subject verb agreement
TRANSCRIPT
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Rodel Bryan C. Valdez BSEd IV-A
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
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Basic Rules•Singular subject needs a singular verb
•Plural subject needs a plural verb
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Making sure that the subject agrees
with verb
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Step One
Find the subject(s) of the sentence.
Example:
The topic is controversial, so the studentshave strong opinions.
I am studying biology because it
has always interested me
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Step Two
Look for these kinds of verbs
a. Verbs in the simple present tense
b. BE verbs
c. HAVE verbs
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Verbs in the Simple Present Tense
• If the subject is any noun that can be replaced with he, she, or it, add –s to the simple form of the verb.
The head nurse inspects the patients.Subject Verb
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• If the subject is any noun that can be replaced with they (or is the pronouns I, we, you or they), just use the simple form of the verb.
I / you / we / they inspect the patients.
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BE Verbs
• BE verbs can be used alone.
I am Bryan.
You / We / They are helpful.
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• BE verbs can be helping verbs
I am studying
You / We / They are studying
biology
biology
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HAVE Verbs
• HAVE verbs can be used alone.
I / You / We / They havestrong opinions.
The school has helpful teachers.
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• HAVE verbs can be used as helping verbs.
I / You / We / They have studied
It has always
already.
interested me.
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The following create problems:
• Pronouns such as everyone, anybody, each, and someone seem to be plural but are actually singular and require singular verbs.
Someone to answer the phone.Each person deserves
hasto be educated.
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The following create problems:
• Phrases that come between the subject pronoun and its verb may contain plural words and tend to be confusing.
Each of the boys deserves
Each of the basketball playersisexcited about tonight’s game.
a prize.
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The following create problems:
• When the Subject is a Quantity.
One hundred thousand light years are
an extremely long time.One hundred thousand light years is
an extremely long time.X
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The following create problems:• When the Subject is a Collective
Noun.
Examples: Observe the following sentencesThe team of scientists monitors the galaxy.The teams of scientists disagree about those stars.
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The following create problems:
• Verbs that accompany pronouns such as all and some will be determined by whether the pronoun is referring to something that is COUNTABLE or not.
Some of the salt wasspilled on the floor.
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The following create problems:
• None is usually regarded as singular, but it can be used as a plural pronoun.
None of the boys has helped at the game.
OR
None of the boys have helped at the game.
Either is correct!
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The following create problems:
• When a singular and plural subject are connected by either/or or neither/nor put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
Jacob nor the others are available.Neither
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The following create problems:
• When either and neither appear as a subject alone (without the words or and nor), they are singular.
Examples:
• Either of those answers seems to be right.
• You can have the bed by the window or the one by the door. Either is okay with me.
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The following create problems:
• When the Subject Comes after its Verb.
There is one significant reason why men remarry.
There are many reasons why men remarry.
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The following create problems:
• The expression the number is followed by a singular verb while the expression a number is followed by a plural verb.
Example:The number of people we need to hire
is thirteen.
A number of people have writtenin about this subject.
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Directions: If the subject and verb are in agreement say "correct." If they are not, say the correct answer
Let’s get it on!
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He am busy.• Correct• Is• Are • Were• Does
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The students are going to school.
• Correct• Is• Was• Did• Does
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Bill are going to the store
• Correct• Were• Is• Did• Does
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Here is the books you need for your assignment.
• Correct• Are• Were• Was• Does
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Neither those women nor this one is unfulfilled.
• Correct• Am• Are • Were• Did
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Everyone at the movie theater is taking a dollar.
• Correct• Are• Am• Were• Does
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Everything contribute to the problem.
• Correct• Contributes• Are contributing• Were contributing• Has contribute
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Either of us is capable of doing the job.
• Correct• Were• Are• Does• Have
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Neither the employers nor the union desire a strike vote.
• Correct• Desires• Are desire• Has desire• Is desire
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Directions:
From the two choices given in the parentheses, choose the correct word that makes the subject and verb agree.
Let’s do it!
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1. (Artists, artist) need to be keen observers
2. (He, we) has been very noisy in class.
3. Here is your (paper, papers).
4. Have (you, he) ever been in love with her?
5. (You, I) are the greatest person I have ever met!
6. (He, I) am feeling nervous right now.
7. Either of the (parent, parents) is going to school.
8. (The number, a number) of students who are cheating is increasing.
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Sources:
• http://resources.jjay.cuny.edu/erc/tutoring/pdfs/30.pdf
• http://writinghood.com/style/basic-rules-of-subject-verb-agreement/http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/subjectVerbAgree.asp
• http://www.takdangaralin.com/english/communication-skills/problems-in-subject-verb-agreement/