Subject-Verb Agreement

1
Subject-Verb Agreement

• Pgs. 152-154

2
Singular and Plural Subjects

• In every sentence you write, the verb must agree
  with its subject in number.
• Use a singular verb with a singular subject and a
  plural verb with a plural subject.

3
Singular and Plural Subjects

• Singular
• The kitten plays. (notice that many singular
  verbs end in s)
• The dog barks.
• Plural
• The kittens play.
• The dogs bark.

4
Answer 1-6 on pg. 152

1. Lives
2. Make
3. Are
4. Hunts
5. Has
6. avoid

5
Compound Subjects

• A compound subject may have a singular or a
  plural verb, depending on the conjunction that
  you use.
• If you use and to join the parts of a compound
  subject use a plural verb.
• If you use or, nor, eitheror, or nor neither to
  join the parts of a compound subject, the verb
  agrees with the nearest subject.

6
Compound Subjects

• If you use and to join the parts of a compound
  subject use a plural verb.
• Shrews, moles, and toads eat insects.
• A mole and a toad were in my garden last night.

7
Compound Subjects

• If you use or, nor, eitheror, or nor neither to
  join the parts of a compound subject, the verb
  agrees with the nearest subject.
• Plural- Neither pandas nor koalas are in our zoo.
  
• Plural- Either a panda or two koalas live in that
  zoo.
• Singular- Two koalas or a panda is coming later.

8
Answer 7-16

• 7. Have
• 8. Are
• 9. Belong
• 10. Are
• 11. Are
• 12. Are
• 13. Provoke
• 14. Discharge
• 15. Turn
• 16. is

9
Summing Up

• A subject and a verb must agree in number.
• Use a plural verb with a compound subject joined
  by and.
• Use a verb that agrees with the nearer of two
  subjects joined by or.