Transcript Subject and Verb Agreement

Subject – Verb Agreement
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Subject-Verb Agreement
PowerPoint Lesson Plan
Common Core State Standards
English Language Arts/Language: 9-12
Conventions of Standard English:
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
a. Apply the understanding that usage is a matter
of convention, can change over time, and is
sometimes contested.
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Lesson Plan Continued
Title: Subject and Verb Agreement – Can’t We All Get Along?
Objective:
Students will watch a PowerPoint presentation to review basic
rules for subject and verb agreement in order to complete
subsequent exercises.
Materials: PowerPoint presentation; student handouts; pen and
paper
Directions:
After viewing and taking notes on the PowerPoint presentation,
as a group activity, the teacher will complete student exercise 1.
Exercises 2 and 3 can either be completed in class or assigned as
homework.
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Lesson Plan Continued
Closure: The teacher will review student responses to the
exercises.
Differentiated:
Struggling: All exercises will be completed in class with the help of
the teacher.
Advanced: Students will complete exercises 2 and 3 on their own.
Assessment: Students will achieve a minimum of 70% on the student
exercises.
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Subject & Verb Definition
• A subject is what the sentence is discussing.
• Noun or pronoun
• John likes to attend rock concerts. (subject)
• He really enjoys concerts.(subject)
• A verb expresses action or a state or being.
• John frequently attends rock concerts. (action)
• John feels sick today. (state of being)
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Subject & Verb Agreement
 Basic Rule:
 Singular Subject = Singular Verb
 Plural Subject = Plural Verb
John & Harry
One Subj. = Singular Verb
John shakes hands.
Two Subj. = Plural Verbs
John and Harry shake hands.
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Sit
down!
To find subject: ask who/what is discussed?
To find verb: ask what is subject doing?
• John buys bread at the local market.
• John and Mary buy bread at the local market.
Present Tense of Regular Verbs:
1st Per: I buy
1st Per. We buy
2nd Per. You buy
2nd Per. You buy
3rd Per. He, she, it buys
3rd Per. They buy
Note: 3rd per singular ends in “S”
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Subject Verb Agreement
with Prepositional Phrases.
• The teacher in the back of the room sits quietly listening
to her students.
• The teacher of the first grade classes was called to the
office.
• Helpful hint: Always eliminate the prepositional phrase(s)
to find the subject of the sentence.
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Common Prepositions
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aboard
about
above
across
after
against
along
amid
among
around
at
before
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behind
below
beneath
beside
besides
between
beyond
but
by
concerning
considering
despite
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down
during
except
for
from
in
inside
into
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Common Prepositions
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like
near
of
off
on
onto
opposite
outside
over
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regarding
round
since
through
to
toward
towards
under
underneath
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unlike
until
up
upon
with
within
without
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Singular Indefinite Pronouns
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Another
Anybody
Anyone
Anything
Each
Either
Enough
Everybody
Everyone
Less
Little
Much
Neither
No one
Nobody
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Nothing
One
Other
Somebody
Someone
Something
Whatever
Whoever
Whomever
Whichever
You (one)
• These indefinite
pronouns take
singular verbs, even
if some sound
plural.
• Everyone is invited
to the party.
• Nothing is out of
the question for
him.
• Each of the students
needs to finish
dinner.
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Plural Indefinite Pronouns
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Both
Few
Many
Several
These indefinite pronouns take plural verbs.
Both students are invited to the party.
Few birds fly south for the winter.
Many children live with their parents.
Several books have been checked out of the
library.
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Indefinite Pronouns: Singular or Plural
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All
Any
More
Most
None
Some
Such
Singular/Plural – Depends on Use
• Some of the mustard is rotten.
• Most of the sand is gone. (not
countable)
• None of the gates are open. (Not any)
• None of you claim responsibility. (not
one)
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Interrupters – are words, phrases or clauses
between subject and verb.
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 John, as well as his sister, is
going swimming. (singular verb)
Together with
As well as
Along with
In addition to
Including
Besides
Like
 The teacher, together with her
students, has been invited to
attend the ceremony. (singular
verb)
 The cats, along with the dog,
were rescued. (plural verb)
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More Pesky Interrupters
 Interrupters add more information
about the subject.
