Chapter 9: Subject-Verb Agreement 8 th Grade English

Lesson 1: Agreement in Number A verb must agree with its subject in number. Number refers to whether a words is singular or plural. A word that refers to one person, place, thing, idea, action or condition is singular. A word that refers to more than one is plural.

Lesson 1: Agreement in Number Singular and Plural Subjects Singular subjects take singular verbs. Marla works cooperatively with her classmates. She listens carefully to their suggestions. Plural subjects take plural verbs. The players work together well as a team. They listen carefully to the coach. Most nouns that end in –s or –es are plural.

Lesson 1: Agreement in Number Verb Phrases In a verb phrase, it is the first helping verb that needs to agree with the subject. A verb phrase is made up of a main verb and one or more helping verbs. Lou has volunteered for the teen hotline. He is answering calls from troubled kids. Callers have asked for help. They have been seeking advice from their peers.

Lesson 1: Agreement in Number Contractions 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. Tiffany doesn’t attend folk concerts. You don’t like to shop. They don’t enjoy noisy, crowded malls.

Lesson 2: Compound Subjects A compound subject is made up of two or more subjects joined by a conjunction such as and, or, or nor.

Lesson 2: Compound Subjects Subjects Joined by And A compound subject whose parts are joined by and usually takes a plural verb. Career counselors and employers match people with the right jobs. Sometimes a compound subject joined by and refers to a single thing or idea, so a singular verb is used. Law and order appeals strongly to Victoria.

Lesson 2: Compound Subjects Subjects Joined by Or or Nor When the parts of a compound subject are joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part closest to it. Neither outdoor work nor office tasks suit Matt very well. Neither office tasks nor outdoor work suits Matt very well.

Lesson 3: Agreement Problems in Sentences Some sentences can be tricky, such as those with subjects in unusual positions, those containing predicate nouns, or those in which prepositional phrases separate subjects and verbs.

Lesson 3: Agreement Problems in Sentences Subjects in Unusual Positions A subject can follow a verb or part of a verb phrase in a question, a sentence beginning with here or there, or a sentence in which an adjective, an adverb, or a phrase is placed first.

Lesson 3: Agreement Problems in Sentences Subjects in Unusual Positions Type of SentenceExample QuestionDoes birth order shape personality? Sentence beginning with here or there Here are some famous first- borns with successful careers. Sentence beginning with a phrase From years of study come our ideas about birth order.

Lesson 3: Agreement Problems in Sentences The following tips can help you find the subject in one of these kinds of sentences. (IS/ARE) last-borns more rebellious than middle children? Turn the sentence around, putting the subject before the verb. Last borns (is/are) more rebellious than middle children. Determine whether the subject is singular or plural. Last-borns (plural) Make sure the subject and verb agree. Last borns are more rebellious than middle children.

Lesson 3: Agreement Problems in Sentences Predicate Nouns In a sentence containing a predicate noun, the verb should agree with the subject, not the predicate noun. One interesting topic is dreams and their meaning. Dreams are the voice of the subconscious.

Lesson 3: Agreement Problems in Sentences Prepositional Phrases The subject of a verb is NEVER found in a prepositional phrase. Don’t be fooled by words that come between a subject and a verb. Mentally block out these words. This book by two psychologists describes personality traits. Some theories of personality development are complex.

Lesson 4: Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects Some pronouns do not refer to a definite, or specific, person, place, thing, or idea. These pronouns are called indefinite pronouns. When used as subjects, some indefinite pronouns are always singular, some are always plural, and others can be either, depending on how they’re used.

Lesson 4: Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects Indefinite Pronouns SingularPluralEither anothereveryonesomebodybothall anybodyeverythingsomeonefewany anyoneneithersomethingmanymost anythingnobodyseveralnone eachNo onesome eithernothing everybodyone

Lesson 4: Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs. Everyone wonders how twins get along. Anything about twins fascinates me. Plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs. Many of my friends know a pair of twins. Several are twins themselves.

Singular or Plural? The indefinite pronouns a ll, any, most, none, and s ome 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 noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb. Most of this book deals with twin research. All of the studies have been conducted by scientists.

Lesson 5: Problem Subjects When collective nouns, nouns ending in –s, titles, and numerical expressions are used as subjects, it can be difficult to tell whether they’re singular or plural.

Lesson 5: Problem Subjects Collective Nouns Collective nouns are groups of people or things. Common collective nouns: group, class, team, staff, jury, family, committee. Many collective nouns can take singular or plural verbs. When a collective noun refers to people or things acting as a group, it takes a singular verb. The choir performs each year in the talent show. When a collective noun refers to people or things acting as individuals, it takes a plural verb. The choir come from different schools.

Lesson 5: Problem Subjects Singular Nouns Ending in –S Some nouns that end in –s or –ics look plural but are actually singular. When used as subjects, they take singular verbs. Singular nouns with Plural Forms: measles, news, politics, mathematics, physics, economics, ceramics, molasses Politics attracts people with strong leadership qualities. The weekend news features local personalities.

Lesson 5: Problem Subjects Titles Titles of works of art, literature, and music are singular. Even a title consisting of a plural noun takes a singular verb. The Outsiders is a popular young-adult novel

Lesson 5: Problem Subjects Measures and Amounts Words and phrases that express weights, measures, numbers, and lengths of time are often treated as singular. They take singular verbs when they refer to amounts rather than numbers of individual terms. Measures: three cups, forty miles Three pounds is the approximate weight of an adult human’s brain. Amounts: two hours, eight dollars Five hours is a long time to wait for lunch.

Lesson 5: Problem Subjects Measures and Amounts, cont. Fractions can take a singular or plural verb, depending on whether they refer to a single part or to a number of items. One-tenth of the brain’s cells are lost during a lifetime. One-half of the cerebrum controls the body’s left side.