TRIAL SESSION: 9:00 A.M.

PH TIME

STUDENT: BRENT

LEARNING FOCUS: ENGLISH GRAMMAR

ENGLISH GRAMMAR

SUBJECT – VERB AGREEMENT

PRE – DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What is the SUBJECT and the VERB in the Sentence?

2. How to CLASSIFY the subject and the verb in the Sentences?

3. What is a Subject-Verb agreement?

4. What are the basic rules of the Subject-Verb agreement?

What is the subject?

A subject is a member of a sentence that carries the person or thing that is

showing the activity or doing something in a sentence.

What is a verb?

A verb is an action made in the subject or state of being in the sentence.

The verb is one of the most significant parts of a sentence.

Example: (To recognize the subject ask here who is acting? and to know the
verb what the subject is doing? )

Justin plays table tennis every afternoon.

 What is Subject-verb agreement?

It refers to English grammar rules for using correct verbs according to singular
or plural subjects in a sentence.
GENERAL RULE

Singular Subject ⇒ Singular Verb

Plural Subject ⇒ Plural Verb

1. When a subject is singular, must have a singular verb

2. When a subject is a plural, must have a plural verb

The subject in the sentence matches the verb. They must accept in two ways:

1. In number: Singular vs. Plural

2. In-person: First, Second, or Third Persons

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules

Rule 1

The first rule is what we have already discussed – the use of a singular verb with a
singular subject and a plural verb with a plural subject. The subject can be a noun,
a pronoun or even a noun phrase. If it is a pronoun, the subject-verb agreement is
done with reference to the person of the pronoun.

For example:

 Rachel spends her free time listening to music. (Singular subject with
singular verb)
 Blaine and Kurt play the piano. (Plural subject with plural verb)
 She likes to have a dessert after every meal. (Third person singular pronoun
with singular subject)
Rule 2

When using the ‘be’ form of verbs, there is an exception. In this case, the verb is
used according to the number and person of the subject.

Person Pronoun Verb Example

First person singular I am I am confident.

First person plural We are We are confident.

Second person singular/plural You are You are confident.

Third person singular He is He is confident.

She is She is confident.

It is It is amazing.

Third person plural They are They are confident.

Furthermore, when used with other nouns and noun phrases, the rule applies. The
same works even with simple past, present continuous and past continuous
tenses when the ‘be’ form of verbs are used as the principal verb/helping verb.

 Santana is a singer.
 The girls are waiting for you.
 We were happy with the review of our first movie.
 Michael Jackson’s songs are still enjoyed by millions.
 I was reading the latest book by Rudyard Kipling.
Rule 3

The use of ‘have’ and ‘has’ in the present perfect tense, the present perfect
continuous tense and as a main verb is also dependent on the subject. All singular
subjects use ‘has’ and all plural subjects use ‘have’.

For example:

 I have a younger brother.

 You have taken the wrong cut.
 Swetha has a pet dog.
 William Shakespeare has written around 37 plays.
 Finn has been waiting to talk to you about the test results.

Rule 4

Compound subjects combined using the conjunction ‘and’ take a plural verb.

For example:

 Krish and Radha are on their way to the airport.

 Caren, Sheela and Akash have completed their assessments.

Rule 5

When more than one noun is joined by the conjunction ‘or’, the subject is
considered to be singular and a singular verb is used.

For example:

 Celery or spring onion works fine.

 Your mom or dad has to be here in an hour.

Rule 6

Sentences with pronouns such as anybody, anyone, no one, somebody, someone,

everybody, everyone, nothing and nobody are treated as singular subjects and will
therefore use a singular verb.

For example:

 Nobody has understood anything.

  Everyone was happy with the outcome.
 Nothing fits me well.
 No one finds the movie interesting.

Rule 7

For sentences using ‘either..or’ and ‘neither..nor’, the verb should agree with the
noun or pronoun that comes just before it.

For example:

 Neither Ricky nor Gina is here yet.

 Either the teacher or the students have to take an initiative to keep the
classroom clean.
 Neither the children nor their parents are aware of the consequences.

Rule 8

When sentences have subjects like news, mathematics, physics, etc., the verb used
should be singular. For example:

 The news of demonetization shocks the entire nation.

 Physics is my favorite subject.

Rule 9

When a negative sentence is written, the ‘do’ verb is used and it has to match the
subject.

For example:

 The children do not like working out trigonometry problems.

 My father does not work at the bank anymore.

Rule 10

Interrogative sentences also take the help of the ‘do’ verb. As far as the subject-
verb agreement of interrogative sentences is concerned, the first verb (‘be’ verb
or ‘do’ verb) has to be aligned with the subject of the sentence.

For example:
  Do you read thriller novels?
 Doesn’t she know you already?
 Is Tina happy with the new house?
 Were you looking for me?
 Has Sharon submitted her final project yet?

Rule 11

When you have sentences that begin with ‘here’, ‘there’, ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘those’, ‘these’,
etc., always remember that the subject follows the verb and therefore the verb
has to be conjugated with reference to the subject.

For example:

 Here is your book.

 There lies your shirt.
 That was a great movie.
 There have been many changes in the timetable.

Rule 12

Abstract nouns and uncountable nouns are considered as singular subjects, so make
sure you use a singular verb along with it.

For example:

 Honesty is the best policy.

 Love makes people do crazy things.
 Good friendship keeps your mind and body healthy.

Rule 13

When the subject refers to a period of time, distance or a sum of money, use a
singular verb.

For example:

 1267 kilometers is too long for us to travel in half a day.

