1. Subject-Verb Agreement The Rules

2. Rule #18a  A word that refers to one person, place, thing, or idea is singular in number. A word that refers to more than one is plural in number.  Sing.: book, theory, either, it, one, city  Plural: books, theories, both, they, two, cities  Both nouns and pronouns have number.

3. Rule #18b  A verb should agree in number with its subject.  Singular subjects take singular verbs.  In her spare time, the college students.  In her spare time, the lawyer tutors college students.  the next essay due soon?  Is the next essay assignment due soon?  Plural subjects take plural verbs.  In their spare time, the college students.  In their spare time, the lawyers tutor college students.  the next essay due soon?  Are the next essay assignments due soon?

4. Rule #18b (continued)  When a gerund phrase or an infinitive phrase is the complete subject of a sentence, the entire phrase is considered singular and therefore takes a singular verb!  much of the lawyer’s spare time.  Tutoring college students occupies much of the lawyer’s spare time.  is difficult.  To write several essay assignments is difficult.

5. Rule #18b (continued)  In a verb phrase, the first helping verb agrees in number with the rest of the subject.  The by Maya Lin.  The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was designed by Maya Lin. (singular subject and singular verb phrase) (singular subject and singular verb phrase)  The and the by Maya Lin.  The Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Civil Rights Memorial were designed by Maya Lin.

6. Rule #18c  The number of a subject is not changed by a word in a phrase or clause following the subject.  The by various students in the class.  The poems are by various students in the class.  The in this collection by various students in the class.  The poems in this collection are by various students in the class.

7. Review: 18a, 18b, & 18c  Rule #18a: A word that refers to one person, place, thing, or idea is singular in number. A word that refers to more than one is plural in number.  Rule #18b: A verb should agree in number with its subject.  Rule #18c: The number of a subject is not changed by a word in a phrase or clause following the subject.  Try Worksheets 104 and 105 now!

8. Rule #18d  Some indefinite pronouns are singular, some are plural, and some can be singular or plural depending on how they are used.

9. Rule #18d (continued) Singular  anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody, someone, something  Example: while I was out?  Example: Did anything happen while I was out?  Example: in this room no homework tonight.  Example: Somebody in this room wants no homework tonight.

10. Rule #18d (continued) Plural  both, few, many, several  of the schools an excellent sports program.  Both of the schools offer an excellent sports program.  of Mr. Mathews’ students English class.  Few of Mr. Mathews’ students miss English class.  of my notebooks.  Several of my notebooks have gone missing.

11. Rule #18d (continued) Singular OR Plural  all, any, more, most, none, some  Their number changes based on the words to which they refer.  S: of the worksheet simple.  S: All of the worksheet seems simple.  P: of the problems simple.  P: All of the problems seem simple.  Try worksheets 107 and 108 now!

12. Rule #18e  Subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb.  and the official languages of Canada.  English and French are the official languages of Canada.  and to be friends.  Sarah and Allison seem to be friends.  This is true only when two people, places, things, or ideas are named. If the and names only one person, place, thing, or idea, the subject takes a singular verb. (i.e. macaroni and cheese)

13. Rule #18f  Singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular subject.  A or a warm enough for tonight.  A fleece or a sweater is warm enough for tonight.  Neither the nor the the guest speaker.  Neither the teacher nor the student knows the guest speaker.  Either or the locker break announcements.  Either Ms. Molloy or Mrs. Hals reads the locker break announcements.

14. Rule #18g  When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer the verb.  Either the or the wrong about the date of the dress down.  Either the students or the teacher is wrong about the date of the dress down.  Either the or the wrong about the date of the dress down.  Either the teacher or the students are wrong about the date of the dress down.

15. Review  Rule #18e: Subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb.  Rule #18f: Singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular subject.  Rule #18g: When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer the verb.  Try Worksheets 109 and 110 now!

16. Special Problems in Subject-Verb Agreement Exceptions to the Rules

17. Rule #18h  The contractions don’t and doesn’t should agree with their subjects.  He doesn’t (does not) live here anymore.  Is doesn’t (does not) look like snow.  Ann Marie doesn’t (does not) know about the big surprise.  I don’t (do not) think it will snow all winter.

18. Rule #18i  When the subject follows the verb, find the subject and make sure that the verb agrees with it.  Here is the movie I borrowed.  Here are the movies I borrowed.  There was an accident on the Parkway.  There were two accidents on the Parkway.

19. Rule #18i (continued)  Nota bene: The contractions here’s, there’s, when’s, and where’s incorporate the verb is. Contractions such as these should only be used with singular subjects!!!  Here’s (Here is) your book.  When’s (When is) the next liturgy?

20. Rule #18j  A collective noun may be either singular or plural, depending on its meaning in a sentence.  The singular form of a collective noun names a group of people or things.  Examples of collective nouns: army, assembly, audience, band, class, club, committee, crowd, family, fleet, flock, group, herd, jury, public, squadron, staff, swarm, team, troop

21. Rule #18j (continued)  A collective noun is singular when it refers to the group as a unit.  The class meets on A, B, D, and E Days.  The team has won the county meet.  The fleet sails tomorrow morning.

22. Rule #18j (continued)  A collective noun is plural when it refers to the individual members or parts of the group.  The class usually bring their laptops with them. (members bring separate laptops)  The team have voted on this year’s MVP. (members voted separately)  The fleet drop anchor when they arrive in the port. (ships drop separate anchors)

23. Try Worksheets 111 and 112 now!

24. Rule #18k  An expression of an amount (measurement, percentage, fraction, etc.) may be singular or plural, depending on how it is used.  Fifty dollars is all we have raised so far. (unit is one amount)  Fifty dollars were left down in the cafeteria. (amount refers to separate dollars)

25. Rule #18l  Some rare nouns that are plural in form take singular verbs, and some nouns that suggests “a pair” take plural verbs.  Physics happens to be my favorite subject.  Mr. Mathews’s scissors have gone missing!

26. Rule #18m  Even when in plural form, the titles of creative works (such as books, songs, movies, or paintings) and the names of countries, cities, organization generally take singular verbs.  The Outsiders is a popular book.

27. Try Worksheets 113 and 114 now!

28. Rule #18n  A verb agrees with its subject, but not necessarily with its predicate nominative.  Predicate nominative: a noun following a linking verb that provides information about the subject.  Good writing skills are one requirement for college admission.  The highlight of the movie was the numerous explosion scenes.

29. Rule #18o  Subjects preceded by every or many a(n) take singular verbs.  Every student is responsible for not getting banned from the network.  Many a freshman worries about missing the bus home.

30. Rule #18p  When the relative pronoun that, which, or who is the subject of an adjective clause, the verb in the clause agrees with the word to which the relative pronoun refers.  London, which is the capital of the United Kingdom, is often covered in fog.  I know some penguins who owe me a couple of favors.

31. Rule #18p  When the relative pronoun is preceded by one of + a plural word, it takes a plural verb.  Spain is one of the nations that border France.  Religion is one of the classes that are taken by IHA freshmen.  Romeo and Juliet is one of the works read during freshman year.

32. Rule #18p  When the relative pronoun is preceded by the only one of + a plural word, it takes a singular verb.  The Vatican is the only one of the European nations that is inhabited solely by men.  New Jersey is the only one of the United States that has abolished the death penalty since its reinstatement.

33. Try Worksheets 115 and 116 now!