LESSON 10
TOPIC
:
LESSON
OUTCOMES
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
: 1. Identify the rules of SV agreement
2. construct correct sentences by observing the S-V
agreement rules
ENGAGE
Business people in action . . .
Construct a sentence with a subject and a verb about what the business
people do in the picture. Choose three (3) scenes to write about.
(source: https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/business-people-doing-differentactions_3065120.htm)
1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________
EXPLORE
When you speak or write about something or somethings, it is
important to know who, what, and how many your subjects are because
their verb form depends on the number of the subject spoken about.
The verb must always agree with its subject in number. A singular
subject requires a singular verb, s for. A plural subject requires a plural verb,
base form.
Study the specific rules given below:
RULE 1. The subject and verb must agree in number.
 The dog growls when he is angry.
 The dogs growl when they are angry.
RULE 2. Compound subjects connected by and takes the plural verb.
 Rose and Linda are best friends forever.
RULE 3. A compound subject referring to a single person/thing takes
a singular verb.
 My confidant and sister is Jean.
 The artist and inventor was given a standing ovation.

Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.
RULE 4. Compound subjects modified by each and every are singular.
 Every man and woman is required to check in.
 Every individual has equal rights.
RULE 5. The verb agrees with its subject not with the predicate
nominative.
 Books and magazines are the only material for his project.
RULE 6. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the
words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, the verb is singular.
 Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.
RULE 7. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words or,
nor, neither/nor, either/or, the verb is plural.
 Neither the singers nor the composers are benefited by the concert.
RULE 8. If one subject is singular and one plural and the words are
connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, use the verb form of
the subject that is nearest to the verb.
 Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.
 Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.
RULE 9. When regarded as a unit, a collective noun is singular.
 The jury holds its verdict in abeyance.
 The family upstairs is never quiet.
 The public is on the watch.
RULE 10. When regarded as individuals, a collective noun is plural.
 The crowds are agitating over a disagreement among themselves.
 The family were quarreling, as usual.
 The audience disagree with one another.
RULE 11. When preceded by the article a, the subject number is plural.
 A number of poor children are worried by the epidemic.
RULE 12. When preceded by the article the, the subject number is singular.
 The number of enrollees decreases during the second semester.
RULE 13. The verb agrees with the affirmative, not with the negative
subject.
 You, not him, are accountable for the loss of the book.
 The department members but not the chair have decided not to teach on
Valentine's Day.
 It is not the faculty members but the president who decides this issue.
 It was the speaker, not his ideas, that has provoked the students to riot.
RULE 14. Singular indefinite pronouns (someone, anyone, each, neither,
either) take singular verbs.
 Anyone is welcome to give his suggestions.
 Everyone has done his or her homework.
 Somebody has left her purse.
 Neither of the traffic lights is working.
RULE 15. The plural indefinite pronouns (all, both, several, few, many) take
plural verbs.
 Many are invited but few are chosen.
RULE 16. Some indefinite pronouns — such as all, some — are singular or
plural depending on what they're referring to.
 Some of the beads are missing.
 Some of the water is gone.
 All of the book was fascinating. (Refers to a part of one book)
 All of the books were fascinating. (Refers to many books)
RULE 17. “Many a” followed by a singular noun takes singular verb.
 Many a novel is written because of love.
RULE 18. A noun that is plural in form but singular in meaning takes
singular verbs. (measles, mumps, news, Mathematics)
 Statistics provides the numerical data in question.
RULE 19. Some nouns are always plural and always take a plural verb.
Trousers, pants, slacks, shorts, briefs, jeans, sunglasses, Scissors,
pliers, tweezers, assets, earnings, etc.




My jeans are old.
This year shorts are in fashion.
Where are my scissors?
Refreshments are now served at the canteen.
RULE 20. Impersonal pronoun “it” at the beginning of the sentence is
followed by a singular verb.
 It is his suggestions that finally take precedence.
RULE 21. An amount of money, space of time, or unit of measurement even
in plural form takes a singular verb.
 Two meters of thread was used upon sewing the handkerchief.
 Three weeks is a long time.
 Two hundred dollars is a lot of money.
RULE 22. Fractional expressions such as half of, a part of, a percentage of,
a majority of are sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending on
the meaning. (The same is true, of course, when all, any, more,
most and some act as subjects.) Sums and products of mathematical
processes are expressed as singular and require singular verbs.






Some of the voters are still angry.
A large percentage of the older population is voting against her.
Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle.
Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by fire.
Forty percent of the students are in favor of changing the policy.
Forty percent of the student body is in favor of changing the policy.


Two and two is four.
Four times four divided by two is eight.
RULE 23. Adjectives used as nouns are considered plural.
 The old need some recognition to feel that they belong.
 The rich are not always happy.
 The young like to listen to loud music.
 The old hate loud music.
 The English are distant and the French are humorous.
RULE 24. Singular verbs are used with mathematical abstractions.
 Eight times fourteen is one-hundred twelve.
RULE 25. A verb form agrees with the subject whether the verb comes next
to the subject or is separated from it by other words. Such words and
phrases do not change the number of the subject. Be sure to make the verb
agrees in number with the subject, not with some words in the intervening
phrase.

Radio, not newspapers, is my major source of current events.

Meat from cheaper cuts of beef contains more fat.

The shelves, as well as the cabinet door, need repainting.

Sculpture in the art classes reveals talents.
RULE 26. If two infinitives are separated by and they take the plural form of
the verb.
 To walk and to chew gum require great skill.
RULE 27. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence they take
the singular verb form of the verb, but when they are linked by and they
take the plural form.
 Standing in the water was a bad idea.
 Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.
RULE 28. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and
take a singular verb.
 The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.
RULE 29. The words there and here are never subjects. With these
constructions (called expletive constructions), the subject follows the verb but still
determines the number of the verb.

There are two reasons [plural subject] for this.


There is no reason for this.
Here are two apples.
Rule 30. Because the phrase one of those/one of the is usually followed by an
adjective clause, the verb of the clause should agree in number with the
antecedent of the subject of the clause.




Belle is one of those girls who enjoy gardening.
Belle is the only one of those girls who enjoys gardening.
Lisa is one of the students who have passed with an A.
(Many students passed with an A, Lisa is one of them.)
Lisa is the only one of my students who has passed with an A.
(Only Lisa passed with an A.)
Further Readings
1. Subject-verb agreement rules. Retrieved July 2020 from
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/subjectver
bagreement
2. Subject-verb agreement. Retrieved July 2020 from
http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/sv_agr.htm
3. Subject-verb agreement.PPt . Retrieved July 2020 from
https://www.csub.edu/~bhughes/subjectverbagreement.ppt.
4. 20 Rules of subject-verb agreement. Retrieved July 2020 from
https://schooleducation.tripura.gov.in/sites/default/files/Subject
VerbAgreement.ppt.
REFERENCES
Baraceros, E. (2005). English plus: communicative- functional grammar. Manila:
Rex Book Store.
.
Escalas, M.(2000). Summary of tenses. Minnesota: The Write Place. Available
@ http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/tenses.html
Murcia, M.C. and Freeman, D.L. (2010). The grammar book: an ESL/EFL
teacher’s course. 2nd ed. Philippines: CENGAGE Learning.
Proof-reading for subject-verb agreement. Retrieved July 2020 from
https://www.coursehero.com/file/17001606/answer-proofread/
San Miguel, J.G., Barraquio, D.D, & Revilla, R. (2014). Smart English. (3rd ed) .
Quezon City: C & E Publishing.
Writing and grammar: communication in action. Singapore: Pearson Prentice
Hall.