Subject/Verb and Verb Tense

Subject/Verb and Verb Tense
Agreement Subject/Verb and Verb Tense

Review: Parts of a Sentence
Subject + Predicate = Sentence What is a subject? What is a predicate? What is the difference between simple and complex?

Review: Verb tenses Infinitive- Past- Present- Future-

Using Subject-Verb Agreement
What is subject-verb agreement? How to fix problems in agreement Phrases between subjects and verbs Indefinite pronouns Compound subjects Subjects after verbs Don’t and doesn’t Review A Review B

What is subject-verb agreement?
Every sentence has a subject and a verb. Subject Verb The dog runs. The dog runs. The dog runs. Subject Verb A ship sails. A ship sails. A ship sails. Subject Verb Two children play music. Two children play music. Two children play music.

What is subject-verb agreement? Subject
The subject tells whom or what a sentence is about. Subject The balloon is colorful. The balloon is colorful. Subject What are Kim and Brent making? What are Kim and Brent making?

What is subject-verb agreement? Verb
A verb expresses an action or a state of being. Verb The horses gallop. The horses gallop. Action Verb State of being The peaches are ripe. The peaches are ripe.

What is subject-verb agreement? Number
Number is the form a word takes to show whether it is singular or plural. A word that refers to one thing is singular. A word that refers to more than one is plural. Plural Singular scientists scientist geese goose they she

What is subject-verb agreement? Singular subjects
A verb should agree in number with its subject. Singular subjects take singular verbs. Singular Subject Singular Verb Tabitha rides the train. Tabitha rides the train. Tabitha rides the train. Singular Subject Singular Verb He repairs the bicycle. He repairs the bicycle. He repairs the bicycle.

What is subject-verb agreement? Plural subjects
Plural subjects take plural verbs. Plural Subject Plural Verb The girls ride the train. The girls ride the train. The girls ride the train. Plural Subject Plural Verb They repair the bicycle. They repair the bicycle. They repair the bicycle.

Generally, nouns ending in −s are plural, but verbs ending in −s are singular. Grammar Guy Says... Noun Verb Singular duck quacks Plural ducks quack

In a verb phrase the first helping verb agrees with the subject. Singular Subject Singular Helping Verb Verb Phrase He He is repairing is repairing the bicycle. Plural Subject Plural Helping Verb Verb Phrase They They are repairing are repairing the bicycle.

Identify the subject of each sentence and tell whether it is singular or plural. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with the subject. 1. Firefighters (risks, risk) their lives for others. 2. The principal (makes, make) announcements each day. 3. The blue socks (is, are) in the top drawer.

Identify the subject of each sentence and tell whether it is singular or plural. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with the subject. Subject—plural 1. Firefighters (risks, risk) their lives for others. The plural verb risk agrees with the plural subject firefighters.

Identify the subject of each sentence and tell whether it is singular or plural. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with the subject. Subject—singular 2. The principal (makes, make) announcements each day. The singular verb makes agrees with the singular subject principal.

Identify the subject of each sentence and tell whether it is singular or plural. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with the subject. Subject—plural 3. The blue socks (is, are) in the top drawer. The subject is socks. The plural verb are agrees with the plural subject socks.

On Your Own For each sentence, identify the subject, and then choose the verb in parentheses that agrees with the subject. 1. The water (rushes, rush) down the river. 2. The bees (buzzes, buzz) around the picnic table. 3. The photograph (was, were) a gift from my cousin. At the science fair the winner always (receives, receive) a savings bond. 5. They (march, marches) in all the parades. [End of Section]

Answers For each sentence, identify the subject, and then choose the verb in parentheses that agrees with the subject. 1. The water (rushes, rush) down the river. 2. The bees (buzzes, buzz) around the picnic table. 3. The photograph (was, were) a gift from my cousin. 4. At the science fair the winner always (receives, receive) a savings bond. 5. They (march, marches) in all the parades.

How to fix problems in agreement Phrases between subjects and verbs
Sometimes a phrase comes between the subject and the verb. Subject Verb Phrase Verb The hero is Coyote. of those folk tales is Coyote. The number of the subject is usually not changed by a phrase following the subject. Subject Verb The hero of those folk tales is Coyote.

How to fix problems in agreement Phrase
A phrase is a group of related words that is used as a single part of speech and that does not contain both a verb and its subject. We cleaned up trash at the lake. Working hard all day, the volunteers made progress. My younger brother wanted to come along.

