SUBJECT - VERB AGREEMENT
The verb changes form not only in tense but also in person and number. The person and number of a verb determined by the person and number of its subject.
A verb is singular in form when it end in-s or -es, for example walks , rings, plays, calls, describes , catches, does, chooses, loses.
The root or base form of the verb is referred to as its plural form . It is used with all kinds of subject s except the third person, singular which call for the s-form.
Rules of Subject Verb Agreement in Standard English
1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the background of the concept.
Example"
a. He asks many questions about his work.
b. We ask for help every day.
c. The dog growls when he is angry.
d. The dogs growl when they are angry.
2. Each , everyone, everybody, everyone, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, nobody, no one, either, and neither are singular. They take singular verbs.
Example:
a. Every loyal Filipino must do his share.
b. Nobody except juniors is admitted to the course.
c. Either of these two cars is a good bargain.
d. Neither my sweater nor your jacket is in the car.
e. Each, as far as I have been able to judge, has something to offer.
3. Don't get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb; they do not affect agreement.
The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.
4. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement.
Example:
The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.
5. A. Singular subject s joined by or or nor require a singular verb.
Example: a. Neither my niece nor my nephew expects to go to Davao.
b. Either Mary or Jane is behind all this.
B. Plural subjects joined by or or nor require a plural verb.
Example: Neither the foreman nor the workers are here.
C. If two subjects connected by either or or neither nor differ in person or number the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
Example:
a. Either the workers or the owner is responsible. responsible.
b. Either the owner or the workers are responsible.
c. Neither the midwife nor the twins are ready.
6. When sentences start with "there" or "here," the subject will always be placed after the verb, so care needs to be taken to identify it correctly.
Example: There is a problem with the balance sheet.
Here are the papers you requested.
7. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you accurately identify the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use.
Examples: Does Lefty usually eat grass?
Where are the pieces of this puzzle.
8. Compound subjects joined by "and" normally require plural verbs.
Examples:
a. His coat and cap are lying on the bed.
b. A horse and a carabao are in the pasture.
c. The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.
9. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by and refer to the same person or thing.
Examples: Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.
Bread and butter is my breakfast.
10. Indefinite pronouns such as "every", "no", "everybody", etc. typically take singular verbs.
Examples: Everybody wants to be loved.
No smoking or drinking is allowed.
Every man and woman is required to check in.
11. The only time when the object of the preposition factors into the decision of plural or singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like some, half, none, more, all, etc. are followed by a prepositional phrase. In these sentences, theobject of the preposition determines the form of the verb.
Examples: All of the chicken is gone.
All of the chickens are gone.
12. The pronoun "you" even if it refers to one person require a plural verb.
Examples:
a. Mary, you were there last night.
b. Peter, are you going?
13. The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement.
Example: Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.
14. Nouns plural in form but singular in meaning take singular verbs , for example, politics, economics, physics, mathematics.
Examples:
a. Ethics deals with problem of moral duty.
b. Physics is my favorite subject.
15. In " there is " and" there are" sentences, make the verb agree with the subject that follows it.
Examples:
a. There is too much noise in this room.
b. There were several good reasons for my decision.
14. When a relative pronoun is used as the subject of clause, the form of the verb is determined by the antecedent of the pronoun, because the pronoun has the same person and number that the antecedent has.
Examples:
a. I have met the woman who is on the program (woman...is)
b. I have met the women who are on the program (women...are)
c. She is one of those girls who are never on time (girls...were)
16. * Pronouns (few, many, several, both, all, some) always take the plural form.
Example:Few were left alive after the flood.
17. If two infinitives are separated by and they take the plural form of the verb.
Example: To walk and to chew gum require great skill.
18. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence they take the singular verb form of the verb, but when they are linked by and they take the plural form.
Example: Standing in the water was a bad idea.Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.
19. A collective noun is considered singular when the group is regarded as a unit; it is plural when the emphasis is upon the individuals of the group. A plural noun of amount , distance etc., takes a singular verb when the subject is used as a unit of measurement .
sample mass noun: committee ,jury ,band
Example:
a. The class is orderly.
b. The class are divided on their plan to go to Baguio.
c. Twenty pesos is too much to pay for a hand kerchief.
d. Thirty kilometers is a good day's ride.
e. The herd is stampeding.
20. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular verb.
The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.
21. Final Rule - Remember, only the subject affects the verb!😊
