Subject/Verb Agreement

1. Subject/Verb Agreement

2. Number • When a word refers to one person, place, thing, or idea, it is singular in number. • When a word refers to more than one person, place, thing or idea, it is plural in number,

3. A verb should agree in number with its subject. • The car comes to a sudden stop. • The cars come to a sudden stop.

4. In a verb phrase, the first helping verb agrees in number with the subject. • He is building a bird feeder. • The girls are building a bird feeder.

5. Do it together: • This dress (cost, costs) too much. • The lanterns (glow, glows) brightly. • The music (is sounding, are sounding) beautiful. • My friends (is going, are going) to the mall.

6. Watch for Phrases & Clauses!! It doesn’t change the verb form! • The lights on the Christmas tree create a festive atmosphere. (prepositional phrase) • The distance between the two posts is eight feet. (prepositional phrase)

7. Do it together. • The launchof a space shuttle(attract, attracts) the interest of people throughout the world. • Our thermos, which is in the picnic basket,(is, are) filled with apple juice.

8. You try. • That collection of poems (is, are) funny. • People in some states (observe, observes) the fourth Friday in September as Native American Day. • Stories about Hank Aaron always (make, makes) me want to play baseball. • The cucumbers in my garden (grow, grows) very quickly.

9. Practice Exercises Turn to page 461 in green (large) grammar text book and complete exercise 5.

10. The following indefinite pronouns are always singular: anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, neither, nobody, nothing, no one, one, somebody, someone, and something • Everyone was invited. • Either of the answers is correct. • One of the tapes belongs to Sabrina. • Someone in the stands has been waving at us.

11. The following indefinite pronouns are always plural: both, few, many, and several. • Both of the apples are good. • Fewknow about the surprise. • Many of the students walk to school.

12. The indefinite pronouns all, any, more, most, none, and some may be singular or plural depending on the context of the sentence. • All of the fruit looks ripe. (refers to fruit as a group. • Some of the pie was eaten.(refers to pie as a unit) • Some of the supplies have been stored. (refers to many parts of the supplies)

13. Do some together. • All of my friends (has, have) had the chickenpox. • Everyone at the party (like, likes) the hummus dip. • Both of Fred’s brothers (celebrate, celebrates) their birthdays in July. • Some of the story (is, are) funny. • Some of the stories (is, are) funny.

14. You try. • None of those rosebushes in my mother’s garden ever (bloom, blooms) in February. • Several of those colors (do, does) not appeal to me. • Many of Mrs. Tan’s students (speak, speaks) fluent Japanese. • Nobody in these beginning painting classes (has, have) displayed work in the annual art show. • Most of the food here (taste, tastes) delicious.

15. class work: Honors text pg. 482 Review AII/III text pg. 464 Review A

16. Subjects joined by ANDusually take a plural verb. • Antonia Brico and Sarah Caldwellare famous conductors. • Last year a library and a museum were built in our town.

17. A compound subject thatnames ONLY 1 person or thing takes a singular verb • The secretary and treasurer of the science club is Leona. • Chicken and dumplings is my favorite Southern dish.

18. Subjects joined by or or nor:Always go with what is mentioned 2nd. • A pen or a pencil is needed for this test. • Neither Miami nor Jacksonville is the capital of Florida. • Neither the wolves or the birds are out tonight. • Neither the teacher nor the students want to cancel the dance. • Neither the students nor the teacher wants to cancel the dance.

19. Do some together. • March and April (is, are) windy months. • Neither our guava tree or our fig tree (bear, bears) fruit if there is a draught. • Armadillos or anteaters (has, have) tubular mouths and long, sticky tongues. • Either Sylvia or her brothers (scrub, scrubs) the floor. • This bread or those muffins (contain, contains) no preservatives. • Heavy rain clouds or a powerful wind (shows, show) that a hurricane is approaching. • Neither the seal nor the clowns (catch, catches) the ball that the monkey throws into the ring.

20. Homework: Honors text pg. 486 Review BHmmm, should this be class work? Should I collect it for a grade?II/III: text pg. 467 Review B

21. When the subject follows the verb, try rearranging the sentence in subject/verb order • Here is my seat. My seat is here. • Here are our seats. Our seats are here. • There is an exciting ride at the fair. An exciting ride is at the fair. • Where is the bread? The bread is where? • Where are the loaves of bread? The loaves of bread are where?

