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20 Rules-Subject Verb Agreement (Error Analysis)

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31 views4 pages

20 Rules-Subject Verb Agreement (Error Analysis)

Uploaded by

paarth
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The 20 Rules of Subject Verb Agreement in

Standard English

1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number.


This is the cornerstone rule that forms the
background of the concept.
The dog growls when he is angry. The dogs growl
when they are angry.
2. Don’t get confused by the words that come
between the subject and verb; they do not
affect agreement.
The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very
good.
3. Prepositional phrases (lacks either verb or
subject) between the subject and verb usually
do not affect agreement.
The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.
4. When sentences start with “there” or
“here,” the subject will always be placed after
the verb, so care needs to be taken to identify
it correctly.
There is a problem with the balance sheet. Here are
the papers you requested.
5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in
questions. Make sure you accurately identify
the subject before deciding on the proper verb
form to use.
Does Lefty usually eat grass? Where are the pieces
of this puzzle?
6. If two subjects are joined by and, they
typically require a plural verb form.
The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.
7. The verb is singular if the two subjects
separated by and refer to the same person or
thing.
Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.
8. If one of the words each, every, or no comes
before the subject, the verb is singular.
No smoking or drinking is allowed. Every man and
woman is required to check in.
9. If the subjects are both singular and are
connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor,
either/or, and not only/but also the verb is
singular.
Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.
10. The only time when the object of the
preposition factors into the decision of plural
or singular verb forms is when noun and
pronoun subjects like some, half, none, more,
all, etc. are followed by a prepositional phrase.
In these sentences, the object of the
preposition determines the form of the verb.
All of the chicken is gone. All of the chickens are
gone.

11. The singular verb form is usually used for


units of measurement.
Four quarts of oil was required to get the car
running.
12. If the subjects are both plural and are
connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor,
either/or, and not only/but also, the verb is
plural.
Dogs and cats are both available at the pound.
13. If one subject is singular and one plural and
the words are connected by the words or, nor,
neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also,
you use the verb form of the subject that is
nearest the verb.
Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the
zoo. Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped
from the zoo.
14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular
verbs.
Everybody wants to be loved.
15. * Except for the pronouns (few, many,
several, both, all, some) that always take the
plural form.
A Few were left alive after the flood.
16. If two infinitives are separated by and they
take the plural form of the verb.
To walk and to chew gum require great skill.

17. When gerunds (gerund is a noun made


from a verb by adding –ing) are used as the
subject of a sentence they take the singular
verb form of the verb, but when they are linked
by and they take the plural form.
Standing in the water was a bad idea. Swimming in
the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.
18. Collective nouns like herd, senate, class,
crowd, etc. usually take a singular verb form.
The herd is stampeding.
19. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are
treated as singular and take a singular verb.
The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.
20. Final Rule – Remember, only the subject
affects the verb!

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