Subject Verb Agreement
Chapter 5
A verb should agree in number with its
subject.
 Singular
 A word that refers to one person, place, thing, or idea.
 He washes the dishes. (He is a singular subject so washes agrees.)
 Plural
 A word that refers to more that on person, place, thing, or idea.
 They wash the dishes. (They is a plural subject, so wash agrees.)
Singular
Video child
I
thief
herself
Plural
Videos children we thieves themselves
Singular and Plural
 A singular noun
 NO S on the end of it
 Dog, cat, building
 A singular verb
 Can have an S on the end of it.
 Attracts, holds, walks, attends
 A plural noun
 Can have an S on the end of it.
 Dogs, Cats, buildings
 A plural verb
 Normally no S on the end of it
 Sing, graduate, laugh
Choose the correct verb
 People (walks, walk)
 House (has stood, have stood)
 Cattle (is running, are running)
 Result(is, are)
 Women (seems, seem)
 Children (sings, sing)
 To whisper (is, are)
 Phoebe (reads, read)
Answers
 People (walks, walk)
 House (has stood, have stood)
 Cattle (is running, are running)
 Result(is, are)
 Women (seems, seem)
 Children (sings, sing)
 To whisper (is, are)
 Phoebe (reads, read)
The number of the subject usually is not determined by a
word in a phrase or clause following the subject.
 The apartments across the street do not have balconies.
 Do have agrees with apartments, not street.
 The planes pulling up to the gate were purchased by a
movie company.
 Were purchased agrees with planes, not gate.
 Eli, one of my friends, was late.
 Was agrees with Eli, not friends.
 The movie that I saw two weeks ago was reviewed in
today’s paper.
 Was reviewed agrees with movie, not weeks.
Words in phrases
 As well as, along with, together with, and in addition to are
compound prepositions. Words in phrases beginning with
compound prepositions do not affect the number of the
subject or verb.
 Example: Anne, together with her cousins, is backpacking in
Nevada.
A negative construction following the subject
does not change the number of the subject
 Carl, not Juan and I, (is doing, are doing) the artwork
 Singular subject: Carl
 Singular Verb: is doing
 Burt, not Anne and Laura, (has, have) borrowed the bicycle
pump.
 Singular subject: Burt
 Singular Verb: has
Practice
 These pictures (show, shows) how noodles are
prepared.
 SHOW
 First, the noodle maker (roll, rolls) out the dough
as thin as possible.
 ROLLS
 Then, the cook (slice, slices) the folded layers.
 SLICES
Practice (cont.)
 Next, the strands of noodles (is, are) separated
and dusted with flour to prevent sticking.
 ARE
 After the noodles have dried a little, they (go,
goes) into boiling water or broth to cook.
 GO
 The Japanese (enjoy, enjoys) noodles made from
either wheat flour, or buckwheat flour.
 ENJOY
Practice (cont)
 A dish of cooked noodles mixed with sauce, broth, fish,
or vegetables (makes, make) a popular lunch.
 MAKES
 Noodle shops all over Japan (serves, serve) a variety of
noodle dishes.
 SERVE
 These shops often (resemble, resembles) fast-food
restaurants in the United States.
 RESEMBLE
Identify the subject and choose the
correct verb.
 A heaping basket of turnip greens (was, were) sitting on the
counter.
 Subject : basket
 Verb: Was
 The cost of two new snow tires (was, were) more than I had
expected.
 Subject: cost
 Verb: was
 The community college course on collecting stamps always
(attracts, attract) many people.
 Subject: course
 Verb: attracts