Grammar Unit 16: Subject-Verb

Agreement

The subject and verb must agree in NUMBER.

1=1 1 does not equal more than one

More than one = More than one More than one does not equal 1

Subject Verb Agreement

A verb usually ends in –s or –es

Example:A frog leaps. Frog = one; leaps =

one

An ecologist studies.The boy learns about ecologyJudy plants seedlings.

Singular form of present tense verb

Ecologists study nature. The boys learn about ecology. Judy and Kim plant seedlings.

Plural forms of the verb

Singular Plural I hike. We hike. You hike. You hike. He, she, or it hikes. They hike.

If the subject is a pronoun, the verb must also agree.

Exercise 1: ODD ONLY: turn the singular subjects into plural subjects and make the verbs agree.

Exercise 2: EVEN ONLY: write the correct verb

Turn to page 542

Making the subject and verb agree is easy if the verb follows the subject. Subject + Verb

HOWEVER, it is difficult if another noun comes between the subject and verb.

Example: The desert, except in the polar regions,

becomes very hot.

Problems with Locating the Subject

The desert, except in the polar regions, becomes very hot.

What about these?: In the desert roam herds of camels. There is a high mountain near the desert. Here at the top are many damp rocks.

Difficult sentence structures.

Inverted Sentences:*In the desert roam herds of camels.

Usually begins with a prepositional phrase. Subject follows the verb.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inverted Sentence beginning with THERE or HERE

Subject is after the verb, “there” or “here” are not the subject.

There is a high mountain near the desert.Here at the top are many damp rocks.

Tricky sentences

In the desert roam herds of camels.Herds of camels roam in the desert.

There is a high mountain near the desert.A high mountain there is near the desert.

Here at the top are many damp rocks.Many damp rocks are here at the top.

The trick? Rewrite the sentences.

In some interrogative sentences, an auxiliary verb comes before the subject. Look for the subject between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.

Do any deserts contain large animals?________________________________________ Deserts do contain any large animals.

What if the sentence is a question?

Exercise 3: ALL Write the subject, verb, then correct if

they are in agreement or write the correct form of the verb.

Exercise 4: EVEN Write the correct form of the verb.

Your turn! Page 544

Collective nouns name a group. They are singular if it is used as a single group. They are plural if each member of the group is

used. Ex. The team agrees to save papers. (one unit,

sing.) The team agree to store them in their homes.

(individual, plural)

COLLECTIVE NOUNS: remember these?

Like mathematics, news, etc. end in –s but take a singular verb.

Other nouns that end in –s and name one thing, such as trousers and pliers, take a plural verb.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mumps is a disease that is spread through the air (singular).

Scissors are not practical or shredding paper. (plural)

Some nouns ...

A title of a book or work of art is considered singular even if a noun within the title is plural

Ex. Recycling Successes is now a best-selling

book. (one book)

Titles of books or art

Exercise 5 ALL Write the subject, verb, then correct if

they are in agreement or write the correct form of the verb.

Exercise 6 EVEN Look for clues in the sentence (their, we,

etc)

Turn to page 546

Indefinite pronouns do not refer to a specific person, place, or thing.

Some are singular. Some are plural

Indefinite pronouns as subjects

Indefinite Pronouns

Singular Plural

Another Everybody No one Both

Anybody Everyone Nothing Few

Anyone Everything One Many

Anything Much Somebody Others

Each Neither Someone Several

Either Nobody Something

Copy this chart

AllAnyMostNoneSome

Some are both plural and singular

Remember how prepositional phrases don’t help with most things we do in grammar?

They help with indefinite pronouns!! If the object of the preposition is plural, the

verb is plural. If the object of the preposition is singular,

the verb is singular

What about those Prepositional Phrases?

Most of the forest lies to the east.

Most of those scientists study the process or respiration.

Some of her lawn is brown.

Some of the ferns are large.

Examples: plural? Singular?

Exercise 7: ALL◦ With your partner

◦ Exercise 8: Even: independently!

Turn to page 548

Compound subjects contain two or more subjects for the same verb.

Plural and singular depend on how many parts of the subject are joined.

If simple subjects are joined by and or both, the verb is plural.

Agreement with compound subjects

New York, Denver, and London have smog.

Both automobiles and factories create smog.

Air inversion and the absence of wind aid the conditions.

Examples

The captain and leader of the air-testing team is Joan.

When two or more subjects are joined by the conjunctions or or nor, either/or, or neither/nor, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

The city or the state responds to complaints.

Either smoke or gases cause the smog.

Sometimes and joins two words that are part of one unit = singular verb

Exercise 9: ODD Exercise 10: ALL

Turn to page 550