Transcript Subject-Verb Agreement

SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT
Unit 2 Language Arts
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
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Subjects and verbs must always agree in
number. Number refers to whether a
word is singular or plural.
A word that refers to a person, place,
thing, idea, action, or condition is
singular.
A word that refers to more than one is
plural.
SINGULAR AND PLURAL
SUBJECTS
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Singular subject = singular verb
 Each musician listens to the others.
Plural subject = plural verb
 The musicians play without sheet
music.
SINGULAR VERBS
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Singular Verbs usually end in “s” or “es”.
For Example:
 Jumps – singular form of verb
 Jump – plural form of verb
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SINGULAR IRREGULAR VERBS
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Is, was, does, and has are singular
irregular verbs.
For Example:
 Louise is my best friend.
 Jade was at the mall last week.
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PLURAL IRREGULAR VERBS
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Are, were, have, and do are plural
irregular verbs.
For Example:
 The players are meeting today.
 Many people do enjoy movies.
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DOESN’T AND DON’T
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Use doesn’t with all singular subjects
except “I” and “you”.
 My dog doesn’t bark at night.
Use don’t with all plural subjects and the
pronouns “I” and “you”.
 Twenty players don’t know the time of
the meeting.
 I don’t work with the t.v. on.
VERB PHRASES
In a verb phrase, the first helping verb
must agree with the subject.
 The first verb of the verb phrase is called
the helping verb.
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Miles Davis has led groups in
performance.
 His music is becoming legendary.
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COMMON HELPING VERBS
Be
 Am
 Is
 Are
 Was
 Were
 Been
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been
has
have
had
does
do
did
did
can
could
shall
should
will
would
might
may
GUIDED PRACTICE PROBLEMS
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Today, instrument makers (coils, coil) the
tubes of metal.
They (handles, handle) these instruments
more easily than the earlier hours.
French horns (has, have) three or more
valves.
PRACTICE CONTINUED
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Friends (have admired, has admired) her
interesting collection.
Each part (is, are) made of wood, except
the strings.
Samuel (doesn’t, don’t) use computer clip
art.
OR AND NOR
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Use a singular verb with singular subjects
joined by “or” or “nor”.
The basketball or the football is used at
P.E. everyday.
Neither Eric nor David plays the piano.
SUBJECTS JOINED BY AND
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Use a plural verb with subjects joined by
“and”.
For Example:
 Cats and horses run all over the fields
at our farm.
 A firefighter and a paramedic help save
lives.
OR AND NOR, AGAIN!!
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Use a plural verb with plural subjects
joined by “or” or “nor”.
For Example:
 Books or computer games take up most
of my time on the weekends.
 Neither ghosts nor goblins scare Julia
very much.
SUBJECTS JOINED BY OR AND
NOR
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When the parts of a compound subject
are joined by or or nor, the verb should
agree with the part closest to it.
For Example:
 A professional or volunteers serve on
emergency teams.
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Volunteers or a professional serves on
emergency teams.
Guided Practice Problems
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Arts and crafts (is, are) often hard to tell
apart.
Even forks and spoons (appear, appears)
in museum collections.
Either Mrs. Gomez or Mr. Ming (delivers,
deliver) the welcome speech on the first
day of school.
Practice Problems Continued
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Either Sylvia or her brothers (washes,
wash) the kitchen floor each Saturday
morning.
The heavy rainclouds and the powerful
winds (indicates, indicate) that a
hurricane is approaching.
Neither the sea lion nor the clowns
(catches, catch) the ball that the monkey
throws into the circus ring.
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
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Some pronouns do not refer to a definite,
or specific, person, place, thing, or idea.
These pronouns are called indefinite
pronouns.
When used as subjects, some indefinite
pronouns are always singular. Some are
always plural. Others can be singular or
plural depending on how they are used.
SINGULAR INDEFINITE
PRONOUNS
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Singular indefinite pronouns take singular
verbs.
Everyone knows about camels in desert
caravans.
 Everything about them seems strange
and exotic.
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SINGULAR INDEFINITE
PRONOUNS
Another
 Anything
 Everybody
 Neither
 Nothing
 Someone
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anybody
each
everyone
nobody
one
something
anyone
either
everything
no one
somebody
PLURAL INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
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Plural indefinite pronouns take plural
verbs.
Few of us realize their importance to
desert people.
 Many rely on the camel for everyday
living.
 Both of the camels in this photo are
Bactrian camels.
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PLURAL INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
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Both
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Few
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Many
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Several
SINGULAR OR PLURAL
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
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All
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Any
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Most
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None
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Some
Guided Practice Problems
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Everyone at the party (likes, like) the
cottage cheese and vegetable dip.
Everyone (is, are) touched by pictures
that capture human suffering.
Nobody in the beginning painting class
(displays, display) work in the annual art
show.
Practice Problems Continued
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Both of Fred’s brothers (celebrates,
celebrate) their birthdays in July.
Several of those colors (appeals, appeal)
to me.
Most of the appetizers on the restaurant
menu (tastes, taste) delicious.
PREPOSITIONS
The simple subject of a sentence is
NEVER part of a prepositional phrase. A
prepositional phrase begins with a
preposition, ends with the next noun or
pronoun, and includes all of the words in
between.
 For Example:
 The cars in my driveway belong to my
dad’s boss.
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COMMON PREPOSITIONS
About
among
for
by
 According to
inside
past
to
 Around
since
until
upon
 Before
toward
under
like
 Across
between within without
 During
onto
except despite
 There is a better list on page 152 of your
Language Network book.
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Guided Practice Problems
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The launch of a space shuttle (attracts,
attract) the interest of people throughout
the world.
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The thermos bottle in the picnic basket
(is, are) filled with apple juice.
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The chimes in the tower (plays, play)
every hour.
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The cucumbers in my garden (grows,
grow) very quickly.