Common Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

Common Subject-Verb Agreement Errors Subject-verb agreement, like so much of English, is filled with exceptions to the rules. This presentation will explain some of the most common exceptions to standard subject-verb agreement.

Prepositional Phrases Prepositional phrases are groups of words that clarify the meaning of a sentence or offer more information about the sentence. Prepositional phrases are composed of a preposition (of, on, around, in, at, etc.) and a noun, pronoun, or other word that is object of the proposition.

Prepositional Phrases Here are some examples of prepositional phrases (the phrases themselves are underlined). The boy jumped over the log. The girl ran around the house. The case of bottles fell. The boxes of flour were heavy.

Prepositional Phrases Prepositional phrases are never the subject of a sentence, so they do not play a role in determining the appropriate verb. It is important to be careful when they appear near the subject as the prepositional phrases can cause confusion. For each sentence, choose the correct verb: The basket of flowers is/are beautiful. The barrels of cider has/have a strong smell. The kids in the house was/were loud.

Prepositional Phrases The basket of flowers is beautiful. Of flowers is a prepositional phrase so it cannot be part of the subject. That means the subject is basket. Basket is singular, so is is the correct verb. The barrels of cider have a strong smell. Of cider is a prepositional phrase so it cannot be part of the subject. That means the subject is barrels. Barrels is plural, so have is the correct verb. The kids in the house were loud. In the house is a prepositional phrase so it cannot be part of the subject. That means the subject is kids. Kids is plural, so were is the correct verb.

Phrases Between Subject and Verb Another common source of error are those sentences that contain a phrase between the subject and verb. Examples of such sentences are below. My friend, who grew up in several states, is very smart. Did you know my car, which is the red one over there, was made in Germany? Learning English as a second language, as opposed to growing up speaking it, can be very difficult.

Phrases Between Subject and Verb When there is a phrase between the subject and verb, the phrase does not become part of the subject. The phrase should be ignored when determining the appropriate verb. For each sentence, choose the appropriate verb: My sister, who works for three companies, is/are coming home tomorrow. The three players, who were at yesterday’s practice, has/have been cut from the team.

Phrases Between Subject and Verb My sister, who works for three companies, is coming home tomorrow. Who works for three companies is a phrase between subject and verb, so should be ignored for the purpose of subject-verb agreement. That means the subject is sister, and the verb is is. The three players, who were at yesterday’s practice, have been cut from the team. Who were at yesterday’s practice is a phrase between subject and verb, so should be ignored for the purpose of subject-verb agreement. That means the subject is players, and the verb is have.

Other Common Subject-Verb Agreement Errors Everyone, anyone, each, etc. Names of organizations and groups Use of or Some, none, all Collective nouns Misleading singular nouns

Everyone, anyone, each, etc. Words like everyone, anyone, and each ask us to consider a group one member at a time instead of as a unified whole. These words are singular. Everyone at the concert agrees the sound is too loud. Each of the participants was asked to keep the secret.

Names of Organizations and Groups The names of organizations, groups, and nations are singular. The United States of America is a big country. The Philharmonic Orchestra was wonderful yesterday.

Use of or When subjects are connected by the word “or,” the subject closer to the verb determines its number. Either the pebbles or the sand is . . . Either the sand or the pebbles are . . .

Some, none, all When “some,” “all,” or “none” are part of the subject, the number of the verb matches the number of the noun to which “some,” “all,” or “none” refers. Note below how the subject (“sample,” “samples,” etc.) controls the number of the verb. Some of the sample is contaminated. Some of the samples are refrigerated. All of the bone is intact. All of his bones are broken. None of the ground is disturbed. None of the grounds are mowed.

Collective Nouns “Collective” nouns (those that automatically suggest a group) take a singular verb when the group as a whole is meant; they take a plural verb when the group can be thought of as individual members.  Commonly used collective nouns include “number” and “majority.” When collective nouns refer to a singular group as a whole, they are often preceded by “a”; when they suggest individual members they are often preceded by “the.” A number of people were affected by the tragedy. The number of samples contaminated was two. A series of western blots were performed to assay protein expression. The series of western analyses was found to be inconclusive.

Misleading Singular Nouns Some nouns, even though they end in –s, are considered singular, and so take singular verbs. Some such nouns include: Branches or fields of knowledge (politics, mathematics, physics, ethics) Names of food when referring to a single dish (baked beans, mashed potatoes) Some diseases (mumps, measles)

Sources Text for the following slides was taken from the John A. Dutton e-Education Institute per a Creative Commons License Everyone, anyone, each, etc. Names of organizations and groups Use of or Some, none, all Collective nouns Information for Misleading Singular Nouns from English Plus – Tricky Plurals