Subject-verb Agreement

1. Subject-verb Agreement A Review of the Rules with Practice Exercises

2. 1. The verb agrees with the subject, not with intervening words. • Toby, along with his girlfriend, plays paintball nearly every weekend. • One of the students has left his or her cell phone in the classroom. • A harness with bells is for sale on eBay.

3. Let’s practice! • Click on the sentence in which the verb is used correctly. • The President, along with the press secretary, were late to the press conference. • The President, along with the press secretary, was late to the press conference.

4. Not quite! • Click here to try again.

5. Right! • Click here for the next question.

6. Click on the sentence in whichthe verb is used correctly. • The cost of repairing all those computers is quite prohibitive. • The cost of repairing all those computers are quite prohibitive.

7. Oops! • Click here to try again.

8. You’ve got it! • Click here for the next sentence.

9. Click on the sentence in whichthe verb is used correctly. • A driver’s license, as well as another form of ID, is required. • A driver’s license, as well as another form of ID, are required.

10. Not quite! • Click here to try again.

11. Yes! • Let’s move on to the next rule.

12. Rule 2 • The verb agrees with its subject, even when the subject follows the verb. • In the back of the room sits a snoring student. • There are only two cookies left.

13. More Examples • Notice the highlighted subject in these sentences. • Here is the report you were looking for. • Here are the keys you were looking for. • On the wall hangs a portrait of his father.

14. Let’s practice! • Click on the correct sentence: • There seem to be a few errors in this program. • There seems to be a few errors in this program.

15. Not quite! • Be sure that you can identify the subject of the sentence. • Click here to try again.

16. Good! • Click here for the next sentence.

17. Click on the sentence in which the verb is used correctly. • Included in the festivities was a three-legged race, a sack race, and a pie-eating contest. • Included in the festivities were a three-legged race, a sack race, and a pie-eating contest.

18. Not quite! • Click here to try again.

19. Right! • Let’s move on to the next rule.

20. Rule 3 • Compound subjects joined by “and” take a plural verb. • * Some subjects joined by “and” are considered singular, however.

21. Here are some examples: • Shannon and her sister are both on the tennis team. • My favorite salad dressing is vinegar and oil. • Macaroni and cheese is Jason’s favorite lunch.

22. Let’s try some practice exercises: • Click on the correct verb. • Strawberries and cream ( isare) a traditional Wimbledon treat.

23. Not quite! • Remember, some compound nouns act as one unit and are considered singular. • Click here to return to the question.

24. Yes! • Let’s try another. Click on the correct verb: • Charlotte and her mother ( livelives ) in Las Vegas.

25. Not quite! • Click here to try again.

26. You’ve got it! • Let’s move on to Rule 4: • When subjects are joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb agrees with the nearest subject. • This is a tricky rule, which doesn’t always sound “right” to the ear, so let’s look at some examples.

27. Examples: • Either David or his cousin owns that property across the river. • Neither Sylvia nor her motherlikes going to rodeos. • Neither the students nor the instructorknows if classes will be held on Columbus Day.

28. Let’s practice this tricky rule. • Click on the correct verb. • Either a check or a money order ( isare ) acceptable.

29. Oops! • Remember, the verb agrees with the nearest subject. • Click here to try again.

30. Yes! • Let’s try another. Click on the correct verb. ( WasWere ) Mr. Phelps or his son put on the committee?

31. Not exactly. • Look for the nearest subject. • Click here to try again.

32. Right! Here’s another. • Click on the correct verb. • Either the employees or the manager ( isare ) confused about the policy.

33. Oops! • Click here to try again.

34. Right! • Let’s move on to Rule #5: • Amounts and distance, when used as singular units of measurements, are considered singular.

35. For example: • A million dollars just is not enough to retire on these days. • Thirty miles seems like a long walk to me.

36. Rule #6 • Most collective nouns, nouns that stand for groups of people or things, are generally treated as singular: • The team is practicing at 6:00 a.m. • Our class has been cancelled tonight. • The jury is still deliberating.

37. Exception! • If individuals within a group are acting separately, the collective noun is considered plural: • The bandare tuning their instruments. (Each member is tuning a different instrument.) • The audience are stomping their feet.

38. Let’s try a few. • Click on the correct pronoun in parentheses. • The committee ( hashave ) recommended a further review.

39. That’s not right. • It’s one committee, singular, not two committees. • Click here to try again.

40. Right! • Let’s try another. Click on the correct pronoun. • The team ( isare ) loading their suitcases onto the bus.

41. Not quite. • Click here to try again.

42. You’ve got it! • Let’s move on to the next rule.

43. Most indefinite pronouns are singular • What’s an indefinite pronoun? • An indefinite pronoun takes the place of many unspecified persons or things: • Examples: • Any, anybody, anyone, each, every, everyone, nobody, nothing, something, no one, one

44. Some indefinite pronouns are plural. • Plural indefinite pronouns: • Both, several, few, many

45. Some indefinite pronouns can be either singular or plural. • Pay close attention to the following indefinite pronouns: • All, any, some, none, most, enough, half • These can be either singular or plural, depending upon their function in the sentence.

46. Look at the noun or object that this pronoun refers to. • If the noun being modified is singular, treat the pronoun as singular: • Some of the newspaper is missing. • Most of the cake has been eaten. • Half of the house was damaged.

47. Notice that in the following sentences, the pronoun refers to a plural noun: Some of the newspaper pages is missing. Most of the cupcakes have been eaten. Half of the houses were damaged.

48. Let’s practice! • Choose the correct pronoun. • Everyone concerned with the community theater ( hashave ) helped in the fund raising.

49. Not quite! • Remember, “everyone” is considered singular. • Click here to try again.

50. Right! • Let’s try another: • Several of the students ( waswere ) delayed by the highway construction.