subject verb agreement

Free Powerpoint Templates

Rodel Bryan C. Valdez BSEd IV-A

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

http://www.powerpointstyles.com/


Basic Rules•Singular subject needs a singular verb

•Plural subject needs a plural verb



Making sure that the subject agrees

with verb



Step One

Find the subject(s) of the sentence.

Example:

The topic is controversial, so the studentshave strong opinions.

I am studying biology because it

has always interested me



Step Two

Look for these kinds of verbs

a. Verbs in the simple present tense

b. BE verbs

c. HAVE verbs



Verbs in the Simple Present Tense

• If the subject is any noun that can be replaced with he, she, or it, add –s to the simple form of the verb.

The head nurse inspects the patients.Subject Verb



• If the subject is any noun that can be replaced with they (or is the pronouns I, we, you or they), just use the simple form of the verb.

I / you / we / they inspect the patients.



BE Verbs

• BE verbs can be used alone.

I am Bryan.

You / We / They are helpful.



• BE verbs can be helping verbs

I am studying

You / We / They are studying

biology

biology



HAVE Verbs

• HAVE verbs can be used alone.

I / You / We / They havestrong opinions.

The school has helpful teachers.



• HAVE verbs can be used as helping verbs.

I / You / We / They have studied

It has always

already.

interested me.



The following create problems:

• Pronouns such as everyone, anybody, each, and someone seem to be plural but are actually singular and require singular verbs.

Someone to answer the phone.Each person deserves

hasto be educated.




• Phrases that come between the subject pronoun and its verb may contain plural words and tend to be confusing.

Each of the boys deserves

Each of the basketball playersisexcited about tonight’s game.

a prize.




• When the Subject is a Quantity.

One hundred thousand light years are

an extremely long time.One hundred thousand light years is

an extremely long time.X



The following create problems:• When the Subject is a Collective

Noun.

Examples: Observe the following sentencesThe team of scientists monitors the galaxy.The teams of scientists disagree about those stars.




• Verbs that accompany pronouns such as all and some will be determined by whether the pronoun is referring to something that is COUNTABLE or not.

Some of the salt wasspilled on the floor.




• None is usually regarded as singular, but it can be used as a plural pronoun.

None of the boys has helped at the game.

OR

None of the boys have helped at the game.

Either is correct!




• When a singular and plural subject are connected by either/or or neither/nor put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.

Jacob nor the others are available.Neither




• When either and neither appear as a subject alone (without the words or and nor), they are singular.

Examples:

• Either of those answers seems to be right.

• You can have the bed by the window or the one by the door. Either is okay with me.




• When the Subject Comes after its Verb.

There is one significant reason why men remarry.

There are many reasons why men remarry.




• The expression the number is followed by a singular verb while the expression a number is followed by a plural verb.

Example:The number of people we need to hire

is thirteen.

A number of people have writtenin about this subject.



Be Agreeable!



Part One



Directions: If the subject and verb are in agreement say "correct." If they are not, say the correct answer

Let’s get it on!



He am busy.• Correct• Is• Are • Were• Does



The students are going to school.

• Correct• Is• Was• Did• Does



Bill are going to the store

• Correct• Were• Is• Did• Does



Here is the books you need for your assignment.

• Correct• Are• Were• Was• Does



Neither those women nor this one is unfulfilled.

• Correct• Am• Are • Were• Did



Everyone at the movie theater is taking a dollar.

• Correct• Are• Am• Were• Does



Everything contribute to the problem.

• Correct• Contributes• Are contributing• Were contributing• Has contribute



Either of us is capable of doing the job.

• Correct• Were• Are• Does• Have



Neither the employers nor the union desire a strike vote.

• Correct• Desires• Are desire• Has desire• Is desire



Part Two



Directions:

From the two choices given in the parentheses, choose the correct word that makes the subject and verb agree.

Let’s do it!



1. (Artists, artist) need to be keen observers

2. (He, we) has been very noisy in class.

3. Here is your (paper, papers).

4. Have (you, he) ever been in love with her?

5. (You, I) are the greatest person I have ever met!

6. (He, I) am feeling nervous right now.

7. Either of the (parent, parents) is going to school.

8. (The number, a number) of students who are cheating is increasing.



Sources:

• http://resources.jjay.cuny.edu/erc/tutoring/pdfs/30.pdf

• http://writinghood.com/style/basic-rules-of-subject-verb-agreement/http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/subjectVerbAgree.asp

• http://www.takdangaralin.com/english/communication-skills/problems-in-subject-verb-agreement/


http://resources.jjay.cuny.edu/erc/tutoring/pdfs/30.pdf

http://resources.jjay.cuny.edu/erc/tutoring/pdfs/30.pdf

http://writinghood.com/style/basic-rules-of-subject-verb-agreement/http:/www.grammarbook.com/grammar/subjectVerbAgree.asp




http://www.takdangaralin.com/english/communication-skills/problems-in-subject-verb-agreement/



subject verb agreement

Education

following sentences

requiresingular verbs

store correct

correct answerlets

sure thatthe subject

number of people

aplural pronoun

tonights game