Transcript Basics of Subject

Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-Verb Agreement

Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement

Singular Verbs

Agreement with One of

Agreement with There in the Subject
Position
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Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement

Use -s/-es on a present simple tense verb
with a third person singular (it, he, she)
subject:
The PDA plans his schedule for him.
The farmer hopes for good weather during the
harvest.
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Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement
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Do not use -s/-es on a present simple
tense verb with a first person singular (I),
second person singular and plural (you) or
third person plural (they) subject:
I plan to do my PhD after 2 years of work.
The workers try hard to meet the given deadline
for the special assignment.
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Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement
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Auxiliary verbs (be/do/have) must agree
with their subjects.
Singular: is/was/does/has
Plural: are/were/do/have
Does the university accept mature students?
The administrators have informed all the staff
about the new policy.
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Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement

A sentence with a compound subject
(more than one subject) takes on a plural
verb.
The engineer and the architect work on the
different aspects of the building.
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Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement
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The verb must agree with the head word
of a noun phrase or clause.
The assistant assigned to this job has received a raise
recently.
The assistants assigned to this job have received a
raise recently.
The picture which was digitally improved was
misplaced.
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Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement
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The modal auxiliaries do not have an -s
or -d form.
The programme may work.
The programmers cannot ascertain the damage
now.
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Singular Subject
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Use the singular verb for collective nouns
when they refer to a group of people e.g.
government, family, team, committee.
The new team decides who their leader is.
The government holds quarterly meetings to
provide updates on the economy.
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Singular Subject
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Use the singular verb for uncountable
nouns e.g. rain, water, furniture,
equipment, research and information.
The information is updated every hour.
The equipment has just arrived.
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Singular Subject
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Use the singular verb for certain
uncountable nouns ending with –s as they
are singular in nature.
Physics/Economics/ Statistics is my favourite subject.
News about the country is unavailable currently
because of the communication breakdown.
Politics is not a domain for everyone.
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Singular Subject
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Use the singular or plural verb with
indefinite pronouns: each, every,
everyone, someone, anybody, nobody,
anything, nothing.
Everyone has to be present during the briefing.
Each of the steps is complicated.
Nothing escapes the investigator’s attention.
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Singular Subject
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Use the singular verb for gerunds that
function as nouns.
Driving requires focus and quick reflexes.
Preparing for exam is tedious but rewarding.
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Singular Subject
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Use the singular verb with subject clauses
beginning with what.
What the experts have said has proven true.
What he is currently studying applies well to the
field of bioengineering.
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Singular Subject
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When the subject is joined by either…or
OR neither…nor, use the verb form that
agrees with the noun closest to it.
Either the manager or the team members are
present.
Neither he nor I am aware of the changes.
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Singular Subject
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Use the singular or plural verb depending
on the noun used with the quantifying
words or phrases.
All of the students are working on the project.
All of the money has been invested in a foreign bank.
(countable – singular verb)
Some samples are spoilt during the delivery.
None of the samples are faulty. (may use singular or
plural verbs)
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Agreement with One of
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When the noun phrase “one of the many/
several” is used, it is always used with a
plural noun but the subject is singular and
it takes a singular verb.
One of my partners has not arrived.
One of the examples given does not show the
steps clearly.
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Agreement with There in Subject
Position
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When the subject begins with There, the
verb agrees with the noun that precedes it.
There is news of the latest cure for cancer.
There are some defeats and victories during this series
of game.
Note: Uncountable nouns are always singular.
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Sources
Lane, A. and Lange, E. (1999). Writing Clearly: An
Editing Guide (2nd ed.). Boston: Heinle and Heinle
Publishers. Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (2006).
Writing Academic English (4th ed.). New York:
Pearson Education, 184-194.
Raimes, A. (2006). Grammar Troublespots: A Guide for
Student Writers (3rd ed.). New York: Cambridge
University Press, 90-97.
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