A bag of marbles is on the shelf. A bag of marbles is on the shelf. Is agrees with bag, not marbles. Subject Verb The peppers in the garden have grown quickly. The peppers in the garden have grown quickly. The helping verb have agrees with peppers, not garden.

Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with that subject. 1. The moon over the ocean (is, are) a beautiful sight. 2. The hands on my watch (glows, glow) in the dark. 3. Four students from our school (plays, play) in a band.

Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with that subject. Subject 1. The moon over the ocean (is, are) a beautiful sight. The subject is moon. The singular verb is agrees with the singular subject moon.

Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with that subject. Subject 2. The hands on my watch (glows, glow) in the dark. The subject is hands. The plural verb glow agrees with the plural subject hands.

Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with that subject. Subject 3. Four students from our school (plays, play) in a band. The subject is students. The plural verb play agrees with the plural subject students.

On Your Own For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form of the verb in parentheses. 1. A tidal wave, despite its name, (is, are) not caused by the tides. 2. Earthquakes beneath the sea (causes, cause) most tidal waves. 3. Tidal waves in the open ocean generally (does, do) not cause much interest. The height of tidal waves there often (remains, remain) low. [End of Section]

Answers For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form of the verb in parentheses. 1. A tidal wave, despite its name, (is, are) not caused by the tides. 2. Earthquakes beneath the sea (causes, cause) most tidal waves. 3. Tidal waves in the open ocean generally (does, do) not cause much interest. 4. The height of tidal waves there often (remains, remain) low.

How to fix problems in agreement Indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to a person or thing whose exact identity is unknown. Some indefinite pronouns are singular. Some are plural. Some may be either singular or plural, depending on how they are used.

The following indefinite pronouns are singular: Singular indefinite pronouns anybody either neither one anyone everybody nobody somebody anything everyone no one someone each everything nothing something Subject Subject Subject Verb Verb Verb Nothing ever goes on sale at this store. Neither of the boys is in my class. Everyone on the team dribbles well.

The words one, thing, and body are singular. So are the indefinite pronouns that contain these words. Grammar Guy Says... Everyone is ready. One is ready. Has anything been learned? Has a thing been learned? Nobody looks healthy. Her body looks healthy.

The following indefinite pronouns are plural: Plural indefinite pronouns both few many several Subject Verb Both of them wear glasses. Subject Verb Few have traveled there. Verb Subject Are many of the tools sharp?

The following indefinite pronouns may be singular or plural, depending on how they are used: Singular or plural indefinite pronouns all more none any most some Subject Verb Singular when they refer to singular words Most of the ice has melted. Subject Verb Plural when they refer to plural words Most of the ice cubes have melted.

Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with that subject. 1. Many in the crowd (waves, wave) signs. 2. Neither of the radios (works, work) properly. 3. Some of the recipes (calls, call) for fresh herbs.

Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with that subject. Subject 1. Many in the crowd (waves, wave) signs. The indefinite pronoun many is plural and takes a plural verb.

Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with that subject. Subject 2. Neither of the radios (works, work) properly. The indefinite pronoun neither is singular and takes a singular verb.

Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with that subject. Subject 3. Some of the recipes (calls, call) for fresh herbs. The indefinite pronoun some is plural because recipes is plural. The plural verb call agrees with some.

On Your Own For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form of the verb in parentheses. 1. Most of the balloons (has, have) long strings. 2. Both of these shoes (gives, give) me blisters. 3. Someone on the soccer team (needs, need) a new uniform. Neither of the boys (was, were) wearing a helmet. 5. None of the house (has, have) been painted yet. [End of Section]

Answers For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form of the verb in parentheses. 1. Most of the balloons (has, have) long strings. 2. Both of these shoes (gives, give) me blisters. 3. Someone on the soccer team (needs, need) a new uniform. 4. Neither of the boys (was, were) wearing a helmet. 5. None of the house (has, have) been painted yet.

How to fix problems in agreement Compound subjects
A compound subject is two or more subjects that are joined by a coordinating conjunction and that have the same verb. Subjects joined by and usually take plural verbs. Red and blue are the school’s colors. Subject 1 Subject 2 Verb Jana, Kurt, and Riley enjoy skating. Subject 1 Subject 2 Subject 3 Verb

How to fix problems in agreement Coordinating conjunctions
and but or nor for yet so A coordinating conjunction joins words or groups of words that are used in the same way.

Singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb. Neither the bus nor the train stops in our town. Singular Singular Verb On Mondays, Manuel or Gina baby-sits. Singular Singular Verb

Plural subjects joined by or or nor take a plural verb. Curtains or artworks add color to a room. Plural Plural Verb Neither lemons nor limes were sold there. Plural Plural Verb

When a singular and a plural subject are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject that is closer to the verb. Plural Singular Verb Either flowers or a book usually makes a nice gift. The verb makes agrees with the nearer subject, book. Singular Plural Verb Maria or her parents prepare the lunches. The verb prepare agrees with the nearer subject, parents.

For each of the following sentences, identify each part of the compound subject. Then, choose the correct verb form in parentheses. 1. A desert or a jungle (is, are) the setting for the play. 2. Both my brother and my sister (delivers, deliver) the morning newspaper. 3. The boss or the workers (has, have) made a mistake.

For each of the following sentences, identify each part of the compound subject. Then, choose the correct verb form in parentheses. 1. A desert or a jungle (is, are) the setting for the play. Two singular subjects joined by or take a singular verb.

For each of the following sentences, identify each part of the compound subject. Then, choose the correct verb form in parentheses. 2. Both my brother and my sister (delivers, deliver) the morning newspaper. Subjects joined by and take a plural verb.

For each of the following sentences, identify each part of the compound subject. Then, choose the correct verb form in parentheses. 3. The boss or the workers (has, have) made a mistake. One subject (boss) is singular, and the other subject (workers) is plural. The verb agrees with the nearer subject, workers.

On Your Own For each of the following sentences, choose the verb that agrees with the compound subject. 1. Ants and spiders (has, have) invaded the backyard. 2. Mandy and her friends (is, are) going to the movies. 3. A statue or a fountain (looks, look) good in a park setting. 4. Neither maples nor elms (grows, grow) well in the valley. 5. Either potatoes or rice (is, are) served with the chicken. [End of Section]

Answers For each of the following sentences, choose the verb that agrees with the compound subject. 1. Ants and spiders (has, have) invaded the backyard. 2. Mandy and her friends (is, are) going to the movies. 3. A statue or a fountain (looks, look) good in a park setting. 4. Neither maples nor elms (grows, grow) well in the valley. 5. Either potatoes or rice (is, are) served with the chicken.

How to fix problems in agreement Subjects after verbs
In some sentences the subject comes after the verb. Plural Subject Here (is, are) are the balloons. the balloons. When the subject follows the verb . . . 1. Find the subject. 2. Make sure the verb agrees with it.

When the subject follows the verb, rearrange the sentence in “normal” order to check for proper subject-verb agreement. Grammar Guy Says... Here (is, are) the balloons. The balloons The balloons (is, are) are here.

Subjects also appear after verbs in questions. Plural Subject Where (is, are) are the old magazines? the old magazines? 1. Find the subject. 2. Make sure the verb agrees with it.

Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with that subject. Be prepared to explain your answers. 1. There (was, were) several baby rabbits behind the bush. 2. (Has, Have) your neighbor moved out yet? 3. Where (is, are) the maps for our report?

Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with that subject. Be prepared to explain your answers. Subject 1. There (was, were) several baby rabbits behind the bush. The subject rabbits comes after the verb. Rabbits is plural, so the correct verb form is were.

Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with that subject. Be prepared to explain your answers. Subject 2. (Has, Have) your neighbor moved out yet? The subject neighbor comes after the verb. Neighbor is singular, so the correct verb form is has.

Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with that subject. Be prepared to explain your answers. Subject 3. Where (is, are) the maps for our report? The subject maps comes after the verb. Maps is plural, so the correct verb form is are.

On Your Own For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form of the verb in parentheses. 1. There (is, are) a new student in my brother’s class. 2. (Was, Were) the fans cheering for the other team? 3. Where (has, have) Reggie hidden the gifts? 4. Here (stands, stand) the bravest heroes among us. 5. There (is, are) several correct answers to that question. [End of Section]

Answers For each of the following sentences, choose the correct form of the verb in parentheses. 1. There (is, are) a new student in my brother’s class. 2. (Was, Were) the fans cheering for the other team? 3. Where (has, have) Reggie hidden the gifts? 4. Here (stands, stand) the bravest heroes among us. 5. There (is, are) several correct answers to that question.

