SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT
Subject is the
person/people/thing(s) that do the activity.I, you, they, we, she, he, it, my
dad and my mom,etc.
Verb is a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and
forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence.
KINDS OF VERB
ACTION VERB
• Also known as MAIN VERB.
• Action verbs are words
that express action (give, eat, walk, etc.) or possession (have, own, etc.).
• Action verbs can be
either transitive (with object) or intransitive (without object).
Example:Laurissa raises her hand.
1.LINKING VERBS
A linking verb connects the subject of a sentence to a noun or adjective that
renames or describes the subject.
To Be: is, am, are, was,
were
Example:
Lisa is in love with Jason.
We were there!I am happy.
Verb: seem, appear, become, grow, remain, get, prove, turn, look, sound, smell,
taste, feel.
Example:She looks pale.
2.HELPING VERBS
Helping verbs are used before action or linking verbs to convey additional
information regarding aspects of possibility (can, could, etc.) or time (was,
did, has, etc.)
3.MODALS always function as Helping Verbs.MODALS: can, could, may, might,
shall, will, ought to, should, would.Examples:
a.Tejo is (helping verb)
going (main verb) to Florida.
b.Tanya could learn to fly helicopters. (Could helps the main verb, learn.)
“Subject Verb Agreement”
1. Subjects
and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the
background of the concept.
Examples:The dog growls
when it is angry.
2. Don’t
get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb; theydo not
affect agreement.
Examples:The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually
very good.
3. Prepositional
phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affectagreement.
Examples:The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.
4. When
sentences start with “there” or “here,” the subject will always be placedafter
the verb, so care needs to be taken to identify it correctly.
Examples:There is
a problem with the balance sheet. Here are the papers you
requested.
5. If
two subjects are joined by and, they typically require a plural verb form.
Examples:The cow and the
pig are jumping over the moon.
6. The
verb is singular if the two subjects separated by and refer to the sameperson
or thing.
Examples:Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.
7. If
one of the words each, every, or no comes before the subject, the verb
issingular.
Examples:No smoking or drinking is allowed.
8. If
the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words or,
nor,neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also the verb is singular.
Examples:Jessica or
Christian is to blame for the accident.
9. The
only time when the object of the preposition decides plural or singular verb
forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like some, half, none, more, all, etc.
Are followed by a prepositional phrase. In
these sentences, the object of the preposition determines the form of the verb.
Examples:All of the
chicken is gone.
10. The
singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement or time.
Examples:Four quarts of
oil was required to get the car running.
11. If
the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words or, nor,
neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, the verb is plural.
Examples:Dogs and cats
are both available at the pound.
12. If
one subject is singular and one plural and the words are connected by the words
or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, you use the verb form
of the subject that is nearest the verb.
Examples:Either the
bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.
13. Indefinite
pronouns (everything, anything, everyone, someone, somebody, nothing, etc)
typically take singular verbs.
Examples:Everybody wants
to be loved.Everything is gonna be alright.
14. Except
for the pronouns (few, many, several, both, all, some) that always take the plural
form.
Examples:Few were left
alive after the flood.
15. If two infinitives are
separated by and they take the plural form of the verb.
Examples:To walk and to
chew gum require great skill.
16. When
gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular verbform
of the verb; but, when they are linked by and, they take the plural form.
Examples:a.Standing in
the water was a bad idea.
17. Collective
nouns like family, committee, herd, senate, class, crowd, etc. usually take a
singular verb form.
Examples:The herd is stampeding.
18. Titles
of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singularverb.
Examples:Harry Potter has reached Top 3 Best Seller books.
