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Subject – Verb Agreement

Learn why subjects and verbs must agree and how to fix common errors in subject-verb agreement. Master the rules and improve your writing skills.

bernardmacdonald
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Subject – Verb Agreement

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  1. Subject – Verb Agreement Why do subjects and verbs have to agree? After all, they are only words! We agree

  2. What’s wrong with these sentences? • There is too many pictures on the wall. Or this one? • Everybody but Julio want to go home. Or this one? • All the people wants to win the lottery. The subjects and verbs don’t agree!

  3. How do we fix them? • There are too many pictures on the wall. A plural subject goes with a pluralverb. • Everybody but Julio wants to go home. A singular subject goes with a singular verb. • All the people plans to win the lottery. A plural subject goes with a pluralverb. Now the subjects and verbs agree!

  4. To be correct, subjects and verbs must agree… • They must agree in NUMBER: • Singularsubjects go with singularverbs. • Everyonewants to win the lottery. • Plural subjects go with pluralverbs. • All the players want to win the game. • Number is always about Singular & Plural Verb Subject

  5. What causes problems with S/V agreement? • Words between the subject and the verb: The shoes in the closet needs to be shined. In the closet is a prepositional phrase between the subject shoes and the verb need. To be correct, the verb should be: need with no “s” The shoes in the closet need to be shined. Common Prepositions

  6. Verb before the subject… • Inside the garage are the shovel. • Across the border isReynosa and Progresso. • Where is the instructions for the X-Box? Shouldn’t they be…? • Inside the garage is the shovel. • Across the border areReynosa and Progresso. • Where are the instructions for the X-Box?

  7. Indefinite Pronouns Nobodyhave a clue about what they are doing. (should be has) Everythingare ready for the party. (should be is) Neither Fred, nor Ed, nor Ted know the way. (should be knows) All of them wants to go. (should be want)

  8. Compound Subjects • Subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb. Diet andexerciseis ways to be healthy. (should be are) Ambitionand luckwas Juan’s keys to success. (should be were) Who, Which and That If they stand for singular words, who, which and that take singular verbs: Rebecca is a person who are very private. (should be is) If they stand for plural words, who, which and that take plural verbs: Joel is one of those people who is very private. (should be are)

  9. When complications occur When one part of a compound subject is singular and the other is plural, we use the one closest to the verb to determine the number. For example- Both the Smiths and Margaretwas at the party. or alternatively…. Both Margaret and the Smithswere at the party. Compound subjects

  10. General Rules for checking subject / verb agreement • When you are trying to see if the subject and verb agree, leave out the part you don’t need: Everyonein the contestwant to win. Everyonewant to win. [wrong!: should be wants] • Now put the part back: Everyonein the contestwants to win. • Say the sentence to yourself out loud, if it doesn’t sound right, there is a very good chance it is not right. Correct Information

  11. One More Thing: Tense Agreement • Tense is all about time. • Usually we write in the Past tense. • The Present and Future are fine, but once you start in a tense, STAY there! • “Yesterday we decided that tomorrow we will go shopping” is correct. (Past & Future together) • “We went to the store and buy food.” is not correct. (Past & Present together) It should be bought not buy.

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