Transcript Subject-Verb Agreement - Waterford Union High School

Subject-Verb Agreement
Agreement in number
and phrases between
subject and verb
Verbs must agree with their subjects in
NUMBER
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If the subject is SINGULAR, the verb must be in its
SINGULAR form
If the verb is PLURAL, the verb must be in its
PLURAL form
Hint: a noun that ends in “s” is usually plural, but a
verb that ends in “s” is usually singular.
Examples: The student helps the old lady across the
street.
The students help the old lady across the street.
Phrases lurking in the sentence
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Sometimes a phrase that is hiding between
the subject and verb can be confusing.
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For example:
The Smith family dog, loved by neighbors,
barks every evening until midnight.
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Let’s review phrases, shall we?
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A phrase is a group of related words that act
as one part of speech. They do not have a
subject or predicate.
Prepositional phrases – begin w/ a
preposition and act as adjectives or adverbs.
He went to the movies. The cat was hiding
under the rug. The phone in my purse just
rang.
More phrase review!
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Appositive phrases give more information
about a noun or pronoun
Bob, my favorite cousin, just ran over my cat.
Verbal (participial, gerund and infinitive)
phrases act as nouns, adjectives or adverbs.
Painfully plunking the keys, the boy
rehearsed his piano lesson for an hour.(ptc.)
More example phrases…
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My brother tried licking a light post on a cold
winter’s day. (gerund phrase)
To watch him squirm as he tried to break free
was quite entertaining. (infinitive phrase)
Why is recognizing a phrase
important?
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…because sometimes they make
subject/verb agreement a difficult task.
HOWEVER, when a phrases is stuck
between the subject and verb, the number of
the subject does NOT change.
Ex: The success of our students is reflected
in their performance after high school.
(subject- success/ verb – is)
More examples:
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Books – whether history or science fiction —
are fascinating.
The jeans in the window are really expensive
Most foods needed for our citizens to survive
are still cultivated in the United States.
Practice and Apply
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Try out activity 3 on page 159 1-5. Write the
verb form that agrees with the subject.