Subject-Verb Agreement
Lesson No.(2)
Remember:
★ A singular verb is one that has an”S” added to it in the present tense,
I/WE/YOU/THEY -> VERB
HE / SHE / IT -> VERB+S
such as:
writes, plays, runs, and uses forms such as is, was, has, does.
HE RIDES A CAR
★ A plural verb does not have an s added to it, such as:
write, play, run, and uses forms such as are, were, have and do.
THEY PLAY IN THE FIELD
RULE NUMBER 1
This is susan
( Susan are a girl )
( Susan is a girl )
THE SUBJECT MUST AGREE WITH THE VERB
Singular subjects must take Singular verbs
Plural subjects must take plural verbs
( We go to the beach )
Rule Number 2
The number of the subject is not changed by the words between
the subject and the verb.
Jacob, who owns sixteen houses,
is on his way to becoming a billionaire.
RULE NUMBER 3
( Neither Mary Nor Susan Enjoy/Enjoys playing basketball)
Neither ONE enjoys playing basketball.
Two singular nouns or pronouns separated by either … or
neither … nor take a singular verb.
John doesn’t like to study
sarah doesn’t like to study
( Neither John Nor Sarah Like / likes
to study )
(Neither Ben nor his friends like / likes to study)
THE VERB AGREES WITH THE LAST SUBJECT
Let’s Practice!
Your friend (talk-talks) too much
The man with the roses (look-looks)like your brother
The women in the pool (swim-swims) well
Neither one ( play - plays ) Football
Neither John nor his parents (want - wants) to travel
Mary , Along with her mother , (love - loves) shopping
One of the eggs (is - are) broken
The weather on the coast (appear - appears ) to be good this weekend
RULE NUMBER 4
The verb can come first , then the subject
There are many dolphins in the sea
Examples?
Rule number 5
(my pants are / is black
where is / are my scissors?)
Plural nouns take plural verbs
Examples?
Rule Number 6
Somebody /someone / everybody / everyone / nobody/
/anyone / most / all / any /Each
no one
are all singular
(somebody was / were knocking)
(most of the work is / are easy)
(all of the pie is / are gone)
(Each boy and a girl was / were given a medal)
Let’s Practice
The (is - are) food in the fridge
Everybody (want - wants)to be here
All of the pizza (is-are) gone
All of the pizza pieces (is-are) gone
Anybody (need - needs) anything?
Rule number 7
Collective nouns take singular verbs and plural verbs
depending on its use in the sentence
(My family is great)
(My team is working hard)
( The orchestra is playing beautifully )
(The orchestra were asked to play this tuesday)
(the band is / are very famous)
(the band was/were meeting their fans)
Rule Number 8
Mary and I
are
playing football
but if the verb refers to both subjects as one unit then the
verb is singular
( peanut butter and jelly is her favorite kind of sandwich )
Rule Number 9
Some nouns ,though plural ,take singular verbs like:
Maths ,Social studies ,Gymnastics ,and Statistics.
In summary ,anything that you view as (one unit) can be
singular.
Let’s Practice
My spectacles (are / is)
missing
My family (come / comes) from Kuala Lumpur
(is / are)The football team ready for its photograph?
Mathematics (is / are) my favorite subject
Tom and Jerry (is / are) my Favorite cartoon