How to fix agreement problems Don’t and doesn’t
The contractions don’t and doesn’t should agree with their subjects. Don’t is the contraction of do not. Use it with I and you and with all plural subjects. Singular Plural I don’t we you they the puppies look cute? Don’t know the rules yet. You don’t want that coat. I don’t

Doesn’t is the contraction of does not. Use it with all singular subjects except I and you. Singular I don’t you he/she/it doesn’t run well in the winter. The car doesn’t she bowl on a teen league? Doesn’t know you. He doesn’t

Identify the subject in each sentence. Then, choose the contraction in parentheses that agrees with the subject. 1. My parents (don’t, doesn’t) listen to rap music. 2. This bedroom (don’t, doesn’t) look very neat. 3. (Don’t, Doesn’t) he want a ride home?

Identify the subject in each sentence. Then, choose the contraction in parentheses that agrees with the subject. Subject 1. My parents (don’t, doesn’t) listen to rap music. Parents is plural. Use don’t with plural subjects.

Identify the subject in each sentence. Then, choose the contraction in parentheses that agrees with the subject. Subject 2. This bedroom (don’t, doesn’t) look very neat. Bedroom is singular. Use doesn’t with singular subjects.

Identify the subject in each sentence. Then, choose the contraction in parentheses that agrees with the subject. Subject 3. (Don’t, Doesn’t) he want a ride home? He is singular. Use doesn’t with singular subjects.

On Your Own For each of the following sentences, choose the correct contraction in parentheses. 1. I (don’t, doesn’t) have any math homework tonight. 2. (Don’t, doesn’t) you usually study with Julia? 3. That show (don’t, doesn’t) come on until 9:00. My grandparents (don’t, doesn’t) live near us. 5. (Don’t, Doesn’t) Jerome play the guitar anymore? [End of Section]

Answers For each of the following sentences, choose the correct contraction in parentheses. 1. I (don’t, doesn’t) have any math homework tonight. 2. (Don’t, doesn’t) you usually study with Julia? 3. That show (don’t, doesn’t) come on until 9:00. 4. My grandparents (don’t, doesn’t) live near us. 5. (Don’t, Doesn’t) Jerome play the guitar anymore?

Review A Choose the verb form in parentheses that agrees with the subject. Everyone in her family (prefers, prefer) to drink water. Jamal and his parents (enjoys, enjoy) musicals. There (is, are) three baby birds in the nest. Neither the mower nor the weed-eater (works, work) well. 5. Industries in the state (includes, include) farming and mining.

Review A Provide the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
Everyone in her family (prefers, prefer) to drink water. Jamal and his parents (enjoys, enjoy) musicals. There (is, are) three baby birds in the nest. Neither the mower nor the weed-eater (works, work) well. 5. Industries in the state (includes, include) farming and mining.

Review B For each of the following sentences, if the subject and verb do not agree, write the correct form of the verb. If the verb already agrees with the subject, write C. This table and this chair were made by hand in Mexico. Each of my brothers go to college out of state. Mr. Chang and his class has painted a mural for the hall. A tornado or a hurricane is a dangerous storm. 5. Here is the decorations for the dance. [End of Section]

Review B For each of the following sentences, if the subject and verb do not agree, write the correct form of the verb. If the verb already agrees with the subject, write C. This table and this chair were made by hand in Mexico. C Each of my brothers goes to college out of state. Mr. Chang and his class have painted a mural for the hall. A tornado or a hurricane is a dangerous storm. C 5. Here are the decorations for the dance.

To understand agreement, you must understand tenses…
Verb Tense Agreement To understand agreement, you must understand tenses… There are 9 main verb tenses. We will focus on 6. Past, Present, and Future all have 3 forms. Simple Conditional Perfect

Understanding Verb Tense
What are verb tenses? Present and present perfect Past and past perfect Future and future perfect Consistency of tense Review A Review B

What are verb tenses? Why do verbs have so many different forms?
Verbs take different forms to show all the possibilities for when something can happen. She will draw. She draws. She has drawn.

What are verb tenses? The tense of a verb indicates the time of the action or state of being expressed by the verb. Each tense has its own use. Present Paul lives in Boston. Present perfect He has lived in several cities. Past Paul once lived in Utah. Past perfect He had lived in Georgia before that. Future Paul will live in Boston for a long time. Future perfect He will have lived there four years.

