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Subject-VerbAgreement AcademicWriting IMarch 9th, 2022
Today’scontents • InterveningPrepositionalPhrases • AgreementwithLinkingVerbs • Agreement in InvertedSentences • AgreementwithSpecialSubjects • AgreementwithCompoundSubjects • InterveningExpressions • IndefinitePronouns as Subjects
InterveningPrepositionalPhrases A verb must agree with its subject in person and number. Number can be singular or plural. Singular words indicate one and take a singular verb. Plural words indicate more than one and take a plural verb. To show agreement, most verbs change form only in the present tense: when the subject is third-person singular, an -s (or -es) is added to the base verb.
InterveningPrepositionalPhrases An exception is the linking verb be, which changes form in both the present tense and the past tense.
InterveningPrepositionalPhrases In order to show agreement with third-person subjects, the auxiliary verbs be, have, and do change form in verb phrases.
InterveningPrepositionalPhrases Do not mistake a word in a prepositional phrase for the subject of a sentence. The subject of a sentence is never the object of a preposition. The verb must agree with the simple subject of the sentence, not with the object of a preposition. The color of the rosesplease us. Theflowers for the bouquetispretty. The color of the roses pleases us. The flowers for the bouquet are pretty.
AgreementwithLinkingVerbs Do not be confused by a predicate nominative that is different in number from the subject. Only the subject affects the number of the linking verb.
AgreementwithLinkingVerbs The last course was strawberries with cream. The singular verb, was, agrees with the singular subject, course, not with the predicate nominative, strawberries.
AgreementwithLinkingVerbs The main courses for the dinner were a selection of fish dishes. The plural verb, were, agrees with the plural subject, courses, not with the predicate nominative, selection.
AgreementwithLinkingVerbs My favorite part of musicals is the duets. The singular verb, is, agrees with the singular subject, part, not with the predicate nominative, duets.
Agreement in InvertedSentences In an inverted sentence—a sentence in which the subject follows the verb—take care in locating the simple subject and make sure that the verb agrees with the subject.
Agreement in InvertedSentences Because an inverted sentence often begins with a prepositional phrase, the object of the preposition may easily be mistaken for the subject. In an inverted sentence, however, the subject follows the verb.
Agreement in InvertedSentences Inverted sentences may also begin with the word “there” or “here”. “There” or “here” is almost never the subject of a sentence.
Agreement in InvertedSentences In interrogative sentences, the subject may come after an auxiliary verb. In this case, you will find the subject between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.
AgreementwithSpecialSubjects A collective noun names a group. Consider a collective noun singular when it refers to a group as a whole. Consider a collective noun plural when it refers to each member of a group individually. • SINGULAR The squadron of planes soars.PLURAL The squadron land one at a time. • SINGULAR The crowd cheers.PLURAL The crowd rush to find their seats.
AgreementwithSpecialSubjects Certain nouns that end in -s, such as mumps, measles, and mathematics, take singular verbs. SINGULAR Mathematics interests many people. Certain other nouns that end in -s, such as scissors, pants, binoculars, and eyeglasses, take plural verbs. PLURAL The scissors were defective. Your pants are too short. Many nouns that end in -icsmay be singular or plural, depending upon their meaning. SINGULAR Politics is often interesting. [one subject of interest] PLURAL His politics are shameless. [more than one action of a political nature]
AgreementwithSpecialSubjects Nouns of Amount When a noun of amount refers to a total that is considered as one unit, it is singular.When it refers to a number of individual units, it is plural. SINGULAR Four dollars is a fair price. [one amount]PLURAL Four dollars lie on the sidewalk. [four individual bills] SINGULAR Two months is the waiting period. [one unit of time]PLURAL Two months have gone by. [two individual time periods]
AgreementwithCompoundSubjects Compound Subjects Joined by And A compound subject that is joined by and or both . . . and is plural unless its parts belong to one unit or they both refer to the same person or thing.
AgreementwithCompoundSubjects Compound Subjects Joined by Or or Nor With compound subjects joined by or or nor (or by either . . . or or neither . . . nor), the verb always agrees with the nearer subject.
AgreementwithCompoundSubjects Many a, Every, and Each with Compound Subjects When “many a”, “every”, or “each” precedes a compound subject, the subject is considered singular.
InterveningExpressions • Certain expressions, such as accompanied by, as well as, in addition to, plus, and together with, have a meaning that is similar to that of and, but they do not form a compound subject. These intervening expressions introduce phrases that modify the subject but do not change its number.
InterveningExpressions • If a singular subject is linked to another noun by an intervening expression, such as “accompanied by”, the subject is still considered singular.
IndefinitePronouns as Subjects A verb must agree in number with an indefinite pronoun subject. • Indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural, as indicated on the following chart.
IndefinitePronouns as Subjects Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs. Plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs.
IndefinitePronouns as Subjects As indicated on the chart, some indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural, depending upon the nouns to which they refer. • SINGULAR All of the money is gone. [All refers to money, a singular noun.] Most of the cake was gone by noon. [Most refers to cake, a singular noun.] • PLURAL All of the children want dessert. [All refers to children, a plural noun.] Most of the students were in favor of the field trip. [Most refers to students, a plural noun.]
