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Subject Verb Agreement

Here are the answers to the subject-verb agreement exercise: 1. has 2. has 3. irritates 4. is 5. are 6. is 7. has 8. dares 9. is 10. have 11. were 12. are 13. Has 14. is 15. have 16. have 17. is 18. is 19. is

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Khurram Paul
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74 views28 pages

Subject Verb Agreement

Here are the answers to the subject-verb agreement exercise: 1. has 2. has 3. irritates 4. is 5. are 6. is 7. has 8. dares 9. is 10. have 11. were 12. are 13. Has 14. is 15. have 16. have 17. is 18. is 19. is

Uploaded by

Khurram Paul
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SUBJECT –

VERB
AGREEMEN
T
BASIC RULE:

• Singular subjects must


have singular verbs.
Plural subjects take
plural verbs.
RULES ON
SUBJECT-
VERB
AGREEMEN
T
The pronoun “YOU” always
takes a plural verb.
Examples:

 You were invited to come.


 You are asked to clean the room.
 You sing so well.
If a sentence begins with HERE or
THERE, the verb agrees with the
subject which follows it.

Examples:

 Here are the ways on how to


preserve meat.
 There is a huge gap between the
rich and the poor.
 If one subject is singular and the other is
plural, and the words are connected by the
words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or,"
or "not only/but also," use the verb form of
the subject that is nearest the verb.
Examples:
 Neither the players nor the coach is joining.
 Either the conductor or the singers are
attending the concert.
 Either the bears or the lion has escaped
from the zoo.
Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped
from the zoo.
Two singular subjects joined by
EITHER/OR or NEITHER/NOR take a
singular verb.

Examples:
 Either Mommy or Daddy is
coming with me at the outbound.
 Neither Ferdie nor Dulce is
waiting for you.
A singular subject followed by intervening
words or phrases such as WITH, AS WELL AS,
IN ADDITION TO,
ACCOMPANIED BY, TOGETHER WITH and NO
LESS THAN, takes a singular verb.

Examples:
 Jake, accompanied by his sisters,
is enrolling in PCC.
 Daddy, as well as my brothers, is
enjoying the party.
Singular subjects joined by AND
require a plural verb, except when
they mean one thing.

Examples:

 Larry and Mercy are reading


novels.
 My teacher and friend is
here.
If a singular subject is followed by a
phrase containing a plural noun, the verb
is singular.

Examples:
 One of the boys is yelling so loud.
 One of the members is against the
rule.
The indefinite pronouns SEVERAL,
FEW, BOTH, MANY , OTHERS are
always plural.

Examples:
 Both were asking to be freed.
 Several are seeking justice.
The indefinite pronouns SOME,
MOST, ALL, NONE are singular or
plural according to the meaning of the
sentence.

Examples:

 Some of the girls were absent.


 Some of the ice cream is left.
When any of the following indefinite pronouns is the subject,
the verb is singular: EVERYBODY, EACH, NO ONE, ANOTHER,
ANYBODY, NOBODY, EVERY, NOTHING, EVERYTHING, ANYONE,
EITHER, NEITHER, EVERYONE, SOMEBODY, SOMEONE.

Example:

 Every man and woman in this hall


is a member.
Expressions of time, money, weight,
and distance are singular even if the form
is plural.

Examples:

 Two years is a long time to wait.


 One million dollars was given back to the owner.
 Three miles is too far to walk.
 Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
 Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
Expressions of time, money, weight,
and distance are singular even if the form
is plural.

Examples:

 Two years is a long time to wait.


 One million dollars was given back
to the owner.
The following words are always plural:
PANTS, TROUSERS, PLIERS,
SCISSORS, SHEARS, TONGS. However, if the
word PAIR is used, the verb is singular.

Examples:

 The pants are torn into two.


 The pair of scissors was placed on
the table.
Certain nouns, though plural in form, are
singular in meaning and therefore take
singular verbs.

Examples:
 Mathematics is my favorite
subject.
 The latest news is alarming to the
public.
When the word is preceded by A, it takes a
plural verb. When it is
preceded by THE, it takes a singular verb.

Examples:
 A number of students are waiting
outside.
 The number of students outside is
not recorded yet.
When fractions are used, the verb
agrees with the object of the
OF PHRASE.

Examples:
 One half of the cake was
consumed.
 One fourth of the employees were
attending the seminar.
These nouns may be singular or plural in meaning:
ATHLETICS, GENETICS, POLITICS, GYMNASTICS,
STATISTICS. When the noun refers to an organized
activity, it is singular; when the noun refers to the
activities of individuals within a group, or to varied
activities, it is plural.

Examples:
 Gymnastics is very popular among
girls.
 The gymnastics shown in the field
today were outstanding.
The name of a country is always
regarded as
singular.

Examples:
 The Bahamas has beautiful
beaches.
 Philippines is a wondrous
place.
Adjectives used as nouns
are considered
plural.

Examples:

 The poor are to be helped.


 The efficient are what this country
needs.
Collective nouns may be singular or plural depending on
whether the individual members
are acting individually or collectively. These nouns are:
COMPANY, GROUP, COMMITTEE, CROWD,
JURY, FLOCK, TEAM.
Examples:

 The committee is against the plan.


(acting collectively-singular)
 The committee are of different
opinion. (acting
individually- plural)
Though usage is mixed, phrases involving
addition, multiplication, subtraction, and
division of numbers usually take the singular
form.

Examples:
 Two plus two is four.
 Two times three is six.
 Twelve divided by six is two
Titles of books, plays, articles, movies, etc.
are regarded as
singular even though words in the title
may be plural.

Examples:
 “In Dreams Begin
Responsibilities” is a story by D.
Schwartz.
 “Great Expectations” is a
must- read novel.
Exercise
1. The noisy students (have, has) to leave after two warnings.
2. 2. She is the only one of the students who (have, has) failed
the test.
3. 3. The crying baby (irritate, irritates) them.
4. 4. The longest of the presentations (is, are) the next group.
5. 5. The students and their teacher (is, are) traveling to the
competition.
6. 6. Either one of the choices (is, are) going to disrupt the
schedule.
7. 7. This is the stereo system that (have, has) been purchased
most often in our store.
Exercise
8- Nobody (dare, dares) to challenge the teacher when she is
wrong.
9. The players or their coach (is, are) holding a press conference.
10. Neither of the students (has, have) been to Europe.
11. The problems (was, were) due to a misunderstanding.
12. Which (is, are) more interesting, the red jackets or the blue
sweaters?
13. (Has, Have) the manager or the assistant manager
approached you?
14. Joan, as well as my sister, (is, are) in college now.
Exercise

15. Several of the students (has, have) left.


16. Both of the children (has, have) red notebooks.
17. One of the best known love stories (is, are) Romeo
and Juliet.
18. Mathematics (is, are) very difficult for many
students to master.

19.She or her sisters (is, are) going. .

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