SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
KINDS OF VERB
1. ACTION VERB
• Also known as MAIN VERB.
• Action verbs are words that express action (give, eat, walk, etc.) or
possession (have, own, etc.).
• Action verbs can be either transitive (with object) or intransitive
(without object).
Example:
1.
Laurissa
raises her hand. (kkt)
2.
Abdus gave Becky the pencil. (kkt)
3.
Laurissa rises slowly from her seat. (kki)
4.
He was pontificating about art and history. (kki)
2. LINKING VERBS
A linking verb connects the subject of a sentence to a
noun or adjective that renames or describes the subject.
To Be: is, am, are, was,
were
Example:
Lisa is in love with Jason.
We were there!
I am happy
Verb: seem, appear, become,
grow, remain, get, prove, turn, look, sound, smell, taste, feel.
Example:
She looks pale.
I feel happy
That sounds great!
Your cook smells good.
3. HELPING VERBS
Helping verbs are used before action or linking verbs
to convey additional information regarding aspects of possibility (can, could,
etc.) or time (was, did, has, etc.)
MODALS always function as Helping Verbs.
MODALS: can, could, may, might, shall, will, ought to,
should, would.
Examples:
1.
Tejo is
(helping verb) going (main verb)
to Florida.
2.
The trip might
(helping verb) be (main
verb) dangerous.
3.
Tanya could learn to fly helicopters. (Could helps the main verb, learn.)
4.
Janine will drive to Idaho tomorrow. (Will helps the main verb, drive.)
“Subject Verb Agreement”
1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule
that forms the background of the concept.
Examples:
The dog
growls when it is angry.
The dogs growl when they are
angry.
2. Don’t get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb;
they
do
not affect agreement.
Examples:
The dog, who is chewing
on my jeans, is usually very good.
3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect
agreement.
Examples:
The colors
of the rainbow are beautiful.
4. When sentences start with “there” or “here,” the subject will always be
placed
after the verb, so care needs to be taken to identify
it correctly.
Examples:
There is
a problem with the balance
sheet. Here are the papers you requested.
5. If two subjects are joined by and, they typically require a plural
verb form.
Examples:
The cow and
the pig are jumping over the moon.
6. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by and refer to
the same
person
or thing.
Examples:
Red beans and rice is my
mom's favorite dish.
7. If one of the words each, every, or no comes before the subject, the
verb is
singular.
Examples:
No smoking or drinking is
allowed.
Every man and woman is
required to check in.
8. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words or, nor,
neither/nor, either/or, and
not only/but also the verb is singular.
Examples:
Jessica or
Christian is to blame for the accident.
9. The only time when the object of the preposition decides plural or
singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like some, half, none, more, all, etc.
are followed by a prepositional phrase. In these sentences, the object of the
preposition determines the form of the verb.
Examples:
All of the chicken
is gone.
All of the chickens are
gone.
10. The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement or time.
Examples:
Four quarts
of oil was required to get the car running.
11. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words or,
nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, the verb is plural.
Examples:
Dogs and cats are both
available at the pound.
12. If one subject is singular and one plural and the words are connected by
the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, you use
the verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb.
Examples:
Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.
Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from
the zoo.
13. Indefinite pronouns (everything, anything, everyone, someone,
somebody, nothing, etc) typically take singular verbs.
Examples:
Everybody wants to be loved.
Everything is gonna be
alright.
14. Except for the pronouns (few, many, several, both, all, some) that
always take the plural
form.
Examples:
Few were left alive after
the flood.
Several students understand
the material.
15. If two infinitives are separated by and they take the plural form of
the verb.
Examples:
To walk and to chew gum
require great skill.
16. 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.
Examples:
Standing in the water was a
bad idea.
Swimming in the ocean and
playing drums are my hobbies.
17. Collective nouns like family, committee, herd, senate, class, crowd,
etc. usually take a singular verb form.
Examples:
The
herd is stampeding.
Cooper family always attends
the annual party.
18. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a
singular
verb.
Examples:
The Burbs is a movie
starring Tom Hanks.
Harry Potter has reached Top
3 Best Seller books.
Exercise :
Subject and Verb Agreement Exercise
Choose the
correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject.
1.
Annie and
her brothers ( are) at school.
2.
Either my
mother or my father (are) coming to the meeting.
3.
The dog or
the cats (are) outside.
4.
Either my
shoes or your coat (are) always on the floor.
5.
George and
Tamara (don't) want to see that movie.
6.
Benito
(doesn't) know the answer.
7.
One of my
sisters (is) going on a trip to France.
8.
The man with
all the birds (live) on my street.
9.
The movie,
including all the previews, (takes) about two hours to watch.
10.
The players,
as well as the captain, (want) to win.
11.
Either
answer (are) acceptable.
12.
Every one of
those books (are) fiction.
13.
Nobody
(know) the trouble I've seen.
14.
(Are) the
news on at five or six?
15.
Mathematics
(are) John's favorite subject, while Civics (are) Andrea's favorite subject.
16.
Eight
dollars (are) the price of a movie these days.
17.
(is) the
tweezers in this drawer?
18.
Your pants
(are) at the cleaner's.
19.
There (were)
fifteen candies in that bag. Now there (is) only one left!
20.
The
committee (debate) these questions carefully.
21.
The
committee (lead) very different lives in private.
22.
The Prime
Minister, together with his wife, (greets) the press cordially.
23.
All of the
CDs, even the scratched one, (is) in this case.
