1.
SUBJECT
Subject is the person/people/thing(s)
that do the activity.
I,
you, they, we, she, he, it, my dad and my mom, Linda, Sussi, Linda and Sussi,
the bank, the flight schedule, etc.
2.
VERB
Verb is a word used to describe an action, state, or
occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence. Kidn
of verb :
a.
Action
Verb
*
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:
1. Laurissa
raises her hand.
(kkt)
2.
Abdus
gave Becky the pencil. (kkt)
3. Laurissa rises slowly from her
seat. (kki)
4. He was pontificating about art
and history. (kki)
b.
Linking verb
A linking verb connects the subject of a
sentence to a noun or adjective that renames or describes the subject.
Verb: seem, appear, become, grow, remain, get,
prove, turn, look, sound, smell, taste, feel.
Example:
-
She
looks pale.
-
I
feel happy
-
That
sounds great!
-
Your
cook smells good.
To Be: is, am, are, was, were
Example:
-
Lisa
is in love with Jason.
-
We
were there!
-
I
am happy J
c.
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.
Examples:
-
Tejo
is (helping verb) going (main verb) to Florida.
-
The
trip might (helping verb) be (main verb) dangerous.
-
Tanya
could learn to fly helicopters. (Could helps the main verb, learn.)
-
Janine
will drive to Idaho tomorrow. (Will helps the main verb, drive.)
MAIN RULE OF
“Subject Verb Agreement”
“Subject Verb Agreement”
Only
the subject affects the verb!
o
RULE
1
Subjects
and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the
background of the concept.
Examples:
-
The
dog growls when it is angry.
-
The dogs growl when they are angry.
o
RULE
2
Don’t
get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb; they do
not affect agreement.
Examples:
-
The
dog, who is
chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.
o
RULE
3
Prepositional
phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement.
Examples:
-
The
colors of the
rainbow are beautiful.
o
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.
Examples:
-
There
is a problem with the balance sheet. Here are the
papers you requested.
o
RULE
5
If two
subjects are joined by and, they typically require a plural verb form.
Examples:
-
The
cow and the pig are jumping over the
moon.
o
RULE
6
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.
o
RULE
7
If one
of the words each, every, or no comes before the subject, the verb is singular.
Examples:
-
No smoking or drinking is allowed.
-
Every man and woman is required to check in.
o
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.
Examples:
-
Jessica
or Christian is to blame for the
accident.
o
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. are followed by a
prepositional phrase. In these sentences, the object of the preposition
determines the form of the verb.
Examples:
-
All
of the chicken is gone.
-
All of the chickens are gone.
o
RULE
10
The
singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement or time.
Examples:
-
Four
quarts of oil was
required to get the car running.
o
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.
Examples:
-
Dogs and cats are both available at the pound.
o
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.
Examples:
-
Either
the bears or the lion has escaped
from the zoo.
-
Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.
o
RULE
13
Indefinite
pronouns (everything, anything, everyone, someone, somebody, nothing, etc)
typically take singular verbs.
Examples:
-
Everybody wants to be loved.
-
Everything is gonna be alright.
o
RULE
14
Except
for the pronouns (few, many, several, both, all, some) that always take the plural form.
Examples:
-
Few were left alive after the flood.
-
Several students understand the material.
o
RULE
15
If
two infinitives are separated by and they take the plural form of the verb.
Examples:
-
To walk and to chew gum require great skill.
o
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.
Examples:
-
Standing in the water was a bad idea.
-
Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.
o
RULE
17
Collective
nouns like family, committee, herd, senate, class, crowd, etc. usually take a
singular verb form.
Examples:
-
The herd is
stampeding.
-
Cooper family always attends the annual party.
o
RULE
18
Titles
of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular verb.
Examples:
-
The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.
-
Harry Potter has reached Top 3 Best Seller books.
Exercise : Subject and Verb
Agreement Exercise
Choose the correct
form of the verb that agrees with the subject.
1.
Annie and her
brothers (is, are) at school.
2.
Either my mother
or my father (is, are) coming to the meeting.
3.
The dog or the
cats (is, are) outside.
4.
Either my shoes
or your coat (is, are) always on the floor.
5.
George and
Tamara (doesn't, don't) want to see that movie.
6.
Benito (doesn't,
don't) know the answer.
7.
One of my
sisters (is, are) going on a trip to France.
8.
The man with all
the birds (live, lives) on my street.
9.
The movie,
including all the previews, (take, takes) about two hours to watch.
10.
The players, as
well as the captain, (want, wants) to win.
11.
Either answer
(is, are) acceptable.
12.
Every one of
those books (is, are) fiction.
13.
Nobody (know, knows)
the trouble I've seen.
14.
(Is, Are) the
news on at five or six?
15.
Mathematics (is,
are) John's favorite subject, while Civics (is, are) Andrea's favorite subject.
16.
Eight dollars
(is, are) the price of a movie these days.
17.
(Is, Are) the
tweezers in this drawer?
18.
Your pants (is,
are) at the cleaner's.
19.
There (was,
were) fifteen candies in that bag. Now there (is, are) only one left!
20.
The committee
(debates, debate) these questions carefully.
21.
The committee
(leads, lead) very different lives in private.
22.
The Prime Minister,
together with his wife, (greets, greet) the press cordially.
23.
All of the CDs,
even the scratched one, (is, are) in this case.
