And Subject verb agreement… YOU HAVE TO AGREE! Pronoun antecedent And Subject verb agreement… YOU HAVE TO AGREE!

Let’s do the same with these subjects. A singular subject demands a singular verb; a plural subject demands a plural verb. That is the simple principle behind subject-verb agreement. Let’s create a sentence using this rose as the subject. Think of a rose verb and create a sentence. Make the subject and verb agree. Let’s do the same with these subjects.

Let’s identify the subjects and verbs in these sentences. The owl hoots in the dark night. The owls hoot in the dark night (on Valentines’ Day.) Do two owls hoot or hoots? Would you say, One owl hoot… Or One owl hoots…?

Plural!!! More than one! Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and glasses require plural verbs. (There are two parts to these things.)

Singular! One! Uno! Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but that are considered singular and take a singular verb, such as: group, team, committee, class, and family. Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require singular verbs. Jury and Supreme Court is also singular. The news is on at six. The jury is out.

Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb is too. Austen, together with three friends, want/wants to go to the party. Austen is the subject – he is single. Austen WANTS to go to the party.

Pronoun and antecedent agreement. A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun. The antecedent of a pronoun is the word the pronoun refers to. Neither one of the players slowed his pace. Just like subjects and verbs, pronouns and antecedents must agree! antecedent pronoun

Here is where it gets tricky… The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular indefinite pronouns and require a singular verb. THEY ARE ALWAYS SINGLE! (But they are happy that way.)

Let’s try some indefinite pronouns. Each owl hoots in the dark night. Everybody hoots in the dark night (on Valentines’ Day.) Everybody is always single! Each is always single!

Can you believe it? Always single! Did you get that???? Each each one either neither everyone everybody anybody anyone nobody somebody someone no one Can you believe it? Always single! Burn these words into your brain!

Is the subject countable? Some indefinite pronouns — such as all, some — are singular or plural depending on what they're referring to. (Is the thing referred to countable or not?) Be careful choosing a verb to accompany such pronouns. “It’s a miracle,” exclaimed Ms. Weber, “all of the students handed in their work on time!” Some of the beads are missing. Some of the water is gone.

Which one is closer? When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by our little conjunction friend and, use a plural verb. AND joins subjects! She and her friends are at the fair. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or or nor, use a singular verb. The book or the pen is in the drawer When parts of a subject are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the nearer part. Neither the teacher nor the students know the answer. The rabbits or the woodchucks have eaten my lettuce. Neither the red marble nor the others are mine.