What are verb tenses? Present and present perfect
The present tense expresses a general truth, an action that occurs regularly, or a state of being that exists at the present time. Mom drinks orange juice. Present Present

The present perfect tense expresses an action that occurred or a state of being that existed at an indefinite time in the past is usually formed with have or has plus the past participle Saul has drunk his juice already. We don’t know when Saul drank it. Present Present > Present perfect

The present perfect tense can also express an action or state of being that began in the past and continues into the present. Grammar Guy Says... Joshua has played basketball all year. The action of playing basketball began in the past and is still going on today.

What are verb tenses? Past and past perfect
The past tense expresses an action or a state of being that started and ended in the past. The scouts hiked all morning. Past Present Past Present > Present Perfect

What are verb tenses? Past and past perfect
The past perfect tense expresses an action or a state of being that ended before another past action or state of being is usually formed with had plus the past participle The scouts had hiked five miles before they stopped for lunch. Past Present Past Present > > Present Perfect Past Perfect

What are verb tenses? Future and future perfect
The future tense expresses an action that will occur or a state of being that will exist is usually formed with will or shall plus the base form The class will tour the Indian ruins. Present Future Future Present > Present Perfect

What are verb tenses? Future and future perfect
The future perfect tense expresses an action or a state of being that will end before another future action or state of being is usually formed with will have or shall have plus the past participle By the end of the trip, the class will have toured three ruins. Present Future Future Present > > Present Perfect Future Perfect

What are verb tenses? Identify the incorrect verb form in each of the following sentences. Then, write the correct form of the verb. 1. Yesterday I done more homework than today. 2. My brother will traded some of his baseball cards with his friends. 3. Earlier the dog just wag his tail to greet me.

What are verb tenses? Identify the incorrect verb form in each of the following sentences. Then, write the correct form of the verb. 1. Yesterday I did more homework than today. The word yesterday tells us the sentence is in the past tense. The past tense of do is did.

What are verb tenses? Identify the incorrect verb form in each of the following sentences. Then, write the correct form of the verb. 2. My brother will trade some of his baseball cards with his friends. The word will tells us the sentence is in the future tense. The future tense of trade is will trade.

What are verb tenses? Identify the incorrect verb form in each of the following sentences. Then, write the correct form of the verb. 3. Earlier the dog just wagged his tail to greet me. The sentence is in the past tense. The correct past tense form is wagged.

What are verb tenses? On Your Own
Change the tense of the boldface verb in each sentence to the tense in parentheses. 1. Miguel makes the photo larger. (Change to past.) 2. The picnic took place on Sunday. (Change to future.) 3. The boys ran three miles in one hour. (Change to past perfect.) 4. By then, Aunt Nell had arrived. (Change to future perfect.) 5. Cynthia had played the violin beautifully. (Change to present.) [End of Section]

What are verb tenses? Answers
Change the tense of the boldface verb in each sentence to the tense in parentheses. 1. Miguel makes the photo larger. (Change to past.) 2. The picnic took place on Sunday. (Change to future.) 3. The boys ran three miles in one hour. (Change to past perfect.) 4. By then, Aunt Nell had arrived. (Change to future perfect.) 5. Cynthia had played the violin beautifully. (Change to present.) 1. Miguel made the photo larger. 2. The picnic will take place on Sunday. 3. The boys had run three miles in one hour. 4. By then, Aunt Nell will have arrived. 5. Cynthia plays the violin beautifully.

Consistency of tense Do not change from one tense to another without a good reason. To describe events that occur in the same time period, use verbs in the same tense. past tense past tense When we went to the movies, we bought popcorn. present tense present tense When we go to the movies, we buy popcorn.

Consistency of tense For events that occur in different time periods, use verbs of different tenses to show the order of events. present tense past tense Lisa plays basketball now, but last year she was on the volleyball team. Lisa’s basketball playing is occurring in the present. Her volleyball playing happened in the past.

Consistency of tense Change each sentence to make the verb tense consistent. Be prepared to explain your answers. 1. Each morning they got up early and run. 2. The sun rises and the sky turned pink. 3. Heidi coughed when a bug flies into her mouth. 4. I had washed the dishes, but they are still wet.

Consistency of tense Change each sentence to make the verb tense consistent. Be prepared to explain your answers. Possible Answer 1. Each morning they get up early and run. The actions occur at the same time, so the verbs should be in the same tense. (Here they are both in the present tense.)

