Compound Subjects and Confusing Subjects

1. Compound Subjects and Confusing Subjects Day 2 of Agreement Pages 574-577

2. Write This Chart! Compound Subject Verb Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural

3. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural Compound Subjects A compound subject joined by and is generally plural and must have a plural verb • Wind and rain exist on Earth. • Winds and rainstorms exist on Earth. • Winds and rain exist on Earth.

4. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural Exception!!! • Exception to this rule-when the parts of the compound subject equal one thing and when the word each or every is used before a compound subject. Then use a singular verb. • Macaroni and cheese is an easy dish to make. • Each man and woman was waving a flag.

5. Compound Subjects Two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor must have a singular verb • Either Jupiter or Saturn makes a fascinating topic of study. Two or more plural subjects joined by orornor must have a plural verb • Space probes or space shuttles provide information about space.

6. Compound subjects If one or more singular subjects are joined to one or more plural subjects by orornor, the subject closest to the verb determines agreement • Neither atmosphere nor clouds exist on Mercury. • Neither clouds nor atmosphere exists on Mercury.

7. Confusing Subjects Hard to find subjects- When a subject comes after its verb, the verb must still agree with the subject in number A sentence in which the subject comes after its verb is said to be inverted-you can check the subject-verb agreement by mentally putting the sentence in the normal subject-verb order • Which of the science reports has she read? • (She has read which of the science reports?)

8. Subjects of linking verbs A linking verb must agree with its subject, regardless of the number of the predicate nominative (the noun or pronoun that renames, identifies, or explains the subject) • Moon craters are one sign of meteor storms. • One sign of meteor storms is moon craters.

9. Collective Nouns A collective noun takes a singular verb when the group it names acts as a single unit • The class is excited to be learning about the solar system. A collective noun takes a plural verb when the group it names act as individuals with different points of view • The class are unable to decide which planets to discuss in their reports.

10. Nouns that look like plurals Nouns that are plural in form, but singular in meaning take singular verbs Some of these nouns are singular names for branches of knowledge: acoustics, civics, economics etc. • Physics is a challenging subject. (S) • My lost eyeglasses were behind the sofa. (P)