Eng 10 Subject Verb Agreement

Objectives
 Recall basic subject-verb agreement rules,

 Choose appropriate verb to make correct
sentences, and
 Write sentences using correct subject-verb
agreement.
ubject
S erb
A V
greement
Basic Principle
Singular subjects need singular
verbs; plural subjects need
plural verbs.
Example:
My brother is a nutritionist.
My sisters are mathematicians.
SINGULA
RSubject Verb
My brother is a nutritionist.
Subject Verb
PLURAL
My sisters are mathematicians.
A singular subject takes a verb with
s/es in the simple present form
Subject Verb
 Example: She watches TV every night
before bedtime.
 Exception: I and You take the base form

of the verb.
Subject Verb
 You are beautiful.

Most of the time if the subject has s or es at
the end it is plural, if the verb has s or es
the verb is singular.
Example:
Girl Dances
Boys Speak
A compound subject joined by and, usually
requires a plural verb
Plural Verb
 Example: Bombay and Delhi are two important cities in India.
Compound Subject
 Exception: When the items of a compound subject joined by and refer
to the same person or thing or together represent a single unit or idea,
a singular verb is required.
Compound Subject
 Example: The secretary Singular
and treasurer of the club is a second year
student.
Rice and fish is my usual lunch. Singular Verb
A compound subject joined by or, nor, either…or
neither…nor requires a singular verb if both subjects
are singular.
Examples
Compound Subject
 Either he or she is right.

Verb
Verb
 Neither the guard nor the janitor has seen the
intruder.
Compound Subject
Note: When the items of the compound subject
joined by or, nor, differ in number or in person, the
verb agrees with the nearest subject.
Example:
Nearest Subject
Verb
 Either Ray or I am to blame.
 Neither Junior nor his brothers speak Cebuano.

 Neither Gia nor you are going to the market.
Intervening expressions like as well as, in addition to,
no less than, with, together with, besides, along with,
in company with, accompanied by, including, and
others do not affect the agreement between subject
and verb.
Example:
Subject Intervening Expression
Verb
 Marco, as well as his cousin, is frightened.
 The leaves of the narra tree are turning yellow.

Nouns plural in form but singular in meaning such
as economics, mathematics gallows, measles,
civics, mumps, physics, news, etc. require a singular
verb.
Examples:
Subject Plural in form Singular Verb
 Mathematics is a difficult subject.
 The news about the economy is discouraging.

Some nouns like pants, trousers, jeans, shears,
scissors, tweezers, and pliers are always plural.
Examples:
Subject Verb
 His pants are torn.
 The scissors are in my bag.

If the collective noun refers to the group as a unit, then
it takes a singular verb. If it refers to the individuals in
the group or the parts that make up the group, then the
verb should be plural.
Examples:
Subject
Verb
 The audience is big.
Subject Idea
Verb
 The audience were of different opinions about
the merits of the play.
Indefinite nouns, pronouns, and adjectives such as each,
every, another, any, one, neither, anyone, each one,
everyone, someone, no one, anybody, everybody,
somebody, something are singular and they require a
singular verb.
Examples: verb
Indefinite pronoun
 Each of the students has his own book.
 Everybody is busy.
 Neither of the guards is present.
Note: All, none, and some may take either a singular
or plural verb according to their meaning.
Examples:
Plural Idea
 All delegates are here.
Singular Idea
 All hope of regaining his lost prestige is lost.
The expression A number is always plural while
The number is singular.
Examples:
 A number of books were destroyed during the

flood.
 The number of books destroyed in the flood is

big.
When a relative pronoun is used as a subject of a verb,
the verb must agree in person and number with the
antecedent of the pronoun.
Examples:
Relative
Pronoun Verb
Antecedent
 He is one of those men who talk and think little.
 It is one of the most enjoyable cartoons that are
shown on television. This is the book that makes
us aware of the dangers of pollution.
There is (was, has been) should be used when the
subject that follows is singular; there are (were, have
been), when the subject that follows is plural.
Examples:
Verb Subject
 There is a man at the gate.
Verb Subject
 There are children on the playground.
Fractions take a singular verb if the object of the
following of-phrase is singular; they take a plural
verb if the object of the following of-phrase is plural.
Examples: Fraction Verb

 Two-thirds of the unit has already been taken up in class.
Of Phrase
 One-third of the athletes are out of the country.
Subject such as money currency, and unit
of measurement, even how high it is will
always have singular verb.
Example:
Verb
Money Currency
 Five thousand pesos is the rental of the apartment.
 Two kilometers
Measurement Unit is what I bike every day.
Verb
If the subjects are affirmative and negative, the verb
agrees in person and number with the affirmative
subject.
Example:
Affirmative Negative
Verb
 Pete, not I, is the person to do the job.
 Only one student, not five, is absent.
 I, not you, am to blame.

Remember that in inverted word order, the
subject comes after the verb.
 Example:
Verb Subject
 Where are the new books?
Verb Subject
 Why is the child crying?
T Y
VI
T I
AC
Choose the correct
form of the verb in
parentheses. Encircle
the best answer.
1. Sarah and her sisters (is, are) at school.
2. Either my aunt or my uncle (is, are) coming to the meeting.
3. The dog or the cats (is, are) outside.
4. Either my shoes or your coat (is, are) always on the floor.
5. Micko and Dannah (doesn’t, don’t) want to see that movie.
6. Benito (doesn.t, don.t) know the answer.
7. One of my friends (is, are) going on a trip to France.
8. The gentleman with all the birds (live, lives) on my street.
9. The movie, including all the previews, (take, takes) about two
hours to watch.
10. The players, as well as the coach, (want, wants) to win.

Eng 10 Subject Verb Agreement

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Objectives

 Recall basic subject-verb agreement rules,

 Exception: I and You take the base form

 You are beautiful.

 Either he or she is right.

 Neither Junior nor his brothers speak Cebuano.

 The leaves of the narra tree are turning yellow.

 The news about the economy is discouraging.

 The scissors are in my bag.

 A number of books were destroyed during the

 The number of books destroyed in the flood is

Examples: Fraction Verb

 Only one student, not five, is absent.

 I, not you, am to blame.

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