Subject/Verb Agreement

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Subject/Verb Agreement
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Subjects and Verbs Must Agree!
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What is the Subject of a Sentence?

• The subject tells who or what the sentence is
  about.
• The subject is always a noun or pronoun.
• The subject can be singular or plural.
• The subject does the action in a sentence.

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Subjects

• The car needs gas.
• The workers eat lunch at noon.

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What Is the Verb of a Sentence?

• A verb is a word that indicates an action.
• A verb is a word that indicates an event.
• A verb is a word that indicates a state of being.
• A verb can be singular or plural.

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Verbs

• The car needs gas.
• The workers eat lunch at noon.

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Singular and Plural

• The subject of a sentence must agree in number
  with its verb.
• If the subject is singular, a singular verb is
  needed.
• If the subject is plural then the plural verb
  must be used.
• The child is outside.
• The children are outside.
• The athlete runs fast.
• The athletes run fast.

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The Verb To Be

• Present
• am
• is (singular)
• are (plural)
• Past
• was (singular)
• were (plural)
• Future
• will be
• Past Participle
• been (used with has, have or had)

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• Sometimes a group of words gets in the way.
• It comes between the subject and the verb.
• These groups of words are called
• Prepositional Phrases.
• The subject of a sentence never comes after a
  preposition.

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Common Prepositions

• Have position in their name.

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Common Prepositions

• of
• at
• in
• on
• with
• from

• for
• to
• through
• around
• between
• below

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Take the Prepositional Phrase Out!

• The decision of the judges (was, were)
  final.
• Cars with convertible tops (need, needs)
  extra care.
• A flock of pigeons (are, is ) on the roof.

• The decision (was, were) final.
• Cars (need, needs) extra care.
• A flock (are, is) on the roof.

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Collective Nouns

• Some nouns are tricky. They seem to be plural,
  but they are really singular. These nouns are
  thought as one thing even though they are made up
  of many things.
• Here are some collective nouns.
• band group team jury
  army
• family flock swarm
  money bunch
• Can you think of more?

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Collective Noun Examples

• The team loses every game.
• All the money is gone.
• A group of workers forms a union.
• The band plays rap music.

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Lets Try Some!
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• 1. The band with two drummers (sound, sounds)
  great!
• 2. The chair with broken legs (need, needs)
  repairs.
• 3. A dog with fleas (need, needs) a bath.
• 4. A swarm of bees (is, are) attacking me.
• 5. The staff (works, work) hard.

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• 6. The jury on those cases (have, has) a hard
  choice.
• 7. The bunch of grapes (is, are) sour.
• 8. A group of us (are, is) planning the trip.
• 9. The stack of books (need, needs) to be
  returned.
• 10. The army of ants (were, was) hard to
  exterminate.

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Words Like One Of

• There is a group of words that often come before
  plural nouns
• in a sentence. They tell how many. These words
  often end with
• of one of, each one of, any of, neither one
  of.
• All these words mean a single thing. They are
  singular even
• though they may appear to be plural.
• Examples
• Neither one of the stores is open.
• One of the cats has a sore paw.
• Neither of the plants has blooms.
• Each one of the officers looks for clues.

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Lets Try Some!
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• 1. One of the students (are, is) absent today.
• 2. Neither one of the bottles (are, is) open.
• 3. Each one of the children (plays, play) with
  the toys.
• 4. One of the jars (is, are) cracked.
• 5. Neither one of the women (shop, shops) at that
  store.

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• 6. Any one of the recipes (tastes, taste)
  delicious.
• 7. Every one of the bottles (leak, leaks).
• 8. Neither of the players (was, were) injured.
• 9. One of us (have, has) to make the decision.
• 10. Any one of the books (looks, look) good.

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More Singular Verbs

• Always use a singular verb with subjects that end
  in
• -body
• -thing
• -one
• Examples
• Everybody brings his own lunch.
• Everything makes Marcia mad.

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And Use a Plural Verb!

• Always use a plural verb if the subject has two
  parts and is connected by the word and. These
  are called compound subjects.
• Examples
• Andrea and Pete like to drink coffee.
• Dogs and cats fight most of the time.

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Lets Try Some!
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• 1. Anyone who (plays, play) can win.
• 2. Everybody (bring, brings) her or his own
  lunch.
• 3. Lynne and Crystal (likes, like) to travel.
• 4. Everything (happens, happen) for the best.
• 5. Love and happiness (make, makes) the world go
  around.

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• 6. Everything (be, is, are) your fault!
• 7. The pencil and pen (be, is, are) on the table.
• 8. Jack and Jill (works, work) together.
• 9. Nouns and verbs (be, is, are) tricky.
• 10. The work students and teachers (does, do)
  together is important.

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Nor, Or, But Also.

• Neithernor
• Eitheror
• Not onlybut also
• or
• Whenever a compound subject is split by these
  words, the verb must agree with the part of the
  subject that comes closer to the verb.

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Examples

• Neither the teacher nor the students (know,
  knows) the answer.
• Neither the students nor the teacher (know,
  knows) the answer.
• Not only the plumber, but also the electricians
  (cost, costs) a lot of money.
• Not only the electricians, but also the plumber
  (cost, costs) a lot of money.

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Lets Try Some!
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• 1. Not only the men, but also the woman (like,
  likes) the movie.
• 2. Neither the teacher nor the students (know,
  knows) the answer.
• 3. Either he or she (lose, loses).
• 4. Tom, Jim or Bill (make, makes) the decision.
• 5. Neither the neighbors nor the sheriff (see,
  sees) the suspect.

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• 6. Either Tom or Jerry (win, wins) the race.
• 7. Neither Skyler nor Patrick (do, does)
  anything around the house.
• 8. Not only the fox, but also the raccoon (are,
  is) chased by the dogs.
• 9. Either you or he (wins, win).
• 10. Neither the cat nor the dog (likes, like) a
  bath.

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Review
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• 1. Everything (make, makes) him mad.
• 2. Dogs and cats (fight, fights) most of the
  time.
• 3. The decision of the umpires (were, was)
  final.
• 4. A flock of seagulls (are, is) on the beach.
• 5. Cars with a convertible top (need, needs)
  extra care.

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• 6. The Giants (lose, loses) most games.
• 7. A group of workers (form, forms) a union.
• 8. A herd of bulls (are, is) chasing me.
• 9. Neither one of the banks (are, is) open.
• 10. One of the skiers (have, has) a broken leg.

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• 11. Each one of the flight attendants (hand,
  hands) out nuts.
• 12. Neither the sun nor the stars (shine,
  shines).
• 13. Either the players or the coach (win, wins)
  the bet.
• 14. Not only the robber but also the guards (are,
  is) in the museum.
• 15. Tom, Dick or Harry (need, needs) ten points
  to win.