Transcript Subject/Verb Agreement

Usage and Agreement
Subjects and Verbs
Number
Singular subjects should have singular
verbs, plural should have plural verbs
– Cindy is my favorite aunt.
– Her children are about my age.
Tricky subjects
• Indefinite pronouns
– Some are always singular, some are
always plural
– Some, however, can be either- it then
depends on the context of the sentence
Always singular indefinite
pronouns
•
•
•
•
•
•
Each
Either
Neither
One
Another
Someone
everyone
everybody
everything
no one
much
somebody
nobody
nothing
anyone
anybody
anything
something
No one except the nice students
leaves early.
Always plural
•
•
•
•
Several
Few
Both
many
A few in the crowd are
troublesome.
Either
•
•
•
•
•
•
Some
All
Any
More
Most
none
Most of the Nobel Prizes for
literature have been awarded
to men.
Most refers to prizes (plural)
so verb is plural
Most of the money for the
prizes comes from a fund
established by Alfred Nobel.
Most refers to money (singular)
so verb is singular
Compound Subjects
• Two subjects joined by and are plural
– My mom and sisters are in Las Vegas.
• Two subjects joined by or/nor are
singular
– Verb should agree to subject closest
• My sisters or my mom is in Las Vegas.
• My mom or my sisters are in Las Vegas.
Collective Nouns
• The kind of noun that represents a group.
(family, team, crowd, jury)
• Depend on rest of sentence
• If all members create one action = singular
• If members do different actions = plural
– The family consists of 34 members (one unitsingular)
– The family have gone separate ways (different
actions- plural)
Words stating amounts
• Singular when the amount is thought of as
a whole
– Ninety percent of the student body is here.
– Fifty cents was the price.
• Plural when the amount indicates a
collection of individual parts
– Three quarters were in my pocket
– Ninety percent of the students are present
today.
“Every” and “Many a”
• Always singular
• Every mother, father, and
grandparent is looking at their
graduate with pride.
• Many a hopeful performer has gone
to search for fame.