When studying Subject Verb agreement you Need to know this first

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When studying Subject Verb agreement you Need to
know this first..
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What is a Subject?

• It is the thing doing the action.
• Normally a noun!

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What is a Verb?

• The action word!
• Something doing the action

• Also can be a linking verb or a helping verb
• Examples is, was, run, play, were, are

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Find the Subject and Verb

• Harvey is a pooka!
• Harvey plays tricks on people.
• Harvey and Elwood are playing cards.
• Veta and Myrtle sing at the party.
• Grammar worksheets are complicated.
• The cats and the dogs like to play with each
  other.

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Prepositional

• Prepositions get in the way and confuse people
  you need to remove these first before you do
  anything else when looking at verb agreement!
• When you see these get rid of the phrase!

• Example of, to, by, in, since, around, above,
  along, before, from, for, on, until

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Here is what I mean

1. I along with my brother went to the store!
2. Peter of Sunny Brook Farm is coming over tonight.
3. The cat by the bookshelf and the desk is eating
   the plants.
4. The pictures beside the window are fading from
   the sunlight.
5. The witch between the ghost and the monster is
   very ugly.

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Subject Verb Agreement

• Definition of Subject verb agreement
• the subject agrees with the verb in number

in other words

• The verb must be plural and the subject must be
  plural

or

• The verb must be singular and the subject must be
  singular

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Sounds easy enough, so whats the problem?

• Plural verbs dont end in S

• Plural subjects usually end with S, but the
  singular verbs end with S

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Examples

• is, was, seems, needs, etc. are singular
• The peach seems ripe.

• are, were, seem, need, etc. are plural
• The peaches seem ripe.

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Maybe this will clear things up!

• The cat runs into the wall.

I wouldn't do that!
Singular

• The cats run into the wall.

Plural
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Exception to the rule!

• The form were is plural except when used with the
  singular you and in sentences that are contrary
  to the fact.

• You were the best player on the team.
• (You is the singular subject)

• If he were captain, we would be a stronger team.
• (The statement is contrary to fact,
• HE IS NOT THE
  Captain.)

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Watch out! Here is what will trip you up!

• PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

• Example of a preposition

Any thing a plane can do to a cloud!
or in other words
Of, over, under, through, in, between, along,
below, besides,by, off, near, into, instead of,
up, up to
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TIP

• Remove all prepositional phrases when you are
  trying to find the subject.

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Examples

• The interest shown in the Romeo and Juliet movie
  (has/have) been amazing.

• The interest shown in the Romeo and Juliet movie
  has been amazing.

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How we do that?

• Remove the prepositional phrasein the Romeo and
  Juliet movie

• Find the subject--Interest

• The subject is singular so the verb must be
  singular
• Singular verb is has

Remember Singular verbs end with "S"
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Try these!

• A list of groceries (is/are) hanging on the
  fridge.
• The cottages between the sea and the road
  beyond the board walk (is/are) for sale

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Answers

• The list (of groceries) is hanging on the fridge
• The cottages (between the sea and the road)
  (beyond the board walk) are for sale.

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BE CAREFUL YOU DONT DO THIS

• When correcting sentences do not change the tense
  of the verb.
• Change the form
• (singular, plural)

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Example

• John make pancakes for his friends. (incorrect)
• We need to correct this how?

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• John made pancakes for his friends.
• (incorrect changetense is wrong)
• John makes pancakes for his friends.
• (corrected correctly).

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Practice Time!

1. The witches in the city (plan/plans) to do great
   damage to the people.
2. Kims actors (recite/recites) a soliloquy from
   William Shakespeares plays.
3. Mr. Butnick (make/makes) supper all the time.
4. The cat in our house and cabins (chase/chases)
   the dog.

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1. English class at the university and in high
   school (are/is) always very interesting.
2. If Tom (was/were) in this class, it would really
   be fun.
3. You (was/were) always fun to hang out with.
4. Turkey (is/are) my favorite part of Thanksgiving.

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• The pilgrims under the table (was/were) afraid to
  eat the turkey.
• Harry Potter of the famous books often
  (makes/make) his aunt and uncle angry.

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Compound Subjectsjoined by or or nor

• The verb agrees with the Closest Subject to the
  verb.

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Examples

• Sara or Jamie (is/are) at fault.
• Jamie is at fault.

