorite subject.
    14. When the subject is all, any, more,
    most, none, or some, this is the ONLY
    time you must look at the object of the
    prepositional phrase to determine
    whether it is singular or plural.
    All of the chickens have laid eggs.
    Some of the milk has spilled.
    Some of the girls are playing outside.
    15. Scissors, pants, refreshments,
    clothes, eyeglasses, etc. are always
    plural.
    Scissors are intended for cutting.
    However, when preceded by “a pair
    of”, they take singular verbs.
     A pair of scissors is all I need for
    cutting.
    16. Subjects consisting of expressions
    indicating amount of money, space of time, or
    unit of measurement require a singular verb.
     Fifty percent of his income is derived from
    his fishpond.
    17. Fractions are singular or plural depending
    upon the of phrase.
     Two-thirds of the papers are missing.
    18. Don’t get confused by the words/phrases
    that come between the subject and verb.
    (Intervening expressions such as with, as
    well as, together with, in addition to, etc.)
     The police findings, along with the
    photograph, are very convincing.
     The biker in this race is very competitive.
     The bikers in this race are very competitive.
    19. When a sentence is introduced by
    the word there or here, analyze the
    sentence to determine the subject, then
    choose the verb agreeing with the
    subject.
    There was a strong earthquake.
    There were tourists who climb the
    summit of Mt. Apo.
    20. Subjects can come after the verb in
    questions.
     Does Betty always play with dolls?
     Does everyone always play with dolls?
     How are you today?
    21. Two infinitives separated by and take a
    plural verb.
     To run and to read are my two favorite
    “Free-time” activities.
    22. Gerunds alone take a singular
    verb. Gerunds linked by and take a
    plural verb.
    Singing is not something everyone
    else can do.
    23. Final rule – Always Remember,
    only the SUBJECT affects the verb.

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