Notes Subject and Verb Agreement
Singular subjects take singular verbs.
The cat sits in the window.
Plural subjects take plural verbs.
The cats sit in the window.
HINT NOTICE THE SINGULAR VERB HAS AN S, THE PLURAL VERB DOES NOT.
Steps for finding the SUBJECT
1. Turn a question into a statement.
2. Find the verb
3. Get rid of prepositional phrases.
4. Cross out here and there.
5. Ask who or what is doing the action of the verb.
The number of subjects is not changed by phrases following the subject(s).
Give prepositional phrases the boot!
One of the computers is broken.
Negative construction does not affect the subject.
Ex. Susan, not Jack and Jill, is going on vacation.
HINT If you are unsure if a verb is singular or plural, substitute he for the singular subject and we for the plural subject.
He is tall.
We are Ducks
A singular pronoun when used as the subject will always use a singular verb.
Singular pronouns: EACH, EITHER, NEITHER, ONE, EVERYONE, EVERYBODY, NO ONE, NOBODY, ANYONE, ANYBODY, SOMEONE, SOMEBODY
Each of the students has access to a computer.
A plural pronoun when used as the subject will use a plural verb.
Plural pronouns: SEVERAL, FEW, BOTH, MANY
Several of the students have access to a computer.
Some pronouns can be either singular or plural: SOME, ALL, ANY, MOST, NONE
The way to tell if the pronoun is either singular or plural is by asking is the pronoun saying how much or how many?
How much = singular
How many = plural
Some of the candy is gone. Some answers the question how much, so it is being used as a singular pronoun.
All of the students have a video for homework. All answers the question how many, so it is being used as a plural pronoun.
NOTE: Singular pronouns will always be used as singular pronouns, it does not matter if it is answering the question how much or how many. The only pronouns that are determined to be singular or plural by answering the question how much or how many are some, all, any, most, and none as they can be either singular or plural.
Most compound subjects joined by and take a plural verb.
Jen and Jan are roommates.
Singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb.
When a singular and plural subject are joined by or or nor the verb agrees with the closest subject.
Neither the teacher nor the parents want to see the school budget cut.
Neither the parents nor the teacher wants to see the school budget cut.
Collective nouns can be either singular or plural
A collective noun is a word that names a group of persons or objects.
The collective noun is singular if it is thought of as a unit as a whole.
The collective noun is plural when members of the group are thought of as individuals acting separately.
A verb agrees with the subject not the predicate nominative.
A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames the subject.
Subj. Pre. Nom.
The worst thing for a dog is fleas.
Here and there are not subjects.
In a sentence that starts with here or there the subject follows the verb.
Subject
Here is the answer to the question.
Subject
There are your parents.
Words stating amount are usually singular.
Words stating amount are usually thought of as one unit. When words stating amount are thought of as individual units, it takes a plural verb.
A thousand dollars is a lot of money.
Fifty short minutes fly by during class.
Every and Many a before a word or series of words is followed by a singular verb.
Every child and adult is effected by the school.
Many a child looks forward to his or her first day of school.
The title of a work of art, literature, or music, even if plural in form, takes a singular verb.
The Three Little Pigs is a great children’s story.
Don’t and doesn’t must agree with their subject.
Doesn’t = singular
Don’t = plural
He doesn’t have homework.
They don’t care for brussel sprouts.
A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in gender and number.
The antecedent is the word to which a pronoun refers.
Masculine words take masculine pronouns; feminine words take feminine pronouns.
The number of a relative pronoun (who, which, that) is determined by the number of the word to which it refers.
Singular words: each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody are referred to by singular pronouns: he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its.
Two or more singular antecedents joined by or or nor should be referred to by a singular pronoun.
Two or more antecedents joined by and should be referred to by a plural pronoun.
When gender is not specified, use both the masculine and feminine pronouns or rewrite the sentence.
A senior is excited about his or her upcoming graduation.
The seniors are excited about their upcoming graduation.
A reflexive pronoun, one that ends in –self or –selves, must refer to an antecedent that is mentioned earlier in the sentence.
Incorrect- Terry and myself have two children ourselves.
Correct- Terry and I have two children ourselves.
A pronouns antecedent should be clearly stated.
A personal pronoun should always refer to a single, obvious antecedent. A personal pronoun should always be close enough to the antecedent to prevent confusion.
