Subject-verb AgreementA verb must agree in person and number with its subject. Show
When the subject of the sentence does not agree in number with the verb, the sentence lacks subject-verb agreement. To preserve the subject-verb agreement, singular subjects take verbs marked for singular. Plural subjects must have verbs that are marked for plural. Rule to RememberA verb must agree in number and in person with its subject. Correcting Faulty Subject-Verb AgreementErrors typically occur when the writer does not know whether the subject is singular or plural. In the sentence above, friend is the only subject and the verb are flying should be in singular form (is flying) to agree with it in number. The phrase with his parents is a prepositional phrase and not part of the subject, so it has no effect on the verb form.
Here is another example:
Subjects Followed By Prepositional PhrasesPrepositional phrases such as with, together with, along with, as well as are not part of the subject and, therefore, have no effect on the form of the verb. The verb needs to agree in number only with the subject of the sentence.
Rule to RememberCompound subjects are joined by and need a plural verb. Compound SubjectsCompound subjects joined by and need a plural verb.
When the compound subject is joined by or, nor, neither... nor, either... or and one part of the compound subject is singular and the other part is plural, the verb needs to agree with the part closest to it.
Subjects Following VerbsIf the subject is following the verb in the sentence, rather than preceding it, it still has to agree with it in number.
Rule to RememberCollective nouns which refer to a group of people or things can take either a singular verb or a plural one. Collective NounsCollective nouns which refer to a group of people or things can take either a singular verb or a plural one depending on the meaning that is being implied. If the collective noun is taken to represent the group as one whole, then the singular form of the verb is used. For example:
If individual members are implied, then the verb takes the plural form:
Nouns with Plural FormSome nouns occur only in plural form, but they are singular nouns and take a singular verb: politics, news, ethics, measles.
Plural nouns of Latin origin take plural verbs (alumni, media, criteria, phenomena). The word data can take both a singular verb or a plural verb. The use of plural is more formal.
Rule to RememberCollective nouns which refer to a group of people or things can take either a singular verb or a plural one. Time and Amount NounsSubjects that express time or amount also take a singular verb.
Titles and Country NamesTitles and names of countries take the singular form of the verb.
Take Quiz Previous Next Which of the following is the most appropriate way for the teacher to seek support in teaching Claire How do you better manage her behaviors?Which of the following is the most appropriate way for the teacher to seek support in teaching Claire how to better manage her behaviors? Option (B) is correct because requesting that the ARD committee study Claire's current behaviors will determine if the BIP needs to be modified.
Why is it a good idea to provide students with a timeline for the assignment?Timelines help learners make connections between the present and past visually appealing and chronological. Arranging events along a timeline makes it easier for learners to understand their relationships.
Which of the following is the most effective way for a teacher to establish a solution focused approach to parent teacher conferences?Which of the following is the most effective way for a teacher to establish a solution-focused approach to parent-teacher conferences? Option (C) is correct because the goal of a parent-teacher conference is to establish a strong working relationship with the parents to best ensure the success of the student.
Which of the following teacher strategies best promotes ongoing communication to enhance parental involvement in student learning?Which of the following teacher strategies best promotes ongoing communication to enhance parental involvement in student learning? Creating an accessible class blog to provide parents with a forum for open discussion.
|