SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

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onSubjectVerbAgreement,the

ofgrammar!

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Asingularsubjectdemandsasingularverb;aplural
subjectdemandsapluralverb.Thatisthesimple
principlebehindsubjectverbagreement.
Thispresentationwillexploresomeofthe
difficultieswehavewithsubjectverbagreement
andprovidesomenotesaboutavoidingagreement
problemsinourownwriting.Hyperlinkstothe
GuidetoGrammarandWritingareprovidedinthis
color.Linksbetweensubjectsandverbswillbe
shownwithredlines.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Indefinitepronounssuchaseveryoneandeverybody
feelpluraltosomewriters,buttheyarealways
singularandtakeasingularverb.
Everyoneassociatedwiththeprojectis
proudtobepartoftheeffort.
Someonehastoberesponsible.
Dontbeconfusedbyphrasesthatcomebetweenthe
subjectpronounanditsverbphrasesthatmay
containpluralwords.
Eachoftheprojectpartnersisresponsiblefor
writingachaptersummary.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Theverbthataccompaniespronounssuchasalland
somewillbedeterminedbywhetherthepronounis
referringtosomethingthatisCOUNTABLEornot.
Someofthestudentsinthecafeteriahavevotedalready.
Someofthegrainwasruinedbytheflood.
Students is countable, but we cannot count the
grain; it is one lump, one quantity.

Noneisusuallyregardedassingular,butitcanbeused
asapluralpronoun.
Noneoftherepresentativeshasindicatedhowheorshe
willvote.ORNoneoftherepresentativeshaveindicated
howtheywillvote.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Withfractionalexpressions(fractionsordecimal
equivalents),theverbwillbedeterminedbywhatis
beingmeasured:isitCOUNTABLEornot.
Twofifthsofthegrainisruined.
Onehalfofthestudentswereconvincedthatthere
wouldbenofinalexamsthisyear.

Ofallthereturnswehavecountedsofar,fiftypercentare
infavorofthereferendum.
Amajorityofthestudentbodyisinfavorofaskingthe
Deantostayanotheryear.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Phrasessuchastogetherwith,alongwith,andas
wellasseemtojoinsubjects,buttheydonotwork
thesameasand:theyarenotconjunctions.
Someofthehayinthebarn,aswellassomemajor
piecesoffarmequipment,wasruinedintheflood.
ThemajorspendingbillbeforeCongress,togetherwith
someotherbillsthatareawaitingaction,isgoingtocost
taxpayersplenty.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Informalwriting,wheneitherandneitherappear
asasubjectalone(withouttheirsidekicksorand
nor),theyaresingular.Thisistrueeventhough
thesubjectseemstobetwothings.
Neitherofthesechoicesappearstobesatisfactory.

Thepurchasingofficewilllendmeacompanycar
orcompensatemefortravelexpenses.Eitherisfine
withme.
Wheneitherandneitheractascorrelativeconjunctions,
however,lifebecomesabitmorecomplicated!

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Wheneitherandneitheractas
correlativeconjunctions,thesubjectthatiscloser
totheverbdeterminesthenumber(singularor
pluralform)oftheverb.
Neithertheprincipalnortheteachersareatfault.
Eithertheteachersortheprincipalhastobe
responsiblefortheyearendfestival.
HaseitherthePresidentorhisaidesbeenintouch
withyou?

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Whenanexpletiveconstruction(thereis,thereare,
hereis,etc.)beginsasentence,thesubject(which
determinesthenumberoftheverb)comesafter
theverb.
ThereareseveralexplanationsfortheCivilWar.
Wewerelookingdownthestreetwhenallofa
suddenherecomeJoeandhistwobrothers.
Ifthemanagementteamtakesthisattitude,there
isverylittlelatitudefornegotiation.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Becarefulwhenlengthyornumerousmodifying
phrasescomebetweenthesubjectanditsverb.

TimBernersLee,oneofAmericasmost
prominentcomputerscientistsandasafounder
oftheWorldWideWebConsortiumoneofthe
mostimportantfiguresinthedevelopmentofthe
Internet,hasbeenworkingquietlyatM.I.T.for
manyyears.
Thefactthatthepluralscientistsandfigures
appearinthissentencehasnoeffectonourchoiceofa
singularverb,has.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Withofphrases,tryturningthesentence
insideouttofindtherightsubjectverb
combination.

ConnecticutisoneofthosestatesthatHAVE/HAS
adoptedastateincometax.
Turn this around to . . . .

Ofthosestatesthathaveadoptedastateincometa
Connecticutisone.
Thismakesiteasytofigureouttheverbthat
belongsinarelativeclause.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Reviewtherestofthematerialonsubjectverb
agreementintheGuidetoGrammarandWriting
anddontforgettotaketherelevantquizzeslisted
ontheListofInteractiveQuizzes.

Thesorethumbofgrammarwillnever
beseeninyourwritingagain!

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
This PowerPoint presentation was created by
Charles Darling, PhD
Professor of English and Webmaster
Capital Community College
Hartford, Connecticut
copyright November 1999