RESUME PPT SLIDE

SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

Subject is the person/people/thing(s) that do

the activity example . I, you, they, we, she, he, it, my dad and my

mom, Linda, Sussi, Linda and Sussi.

Verb is a word used to describe an action, state, or

occurrence, and forming the main part of the

predicate of a sentence. Kinds of VERB:

1.      ACTION VERBS

·         Also known as MAIN VERB.

·         Action verbs are words that express action (give, eat, walk, etc.) or possession (have,own, etc.).

·         Action verbs can be either transitive (with object) or intransitive (without object).

EXAMPLE

ü  Laurissa raises her hand. (kkt)

ü  Laurissa rises slowly from her seat. (kki)

2.      LINKING VERBS

A linking verb connects the subject of a sentence to a noun or adjective that renames or describes the subject.

            To Be: is, am, are, was, were.

Example: Lisa is in love with Jason.

Verb: seem, appear, become, grow, remain, get, prove, turn,look, sound, smell, taste, feel.

Example: She looks pale.

3.      HELPING VERB

Helping verbs are used before action or linking verbs to convey additional information regarding aspects of possibility (can, could, etc.) or time (was, did, has, etc.). MODALS always function as Helping Verbs.

MODALS: can, could, may,might, shall, will, ought to,should, would.

Example:

·         Tejo is (helping verb) going (main verb) to Florida.

·         Tanya could learn to fly helicopters. (Could helps the main verb, learn.)

MAIN RULE OF“Subject Verb Agreement”

Ø  Rule 1

Subjects and verbs must agree in number.This is the cornerstone rule that forms the background of the concept.

Example: The dog growls when it is angry.

The dogs growl when they are angry.

Ø  Rule 2

Don’t get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb; they do not affect agreement.

Example: The dog, who is chewing on my jeans

Ø  Rule 3

Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement.

Example: The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.

Ø  Rule 4

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

Ø  Rule 5

If two subjects are joined by and, they typically require a plural verb form.

Example: The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.

Ø  Rule 6

The verb is singular if the two subjects

separated by and refer to the same person or thing.

Example: Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.

Ø  Rule 7

If one of the words each, every, or no comes before the subject, the verb is

Example: No smoking or drinking is allowed.

Ø  Rule 8

If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words or, nor,neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also the verb is singular.

Example: Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.

Ø  Rule 9

The only time when the object of the preposition decides plural or singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like some, half, none, more, all, etc.

Example: All of the chicken is gone.

All of the chickens are gone.

Ø  Rule 10

The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement or time.

Example: Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.

Ø  Rule 11

If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words or, nor,neither/nor either/or, and not only/but also, the verb is plural.

Example: Dogs and cats are both available at the pound.

Ø  Rule 12

If one subject is singular and one plural and the words are connected by the words or, nor,neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, you use the verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb.

Example: Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.

Ø  Rule 13

Indefinite pronouns (everything, anything,everyone, someone, somebody, nothing,etc) typically take singular verbs.

Example: Everybody wants to be loved.

Ø  Rule 14

Except for the pronouns (few, many,several, both, all, some) that always take the plural form.

Example: Several students understand the material.

Ø  Rule 15

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.

Ø  Rule 16

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.

Ø  Rule 17

Collective nouns like family, committee,herd, senate, class, crowd, etc.

Example: The herd is stampeding.

Ø  Rule 18

Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular verb.

Example: The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.