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Subject/Verb Agreement. What is a subject?. The subject tells whom or what the sentence is about. example: DeSean Jackson ran 30 yards for a touchdown. What is the subject? Subjects can be plural or singular. example: dog (singular); dogs (plural). What is a verb?.
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What is a subject? • The subject tells whom or what the sentence is about. • example: DeSean Jackson ran 30 yards for a touchdown. • What is the subject? • Subjects can be plural or singular. • example: dog (singular); dogs (plural)
What is a verb? • A verb expresses action or a state of being. • Examples: • We went to Boston last April. What is the verb? • Staci is friendly. What is the verb? • Verbs can be singular or plural • Examples: chases (singular) chase (plural)
Subject/Verb Agreement • Subjects and verbs must agree with one another in number (singular or plural). Therefore, if a subject is singular, then the verb has to be singular. Likewise, if the subject is plural, then the verb has to be plural. • Verbs add “s” to the singular form of verbs, but remove the “s” to the plural form of verbs. • Examples: • The dog chases the cat. • The dogs chase the cat.
Practice State whether each is singular or plural • Animal • Igloos • Blueberries • Felicia runs • Happiness is • People listen
What are indefinite pronouns? • Indefinite pronouns refer to a person, place, thing, or idea that may or may not be specifically named. • Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs (each, either, neither, one, no one, everyone, something, etc.) • Example: Each secretary does a good deal of work around the office. • Plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs (several, few, both, many). • Example: Both do a good deal of work around the office.
What is a compound subject? • A compound subject consists of two or more subjects that are joined by a conjunction and that have the same verb. • Compound subjects joined by “and” are always plural • Example: A pencil and an eraser make writing easier. • Compound subjects joined by “or/nor” agrees with the subject closest to it. • Examples: • Neither the director nor the actors are following the lines closely. • Neither the actors nor the director is following the lines closely.