Transcript Subject/Verb Agreement

Subject/Verb Agreement
Making subjects & verbs all singular or all
plural to avoid confusing your reader or
writing something like. . .
“I justs wanna sounds edumacated
like yous!”
See WR: G1a-k pp. 215-224 (8th ed)
193-202 (7th ed)
S/V Agreement Part 1
1) Everyone were looking forward to summer.
Everyone was/is looking forward to
summer.
2) Tim and Maria is revising their papers.
Tim and Maria are/were revising their papers.
3) The park near those apartments have no
tables.
The park near those apartments has no
tables.
The trees by the classrooms near the building
where the lecture will be given (is are) old.
The trees by the classrooms near the
building where the lecture will be given
are old. (G1.b)
Everyone (wants want) to avoid having
missing assignments in class.
Everyone wants to avoid having missing
assignments in class.
Neither topic (sound sounds) exciting for my
paper.
Neither topic sounds exciting for my paper.
Neither of those apps (is are) worth buying.
Neither of those apps is worth buying.
G1.e, pp. 218-19 (8th) or p. 197 (7th)
(See Indefinite Pronouns like everyone, no one, nobody,
everybody, either, neither that are almost always
singular.)
Lisa and Frank (believes believe) writing their
synthesis papers will be exciting.
Lisa and Frank believe writing their synthesis
papers will be exciting. (G1.c)
A rum and coke (tastes taste) good after the
semester is over.
A rum and coke tastes good after semester
is over. (G1.c)
Either Tim or Corky (has have) just checked
grades using Engrade.
Either Tim or Corky has just checked
grades using Engrade. (G1.d)
Neither the final paper nor the quizzes
(was were) too difficult in English 53 or 50.
Neither the final papers nor the quizzes
were too difficult in English 53 or 50. (G1.d)
A crowd of fans (is are) anxious to buy tickets for
the Aerosmith/Kiss reunion concert.
A crowd of fans is anxious to buy tickets for
the Aerosmith/Kiss reunion concert. (G1.f)
Many fans in the crowd (was were)anxious to see
the Aerosmith/Kiss reunion concert.
Many fans in the crowd were anxious to see the
Aerosmith/Kiss reunion concert. (G1.f)
(See Collective Nouns G1.F like crowd, team, jury, class, family, committee which
are usually singular.)
The nightly news (shows show) many
possible essay topics I might write on.
The nightly news shows many possible
essay topics I might write on. (G1. j)
• Measles (is are) a disease that
can be prevented.
• Measles is a disease that can be
prevented. (G1. j)
• (See G1.J for words ending in “S” but are
usually consider singular: news, measles,
statistics, politics, mathematics, etc.)