Subject-Verb Agreement BROUGHT TO YOU BY POWERPOINTPROS.COM

The Subject The subject of the sentence is the person, place or thing that the sentence is about. The subject and the verb (the action) have to agree, or match, with each other in a sentence.

Singular/ Plural Subjects Recall that if a subject is only one thing, it is a singular subject. If it is more than one thing, it is a plural subject.

Identifying Singular and Plural Subjects Practice: Tell if each subject is singular or plural. 1.The rooster 2.The bananas 3.Muffins 4.Teacher 5.Students -singular subject -plural subject -singular subject -plural subject

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules Now that you know the difference between singular and plural subjects, we can look at some subject-verb agreement rules…

Rules Here are the three main subject-verb agreement rules: 1.Add an –s to most verbs when the subject of the sentence is singular. 2.Don’t add an –s when the subject is plural. 3.Don’t add an –s to a verb when the subject is I or you.

Rule 1: Add an –s to most verbs when the subject of the sentence is singular. Use this rule when the subject of a sentence is singular, like these: Carol stirs the soup. The rooster crows every morning. He eats some food. Notice that in each of these sentences, the subject is singular, so the verb has an –s at the end.

Rule 2: Don’t add an –s when the subject is plural. Use this rule when the subject of a sentence is plural, like these: The boys play outside. We all like to have fun. They shop at the store. Notice that in each of these sentences, the subject is plural, so the verb doesn’t have an –s at the end.

Rule 3: Don’t add an –s to a verb when the subject is I or you. Use this rule when the subject of a sentence is either I or you, like these: I want to play too! You hope to have fun. I swim in the pool. Notice that in each of these sentences, the subject is either I or you, so the verb doesn’t have an –s at the end.

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses ().

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). I ________ to have fun. (love or loves) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! 1.Add an –s to most verbs when the subject of the sentence is singular. 2.Don’t add an –s when the subject is plural. 3.Don’t add an –s to a verb when the subject is I or you. love

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). She ________ to have fun. (love or loves) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! 1.Add an –s to most verbs when the subject of the sentence is singular. 2.Don’t add an –s when the subject is plural. 3.Don’t add an –s to a verb when the subject is I or you. loves

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). We all ________ to have fun. (love or loves) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! 1.Add an –s to most verbs when the subject of the sentence is singular. 2.Don’t add an –s when the subject is plural. 3.Don’t add an –s to a verb when the subject is I or you. love

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). You ________ pizza for supper. (want or wants) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! 1.Add an –s to most verbs when the subject of the sentence is singular. 2.Don’t add an –s when the subject is plural. 3.Don’t add an –s to a verb when the subject is I or you. want

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). Jerry ________ pizza for supper. (want or wants) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! 1.Add an –s to most verbs when the subject of the sentence is singular. 2.Don’t add an –s when the subject is plural. 3.Don’t add an –s to a verb when the subject is I or you. wants

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). She ________ pizza for supper. (want or wants) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! 1.Add an –s to most verbs when the subject of the sentence is singular. 2.Don’t add an –s when the subject is plural. 3.Don’t add an –s to a verb when the subject is I or you. wants

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). Sherry ________ to get a computer for her birthday. (hope or hopes) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! hopes

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). She ________ to get a computer for her birthday. (hope or hopes) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! hopes

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). I ________ to get a computer for my birthday. (hope or hopes) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! hope

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). You ________ some carrots for the stew. (peel or peels) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! peel

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). He ________ some carrots for the stew. (peel or peels) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! peels

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). I ________ some carrots for the stew. (peel or peels) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! peel

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). We ________ pasta often. (eat or eats) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! eat

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). He ________ pasta often. (eat or eats) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! eats

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). The clock ________ every hour. (chime or chimes) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! chimes

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). All of the clocks ________ every hour. (chime or chimes) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! chime

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). We ________ muffins every day. (bake or bakes) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! bake

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). I ________ muffins every day. (bake or bakes) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! bake

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). You ________ muffins every day. (bake or bakes) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! bake

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice: Find the correct form of the verb in parentheses (). He ________ muffins every day. (bake or bakes) REMEMBER THE RULES!!! bakes

Remember the 3 Rules… 1.Add an –s to most verbs when the subject of the sentence is singular. 2.Don’t add an –s when the subject is plural. 3.Don’t add an –s to a verb when the subject is I or you. If you remember these 3 rules, you will know how to make the subject and verb in a sentence “agree” with each other. Remember to use these rules especially when you write!