Transcript Subject/Verb Agreement - McGraw Hill Higher Education

Chapter Three
Subject-Verb Agreement
English Brushup, 3E
John Langan
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-Verb Agreement
• When subjects and verbs agree, they match
in number and person.
• In other words, singular subjects require
singular verbs and plural subjects match
plural verbs; third person subjects require
the thirdMyperson
form
of
the
verb.
brothers
My brother
buy
old bicycles
to repair.
English Brushup, 3E
buys
old bicycles
to repair.
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject/Verb Agreement
• In English, regular verbs take the same form
for singular and plural except for the thirdperson singular form of the verb.
• The -s,The
or boy
-es walks.
ending on aThe
verb
designates
a
boys
walk.
singular verb.
• In fact, nouns and verbs are the opposite
where plural endings are concerned.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-Verb Agreement
• A subject agrees with its verb no matter how far
apart the two are. Do not be distracted by nouns
or pronouns placed between the subject and verb.
• The ducks on the lake behind the school swim in
large groups.
• A list of required readings is mailed to entering
freshmen.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-Verb Agreement
• A compound subject that is linked by the conjunction
“and ” requires a plural verb.
• Both the college newspaper and the literary magazine
fail to attract experienced staff.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-Verb Agreement
• A compound subject linked by the conjunction or
or nor requires a singular verb.
• Either the dean or his assistant addresses the
freshmen class.
• Neither geology nor astronomy is required for
my major.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Click to see answer….
Incorrect
Movies in today’s
market makes a
great deal of
money.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Revised
Movies in today’s
market make a
great deal of
money.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Incorrect
The American
audiences pays
for tickets at
the theater
and for cable at
home.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Revised
The American
audiences pay for
tickets at the
theater and for
cable at home.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Correct
The international
market, which
includes dozens
of countries,
produces even
more profit.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Incorrect
Films are very
expensive to
manufacture, so
American studios
creates far more
films than other
countries.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Revised
Films are very
expensive to
manufacture, so
American studios
create far more
films than other
countries.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Incorrect
There is many
advantages to
seeing a movie
in the theater rather
than watching
a video at home.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Revised
There are many
advantages to
seeing a movie
in the theater
rather than
watching a video
at home.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Correct
The dark theater
and the enormous
screen take the
movie viewer to
another world.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Incorrect
The background
music in movies
play an important
role.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Revised
The background
music in movies
plays an important
role.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Correct
The music creates
a mood and gives a
signal of something
to come.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Incorrect
Not everyone in
the entertainment
fields agree about
the quality of
movies.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Revised
Not everyone in the
entertainment field
agrees about the
quality of movies.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Incorrect
Neither the use of
subtitles nor black
and white
photography
demonstrate the
preferences of most
Americans.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Revised
Neither the use of
subtitles nor black
and white
photography
demonstrates the
preferences of most
Americans.
English Brushup, 3E
© 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.