501_9-10.

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501_15-16.pdf
501_5-6.pdf
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
 SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT

➔ The subject and the verb must agree in number, even if the subject is complex or contains
extra information.
➔ When in doubt, break down the sentence to identify the subject. In the following examples,
the subject is in italics, and the verb is in bold italics:

● The committee members and the student write every day.

● The lesson plans for Chapter 3 are available in the shared folder.
● The focus of the interviews was nine purposively selected participants.
● Each of the participants was willing to be recorded.
● Following pressure from peers often leads to teenagers engaging in risky behavior.
● The nurse who normally works with pediatric patients volunteers at the blood drive every year.
● Strategies that the teacher uses to encourage classroom participation include using small
groups and clarifying expectations.
● Interviews are one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain an in-depth.
 SUBJECT-VERB
Subject–Verb Agreement Rules AGREEMENT

1. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular too.

Example: She writes every day.
Exception: When using the singular "they," use plural verb forms.
Example: The participant expressed satisfaction with their job. They are currently in a managerial role at the organization.

2. If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.

Example: They write every day.
Sometimes, however, it seems a bit more complicated than this.

3. When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.
Example: The doctoral student and the committee members write every day.
Example: The percentage of employees who called in sick and the number of employees who left their jobs within 2
years are reflective of the level of job satisfaction.

4. When there is one subject and more than one verb, the verbs throughout the sentence must agree with the subject.
Example: Interviews are one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of participants.
Example: An assumption is something that is generally accepted as true and is an important consideration when conducting a
doctoral study.
 SUBJECT-VERB
Subject–Verb Agreement Rules AGREEMENT

5. When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, remember that the verb still agrees with the subject, not the noun or
pronoun in the phrase following the subject of the sentence.
Example: The student, as well as the committee members, is excited.
Example: The student with all the master’s degrees is very motivated.
Example: Strategies that the teacher uses to encourage classroom participation include using small groups and clarifying
expectations.
Example: The focus of the interviews was nine purposively selected participants.

6. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by "or" or "nor," use a singular verb.
Example: The chairperson or the CEO approves the proposal before proceeding.

7. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by "or" or "nor," the verb should agree
with the part of the subject that is closest to the verb. This is also called the rule of proximity.
Example: The student or the committee members write every day.
Example: The committee members or the student writes every day.
 SUBJECT-VERB
Subject–Verb Agreement Rules AGREEMENT

8. The words and phrases "each," "each one," "either," "neither," "everyone," "everybody," "anyone," "anybody," "nobody,"
"somebody," "someone," and "no one" are singular and require a singular verb.
Example: Each of the participants was willing to be recorded.
Example: Neither alternative hypothesis was accepted.
Example: I will offer a $5 gift card to everybody who participates in the study.
Example: No one was available to meet with me at the preferred times.

9. Noncount nouns take a singular verb.

Example: Education is the key to success.
Example: Diabetes affects many people around the world.
Example: The information obtained from the business owners was relevant to include in the study.
Example: The research I found on the topic was limited.

10. Some countable nouns in English such as earnings, goods, odds, surroundings, proceeds, contents, and valuables only have a
plural form and take a plural verb.
Example: The earnings for this quarter exceed expectations.
Example: The proceeds from the sale go to support the homeless population in the city.
Example: Locally produced goods have the advantage of shorter supply chains.
 SUBJECT-VERB
Subject–Verb Agreement Rules AGREEMENT

11. In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there are," the subject follows the verb. Since "there" is not the subject, the verb
agrees with what follows the verb.
Example: There is little administrative support.
Example: There are many factors affecting teacher retention.

12. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but are considered singular and take a singular verb. Some
examples are "group," "team," "committee," "family," and "class."
Example: The group meets every week.
Example: The committee agrees on the quality of the writing.

However, the plural verb is used if the focus is on the individuals in the group. This is much less common.
Example: The committee participate in various volunteer activities in their private lives.
 WRITING
COMPLEX
SENTENCES-ADVERBIAL
CLAUSES
 Complex sentences WRITING

A complex sentence contains at least one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Dependent
clauses can refer to the subject (who, which) the sequence/time (since, while), or the causal elements
(because, if) of the independent clause.

If a sentence begins with a dependent clause, note the comma after this clause. If, on the other hand, the
sentence begins with an independent clause, there is not a comma separating the two clauses.
Key: independent clause = yellow, bold; comma = pink, regular font; dependent clause = blue, italics

Here are a few examples:

● Although she completed her literature review, she still needed to work on her methods section.
○ Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent clause.
● Because he organized his sources by theme, it was easier for his readers to follow.
○ Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent clause.
● They studied APA rules for many hours as they were so interesting.
○ Note that there is no comma in this sentence because it begins with an independent clause.
 Adverbial clauses WRITING

An adverbial clause, also known as an adverb clause, is a group of words that forms a dependent clause and
acts as an adverb in a sentence. Adverbial clauses contain a subject, a predicate, and a subordinating
conjunction. As with other adverbs, adverbial clauses modify an adjective, a verb, or another adverb.