 My sister, who thinks she is really
smart, beautiful and awesome and has
won all kinds of beauty prizes, is a real
pain in the neck! (singular subject)
I am
divine…
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Neither/Nor
 Neither my dad nor my sisters want steak.
(Plural)
 Neither my sisters nor my dad wants steak.
(Singular)
To determine the correct verb, look at the noun next
to the verb and immediately following nor. If the
noun is plural, the verb must be plural. If the noun is
singular, the verb must be singular.
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Either/Or
 Either my parents or my sister is going
home. (Singular)
 Either my sister or my parents are going
home. (Plural)
To determine the correct verb, look at the noun
next to the verb and immediately following or. If
the noun is plural, the verb must be plural. If the
noun is singular, the verb must be singular.
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The Collective Experience!
Collective Nouns: Singular or Plural – it all depends…
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Pants
Pliers
Scissors
Glasses
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My pants are torn.
The glasses were broken.
The scissors are in the drawer.
A pair is missing.
Plural
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More on Living in the Collective…
Collective Nouns: Singular or Plural – it all depends…
 A majority of the students wants a minimum day.
(singular)
 The jury of women has reached a decision. (acting as one -singular)
 A flock of geese is heading south. (singular)
 The team of boys are always fighting among themselves.
(plural)
How to determine if the collective noun is singular or
plural?
 Recognize the collective noun.
 Visualize what is going on in the sentence – is the
collective noun acting as a unit or as individuals?
 Choose the appropriate singular or plural verb.
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Common Collective Nouns
Army
Council
Minority
Audience
Coven
Network
Band (musical)
Crowd
Pack
Board (political)
Department
Panel
Cabinet (political)
Enemy
Pod
Choir
Faculty
Posse
Class
Family
Public
Committee
Flock
School
Company
Government
Senate
Colony
Group
Slate
Corporation
Herd
Society
Clergy
Jury
Swarm
Clergy
Majority
Team
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Heard of These Collective Nouns ???
A wake of buzzards
A farrow of piglets
A promise of barmen
A covert of coots
A pack of perch
A riches of matrons
A murder of crows
A shiver of sharks
A faith of merchants
A dole of doves
A troupe of shrimps
A diligence of
messengers
A muster of peacocks
A quiver of cobras
A troupe of minstrels
A cloud of bats
A flight of dragons
A cortege of mourners
A clowder of cats
A mess of iguanas
A skirl of pipers
A stud of mares
A rhumba of rattlesnakes
A prudence of vicars
A mischief of mice
A bevy of beauties
A gaggle of women
A plague of locusts
A sneer of butlers
An ambush of widows
http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/gswithenbank/collnoun.htm
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Words Ending in “-S”
 Words that look plural, but take singular verbs:
 The news is boring today.
 Measles is an unpleasant disease.
 Words that point to a singular concept, take a plural
verb:
 My earnings have really taken a hit.
 The assets that I accumulated are gone!
 Our thanks appear unwelcome.
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Think Fractions Happen Only in Math?
 Fractional expressions: singular/plural – it depends…
 50% of the parents were present. (parents are plural)
 50% of the university was destroyed by fire. (university
is singular)
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Sums/Products of mathematical computations:
singular subject = singular verb
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Four and four is eight.
Five times five is twenty-five.
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Countable (Plural) Mass Nouns
 If you can count the noun in the prepositional phrase,
then use a plural verb; if not, then a singular verb.
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Three-fifths of the animals were killed. (plural)
Half of the pens were stolen. (plural)
Three-fifths of the vineyard is spoiled. (singular)
The sand is so white. (singular)
 Look to what is being counted or not counted to
determine the correct verb.
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O.K. Let’s See What You Have Learned
Practice Exercise 1
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1.
2.
3.
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5.
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8.
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14.
15.
Maria and Carla (want/wants) to study today.
Half of the student body (is/are) taking tests today.
Hard work and good study habits (is/are) important at school.
Each of us (understands/understand) the lesson.
All of us (works/work) very hard.
The team (is traveling/are traveling) to an away game.
The committee (is voting/are voting) on the issue now.
The pep squad (deserve/deserves) some of the credit.
Jerry, along with his cousin, (has/have) eaten the cake.
Neither the principal nor the teachers (was/were) happy.
John and Mary are arguing. Neither one (wants/want) to move.
A number of kids (is/are) playing hockey.
The number of people (is/are) increasing in the state.
Everybody (was/were) excited about the game.
