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Subject-Verb Agreement. Subject-Verb Agreement. In this chapter, you will learn how to make subjects and verbs agree. Agreement in Number. A verb must agree with its subject in number. Number refers to whether a word is singular or plural. . Singular and Plural Subjects.
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Subject-Verb Agreement • In this chapter, you will learn how to make subjects and verbs agree.
Agreement in Number • A verb must agree with its subject in number. • Number refers to whether a word is singular or plural.
Singular and Plural Subjects • Singular subjects take singular verbs. • Teamwork is important in a jazz band. • Plural subjects take plural verbs. • The musicians play without sheet music. • Most nouns that end in s or es are plural. For example, musicians and sounds are plural nouns. However, most verbs that end in s are singular. Listens and hears are both singular verb forms.
Verb Phrases • In a verb phrase, it is the first helping verb that agrees with the subject. • Remember! A verb phrase is made up of a main verb and one or more helping verbs. • Miles Davis has led groups in performance. • His music is becoming legendary. • All good groups have become teams.
Doesn’t and Don’t • Two contractions we often use are doesn’t and don’t. • Use doesn’t with all singular subjects except I and you. • Use don’t with all plural subjects and with the pronouns I and you. My mom doesn’t like our band. My friends don’t understand why.
Compound Subjects • A compound subject is made up of two or more subjects joined by a conjunction such as and, or, or nor. • Subjects Joined by And • A compound subject whose parts are joined by and usually takes a plural verb. • A firefighter and a paramedic help save lives. • Subjects Joined by Or orNor • When parts of a compound subject are joined by or ornor, the verb should agree with the part closest to it. • A professional or a volunteers serve on emergency teams. • Volunteers or a professional serves on emergency teams.
Phrases Between Subjects and Verbs • Many errors in subject-verb agreement occur when a prepositional phrase falls between the subject and verb. • The subject of a verb is never found in a prepositional phrase. • Don’t be fooled by words that come between the subject and the verb. Mentally block out those words. Then decide whether the subject is singular or plural and match the verb to it.
Phrases Between Subjects and Verbs • A team from several countries was working on the Russian space station Mir. • A teamfrom several countrieswas working on the Russian space station Mir. • Members of the Russian and American space programs pose together aboard Mir. • Membersof the Russian and American space programs pose together aboard Mir.
Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects • Some pronouns do not refer to a definite, or specific, person, place, thing, or idea. The pronouns are called indefinite pronouns. • When used as subjects, some indefinite pronouns are always singular. Some are always plural. Others can be singular or plural depending on how they’re used.
Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects • Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs. • Everyone (know, knows) about camels in desert caravans. • Everything about them (seem, seems) strange and exotic. • Plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs. • Few of us (realizes, realize) their importance to desert people. • Many (rely, relies) on the camel for everyday living. • Both of the camels in this photo (is, are)Bactrian camels.
Indefinite Pronouns • The indefinite pronouns all, any, most, none, and some can be either singular or plural. • When you use one of these words as a subject, think about the noun it refers to. • If the nouns is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb. • All of the camels carry supplies for humans on their humps. • Some of the Mongolian desert still has wild Bactrian camels.
Subjects in Unusual Positions • In some sentences, the subject comes after the verb or between parts of the verb phrase. For these sentences, you have to find the subject first to make the verb agree.
Sentences that Begin with a Prepositional Phrase • Writers sometimes start a sentence with a prepositional phrase. In some of these sentences, the verb comes after the subject. From his left hand comes Al’s 90-mile-an-hour pitch. • comes = verb • pitch = subject Sometimes it helps to rephrase the sentence. Al’s 90-mile-an-hour pitch comes from his left hand. Do you see it now? You just want to make sure that the subject and verb agree.
Sentences that Begin with Here or There • When a sentence begins with here or there, the subject often comes after the verb. • Here is a starting pitcher with a serious fastball. • There are several games on this field tonight.
Questions • In many questions, the subject follows the verb or comes between parts of the verb. • Does this goofball team ever win? • Do both boys play on the same team? • Again, you can rephrase the question. Answer your own question. • The goofball team does win. • Team = subject, does win = verb phrase • Both boys do play on the same team. • Boys = subject, do play = verb phrase
