Subject

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Subject Verb Agreement Chapter 29
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Agreement of Subjects Verbs

• Rule A verb must agree with its subject in
  number.
• Singular subject
• singular verb
• Plural subject plural verb

The rose blooms every spring.
The tulips bloom every spring.
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Agreement of Subjects Verbs

• Rules A singular subject takes a singular verb.
  A plural subject takes a plural verb.

The goose flies.
The geese fly.
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Agreement of Subjects Verbs

• Rule The helping verb must agree in number with
  the subject.

The bee is dancing.
The ladybugs are eating.
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Agreement of Subjects Verbs

• Now
• Exercise 1, page 706
  Number your paper 1-10. Write the form of the
  verb that agrees with the subject.

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Agreement of Subjects Verbs

• Rule The agreement of a verb with its subject is
  not changed by any interrupting words.

The moon, not the stars, was sleeping.
The autumn leaves on the oak tree were blowing in
the wind.
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Agreement of Subjects Verbs

• Now
• Exercise 3, page 708
  Aloud, say the subject and the verb.

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Compound Subjects

• Rule When subjects are joined by or, nor,
  either/or, or neither/nor, the verb agrees with
  the closer subject.

Neither the man nor the woman knows how to dance.
The onion or the peppers are included in the
salad.
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Compound Subjects

• Rule When subjects are joined by and or
  both/and, the verb is plural.

Whales and dolphins play at Sea World.
Both eyes and ears are necessary senses.
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Compound Subjects

• Now
• Exercise 5, page 711
  Number your paper 1-10. Write the correct form of
  the verb.

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Special Agreement Problems

• Rule A verb must agree in number with an
  indefinite pronoun used as a subject.

One of the frogs was eaten by the alligator.
Some of the ice cream is melting.
Some of the birthday candles were pink.
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Special Agreement Problems

• Rule The subject and the verb of an inverted
  sentence must agree in number.

Hidden in the locker was Katies birthday
balloon. (Katies birthday balloon was hidden in
the locker.)
Was the dog fed today? (The dog was fed today.)
Here is your sons toy. (Your sons toy is here.)
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Special Agreement Problems

• Now
• Exercise 9, page 715
  Number your paper 1-20. Write the correct form of
  the verb only.

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Special Agreement Problems

• Rule Collective nouns thought of as single units
  require singular verbs. Collective nouns thought
  of as individuals require plural verbs.

The tennis team is going to State.
The faculty have not been able to come to an
agreement. (members with separate opinions)
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Special Agreement Problems

• Rule A subject that expresses an amount,
  measurement, or weight is usually singular and
  takes a singular verb.

Eighty miles is too far to ride a bike in one day.
Half of the movie was shot in a single week. (How
much?)
Half of the actors were not listening to the
director. (How many?)
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Special Agreement Problems

• Rule Use a singular subject with the number of
  and a plural verb with a number of.

The number of firefighters has doubled this year.
A number of firefighters have fallen from the
pole in the station.
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Special Agreement Problems

• Rule Use a singular verb with certain subjects
  that are plural in form but singular in meaning.

Mumps is a dangerous disease.
Physics explains the formation of rainbows.