Use the personal pronoun you only when the reference is truly to the reader or the listener.
The cat sits in the window.
Plural subjects take plural verbs.
The cats sit in the window.
HINT NOTICE THE SINGULAR VERB HAS AN S, THE PLURAL VERB DOES NOT.
Steps for finding the SUBJECT
1. Turn a question into a statement.
2. Find the verb
3. Get rid of prepositional phrases.
4. Cross out here and there.
5. Ask who or what is doing the action of the verb.
The number of subjects is not changed by phrases following the subject(s).
Give prepositional phrases the boot!
One of the computers is broken.
Negative construction does not affect the subject.
Ex. Susan, not Jack and Jill, is going on vacation.
HINT If you are unsure if a verb is singular or plural, substitute he for the singular subject and we for the plural subject.
He is tall.
We are Ducks
A singular pronoun when used as the subject will always use a singular verb.
Singular pronouns: EACH, EITHER, NEITHER, ONE, EVERYONE, EVERYBODY, NO ONE, NOBODY, ANYONE, ANYBODY, SOMEONE, SOMEBODY
Each of the students has access to a computer.
A plural pronoun when used as the subject will use a plural verb.
Plural pronouns: SEVERAL, FEW, BOTH, MANY
Several of the students have access to a computer.
Some pronouns can be either singular or plural: SOME, ALL, ANY, MOST, NONE
The way to tell if the pronoun is either singular or plural is by asking is the pronoun saying how much or how many?
How much = singular
How many = plural
Some of the candy is gone. Some answers the question how much, so it is being used as a singular pronoun.
All of the students have a video for homework. All answers the question how many, so it is being used as a plural pronoun.
NOTE: Singular pronouns will always be used as singular pronouns, it does not matter if it is answering the question how much or how many. The only pronouns that are determined to be singular or plural by answering the question how much or how many are some, all, any, most, and none as they can be either singular or plural.
Most compound subjects joined by and take a plural verb.
Jen and Jan are roommates.
Singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb.
When a singular and plural subject are joined by or or nor the verb agrees with the closest subject.
Neither the teacher nor the parents want to see the school budget cut.
Neither the parents nor the teacher wants to see the school budget cut.
Collective nouns can be either singular or plural
A collective noun is a word that names a group of persons or objects.
The collective noun is singular if it is thought of as a unit as a whole.
The collective noun is plural when members of the group are thought of as individuals acting separately.
A verb agrees with the subject not the predicate nominative.
A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames the subject.
Subj. Pre. Nom.
The worst thing for a dog is fleas.
Here and there are not subjects.
In a sentence that starts with here or there the subject follows the verb.
Subject
Here is the answer to the question.
Subject
There are your parents.
Words stating amount are usually singular.
Words stating amount are usually thought of as one unit. When words stating amount are thought of as individual units, it takes a plural verb.
A thousand dollars is a lot of money.
Fifty short minutes fly by during class.
Every and Many a before a word or series of words is followed by a singular verb.
Every child and adult is effected by the school.
Many a child looks forward to his or her first day of school.
The title of a work of art, literature, or music, even if plural in form, takes a singular verb.
The Three Little Pigs is a great children’s story.
Don’t and doesn’t must agree with their subject.
Doesn’t = singular
Don’t = plural
He doesn’t have homework.
They don’t care for brussel sprouts.
A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in gender and number.
The antecedent is the word to which a pronoun refers.
Masculine words take masculine pronouns; feminine words take feminine pronouns.
The number of a relative pronoun (who, which, that) is determined by the number of the word to which it refers.
Singular words: each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody are referred to by singular pronouns: he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its.
Two or more singular antecedents joined by or or nor should be referred to by a singular pronoun.
Two or more antecedents joined by and should be referred to by a plural pronoun.
When gender is not specified, use both the masculine and feminine pronouns or rewrite the sentence.
A senior is excited about his or her upcoming graduation.
The seniors are excited about their upcoming graduation.
A reflexive pronoun, one that ends in –self or –selves, must refer to an antecedent that is mentioned earlier in the sentence.
Incorrect- Terry and myself have two children ourselves.
Correct- Terry and I have two children ourselves.
A pronouns antecedent should be clearly stated.
A personal pronoun should always refer to a single, obvious antecedent. A personal pronoun should always be close enough to the antecedent to prevent confusion.
Use the personal pronoun you only when the reference is truly to the reader or the listener.