The milk (has/have) been spoiled for several days.
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Answers to the Quiz
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2.
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15.
Maria and Carla (want) to study today.
Half of the student body (is) taking tests today.
Hard work and good study habits (are) important at school.
Each of us (understands) the lesson.
All of us (work) very hard.
The team (is traveling) to an away game.
The committee (is voting) on the issue now.
The pep squad (deserves) some of the credit.
Jerry, along with his cousin, (has) eaten the cake.
Neither the principal nor the teachers (were) happy.
John and Mary are arguing. Neither one (wants) to move.
A number of kids (are) playing hockey.
The number of people (are) increasing in the state.
Everybody (was) excited about the game.
The milk (has) been spoiled for several days.
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More Practice:
Exercises 2 and 3:
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Subject and Verb Agreement: Exercise 2 (Student Handout)
Identify the subject in each of the following sentences. Then underline the verb in
the parentheses that agrees with the subject.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
A big box of crayons (was, were) sitting on the teacher’s desk.
The cost of the two tickets (equal, equals) more than my weekly paycheck.
The flooring in the upstairs room (is, are) going to be replaced next week.
The horses (pull, pulls) a ton of hay.
The package sent to me by mother (arrive, arrives) in a few days.
His sense of humor, together with his compassion, (has given, have given) him
great understanding for others.
7. Frogs, which are ugly little creatures, (lives, live) on land and water.
8. Neither the students nor the animal (has, have) been fed.
9. Neither of the animals (has, have) been fed.
10. A few in the auditorium (was, were) very rowdy.
11. Jose and she (is, are) the soccer champions.
12. Either a transistor or a capacitor (has, have) been damaged in the storm.
13. The cast (is, are) celebrating after the play.
14. All of your essays (was, were) graded yesterday.
15. Each of the poems (is, are) very beautiful.
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Key: Subject and Verb Agreement Exercise 2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
A big box of crayons (was, were) sitting on the teacher’s desk.
The cost of the two tickets (equal, equals) more than my weekly paycheck.
The flooring in the upstairs room (is, are) going to be replaced next week.
The horses (pull, pulls) a ton of hay.
The package sent to me by my mother (arrive, arrives) in a few days.
His sense of humor, together with his compassion, (has given, have given) him
great understanding for others.
7. Frogs, which are ugly little creatures, (lives, live) on land and water.
8. Neither the students nor the animal (has, have) been fed.
9. Neither of the animals (has, have) been fed.
10. A few in the auditorium (was, were) very rowdy.
11. Jose and she (is, are) the soccer champions.
12. Either a transistor or a capacitor (has, have) been damaged in the storm.
13. The cast (is, are) celebrating after the play. (assuming that you are thinking of
the cast as one)
14. All of your essays (was, were) graded yesterday.
15. Each of the poems (is, are) very beautiful.
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Subject and Verb Agreement: Exercise 3
If the subject and verb do not agree in the following sentences, write the
correct form of the verb. If the verb already agrees with the subject, write C.
1. Steven and Maria is the first team to finish.
2. There’s the kids that I told you were going to the movies.
3. Both my brother and sister wants to attend the baseball game this
afternoon.
4. Either the boys or their sister are playing a solo in the concert.
5. Modern rock-and-roll are rooted in ancient musical patterns.
6. Where’s my gloves?
7. Neither the window nor the door is new.
8. How was the surfing and sailing at the beach this afternoon?
9. Do the club meet on Tuesday or Wednesday?
10.Each of the pictures show the girl wearing a red sweatshirt.
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Key: Subject and Verb Agreement Exercise 3
1. Steven and Maria is the first team to finish. (are)
2. There’s the kids that I told you were going to the movies. (There are the kids…)
3. Both my brother and sister wants to attend the baseball game this afternoon.
(want)
4. Either the boys or their sister are playing a solo in the concert. (is playing…)
5. Modern rock-and-roll are rooted in ancient musical patterns. (is rooted)
6. Where’s my gloves? (Where are …)
7. Neither the window nor the door is new. (C)
8. How was the surfing and sailing at the beach this afternoon? (C)
9. Do the club meet on Tuesday or Wednesday? (Does the club …)
10. Each of the pictures show the girl wearing a red sweatshirt. (Each shows …)
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Be quiet!
You’re almost
home!
High 5 Achievers © 2013
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