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Subject-Verb Agreement by Valeria Fernández - Coggle Diagram
Subject-Verb Agreement
by Valeria Fernández
NOTE
We will use the standard of underlining subjects once and verbs twice.
Basic Rule
A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines), whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.
Example: The list of items is/are on the desk.
Rules
Rule 5
Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along with, as well as, besides, not, etc.
Examples
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.
Rule 6
In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.
Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
Here are the keys.
Rule 4
As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.
Example: A car and a bike are my means of transportation.
Rule 7
Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.
Examples:
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
Rule 3
The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.
Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.
Rule 8
If the noun after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.
Examples:
Some of the pie is missing.
A lot of the pies have disappeared.
Rule 2
Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.
Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.
Rule 9
With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population, the verb might be singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent.
Examples
All of my family has arrived OR have arrived.
Most of the jury is here OR are here.
Rule 1
A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of.
This is a key rule for understanding subjects.
The word of is
culprit in many
perhaps most
subject-verb mistakes
Example:A bouquet of yellow roses lends color and fragrance to the room.
Rule 10
The word were replaces was in sentences that express a wish or are contrary to fact:
Example
If Joe were here, you'd be sorry.
Definition
Subject-verb agreement refers to the relationship between the subject and predicate of the sentence.
Subjects and verbs must always agree in two ways
Tense
Numbers
Focusing on number, or whether the subject and verb are singular or plural.