Subject Verb Agreement

Subject Verb Agreement
Lecture 2 – PEP Class

Pretest
Identify the following sentences whether they are correct or
incorrect.
1. People in my class thinks that our teacher is cool.
2. John and Mary is at the mall right now.
3. She as well as her friends are coming on Monday.
4. Each of the team members was ready.
5. Either she or her classmates is going to attend the
competition.
Subject Verb Agreement
You have noticed in some of the sentences subject and verb do
not play nice together.
What is subject-verb agreement?

 The subject of a sentence is the person or thing doing the
action.
 the verb is the action.
 The subject and the verb have matching forms to show a
relationship between them. If the subject is singular, the verb
has to be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb has to be
plural.
 This is called agreement in number.
Example:
Singular Plural
One dog sleeps. Two dogs sleep.
He goes. They go.
Remember
 Singular verbs often end in “-s,” such as: he lifts, she carries, it
hurts.
 Plural verbs usually do not end in “-s,” such as: they lift, they
carry, they hurt.
 The exceptions are verbs used with “I” and the singular “you,”
such as: I lift, you lift, I carry, you carry, I hurt, you hurt.
Select the correct verb for each of the
following sentences
1. Claire is such a good cook that she rarely (a. follow b. follows) recipes.
2. They eat so much turkey that it (a. feel b. feels) as if they are going to
burst.
3. On the bus, Phuong always (a. sit b. sits) toward the back.
4. The locksmith took out her keys and said, “This lock (a. opens b. open)
easily.”
5. I (a. has b. have) never been to the top of the Empire State Building.
6. Toby and Kurt (a. leaves b. leave) for Central America today.
7. We (a. applies b. apply) for the new grant money today.
8. Sheila (a. paints b. paint) my nails every other Saturday.
9. Tyler and Casey (a. shares b. share) the NYPD baseball hat.
10. The oak trees always (a. looks b. look) beautiful in the twilight.
following sentences
1. Claire is such a good cook that she rarely (a. follow b. follows) recipes.
2. They eat so much turkey that it (a. feel b. feels) as if they are going to
burst.
3. On the bus, Phuong always (a. sit b. sits) toward the back.
4. The locksmith took out her keys and said, “This lock (a. opens b. open)
easily.”
5. I (a. has b. have) never been to the top of the Empire State Building.
6. Toby and Kurt (a. leaves b. leave) for Central America today.
7. We (a. applies b. apply) for the new grant money today.
8. Sheila (a. paints b. paint) my nails every other Saturday.
9. Tyler and Casey (a. shares b. share) the NYPD baseball hat.
10. The oak trees always (a. looks b. look) beautiful in the twilight.
SVA (Past Tense)
Almost all past tense verbs have the same form in the singular and
plural.
Exception:
The verb to be changes form in the present tense and past tense in
both the first and third person
Contractions
Example:
She doesn’t want to drive by herself, but they don’t
want to go at all.
Select the correct form of the verb in
each of the following sentences.
1. (a. Doesn’t b. Don’t) the owner of the car with the flat
tire live near here?
2. (a. Who’s b. Who are) the students in the decorating
committee?
3. The photograph (a. doesn’t b. don’t) look anything like
her.
4. The beach (a. wasn’t b. weren’t) crowded today.
5. Phil and Leda (a. wasn’t b. weren’t) late for the movie.
Select the correct form of the verb in
each of the following sentences.
1. (a. Doesn’t b. Don’t) the owner of the car with the flat
tire live near here?
2. (a. Who’s b. Who are) the students in the decorating
committee?
3. The photograph (a. doesn’t b. don’t) look anything like
her.
4. The beach (a. wasn’t b. weren’t) crowded today.
5. Phil and Leda (a. wasn’t b. weren’t) late for the movie.
Phrases Following the Subject
 Sometimes the subject and verb in a sentence are split up by a
phrase. The subject does not change in number when a phrase
follows it.
Example:
Dennis, in his overalls, looks like a farmer.
Mayra and John, posing in their costumes for the play, really look
like Romeo and Juliet.
Phrases that separate the subject and verb are not always set
off by commas.
We know that one of the police officers at the scene

