Subject-Verb Agreement

Agreement in number
and phrases between
subject and verb
Verbs must agree with their subjects in
NUMBER

 If the subject is SINGULAR, the verb must be in its

SINGULAR form
 If the verb is PLURAL, the verb must be in its
PLURAL form
 Hint: a noun that ends in “s” is usually plural, but a
verb that ends in “s” is usually singular.
 Examples: The student helps the old lady across the
street.
 The students help the old lady across the street.
Phrases lurking in the sentence

 Sometimes a phrase that is hiding between

the subject and verb can be confusing.

 For example:
 The Smith family dog, loved by neighbors,
barks every evening until midnight.
Let’s review phrases, shall we?

 A phrase is a group of related words that act

as one part of speech. They do not have a
subject or predicate.
 Prepositional phrases – begin w/ a
preposition and act as adjectives or adverbs.
 He went to the movies. The cat was hiding
under the rug. The phone in my purse just
rang.
More phrase review!

 Appositive phrases give more information

about a noun or pronoun
 Bob, my favorite cousin, just ran over my cat.

 Verbal (participial, gerund and infinitive)

phrases act as nouns, adjectives or adverbs.
 Painfully plunking the keys, the boy
rehearsed his piano lesson for an hour.(ptc.)
More example phrases…

 My brother tried licking a light post on a cold

winter’s day. (gerund phrase)
 To watch him squirm as he tried to break free
was quite entertaining. (infinitive phrase)
Why is recognizing a phrase
important?

 …because sometimes they make

subject/verb agreement a difficult task.
 HOWEVER, when a phrases is stuck
between the subject and verb, the number of
the subject does NOT change.
 Ex: The success of our students is reflected
in their performance after high school.
(subject- success/ verb – is)
More examples:

 Books – whether history or science fiction —

are fascinating.
 The jeans in the window are really expensive
 Most foods needed for our citizens to survive
are still cultivated in the United States.
Practice and Apply

 Try out activity 3 on page 159 1-5. Write the

verb form that agrees with the subject.