Subject Verb Agreement

1. Subject Verb Agreement Chapter 5

2. A verb should agree in number with its subject. • Singular • A word that refers to one person, place, thing, or idea. • He washes the dishes. (He is a singular subject so washes agrees.) • Plural • A word that refers to more that on person, place, thing, or idea. • They wash the dishes. (They is a plural subject, so wash agrees.)

3. Singular and Plural • A singular noun • NO S on the end of it • Dog, cat, building • A singular verb • Can have an S on the end of it. • Attracts, holds, walks, attends • A plural noun • Can have an S on the end of it. • Dogs, Cats, buildings • A plural verb • Normally no S on the end of it • Sing, graduate, laugh

4. Choose the correct verb • People (walks, walk) • House (has stood, have stood) • Cattle (is running, are running) • Result(is, are) • Women (seems, seem) • Children (sings, sing) • To whisper (is, are) • Phoebe (reads, read)

5. Answers • People (walks, walk) • House (has stood, have stood) • Cattle (is running, are running) • Result(is, are) • Women (seems, seem) • Children (sings, sing) • To whisper (is, are) • Phoebe (reads, read)

6. The number of the subject usually is not determined by a word in a phrase or clause following the subject. • The apartments across the street do not have balconies. • Do have agrees with apartments, not street. • The planes pulling up to the gate were purchased by a movie company. • Were purchased agrees with planes, not gate. •  Eli, one of my friends, was late. • Was agrees with Eli, not friends. • The movie that I saw two weeks ago was reviewed in today’s paper. • Was reviewed agrees with movie, not weeks.

7. Words in phrases • As well as, along with, together with, and in addition to are compound prepositions. Words in phrases beginning with compound prepositions do not affect the number of the subject or verb. • Example: Anne, together with her cousins, is backpacking in Nevada.

8. A negative construction following the subject does not change the number of the subject • Carl, not Juan and I, (is doing, are doing) the artwork • Singular subject: Carl • Singular Verb: is doing • Burt, not Anne and Laura, (has, have) borrowed the bicycle pump. • Singular subject: Burt • Singular Verb: has

9. Practice • These pictures (show, shows) how noodles are prepared. • SHOW • First, the noodle maker (roll, rolls) out the dough as thin as possible. • ROLLS • Then, the cook (slice, slices) the folded layers. • SLICES

10. Practice (cont.) • Next, the strands of noodles (is, are) separated and dusted with flour to prevent sticking. • ARE • After the noodles have dried a little, they (go, goes) into boiling water or broth to cook. • GO • The Japanese (enjoy, enjoys) noodles made from either wheat flour, or buckwheat flour. • ENJOY

11. Practice (cont) • A dish of cooked noodles mixed with sauce, broth, fish, or vegetables (makes, make) a popular lunch. • MAKES • Noodle shops all over Japan (serves, serve) a variety of noodle dishes. • SERVE • These shops often (resemble, resembles) fast-food restaurants in the United States. • RESEMBLE

12. Identify the subject and choose the correct verb. • A heaping basket of turnip greens (was, were) sitting on the counter. • Subject : basket • Verb: Was • The cost of two new snow tires (was, were) more than I had expected. • Subject: cost • Verb: was • The community college course on collecting stamps always (attracts, attract) many people. • Subject: course • Verb: attracts