C OMPOUND S UBJECTS AND C ONFUSING S UBJECTS Day 2 of Agreement Pages

W RITE T HIS C HART ! Compound Subject Verb Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural

C OMPOUND S UBJECTS A compound subject joined by and is generally plural and must have a plural verb  Wind and rain exist on Earth.  Winds and rainstorms exist on Earth.  Winds and rain exist on Earth. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural

E XCEPTION !!!  Exception to this rule-when the parts of the compound subject equal one thing and when the word each or every is used before a compound subject. Then use a singular verb.  Macaroni and cheese is an easy dish to make.  Each man and woman was waving a flag. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural

C OMPOUND S UBJECTS Two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor must have a singular verb  Either Jupiter or Saturn makes a fascinating topic of study. Two or more plural subjects joined by or or nor must have a plural verb  Space probes or space shuttles provide information about space.

C OMPOUND SUBJECTS If one or more singular subjects are joined to one or more plural subjects by or or nor, the subject closest to the verb determines agreement  Neither atmosphere nor clouds exist on Mercury.  Neither clouds nor atmosphere exists on Mercury.

C ONFUSING S UBJECTS Hard to find subjects- When a subject comes after its verb, the verb must still agree with the subject in number A sentence in which the subject comes after its verb is said to be inverted-you can check the subject- verb agreement by mentally putting the sentence in the normal subject-verb order  Which of the science reports has she read?  (She has read which of the science reports?)

S UBJECTS OF LINKING VERBS A linking verb must agree with its subject, regardless of the number of the predicate nominative (the noun or pronoun that renames, identifies, or explains the subject)  Moon craters are one sign of meteor storms.  One sign of meteor storms is moon craters.

C OLLECTIVE N OUNS A collective noun takes a singular verb when the group it names acts as a single unit  The class is excited to be learning about the solar system. A collective noun takes a plural verb when the group it names act as individuals with different points of view  The class are unable to decide which planets to discuss in their reports.

N OUNS THAT LOOK LIKE PLURALS Nouns that are plural in form, but singular in meaning take singular verbs Some of these nouns are singular names for branches of knowledge: acoustics, civics, economics etc.  Physics is a challenging subject. (S)  My lost eyeglasses were behind the sofa. (P)