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Subject-Verb Agreement. A verb must agree in number with its subject. SING. The phone rate is affordable for everyone. PL. The clients are waiting for our decision. Examples. Customers [calls, call] the company daily. He [seeks, seek] for more answers to this question.
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A verb must agree in number with its subject. SING The phone rate is affordable for everyone. PL The clients are waiting for our decision.
Examples Customers [calls, call] the company daily. He [seeks, seek] for more answers to this question.
There are tricky rules, but the bottom line is: PLURAL SUBJECT = PLURAL VERB SINGLE SUBJECT = SINGLE VERB
Exercises 1. The plan (was, were) based on customer feedback. 2. The team (recognizes, recognize) the manager’s efforts. 3. Sheila (pays, pay) her bills through the phone.
Exercises 4. The customers (is, are) aware of the company’s system updates. 5. If symptoms (persists, persist), consult your doctor. 6. Keypad locking (helps, help) protect you computer.
Exercises 7. You (calls, call) for technical support tonight. 8. They (dials, dial) the toll free number for customer support. 9. The wild geese (has, have) flown southward.
The S rule A plural action verb is always used with a plural subject. Most subjects that are plural end in s. Exceptions: “I” and “you” Plural verbs DO NOT end in s.
Plural Singular S S Nouns S S Verbs
Rule: Pronouns ending in –one, -body, and -thing always take singular verbs. Examples Everyone associated with the project [is, are] proud to be part of the effort. Somebody [has, have] to be responsible. Something [is, are] on the table.
WORDS IN BETWEEN Pretend they’re not there, then choose a verb. What if there are words between the subject and the verb? The best thing about birthdays [is/are] the presents.
Rule: EACH, EVERY, OTHER, MUCH always take singular verbs Examples Much [has, have] been said about this new book. Each child [gets, get] a balloon today.
Tip: Don’t be confused by phrases that come between the subject pronoun and its verb — phrases that may contain plural words. Example Each of the project partners [is, are] responsible for writing a chapter summary.
Each of the project partners is responsible for writing a chapter summary.
However… EACH takes a plural verb if it appears after a noun. Examples The doctors and nurses each [has, have] contributed to this program. The children each [gets, get] a balloon today.
Rule: The verb with ALL and SOME will be determined by whether the word is referring to something that is COUNTABLE or not. Examples Some of the students in the cafeteria [has, have] voted already. Some of the grain [was, were] ruined by the flood.
Rule: NONE may be considered singular or plural. Examples None of the representatives [has, have] indicated how he or she will vote. None of the representatives [has, have] indicated how they will vote.
Rule: With fractions or decimal equivalents, determine by what is being referred to: is it COUNTABLE or not? Examples Two-fifths of the grain [is, are] ruined. One-half of the students [was, were] convinced that there would be no final exams this year.
Exercises 1. Everything (was, were) perfectly executed according to plans. 2. Some of the sugar (was, were) used for Uncle Ned’s coffee. 3. All of the trainees (was, were) not ready for the exam.
Exercises 4. One-half of the target (was, were) accomplished. 5. Some things (was, were) meant to be forgotten. 6. Everybody from the party (is, are) going to the graduation ball.
Rule: Two or more subjects joined with “and” become plural and require a plural verb. Examples Globe and Smart [competes, compete] against each other. She and Mark [is, are] partners.
However… when the joined nouns are treated as one, it will require a singular verb Examples My brother and best friend [gives, give] me excellent advice. Pork and beans [is, are] popular among kids.
Note: Phrases like “together with”, “accompanied by”, “as well as” and “along with” are NOT the same as “and”. Watch out for determiners like “the”, “my”, “a” and “an” for they usually suggest whether joined nouns are treated as one or otherwise.
Remember Words in between the subject and the verb DO NOT change the number of the subject. Example Homer, together with Bart and Lisa, [munches, munch] on his snacks while watching television.
Rule: Either and Neither (without their sidekicks or and nor) take singular verbs. Examples Neither of these choices [appears, appear] to be satisfactory. The purchasing office will lend me a company car or compensate me for travel expenses. Either [is, are] fine with me.
Rule: When either and neither act as correlative conjunctions, the subject that is closer to the verb determines the number of the verb. Example Neither the principal nor the teachers [is, are] at fault. Either the teachers or the principal [has, have] to be responsible for the festival. [Has, Have] either the President or his aides been in touch with you?
Exercises 1. Toyota and Honda [is, are] the leading manufacturers of cars. 2. Mrs. Cruz, along with James and Andrew, [is, are] preparing for the concert. 3. Either Andrew or James [is, are] going to be the master of ceremonies.
Exercises 4. Neither [is, are] participating as performers in the concert. 5. His uncle and my father [is, are] planning a surprise party for Uncle Ned. 6. My adviser and friend [is, are] moving to Chicago next week.
Exercises 7. Mary, together with her children, (rides, ride) the bus everyday. 8. Emily and Jack (needs, need) five computers for their presentation. 9. The agents, along with a manager, (reviews, review) the company policies.
Exercises 10. His father and sponsor (cuts, cut) the ribbon. 11. This device, along with its attachments (has, have) a lot of features. 12. PLDT, together with its subsidiaries, (offers, offer) a variety of services.
Exercises 13. My best friend and my sister (reads, read) four books a week. 14. The officer and my father (executes, execute) difficult decisions everyday. 15. The computer and the projector (is, are) ready for your presentation.
Rule: Sentences that begin with HERE or THERE place subjects after the verb. Example There [is, are] several explanations for the Civil War. If the management team takes this attitude, there [is, are] very little latitude for negotiation. We were looking down the street when —all of a sudden — here [comes, come] Joe and his two brothers.
Rule: With “of phrases,” try turning the sentence “inside-out” to find the right subject-verb combination. Example ? ? ? Connecticut is one of those states that [have, has] adopted a state income tax. Turn this around to . . . . Of those states that [has, have] adopted a state income tax, Connecticut is one.
Rule: Titles of films, companies and such usually take singular verbs. Example The Untouchables [was/were] a good movie. Lion Films [produces, produce] quality movies.
Rule: The expression THE NUMBER takes a singular verb while A NUMBER takes a plural verb. Example The number of absent trainees [is, are] small. A number of trainees [is, are] absent today.
Exercises 1. There [was, were] many people in the yard. 2. Of the people who applied for this position, they [is, are] the chosen ones. 3. Pirates of the Caribbean [was, were] shown last year.
Exercises 4. Here [is, are] my contribution for the project. 5. Out of the millions who auditioned, Kara, together with eleven others [was, were] chosen as winner. 6. Dell and IBM [is, are] big companies.
Exercises 7. The number of websites in the list [is, are] amazingly small. 8. A number of militant groups [is, are] outside Malacañang.
agree A verb must ________________ with its __________. subject A plural action verb is always used with ________________. a plural subject end in -s Plural verbs do not __________.
