Subject Verb Agreement

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Subject Verb Agreement
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Subject - Verb Agreement

• Basic Principle
• Singular Subjects need singular verbs
• Plural Subjects need plural verbs
• NOTE The trick is in knowing whether the subject
  is singular or plural.
• The next trick is recognizing a singular or
  plural verb.

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Subjects Plural or Singular?

• Many plural subjects end in S or ES, while the
  singular ones do not.
• Singular boy, train, home, house, story
• Plural boys, trains, homes, houses, stories

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Types of regular plural nouns
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Subjects Plural or Singular?

• Other plural subjects are irregular and have a
  special spelling
• Singular child, man, home, person, deer
• Plural children, men, homes, people, deer

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Types of irregular plural nouns
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Types of irregular plural nouns
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Verbs Plural or Singular?

• Verbs do not form their plurals by adding an s as
  nouns do.
• In order to determine which verb is singular and
  which one is plural, think of which verb you
  would use with he or she and which verb you would
  use with they.
• talks, talkWhich one is the singular form? Which
  word would you use with he? We say, "He talks."
  Therefore, talks is singular. We say, "They
  talk." Therefore, talk is plural.

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Subject - Verb Agreement

• Basic Principle
• Singular Subjects need singular verbs
• Plural Subjects need plural verbs

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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• When the subject of a sentence is composed of two
  or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a
  plural verb.

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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are
  connected by or or nor, use a singular verb.

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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• When a compound subject contains both a singular
  and a plural noun or pronoun joined by or or nor,
  the verb should agree with the part of the
  subject that is nearer the verb.

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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• Doesn't is a contraction of does not and should
  be used only with a singular subject.
• Don't is a contraction of do not and should be
  used only with a plural subject.

The exception to this rule appears in the case of
the first person and second person pronouns I and
you. With these pronouns, the contraction don't
should be used.
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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between
  the subject and the verb. The verb agrees with
  the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the
  phrase.

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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between
  the subject and the verb. The verb agrees with
  the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the
  phrase.

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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• The words each, each one, either, neither,
  everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody,
  somebody, someone, and no one are singular and
  require a singular verb.

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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars,
  measles, and news require singular verbs.

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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars,
  measles, and news require singular verbs.

Note the word dollars is a special case. When
talking about an amount of money, it requires a
singular verb, but when referring to the dollars
themselves, a plural verb is required.
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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and
  shears require plural verbs. (There are two parts
  to these things.)

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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• In sentences beginning with there is or there
  are, the subject follows the verb. Since there is
  not the subject, the verb agrees with what
  follows.

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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• Collective nouns are words that imply more than
  one person but that are considered singular and
  take a singular verb, such as group, team,
  committee, class, and family.

In very few cases, the plural verb is used if the
individuals in the group are thought of and
specifically referred to.
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Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

• Expressions such as with, together with,
  including, accompanied by, in addition to, or as
  well do not change the number of the subject. If
  the subject is singular, the verb is too.