Subject-Verb Agreement

1. Subject-Verb Agreement Sentence Skills: A Workbook for Writers, Form A John Langan

2. Subject-Verb Agreement • When subjects and verbs agree, they match in number and person. • In other words, singular subjects require singular verbs and plural subjects match plural verbs;third person subjects require the third person form of the verb. My brothers buy old bicycles to repair. My brother buys old bicycles to repair.

3. Subject/Verb Agreement • In English, regular verbs take the same form for singular and plural except for the third-person singular form of the verb. • The -s, or -es ending on a verb designates a singular verb. • In fact, nouns and verbs are the opposite where plural endings are concerned. The boy walks. The boys walk.

4. Subject-Verb Agreement • A subject agrees with its verb no matter how far apart the two are. Do not be distracted by nouns or pronouns placed between the subject and verb. • The ducks on the lake behind the school swim in large groups. • A list of required readings is mailed to entering freshmen.

5. Subject-Verb Agreement • A compound subject that is linked by the conjunction “and” requires a plural verb. • Both the college newspaper and the literary magazine fail to attract experienced staff.

6. Subject-Verb Agreement • A compound subject linked by the conjunction oror nor requires a singular verb. • Either the dean or his assistant addresses the freshmen class. • Neither geology nor astronomy is required for my major.

7. Subject-Verb Agreement • When who, which and that are used as subjects, they take singular verbs if the word they stand for is singular and plural verbs if the word they stand for is plural. • Frederick is a doctor who is very friendly and intelligent. • I knocked over the dishes that were stacked in the sink.

8. Subject-Verb Agreement • Indefinite pronouns refer to indefinite persons or things and usually require a singular verb. • Each of the volunteers tutors for at least three hours every week.

9. Subject-Verb Agreement • If a collective noun acts as a single unit, it takes a singular verb. • My entire family is coming for homecoming weekend.

10. Subject-Verb Agreement • When normal word order is inverted and the subject follows the verb, the subject and verb must agree. • Standing at the door with grins on their faces were the cheerleaders.

11. Subject-Verb Agreement • Note:Sentences that begin with thereor here have the subject follow the verb. • There are three branches of government:: judicial, executive, and legislative.

12. Practice Exercises Incorrect Click to see answer…. Movies in today’s market makes a great deal of money.

13. Practice Exercises Revised Movies in today’s market make a great deal of money.

14. Practice Exercises Incorrect The American audiences pays for tickets at the theater and for cable at home.

15. Practice Exercises Revised The American audiences pay for tickets at the theater and for cable at home.

16. Practice Exercises Correct The international market, which includes dozens of countries, produces even more profit.

17. Practice Exercises Incorrect Films are very expensive to manufacture, so American studios creates far more films than other countries.

18. Practice Exercises Revised Films are very expensive to manufacture, so American studios create far more films than other countries.

19. Practice Exercises Incorrect There is many advantages to seeing a movie in the theater rather than watching a video at home.

20. Practice Exercises Revised There are many advantages to seeing a movie in the theater rather than watching a video at home.

21. Practice Exercises Correct The dark theater and the enormous screen take the movie viewer to another world.

22. Practice Exercises Incorrect The background music in movies play an important role.

23. Practice Exercises Revised The background music in movies plays an important role.

24. Practice Exercises Correct The music creates a mood and gives a signal of something to come.

25. Practice Exercises Incorrect Not everyone in the entertainment fields agree about the quality of movies.

26. Practice Exercises Revised Not everyone in the entertainment field agrees about the quality of movies.

27. Practice Exercises Incorrect Neither the use of subtitles nor black and white photography demonstrate the preferences of most Americans.

28. Practice Exercises Revised Neither the use of subtitles nor black and white photography demonstrates the preferences of most Americans.