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Example

• The principal nor the teachers (is/are) staying
  after school on Friday.
• Teachers are staying (after school) (on Friday).

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Compound Subject joined by and

• Are usually plural in number
• Example
• The cat and the dog are running around the
  yard.

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EXCEPT when they stand for one unit

• Example Macaroni and Cheese
• Salt and Pepper
• Macaroni and cheese is not my favorite meal.

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Except describing one person

• Example
• John the singer and dancer
• The brown and white dog is chasing
• the cat.
• The singer and dancer is John.

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PHRASES SUCH AS

• Together with
• As well as
• Along with

ARE NOT THE SAME AS AND
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Examples

• The king, along with his court, is to arrive at
  the castle shortly.
• My suitcases,along with my duffle bag, were
  loaded onto the plane.

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Try These

1. John nor the boys can (runs/run) the mile in two
   minutes.
2. Tom and Jerry over by the trees (hides/hide) the
   food from the dogs.
3. Spaghetti and meat balls (seems/seem) to be the
   favorite meal of most children.
4. My best friend and paintball partner (is/are)
   coming over tonight.

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• 5. Mason jars or a pail (hangs/hang) from the
  hook in the kitchen.
• 6. If Kim (was/were) president, we would have a
  peaceful world.
• 7. The book over on the counter under the
  blanket (has, have) over 200 quotes in it.

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• 8. The turkeys over the mountain beside the
  river (runs/run) wild.
• 9. You (was/were) supposed to come to Mrs.
  Butnicks room after class.
• 10. The old dog or the cat that live in the barn
  beyond the river over the highway (is/are) fat
  and hungry.

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Watch out for sentences that begin with these

• Here
• There
• Where

Are not subjects
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Tip One

• Rearrange the word order of the sentence to get
  rid of here, there, and where.

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Example

• There (is/are) a million stories in every big
  city.
• A million stories are in every big city.

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Tip Two

• To find the subject in there is/was sentences,
  look at the first word after the verb that makes
  sense as a subject.

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Examples

• There (was/were) dozens of books piled on the
  couch.
• There were dozens (of books) piled (on the couch.)

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You Try It Now!

• There (is/are) two reasons to stay.
• There (is/are) no reason to do this.
• Here (is/are) the apples you wanted.

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Answers

• There are two reasons to stay
• There is no reason to do this.
• Here are the apples you wanted

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Watch Out for Questions

• The subject is usually NOT at the beginning

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Examples

• Where (is/are) the books for the next unit?
• Where are the books for the next unit?

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You Try It

• (Is/Are) there a quiz tomorrow?
• Is there a quiz tomorrow?

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Words that Look Plural but are Singular in
meaning

• Measles, mumps, rickets
• (names of diseases)
• Physics, mathematics, economics, etc

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Example

• Civics is really hard.
• Rickets is caused by a vitamin deficiency.

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Specific units of time, distance, weight, or
amount

• Are singular

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Example

• Ten dollars is how much the movie cost.
• Five minutes is how long you have to wait.

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Titles For books, magazines, short stories, and
movies

• Are Singular

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Examples

• Seventeen is my favorite magazine.
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone is a cool
  book.

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Collective Nouns

• are singular, but they name a group of persons
  or things

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Examples

• Jury, chorus, family, troop, class, army,
  audience, committee, team, band, crowd, group,
  congregation, crew, camp, etc.

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Examples

• The class is always loud and
• annoying.
• The faculty meets every Wednesday.

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Practice Time

1. Here (is/are) the pictures we took from the play.
2. What (is/are) your problems?
3. Measles (is/are) not fun to have.
4. Five dollars (is/are) not a lot of money today.

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• Roughing it (is/are) written by Mark Twain.
• This class (is/are) obnoxious.
• Ten pounds (makes/make) a large bag.
• The army (says/say) that you should be all you
  can be.

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• Rachel and John (makes/make) the best macaroni
  and cheese.
• Macaroni and cheese (is/are) only good if Rachel
  and John (makes/make) it.
• Dracula or the ghosts (tends/tend) to scare
  children.
• My student and friend (bothers/bother) me after
  school.

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Indefinite Pronouns

• Plural
• Many, Both, Few, Several

Marching Bunnies Fall Swiftly Many Birds Fly South
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Examples

1. Both Sara and Jen are going to state.
2. Many of my friends have seen that movie.

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Indefinite Pronouns

• Singular
• Each, every, either, neither,
• everyone, anyone, no one, someone,
• one, everybody, anybody, nobody,
• Somebody

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How Mrs. B remembers these!

