Subject/Verb Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement

Subject & Verb Review What is a Subject? Your subject is the person, place, or thing that your sentence is about. Important reminders: Your sentence may have a compound subject. Your subject will never be in a prepositional phrase. Usually your subject comes before your verb.

What is a Verb? The main verb tells what the subject does or links the subject to another word that describes it. Action Verb: shows action subject performs I walk three miles every day. Linking Verb: connects subject to another word or words that describe it I am tired. Helping Verb: joins an action verb to form the complete verb I was walking three miles every day when the weather was warmer.

What is Subject-Verb Agreement? Subject-verb agreement means your subject and verb must match, or agree, in number. If you have a singular subject, then you must use a singular verb. The dog barks at every sound he hears. If you have a plural subject, then you must use a plural verb. The dogs bark at every sound they hear.

Subject-Verb Agreement It is important to know how your singular and plural subjects and verbs are formed! For your subject, which is a noun The singular form does not end in an –s The dog barks at every sound it hears. The plural form ends in an –s The dogs bark at every sound they hear. For your verb The singular form ends in an –s The plural form does not end in an –s

S-V Agreement Trouble Spots The verb is a form of be, have, or do. Words or phrases come between the subject & the verb. There is a compound subject. The subject is an indefinite pronoun. The verb comes before the subject. The subject is a collective noun.

1. The Verb is a form of be, have, or do. Make sure a linking verb agrees with its subject, not with the word or phrase that describes the subject. Incorrect: The worst backyard pest are squirrels. Correct: The worst backyard pest is squirrels.

2. Words or phrases come between the subject & verb. Prepositional Phrases Incorrect: The number of students have remained consistent. Correct: The number of students has remained consistent. Relative Clauses Incorrect: The dog who likes to chase my cats have run away. Correct: The dog who likes to chase my cats has run away.

3. There is a compound subject joined by and, or, nor If joined by and, then subjects are combined and become plural, so verb must also be plural. Incorrect: Jack and Jill walks up the hill. Correct: Jack and Jill walk up the hill. If joined by or /nor, then the subjects are not combined, so the verb must agree with whichever subject is closest to it. Either the microphone or the speakers are broken. Either the speakers or the microphone is broken. Neither the teacher nor the students want to stay late. Neither the students nor the teacher wants to stay late.

4. The subject is an indefinite pronoun What is an indefinite pronoun? A pronoun that does not replace a specific person, place, or thing; it is general (i.e. someone, anyone, everyone, each, every, some, all). Most indefinite pronouns are either always singular or always plural. Beware: indefinite pronouns are often followed by a prepositional phrase or dependent clause. Incorrect: Each of my classes are difficult in some way. Correct: Each of my classes is difficult in some way.

5. The verb comes before the subject. Sentences that ask a question. Is the book in the library? Turn the sentence into a statement. The book is in the library. Sentences that begin with Here or There. Here is your textbook. There are three more exams scheduled for this class. Turn the sentence around. Your textbook is here. Three more exams are scheduled for this class.

6. The subject is a collective noun. What is a collective noun? A collective noun names a group (i.e. family, team, committee). Most collective nouns refer to a group acting as one unit; therefore, they are treated as singular and must have a singular verb. The family rides bikes together each day. The team practices every Saturday.

One Final Note Watch for words that name something that we think of as a single unit, but that actually consist of two parts; these are always plural. Scissors, pants, trousers, tweezers. The scissors are on the table. The pants need ironing. If you add “pair of” to the front of any of these, then they become singular. The pair of scissors is on the table. The pair of pants needs ironing.

Pronoun/ Antecedent Agreement

What’s a Pronoun? A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun or other pronoun It can take the place of a subject word (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) It can take the place of an object word (me, you him, her it, us, them) It can take the place of a possessive word (my, mine, your, yours, his, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs)

What’s an antecedent? The word that the pronoun replaces. Hermione Granger threw her wand onto the floor (“her” renames “Hermione Granger”). When Ron Weasley saw the wand drop, he picked it up and handed it to her. (“it” renames the “wand”) Then Ron and Hermione went to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. (“their” renames “Ron and Hermione”)

All pronouns and their antecedents need to agree in person and number.

Agree in Person I hate to proofread my paper because proofreading is such a boring thing for you to do. (disagreement in person--first person antecedent “I”, second person pronoun “you”) "Why should I study literature? You don't get anything out of it" (disagreement in number—I shouldn’t study it because “you” don’t get anything out of it?

Agree in Number Singular antecedents get singular pronouns The boy tossed his hat on the table. Plural antecedents get plural pronouns The boys tossed their hats on the table.

You’ll generally run into problems in two cases: When the antecedent is an indefinite pronoun and When the antecedent is a singular noun that could refer to a man or a woman.

Indefinite Pronouns: They’re usually singular

Except when they’re plural

Or when they’re singular or plural, depending on context

When you can, just make the antecedent plural A person should be able to make up their own mind about prayer in schools (incorrect). People should be able to make up their own mind about prayer in schools (correct). A teacher should show their students love and compassion (incorrect). Teachers should show their students love and compassion (correct). Often, a doctor will leave their patients waiting for a ridiculously long time (incorrect). Often, doctors will leave their patients waiting for a ridiculously long time (correct).

General Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Rules Compound antecedents are usually plural; Joey and Melissa think their kids are brilliant. If two antecedents are joined by either/or, neither/nor, the pronoun agrees with the antecedent closest to it; Either Michael or his friends will bring their video games to the party. Either his friends or Michael will bring his video games to the party. (This sentence is correct, but sounds illogical. Word the sentence like the first example rather than the second). The pronoun agrees with the antecedent, not the object of the prepositional phrase; Each of the dogs needs its own crate.

General Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Rules Collective noun can be either singular or plural, depending on the context. The jury took only two hours to reach its verdict. (Emphasizes the singularity of the jury) The jury took only two hours to reach their verdict. (Emphasizes the jury as a group of individuals) Avoid sexism Not “A doctor should listen carefully to his patients.” But rather (1) making the pronoun and its antecedent plural, or (2) reword the sentence. Doctors should listen carefully to their patients. Doctors should listen carefully to patients