Consistency of tense Change each sentence to make the verb tense consistent. Be prepared to explain your answers. Possible Answer 2. The sun rose and the sky turned pink. The actions occur at the same time, so the verbs should be in the same tense. (Here they are both in the past tense.)

Consistency of tense Change each sentence to make the verb tense consistent. Be prepared to explain your answers. Possible Answer 3. Heidi coughed when a bug flew into her mouth. The actions occur at the same time, so the verbs should be in the same tense. (Here they are both in the past tense.)

Consistency of tense Change each sentence to make the verb tense consistent. Be prepared to explain your answers. Possible Answer 4. I had washed the dishes, but they were still wet. The action of washing the dishes occurred before the state of being wet. Two different tenses, past perfect and past, are used to show the order.

Consistency of tense On Your Own
Rewrite the paragraph in the past tense. Change verb forms to make the tenses consistent. (1) Lightning struck our house, and I run straight for cover. (2) “Oh, no!” I exclaim. (3) The electricity was out! (4) My parents get out the flashlights, and we played a game. (5) The stove and microwave do not work, so we have a cold supper in the living room. (6) In the morning, we are all happy. (7) The sun shone and our electricity is back on. [End of Section]

Consistency of tense Possible Answer
(1) Lightning struck our house, and I run straight for cover. (2) “Oh, no!” I exclaim. (3) The electricity was out! (4) My parents get out the flashlights, and we played a game. (5) The stove and microwave do not work, so we have a cold supper in the living room. (6) In the morning, we are all happy. (7) The sun shone and our electricity is back on. ran exclaimed got did had were was

Review A Change the tense of each boldface verb to the tense given in parentheses. 1. The children wear their seatbelts. (past perfect) 2. The bell in the clock tower rang. (present) 3. My family will move to Seattle. (present perfect) 4. With confidence, Sara begins the quiz. (past) 5. We sent the packages by airmail. (future)

Review A Change the tense of each boldface verb to the tense given in parentheses. 1. The children had worn their seatbelts. (past perfect) 2. The bell in the clock tower rings. (present) 3. My family has moved to Seattle. (present perfect) 4. With confidence, Sara began the quiz. (past) 5. We will send the packages by airmail. (future)

Review B Rewrite the paragraph in the past tense. Change verb forms to make the tenses consistent. (1) I travel to Denver and visited my grandparents. (2) Grandpa gave me a big hug when I get off the train. (3) Then we all go to their house for dinner. (4) The very next morning Grandma takes me downtown and we shopped for books and shoes. (5) Then she and I meet up with Grandpa and went to the museum. [End of Section]

Review B Rewrite the paragraph in the past tense. Change verb forms to make the tenses consistent. (Possible answer) traveled (1) I travel to Denver and visited my grandparents. (2) Grandpa gave me a big hug when I get off the train. (3) Then we all go to their house for dinner. (4) The very next morning Grandma takes me downtown and we shopped for books and shoes. (5) Then she and I meet up with Grandpa and went to the museum. got went took met

The End

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Definitions What is a pronoun? What is an antecedent?

Using Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
What is pronoun-antecedent agreement? How to fix problems in agreement Indefinite pronouns Antecedents joined by or or nor Antecedents joined by and Review A Review B

What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?
You may have heard that it is rude to point, but that’s exactly what pronouns do. A pronoun “points” to a noun or another pronoun called its antecedent. Pronoun Antecedent Does that plant have mold on it? Does that plant have mold on it? Does that plant have mold on it?

What is pronoun-antecedent agreement? Number
A pronoun should agree in both number and gender with its antecedent. A word that refers to one thing is singular. A word that refers to more than one is plural. girls Plural Singular kittens kitten girl they it

Use singular pronouns to refer to singular antecedents. Singular personal pronouns I me my, mine you your, yours he, she, it him, her, it his, hers, its Singular antecedent Singular pronoun Peel the onion before you chop it. Peel the onion before you chop it. Peel the onion before you chop it.

Use plural pronouns to refer to plural antecedents. Plural personal pronouns we us our, ours you your, yours they them their, theirs Plural antecedent Plural pronoun Wash the apples and then slice them. Wash the apples and then slice them. Wash the apples and then slice them.