Adverbial clauses explain time, place, manner, purpose, and more in a sentence. These clauses begin with
a trigger word (a subordinating conjunction).

Examples of subordinating conjunctions include “after,” “in order to,” “as,” “before,” “where,” and “while,” as in
the sentence
“He arrived after we had breakfast.” the highlighted adverbial clause modifies the verb “arrived.”
 Types of Adverbial Clauses WRITING

1. Manner: Use “as” or “like” to explain how something is done.

For example, “The politician seemed as if he had never spoken publicly before.”
Here, “as if” is the trigger word, “he” is the subject, and “had never spoken publicly before” is the predicate.

2. Time: Adverbial clauses addressing time often contain the words “until,” “before,” “after,” “as long as,” and
“while” answer when something happens.
For example, “They hiked before they ate dinner.”

3. Purpose: highlight the intention behind an action, often using conjunctions such as “so that,” “lest you,” “in
order to,” and “in case.” These adverbial clauses do not follow a comma, as in the sentence,
“They drove to the farm so that they could pick apples.”

4. Place: use the trigger words “where” and “wherever,” as in

“The puppy followed me wherever I went.”
 Types of Adverbial Clauses WRITING

5. Condition: play out the potential outcomes of a situation and use subordinating conjunctions such as “if,”
“provided that,” and “lest.”
For example, “We will go to the zoo if it is sunny.”

6. Reason: Cause or reason adverb clauses explain the why, using subordinating conjunctions such as
“because,” “since,” and “as.”
For example, “We thought you’d go to the concert since you love Vivladi’s music.”

7. Comparison: highlight quality and quantity with conjunctions like “than” and “as.”
An example of a comparison adverbial clause is, “He can bake as well as his grandmother.”
 Types of Adverbial Clauses WRITING

8. Concession: will have a comma separating two independent clauses that contrast one another.
For example, “I like to bike, though I don’t do it much these days.”
You can also use a comma in the case of a dependent clause at the beginning of a sentence: “Although it was
hot, the pool kept us cool.”

9. Results: These clauses have a start and an end, relying on subordinating conjunctions “so,” “that,” and
“such.”
For example, “The kitten was so cute that I had to buy it.”
 WRITING
DEPENDENT/INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
SIMPLE/COMPOUND SENTENCES
 WRITING SKILL

Independent clause: An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. It contains a

subject and a verb and is a complete idea.
1. I love dogs.
2. She hates dogs.

Dependent clause: A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must be attached to

an independent clause to become complete. This is also known as a subordinate clause.
1. Although she hates dogs,....
2. Even if he is a 10, ….
3. …. because they are old.
 WRITING SKILL

Subject: A person, animal, place, thing, or concept that does an action. Determine the subject in
a sentence by asking the question “Who or what?”

Verb: Expresses what the person, animal, place, thing, or concept does. Determine the verb in a
sentence by asking the question “What was the action or what happened?”

Object: A person, animal, place, thing, or concept that receives the action. Determine the object
in a sentence by asking the question “The subject did what?” or “To whom?/For whom?”

Prepositional Phrase: A phrase that begins with a preposition (i.e., in, at for, behind, until, after,
of, during) and modifies a word in the sentence. A prepositional phrase answers one of many
questions. Here are a few examples: “Where? When? In what way?
 WRITING SKILL

I like spaghetti for dinner.

He reads many books in the library.
 Types of sentences
WRITING SKILL

A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb, and it may also have an object and modifiers.
However, it contains only one independent clause.
● She wrote.
● She completed her literature review.
● He organized his sources by theme.
● They studied APA rules for many hours.

A compound sentence contains at least two independent clauses. These two independent
clauses can be combined with a comma and a coordinating conjunction or with a semicolon.
● She completed her literature review, and she created her reference list.
● He organized his sources by theme; then, he updated his reference list.
● They studied APA rules for many hours, but they realized there was still much to learn.
 Types of sentences
WRITING SKILL

Coordinating conjunctions connect words or phrases that serve the same grammatical
purpose in a sentence. There are seven main coordinating conjunctions in English, which form
the acronym FANBOYS:
F: for: The teachers were frustrated, for the school had cut funding for all enrichment programs.*
A: and: In this course, I will write a literature review, a case study, and a final paper.**
N: nor: The students did not complete their homework, nor did they pass the test.
B: but: The study is several years old but still valuable to this study.
O: or: At the end of the class, the students can choose to write an essay or take a test.
Y: yet: The patient complained of chronic pain, yet she refused treatment.
S: so: I have only been a nurse for one year, so I have little experience with paper charting.

* "For" is rarely used as a conjunction in modern English.

** When the conjunctions "and" and "or" connect three or more words or phrases, use a serial comma to separate items in the
series.