SUBJECT- VERB AGREEMENTCan’t they all just get along?

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SUBJECT – VERB AGREEMENT Subjects and verbs must AGREE with one

another in number (singular or plural). 

Singular subjects take singular verbs

Plural subjects take plural verbs

WORKING IN THE PRESENT TENSEIn present tenses, nouns and verbs form plurals in

‘opposite’ ways:

Singular subject = ADD an ‘S’ to the VERB

Plural subject = NO ‘S’ on the VERB

All will become clear – promise!

SINGLE SUBJECTS + SINGLE VERBS

Single Subject Single Verb

The dog chases the cat.

The student works hard.

Susan drives to work.

PLURAL SUBJECTS + PLURAL VERBS

Plural Subject Plural Verb

The dogs chase the cat.

The students work hard.

Susan and Karen drive to work.

BE, DO, HAVE, GO, TEACH

The bag is on the floor. The bags are on the floor.

Barry does a great job. The workers do a great job.

Aadesh has three cats. The neighbours have three cats.

Bella goes swimming once a week. Bella and Darcy go swimming once a week.

Paul teaches Bella to swim. Paul and Mary teach Bella to swim.

AGREEMENT IN NUMBER

Choose correct form: The Hendersons is/are at the movie

theater.

The boxes has/have arrived from Spain.

The actor is/are reciting his lines.

PHRASES Sometimes a phrase will come between the

subject and verb, but don’t let this confuse you! You still only need the subject and verb agree.

The students at school has/have many different jobs.

Members of the club make/makes sandwiches at a shelter.

WATCH OUT FOR COMPOUND SUBJECTS When the parts of a compound subject are joined

by "and," treat the subject as plural, even if the individual parts are singular.

Which sentence is correct?

Danny and Rolando gets their share of rebounds.

Danny and Rolando get their share of rebounds.

SUBJECTS JOINED BY ‘OR’ OR ‘NO R’ When the parts of subject are joined by "or" or "nor,"

let the subject part nearest the verb determine whether the verb is singular or plural.

Which sentences are correct?Either the table or the chairs needs moving.Either the table or the chairs need moving.

Neither the chairs nor the table needs moving.Neither the chairs nor the table need moving.

DON'T BE MISLED BY FALSE SUBJECTS Ignore phrases or clauses that come between the subject

and verb.

What do we place in the gap here – has or have? The cracked windshield, in addition to the torn upholstery and

rusted body, __________ made Ruth’s old car difficult to sell.

Which sentence is correct? Forgetting your tickets cause problems. Forgetting your tickets causes problems.

WATCH OUT FOR COLLECTIVE NOUNS Words such as group, jury, crowd, team, and committee can

be singular or plural depending on the meaning of the subject.

For example:

The jury has awarded compensation to the victim.The jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the verb is singular.

The jury members have been arguing for days.The jury members are acting as individuals; therefore, the

verb is plural.

PLURAL SUBJECTS - SINGULAR OR PLURAL MEANING

Words such as mathematics, politics, economics take a singular or plural verb, depending on meaning.

Politics is an interesting subject.Politics is a single topic; therefore, the sentence has a

singular verb.

The politics of the situation are complicated.Politics refers to many aspects; therefore, the sentence

has a plural verb.

PLURAL SUBJECTS WITH PLURAL MEANING Words such as scissors and trousers have a plural meaning

and take a plural verb. The scissors are on the table.

In the following example, the subject of the sentence is pair. We see this as one pair and therefore the subject in singular.

The pair of scissors is on the table.

More than one pair… The two pairs of scissors are on the table.

SINGULAR INDEFINITE PRONOUNS The following words are treated as singular

subjects and take singular verbs.

Each of the students is responsible for doing work in the library.

Neither of the tables is laid.

anyone anybody anything one

everyone everybody everything each

someone somebody something either

no one nobody nothing neither

PLURAL INDEFINITE PRONOUNS The following words are treated as plural

subjects and take plural verbs

For example:

Several of the students are in the library.

several few both many

TASK1. The big tree with all the trimmings (make/makes)

the holidays special.

2. My brothers and sisters (enjoy/enjoys) mathematics.

3. Neither the director or actors (is/are) following the lines properly.

4. Neither the actors or director (is/are) following the lines properly.

TASK5. The committee (believe/believes) that waiting

until everyone arrives is important.

6. The committee (come/comes) from all parts of the city, so we usually start late.

7. Each of those opera singers regularly (hit/hits) notes high enough to break glass.

8. The pair of tweezers (is/are) on the dresser.

9. The tweezers (is/are) on the dresser.