What is pronoun-antecedent agreement? Gender
Some singular pronouns indicate gender. Masculine pronouns refer to males. Feminine pronouns refer to females. Neuter pronouns refer to places, things, ideas, and animals. Masculine he him his himself Feminine she her her, hers herself Neuter it its itself

What is pronoun-antecedent agreement? Gender
Make sure a singular pronoun agrees with its antecedent in gender. Masculine antecedent Masculine pronoun Roberto has studied, so he is ready. Roberto has studied, so he is ready. Roberto has studied, so he is ready. Feminine pronoun Feminine antecedent Carla usually carries her own books. Carla usually carries her own books. Carla usually carries her own books. Neuter antecedent Neuter pronoun The canary is sitting on its perch. The canary is sitting on its perch. The canary is sitting on its perch.

Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent. 1. The cats have eaten all (its, their) food. 2. Shelley painted a landscape, and then (she, they) had the painting framed. 3. Mr. Hertz checked the weather forecast before (he, they) left.

Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent. Antecedent 1. The cats have eaten all (its, their) food. The plural pronoun their agrees with the plural antecedent cats.

Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent. Antecedent 2. Shelley painted a landscape, and then (she, they) had the painting framed. The singular feminine pronoun she agrees with the singular feminine antecedent Shelley.

Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent. Antecedent 3. Mr. Hertz checked the weather forecast before (he, they) left. The singular masculine pronoun he agrees with the singular masculine antecedent Mr. Hertz.

On Your Own Complete each sentence by providing a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent. Then, identify the antecedent. 1. Ants sometimes make __________ home in your yard. 2. That plant needs water, or __________ will die. 3. Jerry lent __________ bike to Paul. 4. The captains of the teams accepted __________ awards. My sister is smart, and __________ is also funny. [End of Section]

Answers Complete each sentence by providing a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent. Then, identify the antecedent. 1. Ants sometimes make their home in your yard. 2. That plant needs water, or it will die. 3. Jerry lent his bike to Paul. 4. The captains of the teams accepted their awards. 5. My sister is smart, and she is also funny.

Indefinite pronouns refer to a person or thing whose exact identity is unknown. Some indefinite pronouns are singular. Some are plural. Some may be either singular or plural, depending on how they are used.

The following indefinite pronouns are singular: Singular indefinite pronouns anybody either neither one anyone everybody nobody somebody anything everyone no one someone each everything nothing something Each of the cars is missing one of its hubcaps. Someone on the boys’ team forgot his backpack. One of the ladies left her notebook here.

When you do not know the gender of the subject, or when the subject includes both males and females, you can use both the masculine and feminine pronouns connected by or. No one offered his or her help. Everybody in the play studied his or her lines.

Sentences with singular antecedents joined by or or nor can sound awkward if the antecedents are of different genders. If a sentence sounds awkward, revise it to avoid the problem. Grammar Gal Says... Awkward Jen or Ray will bring his or her road map. Revised Jen will bring her road map, or Ray will bring his.

The following indefinite pronouns are plural: Plural indefinite pronouns both few many several Both of the soldiers respect their captain. Few of the dogs obeyed their owners. If several are ready, serve them.

The following indefinite pronouns may be singular or plural, depending on how they are used: Singular or plural indefinite pronouns all more none any most some Singular Some of the music is good. Will you play it again? Some refers to the singular word music. The singular pronoun it agrees with the singular antecedent some. Plural Some of the songs are new. Have you heard them? Some refers to the plural word songs. The plural pronoun them agrees with the plural antecedent some.

Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent. 1. Each of the birds built (its, their) own nest. 2. Several on the council have expressed (his or her, their) opinions. 3. Everybody studied (their, his or her) notes. 4. All of the boys brought some healthy snacks with (him, them).

Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent. Antecedent 1. Each of the birds built (its, their) own nest. The singular pronoun its agrees with the singular antecedent each.

Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent. Antecedent 2. Several on the council have expressed (his or her, their) opinions. The plural pronoun their agrees with the plural antecedent several.

Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent. Antecedent 3. Everybody studied (their, his or her) notes. The singular pronoun pair his or her agrees with the singular antecedent everybody. Both his and her are used because in this sentence everybody may be masculine, feminine, or both.

Identify the antecedent of the pronoun in parentheses. Then, choose the form of the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent. Antecedent 4. All of the boys brought some healthy snacks with (him, them). In this sentence all refers to the plural word boys. The plural pronoun them agrees with the plural antecedent all.

