Subject – Verb Agreement

(Also, the dreaded Pronoun – Antecedent Agreement)

S – V Agreement

• A singular subject has a singular verb – He walks, the dog lives, our school rocks

• A plural subject has a plural verb – they walk, the dogs live, our fans rock, children play

(Notice the singular verb ends in “s” and the plural verb doesn’t)

Intervening phrases

• The previous page’s rules are not changed by intervening phrases. The subject is the subject so don’t be tricked by Warriner’s evil – They’ll make you think something in a prepositional phrase is the subject of the verb.

• An addition to those codes have been found.• The problems of the freshman is numerous.• Do exercise 1 pg. 87

Indefinite pronouns as subjects

• Most common cause of errors involving S-V Agreement• These pronouns are singular, so when they are the

subject, the verb is singular: each, either, neither, one, no one, nobody, every one, everyone, anyone, someone, anybody, somebody, everybody

• Always plural – several, few, both, many• Can be singular or plural, depending on use (Thanks

English Language!) some, any, none, all, most• Exercise 2 + 4• Exercise 3 is for homework

Compound Subjects

• Subject and subject = plural verb The dog and the cat like the same food. Singular Subject or/nor singular subject = singular

verb The dog nor the cat likes its food.Singular Subject or/nor Plural Subject = plural verb Plural Subject or/nor singular subject = singular

verb.Homework : Page 93 -95 The great and famous

“Cheese” Exercise (Exercise 5)

Other S-V Agreement Problems

• Collective Nouns – These are words that name a group: crowd, committee, audience (there’s a list on pg. 95) These take a plural verb when the sriter is talking about individuals in the group and it takes a singular verb when the writer refers to the group as a unit.

• The crowd were battling for their lives.• The crowd was well behaved.

continued

• All amounts are singular (time, money, measurement, weight, volume, fractions) Ten dollars is not enough. Five pounds is a lot of chocolate to eat.

• Titles are singular – The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a fine book.

• Mumps, measles, civics, economics, mathematics, physics are all singular.

• “Every a” + “Many a” = singular

continued

• The first verb after the phrase “one of those” is always plural.

• Homework – do Exercise 6 pg. 98 -99

Pronoun – Antecedent Agreement

• A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in gender and number.

• Antecedent?• Gender?• Mrs. Smith worked her magic.• One of the boys lost his compass.• The dog ate its food.• The dog and the cat ate their food.• If anyone calls, tell them I’ll call back.• Homework: Review Exercise B pg 104 • Agreement Quiz – Monday