Transcript Subject *Verb Agreement - Belle Vernon Area School District

Subject –Verb Agreement
Revision Review
What Does Subject-Verb
Agreement Mean?
• In a sentence, the subject and verb must
agree. They must be the same person and
number.
• If a subject is first person, then the verb
must also be fist person. For example,
would you say I does? Of course not! “I”
is first person, but “does” is third person.
These do not agree.
Agreeing in Number
• Subjects and verbs must also agree in
number. If the subject is singular, then the
verb must be also. If the subject is plural,
then the verb must also be plural.
• Singular subjects do not typically end in an
“s.” Oddly, singular verbs do end in “s.”
• e.g. The boy walks down the street.
Plural subjects usually end in an “s.”
Oddly, plural verbs do not.
e.g. The boys walk down the street.
Test Yourself – Agreeing in
Person and Number
• On a separate sheet of paper, write the
answer.
• 1. The boy (don’t, doesn’t) want a popsicle.
• 2. The girls (swim, swims) in the lake.
• 3. She (pretend, pretends) to pay attention.
• 4. The student (play, plays) with her hair.
• 5. The boys (do, does) their class work.
Check Your Answers – Agreement
in Person and Number
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1. doesn’t
2. swim
3. pretends
4. plays
5. do
Making Pronouns Agree
• Pronouns are harder to agree with verbs
than regular nouns. The pronouns that are
most difficult are the indefinite and
distributive pronouns.
• To make distributive pronouns agree,
always use a singular verb.
• To make indefinite pronouns agree,
memorize which ones take singular verbs,
plural verbs, or depend on an object of the
preposition.
Agreement with Distributive
Pronouns
• The three distributive pronouns are each, either,
and neither.
• Distributive pronouns always require a singular
verb.
• How do you know if a verb is singular or
plural? It is easy. Do a simple test. “I” is
singular, so if a verb can go with it, the verb is
singular too. “We” is plural. If a verb can go
along with “we,” then it is plural.
Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns
• The following indefinite pronouns are
singular. This means they would take “is”
or “was” as a verb. It also means that a
verb following it may end in an “s.”
 another, anybody, anyone, anything,
everybody, everyone, everything, much,
nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody,
someone, something
 Ex. Anybody in the class is eligible for the
prize.
 Ex. Everyone works hard.
Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns
• The following indefinite pronouns are
plural. This means they would take “are” or
“were” as a verb. They can also be
followed by a verb that does NOT end in
“s.”
 both, few, many, several
 Ex. Both of the boys are tall.
 Ex. Few participate in the event.
 Ex. Many of the students were involved in the
contest.
 Ex. Several of the games involve running.
Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns
• The following indefinite pronouns can be either
singular or plural. The appropriate verb matches the
object of the preposition that separates the pronoun
from the verb. Remember singular verbs are “is,”
“was,” or actions that end in “s.” Plural verbs
include “are,” “were,” or actions that do not end in
“s.”
 all, any, more, most, none, some
 Ex. All of the fruit is ripe.
 Ex. Any of the games seem fun.
 Ex. More of the material is needed for the project.
Test Yourself – Agreement with
Pronouns
• On a separate piece of paper, record your
answers.
• 1. Many of the apples (is, are) ripe.
• 2. Both of the books (need, needs) covered.
• 3. More of the paper (need, needs)
completed.
• 4. Each of the books (is, are) new.
• 5. Everyone (is, are) welcome in my class.
Check Your Answers –
Agreement with Pronouns
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1. are
2. need
3. needs
4. is
5. is
• Now that you have completed this review,
get a review quiz from your teacher. Take
the quiz and return it to her. Then, access
your essay on google docs. Look at the
comments about subject-verb agreement.
Make any corrections on the document.
Then, get your rubric from your folder.
Take the rubric and computer to your
teacher to add points back to your essay
score.