• The singular indefinite pronouns have Body and
  One in it.
• Each, Every, Either and Neither have E or
  rhyme.

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Examples

• Each (of the students) is
• responsible for doing his or her
• own work.

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Be Careful

• Some of the indefinite pronouns that are singular
  feel plural because they are often followed by
  prepositional phrases that end in a plural word.

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Example

• Everyone of the friends was involved with the
  prank.

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Indefinite Pronounssometimes singular and
sometimes plural

• Some, Half, All, Rest, Part, Most, Any, None
  (SHARPMAN)

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HOW DO WE KNOW if it is singular or plural?

• Look at what it is talking about!
• Can you Count it?
• Then it is plural!
• If you cant, it is singular!

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Warning!

• This is the only time you will look at the
  prepositional phrase!

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Examples

• Some of the beads (is/are)
• missing.
• Look at what is being counted
• Beads. Can you count them?

YES
Verb is plural
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Example

• Some of the water (is/are) gone.
• Can you count water?
• Some of the water is gone.

NO!
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Indefinite Pronoun Practice

• Everyone of the students (is/are) annoying the
  teacher today.
• All of the students (is/are) loud and make Mrs.
  Butnick scream.
• Many of the dogs (yelps, yelp) at the neighbors
  when they walk by the houses.

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• Half of the class (is/are) not done with the
  project.
• Either Tom or Joe (yells, yell) down the hall
  every day.
• Everyone of the cats (meows, meow) for milk.
• Each of the witches (flies, fly) by the old
  castle on Halloween.

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• Several of the bunnies (was/were) eating carrots.
• Any of the Smurfs (sings/sing) in the valley.
• Part of the play (was/were) in Spanish.
• Everybody on the team (was/were) hanging out
  after school.

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Practice on All the rules!

• Winnie the Pooh with his friends (is/are) running
  a marathon. (rule 3)
• Tom and Paul (walks, walk) me home every night
  Rule 5
• Tom or the Jones sisters (applies/apply) for the
  application.(Rule 4)
• The pilgrims or Mr. Tom Turkey (eats/eat) lots of
  potatoes with gravy. (Rule 4)
• 5. How (is/are) we suppose to do this? (Rule 7)

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• 6. The movie or the plays (portrays/portray) the
  character as evil. (Rule 4)
• 7. Twenty miles (is/are) the distance the runners
  have to go. (Rule 9)
• 8. Spaghetti and meat balls with lots of noodles
  (is/are) the best meal for runners before a meet.
  Rule 5
• 9.The neighbors house by Mr. Johnsons and
  Tonys houses (is/are) very scary. (rule 3)

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• My favorite singer and dancer (sings/sing) that
  song. Rule 5
• 11. The cats and dog (eats/eat) a lot of food.
  Rule 5
• 12. There (is/are) mice in the attic. (Rule 6)
• 13. Where (is/are) the actor that is playing the
  main role? (Rule 6)
• 14. Here (is/are) the rolls you wanted. (Rule 6)

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• What (is/are) the meaning of this? (Rule 7)
• Rickets (is/are) a disease caused by a vitamin
  deficiency. (Rule 8)
• 18. Physics (is/are) a hard class. (Rule 8)
• 19. Two dollars (was/were) found at the office.
  (Rule 9)

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• 20. Twenty pounds of weight (is/are) a lot to
  carry. (Rule 9)
• 21. Twilight (is/are) the new movie coming out on
  Friday. (Rule 10)
• 22. The Mona Lisa (is/are) one of the most famous
  pieces of art. (Rule 10)
• 23. The jury (was/were) out for hours. (Rule 11)

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• The class of almost all boys (loves/love) to
  tease the girls. (Rule 11).
• 25. Both of the girls (likes/like) to read those
  books. (Rule 12)
• 26. Each of the boys (runs/run) to Toms house
  after school. (Rule 12).
• 27. Half of the class (does/do) like the
  homework. (Rule 13)

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• 28. The bear of the big woods (runs/run) all the
  way to the neighbors house. (rule 3)
• 29. The plays or the movie (portrays/portray) the
  character as evil. (Rule 4)
• 30. Some of the cows (eats/eat) grass and hay for
  supper the others eat soup. (Rule 13).