1. Subject-Verb Agreement

2. Special notes before we begin:
This only matters in PRESENT-TENSE verbs
Or with helping verbs (do/does, has/have, is/are)
But still, think of it as PRESENT-TENSE subject- verb agreement

3. What is subject-verb agreement?
We’re talking about does your subject match your verb
Not are they wearing clothes that look nice together
But do they match in number—singular and plural
Singular subjects go with singular verbs (present- tense, remember)
Plural subjects go with plural verbs

4. Plural subject: they More than one thing
Singular subject: anything that is a HE, SHE, or an IT
One thing
Plural subject: they
More than one thing
Singular verb:
ADD an S or ES
Seems weird to add an s to a singular verb, but that’s what it is
Plural verb: no s
Just keep the verb as it is with no special ending

5. Practice sings does is like keeps
The opera singer ______ (sing) beautifully.
The teacher ______ (do) not know how to teach.
My mosquito bite ______ (be) itchy.
The students ______ (like) to sleep.
One person ______ (keep) his backpack on the floor.
Click for each answer to appear
does is
like
keeps

6. S-V agreement: more guidelines 1
Each & every are singular
Each students needs his own notebook.
Every teacher does her best.
Someone, everyone, anyone, no one, nothing, everything, anybody, etc.
Someone is sleeping.
No one knows how.
Everybody does his homework.

7. S-V agreement: more guidelines 2
Ignore the extra info
Find the real subject
One of my friends is happy.
The dog with the fleas is sick.
The book that is next to the windows looks good.

8. S-V agreement: more guidelines 3
Expressions of quantity/an amount are TRICKY
Some, two-thirds, most, a lot, none
With these words, it does depend what is in the phrase afterward
Some students are nice.
Some of the students are nice
Some of the class is nice.
None of the building is safe
None of the buildings are safe.

9. SV-agreement: more guidelines 4
Subjects joined by “and” or “or”
And=plural
Sarah and Shelly seem happy.
The students and the teacher play music.
Or=match the verb to the subject closest to the verb
Either Sarah or Shelly seems happy.
The students or the teacher plays music.
The teacher or the students play music.

10. SV-agreement: more guidelines 5
The subjects in sentences that start with “There is” or “There are” come afterward
There are two ways (subject) to do it.
There is one way (subject) to do it.
If the subject is plural, use ARE
If the subject is singular, us IS
There isn’t anyone here who knows him
There aren’t people here who know him

11. SV-agreement: more guidelines 5
Weird ones
Some nouns end in –s, but are singular
United States, Philippines, news, physics, diabetes, measles (they are diseases)
Expressions of time, money, and distance usually are singular
Eight hours is enough sleep.
Ten miles is too far. (not ten miles are too far)

12. Try some practice
On the next slides
To make sure you
understand

13. The President and his wife is/are travelling to India

14. The President or his wife is/are travelling to India

15. The President with his wife is/are travelling to India

16. The President of the United States is/are travelling to India

17. The box filled with oranges smell/smells fresh.

18. The box of apples and oranges smell/smells fresh.

19. The boxes filled with oranges smell/smells fresh.

20. Either the boxes or the bowl smell/smells fresh.

21. Either the bowl or the boxes smell/smells fresh.