was injured.
following sentences
1. If you (a. was b. were) in class, why didn’t you say “present?”
2. We could hardly believe that the color of his stereo speakers (a.
was b. were) silver.
3. The decision of the referee, after checking the rule book, (a.
stands b. stand).
4. The state income tax, combined with real estate taxes and
lottery monies, (a. pays b. pay) most of the cost of our public
school.
5. We, the members of the Step Dancing Team, including outgoing
president Jennifer Perez, (a. wishes b. wish) you continued
success.
following sentences
1. If you (a. was b. were) in class, why didn’t you say “present?”
2. We could hardly believe that the color of his stereo speakers (a.
was b. were) silver.
3. The decision of the referee, after checking the rule book, (a.
stands b. stand).
4. The state income tax, combined with real estate taxes and
lottery monies, (a. pays b. pay) most of the cost of our public
school.
5. We, the members of the Step Dancing Team, including outgoing
president Jennifer Perez, (a. wishes b. wish) you continued
success.
Special Singular Subjects
Example:
Politics is a dirty business.
Physics is one of the most difficult subjects.
Some nouns can be used as singular
as well as plural
Example of singular use:
 Gymnastics is an excellent way to stay limber.
Example of plural use:
 Rhythmic and toddler gymnastics are the most
popular programs at the gym.
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns are considered singular when the group acts
together as a single unit.
Example:
The jury is ready to hear testimony.
The club typically travels by bus.
An amount of money or time also takes a singular verb as long
as the amount is a single measure.
Examples:
Seven dollars is the cost of admission.
Three hours was the time of the race from start to
finish.
Three-fifths of my work shift is spent cleaning up.
Select the correct verb for each sentence.
1. The team (a. make b. makes) money by selling
magazine subscriptions.
2. Half of the television programs (a. show b. shows) acts
of violence.
3. The knives (a. is b. are) in the drawer.
4. The committee (a. votes b. vote) to change the by-
laws.
5. The scalper said, “Thirty seven dollars (a. buys b. buy)
you a front row seat.”
Singular and Plural Pronouns
Example:
No one in the movie screams louder than Theresa.
Pronouns and their verbs can also be separated by phrases. It can be even more confusing if the phrase
contains a plural noun.
Example:
Either of the coffee makers brews good coffee.
Example:
Both of the wrestlers want to win the match.
These pronouns are considered singular when they refer to a quantity and plural
when they refer to a number of individual items.
Example of quantity:
 All of the cake was eaten.
All refers to the quantity of the whole cake that was eaten, so the singular verb was is used.
Example of number:
 All of the magazines were scattered across the floor.
All refers to the number of individual magazines, so the plural verb were is used.
Exercise
1. Some of the paint (a. is b. are) dry.
2. One of the new employees (a. plays b. play) guitar.
3. Someone from the two classes (a. needs b. need) to
volunteer.
4. Several of the motorcycles (a. are b. is) in need of
repairs.
5. All of our profits (a. goes b. go) to charity.
Exercise
1. Some of the paint (a. is b. are) dry.
2. One of the new employees (a. plays b. play) guitar.
3. Someone from the two classes (a. needs b. need) to
volunteer.
4. Several of the motorcycles (a. are b. is) in need of
repairs.
5. All of our profits (a. goes b. go) to charity.
Compound Subjects
When more than one noun or pronoun is doing the action represented by one verb in a sentence,
those nouns or pronouns are called compound subjects.
 If the two nouns or pronouns are joined by and, they agree with a plural verb.
Examples:
 Josh and Susan eat pizza.
 He and she spend Saturdays with friends.
If two singular nouns are joined by or or nor, they require a singular verb.
Examples:
 Josh or Susan eats pizza.
 Neither he nor she spends Saturdays with friends.
Think of compound subjects joined by or or nor as separate sentences.
Example:
 Josh eats pizza. Susan eats pizza.
Singular and plural subjects joined by or or nor require a verb that agrees with the subject closest
to the verb
Singular and plural subjects joined by or or nor require a verb
that agrees with the subject closest to the verb.
Examples:
Neither the players nor the coach likes to play in the rain.
Neither the coach nor the players like to play in the rain.
Questions
 Usually in a sentence, the subject comes before the verb. With
questions, however, the verb usually comes first.
Example:
 What are the differences between Greek and Italian food?
The subject of this sentence is differences, which is plural; therefore the verb must be plural.
Example:
 When does Henry get back from his trip?
The subject of this sentence is Henry, which is singular, so the verb must be singular.
Inverted Sentences
Inverted sentences contain subjects that follow the verb, just like
questions.
Example:
 Here are the keys to the car.
The subject is keys, which is plural, so the plural are is used.
 Here is the key to the car.
The subject key is singular, so the singular verb is used.
Examples:
 There goes the train.
 There go the trains.
Examples:
 Suddenly, out of the woods comes the grizzly bear.
 Suddenly, out of the woods come the grizzly bears.
Examples:
 Along with the questionnaire goes our brochure.
 Along with the questionnaire go two brochures.
Exercise
Select the correct verb for each of the following sentences.
1. Beside the couch (a. stands b. stand) an end table.
2. When (a. does b. do) we have a lunch break?
3. Neither the doctor nor the patients (a. prefers b. prefer) the new
lounge area.
4. Jamie and Deepthi (a. wants b. want) to go skiing.
5. Here (a. is b. are) the hot dogs you ordered.
Exercise
Select the correct verb for each of the following sentences.
1. Beside the couch (a. stands b. stand) an end table.
2. When (a. does b. do) we have a lunch break?
3. Neither the doctor nor the patients (a. prefers b. prefer) the new
lounge area.
4. Jamie and Deepthi (a. wants b. want) to go skiing.
5. Here (a. is b. are) the hot dogs you ordered.

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Subject Verb Agreement

Lecture 2 – PEP Class

What is subject-verb agreement?

We know that one of the police officers at the scene

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