Subject-Verb Agreement

1
Subject-Verb Agreement
2
Subjects

• Subject who or what the sentence is about
• Subjects come in two kinds
• Singular one person/thing
• Plural more than one

3
Verbs

• Verbs are action words they show what the
  subject is doing, or make a statement about the
  subject
• Just like subjects, there are two types of verbs
• Singular Verbs In the present tense, end in
  s throws, finds, jumps.
• Plural verbs In the present tense, do not end
  in s throw, find, jump.

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Agreement

• Singular subjects need singular verbs
• My mom likes to go shopping.
• Plural subjects need plural verbs
• My parents like my new shirt.

5
Disagreement is bad!

• There are a few tricky situations to watch out
  for
• Separation of subject and verb
• Coordinating Conjunctions
• Collective nouns
• Pronouns

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Separation of subject and verb

• Watch out for unnecessary words between the
  subject and the verb
• Incorrect The reports, which covered the
  colonization of Africa, leaves out too much
  information.
• Correct My plumber, as well as my grandparents,
  loves to sing karaoke.
• To correct these errors, identify the subject and
  verb and make sure that they are both singular or
  plural.

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Coordinating Conjunctions

• And The word and takes subjects and combines
  them.
• Steve and Laura fail grammar tests.
• Or The word or keeps subjects separate
• Either Steve or Laura fails grammar tests.
• Nor The word nor keeps subjects separate
• Neither Steve nor Laura fails grammar tests.

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Special Special Tricks

• Or and nor keep subjects SEPARATE, not
  necessarily SINGULAR!
• Either the monkeys or the zebras eat donuts on
  Saturdays.
• If the two nouns are different (one is singular,
  one is plural) go with the noun that is closer to
  the verb.
• Either the monkeys or that one zebra eats donuts
  on Saturdays.

9
Collective Nouns

• A collective noun is a singular noun which
  represents a group of people or things.
• If you are referring to the group as one unit, it
  is singular.
• i.e. the class, the Bahamas
• The Philippines is a great travel destination.

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Pronouns

• Many pronouns which sound plural are singular.
• Singular Pronouns everyone, everybody, nobody,
  anybody, each.
• Each of the plays holds the audiences attention.
• Everyone dances the electric slide.
• Plural Pronouns both, few, many, several
• Few people dance as well as Mr. Horwitz.