Student Name: English I Grammar Notes

Subject-Verb Agreement RULES

BASIC RULE:
A verb must agree with its subject in number and in person. In other words, if the subject is singular (only one) , the verb should be singular, and if the subject is plural (more than one), the verb should be plural.
Incorrect Example: The boy are going to the movies.
Correct Example: The boy IS going to the movies.
Subject and Verb Separated by Words
RULE: When words come between the subject and the verb, a subject/verb agreement error can occur. It is important to remember that an object of a prepositional phrase is never the subject of the sentence.
Incorrect Example: The two main goals of my life is to go to college and get a good job.
Correct Example: The two main goals of my life are to go to college and get a good job.
Plural Subjects
RULE: If a subject has two or more parts connected by and, the subject is almost always plural. If the parts of the subject refer to the same person or thing, however, the subject should be treated as singular.
Incorrect: My mother and father is going to the movies.
Correct: My mother and father are going to the movies.
Subjects Joined by Or or Nor
RULE: If a subject has two or more parts joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearest to the verb.
Incorrect: Neither the president nor the vice president are aware of the changes in the plan.
Correct: Neither the president nor the vice president is aware of the changes in the plan.
Part I: Using your grammar notes on
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT, answer the questions below.

1.  A verb must agree with its subject in ______and ______.

2.  When words come between the subject and the verb, a subject/verb agreement error can occur. It is important to remember that an object of a ______is never the subject of the sentence.

3.  The two main goals of my life are to go to college and get a good job.
In the sentence above, what is the SUBECT of the sentence?

4.  If a subject has two or more parts connected by the conjunction “and,” the subject is almost always ______. If the parts of the subject refer to the same person or thing, however, the subject should be treated as ______.

5.  If a subject has two or more parts joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is ______to the verb.

Part II: Putting the rules to practice. Circle the correct verb tense for each sentence.

6.  The computer that I bought last week (is are) working much better than my old computer.

7.  Michael Jordan, who is one of the greatest basketball players of all time, (own owns) a house in Wilmington, N.C.

8. The main problem with horror movies (is are) the excessive violence.

9. English and history (is are) my two favorite subjects.

10. Neither the students nor the teacher (is are) aware that there will be a fire drill today.

11. Neither the dog nor the kitten (is are) willing to eat the leftover meatloaf.

12. The football team (is are) going to win the championship game.

ENGLISH I GRAMMAR PRACTICE / REVIEW
Subject-Verb Agreement
PART I: EACH SENTENCE BELOW HAS A SUBJECT-VERB ERROR. NEXT TO EACH SENTENCE, WRITE THE CORRECT FORM OF THE VERB THAT WILL CORRECT EACH SENTENCE.

1. Neither the students nor the teacher enjoy fire drills. ______

2. Both the students and the teacher enjoys fire drills. ______

3. The girl who used to live with wolves are learning to behave like a normal human being.

______

4. She and her friends is at the fair. ______

EXPLAIN WHICH SUBJECT-VERB RULE APPLIES TO QUESTION 4?

5. The book or the pen are in the drawer. ______

EXPLAIN WHICH SUBJECT-VERB RULE APPLIES TO QUESTION 5?

6. The boy or his friends ( run / runs ) every day. CHOOSE THE CORRECT VERB TENSE.

7. His friends or the boy ( run / runs ) every day. CHOOSE THE CORRECT VERB TENSE.

EXPLAIN WHICH SUBJECT-VERB RULE APPLIES TO QUESTIONS 6 and 7?

8. One of the boxes ( is / are ) open. CHOOSE THE CORRECT VERB TENSE.

What is the SUBJECT in Question 8? ______

9. The team captain, as well as his players, ( is / are ) anxious. CHOOSE THE CORRECT VERB TENSE.

What is the SUBJECT in Question 9? ______

10. Each of these hot dogs ( is / are ) juicy. CHOOSE THE CORRECT VERB TENSE.

What is the SUBJECT in Question 10? ______

REWRITE THE SENTENCES BELOW SO THAT EACH ONE IS GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT.

11. Math are a really hard subject, but I knows that it are an important class.

12. My family are going to Italy this summer.

13. The football team are proud about winning the Super Bowl.

14. He don’t like pizza, and I doesn’t like cheeseburgers.

15. Ten dollars are a lot of money.

RULES GOVERNING SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
1. When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.

She and her friends ( is / are ) at the fair. CHOOSE THE CORRECT VERB TENSE.

2. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or or nor, use a singular verb.

The book or the pen ( is / are ) in the drawer.

3. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearer the verb.
The boy or his friends ( run / runs ) every day.
His friends or the boy ( run / runs ) every day.
4. Doesn't is a contraction of “does not” and should be used only with a singular subject. Don't is a contraction of “do not” and should be used only with a plural subject. The exception to this rule appears in the case of the first person and second person pronouns I and you. With these pronouns, the contraction don't should be used.

He ( doesn't / don’t ) like it.

They ( doesn’t / don't ) like it.

5. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb. The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.
• One of the boxes ( is / are ) open
• The people who listen to that music ( is / are ) few.
• The team captain, as well as his players, ( is / are ) anxious.
• The book, including all the chapters in the first section, ( is / are ) boring.
• The woman with all the dogs ( walks / walk ) down my street.
6. The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a singular verb.

• Each of these hot dogs ( is / are ) juicy.

• Everybody (knows / know ) Mr. Jones.

• Either (is / are ) correct.

7. Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require singular verbs.
Note: the word dollars is a special case. When talking about an amount of money, it requires a singular verb, but when referring to the dollars themselves, a plural verb is required.

• Five dollars ( is / are ) a lot of money.

• Dollars ( is / are ) often used instead of rubles in Russia.

8. Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs. (There are two parts to these things.)

• These scissors ( is / are ) dull.

• Those trousers ( is / are ) made of wool.

9. In sentences beginning with there is or there are, the subject follows the verb. Since there is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows.

• There ( is / are ) many questions. • There ( is / are ) a question.

10. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but that are considered singular and take a singular verb, such as: group, team, committee, class, and family.

• The team ( runs / run ) during practice.

• The committee ( decides / decide ) how to proceed.

• The family ( has / have ) a long history.

• My family ( has / have ) never been able to agree.

11. Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb is too.

• The President, accompanied by his wife, ( is / are ) traveling to India.

• All of the books, including yours, (is / are ) in that box.