 10 years is not considered optimum to go on the water slide.
 Don’t you think 1000 rupees is a little too much for a portrait?
Rule 14

The next rule is based on the use of collective nouns as subjects. Remember that
when you have a collective noun as the subject of the sentence, the verb can be
singular or plural based on the sentence and the context.

For example:

 My family is settled in Australia.

 All groups of participants have arrived.

Rule 15

In sentences that have adjectives such as ‘all’, ‘a lot of’, ‘lots of’ or ‘some’ are used
along with nouns to form a phrase that acts as the subject of the sentence, the
verb is used according to the noun just before it.

For example:

 All of my dresses have become tight.

 A lot of food is left out.
 Some of the books are torn and damaged.

Rule 16

When a sentence begins with ‘each’ or ‘every’ as the subject, it is considered

singular and so the verb has to be singular too.

For example:

 Each student has been asked to provide a consent letter.

 Every teacher, parent and student is expected to work together.

Rule 17

When you are using a sentence to express a wish or a sentence expressing a

request, verbs are used a little differently from other sentences.

For example:

 I wish I were a bird.

  If you were here, I would not be sad.
 We request that everyone make their choices now.

EXERCISE 1: IDENTIFYING ERRORS

1. My favorite history professor, as well as some of his administrative

staff, were asked to resign because fewer students were taking history
courses than ever before. No error

Explanation: (WERE)

In this sentence, the verb does not agree with the subject. The subject
"professor" is singular (“as well as some of the administrative staff” is a modifying
phrase and doesn’t count), so the correct verb form should be “was,” not “were.”

2. Stephanie claims that she wants to attend college after graduation, but her
poor attitude about studying during senior year do not indicate that she
enjoys being a student. No error

Explanation: (DO NOT INDICATE)

"Her poor attitude about studying" is the subject of this clause, so the verb must
agree with the singular subject "attitude." Therefore, the correct verb should be
"does"—her attitude "does not indicate."

3. James is a proactive police officer, so although the local rebellious

teenagers are annoyed by his strict nature, the overall safety of the
town have improved drastically since he was hired. No error

Explanation: (HAVE IMPROVED)

This is an issue of subject-verb agreement within this independent clause: "the

overall safety of the town have improved drastically since he was
hired." Simplified, the subject is "safety," which is a singular noun, so the verb
must also be singular, making "have improved" incorrect and "has improved" the
corrected verb.
 4. A pair of supportive shoes are important if you are experiencing lower back
pain. No error
Explanation: (ARE)

The verb "are" agrees with a plural subject, but the subject of this sentence is the
singular "pair." Changing "are" to "is" corrects the sentence's error. The corrected
sentence reads, "A pair of supportive shoes is important if you are
experiencing lower back pain."

5. The paralegal believed that there were an overload of cases in the

office, which was creating stress. No error
Explanation: (WERE)

The verb "were," which is used with plural nouns, corresponds to "overload," which
is a singular noun. Therefore, the verb should be "was," to match the singular noun,
instead of "were."

6. Shana, Joe, and Marcel was incredible in each of their performances and the
audience rewarded them through cheers and applause. No error
Explanation: (WAS)

Shana, Joe, and Marcel are three nouns grouped together (as indicated by the
"and"), and thus are effectively a plural noun. "Was" is used in reference to a
singular subject; in this sentence, "was" should be "were" (e.g. "Shana, Joe, and
Marcel were incredible . . .").

7. While the young analyst is bothered by the fact that his girlfriend is not
very skilled behind the wheel, each of her other redeeming
qualities compensate for her driving ability. No error

Explanation: (COMPENSATE)

The subject of the second part of the sentence is "each of her other qualities."
Here, the subject is singular because of the modifier "each of." To make this
easier to understand, try reading this part of the sentence as "each one of her
other qualities." Therefore, the corresponding verb should be in a form that can be
used with a singular noun, "compensates."
 8. Rebecca's preference for caviar and expensive chocolates are not a
reflection of what she actually enjoys, but simply a manifestation of her
tendency to spend money carelessly. No error

Explanation: (ARE)

The subject of the first part of the compound sentence is "Rebecca's preference."
This is a singular subject. Therefore, the corresponding verb should be "is," not
"are."

9. The salami and chorizo in the refrigerator is very salty, so you may want to
serve some water with it so that your guests will be comfortable. No error
Explanation: (IS)

The subject in this sentence is “salami and chorizo,” which is plural. Therefore, the
corresponding verb should be plural as well. Therefore, “is,” being singular, is
incorrect. The proper verb is “are.”

10. The best part of running with bulls are the expressions on
other peoples' faces as they try to stay one step ahead of the beasts
behind them. No error
Explanation: (ARE)

The subject in this part of the sentence is "best part of running with the bulls."
Here, "best part" is the subject, while "of running with the bulls" is a prepositional
phrase that modifies "best part." Therefore, since "part" is singular, the subject is
actually singular, and should be accompanied by a singular verb, "is," not "are."

EXERCISE

Your heart …………………. (pumps / is pumping / pumped) blood to the different parts

of your body. When it ……………………. (work / works / is working) like it’s supposed to,

it …………………… (keeps / kept / has kept) you alive and well. But when the heart

………………….. (failed / fails / is failing), people get very sick or even die. Now,

scientists ……………………. (have found / are finding / find) a way to turn dead rat
hearts into living ones. It’s a medical miracle and the technique may eventually

…………………….. (allow / allows / allowed) doctors to make new hearts from patients’

own cells. This new heart can then be …………………….. (transplanting / transplanted /

transplant) to the patient’s body without the fear of rejection.