On Your Own Most of the following sentences contain pronouns that do not agree with their antecedents. If a pronoun does not agree with its antecedent, provide the correct pronoun. If a sentence is already correct, label it C. 1. Several of the babies had special blankets with it. 2. I’ve read most of the book, and I have enjoyed it. 3. Only one of the girls had finished their homework. 4. Most of the players accepted his awards in person. Someone left their backpack on the bus. [End of Section]

Answers Most of the following sentences contain pronouns that do not agree with their antecedents. If a pronoun does not agree with its antecedent, provide the correct pronoun. If a sentence is already correct, label it C. 1. Several of the babies had special blankets with them. 2. I’ve read most of the book, and I have enjoyed it. C 3. Only one of the girls had finished her homework. 4. Most of the players accepted their awards in person. 5. Someone left his or her backpack on the bus.

How to fix problems in agreement Antecedents joined by or or nor
Use a singular pronoun to refer to two or more singular antecedents joined by or or nor. Ralph or Carlos will display his paintings. Singular Singular Singular Singular Neither Elia nor Mary brought her jacket.

How to fix problems in agreement Antecedents joined by and
Use a plural pronoun to refer to two or more antecedents joined by and. Tyrone and James are artists. They draw well. Antecedent 1 Antecedent 2 Both Max and Helen delivered their speeches. Antecedent 1 Antecedent 2

How to fix problems in agreement
Complete the following sentences by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents. 1. The dog and the cat have finished eating __________ food. 2. Either Leo or Julius will lend me __________ camping gear. 3. Sara or Susan might arrive early so that __________ can help.

Complete the following sentences by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents. 1. The dog and the cat have finished eating __________ food. their The antecedents dog and cat are joined by and, so the plural pronoun their should be used.

Complete the following sentences by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents. 2. Either Leo or Julius will lend me __________ camping gear. his The singular antecedents Leo and Julius are joined by or, so a singular pronoun should be used. His is correct since both the antecedents are masculine.

Complete the following sentences by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents. 3. Sara or Susan might arrive early so that __________ can help. she The singular antecedents Sara and Susan are joined by or, so a singular antecedent should be used. She is correct since both the antecedents are feminine.

On Your Own Most of the following sentences contain pronouns that do not agree with their antecedents. If a pronoun does not agree with its antecedent, provide the correct pronoun. If a sentence is already correct, label it C. 1. Both Rick and Ned were pleased with their test results. 2. Can even a princess or a queen have their every wish? 3. If you get a red rose or a lily, it will look nice here. 4. My brother and my sister lent me her favorite videos. 5. Two cars and one truck had its lights on. [End of Section]

Answers Most of the following sentences contain pronouns that do not agree with their antecedents. If a pronoun does not agree with its antecedent, provide the correct pronoun. If a sentence is already correct, label it C. 1. Both Rick and Ned were pleased with their test results. C 2. Can even a princess or a queen have her every wish? 3. If you get a red rose or a lily, it will look nice here. C 4. My brother and my sister lent me their favorite videos. 5. Two cars and one truck had their lights on.

Review A Complete the following sentences by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents. Frances or Donna will sing __________ favorite song. Each of the mice has white markings on __________ back. No one in the band forgot __________ sheet music. Some of the customers complained that __________ food was cold. 5. When my aunt and uncle come to visit, I am going to show __________ the skate park.

Review A Complete the following sentences by providing pronouns that agree with their antecedents. Frances or Donna will sing __________favorite song. her Each of the mice has white markings on __________ back. its his or her No one in the band forgot __________ sheet music. Some of the customers complained that __________ food was cold. their 5. When my aunt and uncle come to visit, I am going to show __________ the skate park. them

Review B Most of the following sentences contain errors in pronoun-antecedent agreement. Identify each error, and give the form of the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent. If a sentence is correct, label it C. 1. Somebody left the engine running in their car. Several of the kittens are sick, but the veterinarian can help him or her. 3. Will either Hector or Kevin read his paper aloud? 4. Neither of the robins has their winter plumage. 5. Ted and his brother must have left. I don’t see him anywhere. [End of Section]

Review B Most of the following sentences contain errors in pronoun-antecedent agreement. Identify each error, and give the form of the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent. If a sentence is correct, label it C. 1. Somebody left the engine running in his or her car. 2. Several of the kittens are sick, but the veterinarian can help them. 3. Will either Hector or Kevin read his paper aloud? C 4. Neither of the robins has its winter plumage. 5. Ted and his brother must have left. I don’t see them anywhere.

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Subject/Verb and Verb Tense

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Subject/Verb and Verb Tense

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