Compound Subjects and Confusing Subjects

1. Compound Subjects and Confusing Subjects Day 2 of Agreement Pages 574-577

2. Write This Chart! Compound Subject Verb Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/Every before and if the item is considered one thing (singular) OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural

3. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural Compound Subjects A compound subject joined by and is generally plural and must have a plural verb • Wind and rain exist on Earth. • Winds and rainstorms exist on Earth. • Winds and rain exist on Earth.

4. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural Exception!!! • Exception to this rule-when the parts of the compound subject equal one thing and when the word each or every is used before a compound subject. Then use a singular verb. • Macaroni and cheese is an easy dish to make. • Each man and woman was waving a flag.

5. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural Compound Subjects Two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor must have a singular verb • Either Jupiter or Saturn makes a fascinating topic of study. Two or more plural subjects joined by orornor must have a plural verb • Space probes or space shuttles provide information about space.

6. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural Compound subjects If one or more singular subjects are joined to one or more plural subjects by orornor, the subject closest to the verb determines agreement • Neither atmosphere nor clouds exist on Mercury. • Neither clouds nor atmosphere exists on Mercury.

7. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural Confusing Subjects Hard to find subjects- When a subject comes after its verb, the verb must still agree with the subject in number A sentence in which the subject comes after its verb is said to be inverted-you can check the subject-verb agreement by mentally putting the sentence in the normal subject-verb order • Which of the science reports has she read? • (She has read which of the science reports?)

8. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural Confusing Subjects Things to remember: There and Here are never subjects! • There is my favorite book. • Here comes the bus.

9. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural Subjects of linking verbs A linking verb must agree with its subject, regardless of the number of the predicate nominative (the noun or pronoun that renames, identifies, or explains the subject) Subject + Verb = Predicate Nominative • Moon craters are one sign of meteor storms. • One sign of meteor storms is moon craters.

10. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural Collective Nouns A collective noun takes a singular verb when the group it names acts as a single unit (or) a noun that describes a group of people or things. Examples: Team, Flock, Family • The class is excited to be learning about the solar system. A collective noun takes a plural verb when the group it names act as individuals with different points of view • The class are unable to decide which planets to discuss in their reports.

11. Singular and Singular = Plural Plural and Plural = Plural Singular and Plural = Plural Plural and Singular = Plural *Exception: Each/E(word) before and OR or NOR (Pick the Closest) Singular or Singular = Singular Plural or Singular = Singular Singular or Plural = Plural Plural or Plural = Plural Nouns that look like plurals Nouns that are plural in form, but singular in meaning take singular verbs Some of these nouns are singular names for branches of knowledge: acoustics, civics, economics etc. • Physics is a challenging subject. (S) • My lost eyeglasses were behind the sofa. (P)