Transcript Subject Verb Agreement

Subject Verb Agreement
Singular subjects take singular verbs
Plural subjects take plural verbs
Tricky situations:
1. The number of a subject usually is not determined by a
word in a phrase or clause following the subject.
Example: The actors in Lee’s film are rehearsing.
prepositional phrase
2. A negative construction following the subject does not
change the number in the subject.
Example: Lee, not one of the acting coaches, has
been advising them.
Note: The verb has agrees with Lee.
Subject Verb Agreement
Exercise A
1. Gwendolyn Brooks is an award-winning
African American poet. (S)
2. For several years she has served as the poet
laureate of Illinois. (S)
3. Many poems by Brooks express anger for the
injustice of racial discrimination. (P)
4. Two volumes of her poetry are Annie Allen and
A Street in Bronzeville. (P)
5. One day I hope to be as eloquent a poet as
Gwendolyn Brooks. (S)
KEY Subject Verb Agreement – Exercise B
Directions: Underline the verb in parentheses that agrees with the subject.
6. The city of Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina.
7. Today, almost nine million citizens live in the city and
its environs.
8. When I visit Buenos Aires, I will want to see Plaza de
Mayo.
9. The historic building Casa Rosada stands there.
10. The offices of Argentina’s president are housed
within.
11. The land area of Argentina covers over a million
square miles.
KEY Subject Verb Agreement – Exercise B
Directions: Underline the verb in parentheses that agrees with the subject.
12. This country of scrubland, swamps, plains stretches
2,360 miles from north to south.
13. The width of the country from east to west is only
about 884 miles.
14. Some people who look at Argentina on a map see a
triangular-shaped country.
15. The widest part of Argentina, the longest of the
triangle’s sides, forms the northern part of the
country.