22. Do it together. Answers follow questions… • According to this map, (there’s, there are) seven countries in Central America. • Where (is, are) the rough draft you were proofreading for me? • (Has, have) they returned from the cafeteria. • There (has, have) been fewer rainy days this month than last month. Answer: there are (countries) Answer: Where is (draft) Answer: Have (they) Answer: There have (days)

23. You try it. Answers to follow… • (Here’s, Here are) the team’s new uniforms. • When (is, are) the next lunar eclipse? • (Does, Do) your parents know about the new schedule? • Janelle, (here’s, here are) a question only you can answer. • When (does, do) you expect to hear from your cousin in Singapore again? Answer: Here are (uniforms) Answer: When is (eclipse) Answer: Do (your) Answer: Here’s (question) Answer: Do (you)

24. The contractions don’t and doesn’t should agree with their subjects. • Using Doesn’t and Don’t with Singular Subjects: • Read the following sentences and emphasize the italicized words • Don’t Oktoberfest and the Fall Carnival start Saturday? • We don’t call meetings often. • One doesn’t interrupt a speaker. • They don’t play their stereo loudly. • Doesn’t the television set work? • It doesn’t look like a serious wound. • She doesn’t play basketball. • Fido doesn’t like his new dog friend.

25. Do it together. • (Honors) Turn to p. 488 and do ex. 10

26. Collective Nouns:Usually singular in number, but can be plural depending on its meaning in the sentence. • Tomorrow the science class is taking a field trip. (The class as a unit is taking the trip.) • The family has moved to Little Rock. (The family as a unit has moved.) • The family have been unable to agree on where to spend their next vacation. (The members of the family have different opinions.)

27. When a collective nounis singular • It is referring to the ENTIRE group as 1 unit. The group is going to vote today. We are referring to the group as 1 unit.

28. When a collective nounis plural • We are dividing the group into parts. --> Try inserting the word members for better comprehension The family are coming from all over the state. The family (members) are coming from all over the state.

29. Skill Practice: (Honors) pg. 489, review C (II/III) pg. 470, exercise 10

30. An expression of an amount: a measurement, a percentage, or a fraction *It may be singular or plural depending on how it is being used! • Singular when thought of as a unit ex. Three years seems like a long time. • Plural when thought of as separate units. ex. Two years seem like a long time.

31. A fraction (1/4) or a percentage (%) is singular when it refers to a singular word,plural when it refers to a plural word. • Singular- Two thirds of the councilwas at the meeting. • Plural- Two thirds of the council memberswere present at the meeting.

32. Expressions of measurement(such as length, weight, and area)are usually singular. • Ten feet of yarn isneeded for this art project. • Two gallons of that paint coversapproximately two hundred square feet.

33. Some nouns are plural in form but represent a singular entity. • Civics • Economics • Electronics • Genetics • Gymnastics • Mathematics • Measles • Molasses • Mumps • News • Physics • summons

34. Some nouns are plural in form, even though it is singular, but take plural verb forms. • Binoculars • Olympics • Pants pliers • Scissors • Shears • Shorts • Eyeglasses • slacks

35. The title of a creative work(such as a book, song, movie, or painting) country, city, or organizationgenerally takes a singular verb. • Blue Lines is a Georgia O’Keefe painting. • The Souls of Black Folkhasoften been cited as a classic of African American literature. • “Greensleeves’is an old English folk song. • The Netherlands has thousands of canals. • Cedar Rapids is a manufacturing center in the Midwest. • Friends of the Earthwas founded in 1969.

36. Do it together. • The audience (loves, love) the mime performance. • The story “Flowers for Algernon” (makes, make) me appreciate what I have. • Eight dollars (is, are) too much for that baseball card. • Andy’s gift to Jane (was, were) two roses. • Here (is, are) the letters I have been expecting.

37. You try. • The public (differs, differ) in their opinions on the referendum. • Physics (was, were) my favorite subject. • The softball team usually (practices, practice) every Saturday morning. • His legacy to us (was, were) words of wisdom. • Where (is, are) the limericks you wrote?

38. Test Time • Any Questions? Are you ready?