MODUL 5

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

SUBJECT : BAHASA INGGRIS BISNIS 2

DEADLINE : ONE WEEK

CLASS :

INTRODUCTION

Subjects and verbs MUST agree in NUMBER. Singular subjects use verbs with
singular endings (e.g. the dog barks; the teacher says). Plural subjects use verbs with
plural endings (e.g. the dogs bark; the teachers say).

The verb usually follows immediately after the subject; however, extra care should be
taken in the following cases:

1. Subject and verb are separated

2. Subject has two or more parts (compound subject)

3. Subject comes after the verb

4. Subject is connected by 'or', 'nor', 'either . . . or', 'neither . . . nor' words

5. Subject is a special type of pronoun

6. Subject is a collective noun or non-count noun

1. Subject and verb are separated

Sometimes, the subject of the sentence is separated from the verb by a word group.
You need to find the verb and ask 'who' or 'what' is doing the action. The noun closest
to the verb can sometimes look like the subject, but it's not.

Examples

Heavy snow, together with high winds, >>>>>> makes skiing conditions
dangerous.

SINGULAR SUBJECT SINGULAR VERB

The weather in mountainous regions >>>>>> is treacherous during the winter.

SINGULAR SUBJECT SINGULAR VERB

Storms that occur during winter >>>>>>>> cause deep snow drifts.

PLURAL SUBJECT PLURAL VERB

2. Subject has two or more parts (compound subject) If the subject is
joined by 'and', use a plural verb.

Examples: Silver, gold and other metals >>>>>> are mined in Western Australia.

PLURAL SUBJECT PLURAL VERB

The miner and the union official >>>>>> agree on pay conditions.

PLURAL SUBJECT PLURAL VERB

3. Subject comes after the verb

The same rules apply when the subject follows the verb, especially when the sentence
starts with 'there' or 'here'.

Examples

There is >>>>>> a campsite in the national park.

SINGULAR VERB SINGULAR SUBJECT

Here are >>>>>> the national park camping facilities.

PLURAL VERB PLURAL SUBJECT

4. Subject is connected by 'or', 'nor', 'either . . . or', 'neither . . . nor'

words

4.1 If singular subjects are joined by 'or', 'nor', 'either. . .or', 'neither. . .nor', use a
singular verb. Example
Neither the woman nor the child >>>>>> is out of danger.
COMBINED SINGULAR SUBJECT SINGULAR VERB
4.2 If plural subjects are joined by 'or', 'nor', 'either. . .or', 'neither. . .nor', use a
plural verb.
Example Neither the women nor the children >>>>>> are out of danger.
COMBINED PLURAL SUBJECT PLURAL VERB
4.3 If one subject is singular and one is plural, the verb agrees with the subject
nearest to it. Examples Neither the women nor the child >>>>>> is out of danger.
MIX OF PLURAL & SINGULAR SUBJECT SINGULAR VERB
Neither the woman nor the children >>>>>> are out of danger.
MIX OF SINGULAR & PLURAL SUBJECT PLURAL VERB
5. Subject is a special type of pronoun
5.1 When you use the pronouns 'each', 'either', 'neither', 'another', 'anyone',
'anybody', 'anything', 'someone', 'somebody', 'something', 'one', 'everyone',
'everybody', 'everything', 'no one', 'nobody', 'nothing', use a singular verb.
Example
Everyone in the group >>>>>> has a job to do.
SINGULAR SUBJECT SINGULAR VERB
5.2 When you use the pronouns 'both', 'many', 'few', 'several', 'other', use a plural
verb.
Example Many of the people in the group >>>>>> work consistently.
PLURAL SUBJECT PLURAL VERB
5.3 Words like 'none', 'any', 'all', 'more', 'most', 'some' use singular or plural verbs,
depending on the context.
Examples
All of the cake was eaten by the children. (singular)
All of the cakes were eaten by the children. (plural)
6. Subject is a collective noun or non-count noun
6.1 A collective noun is a word used to refer to a group of people/things (e.g., team,
committee, family, crowd, audience, government). If the noun is considered as a
single unit, use a singular verb. Example
The government of the day >>>>>> was responsible for regulating petrol prices.
COLLECTIVE NOUN/SINGULAR SUBJECT SINGULAR VERB
6.2 A non-count noun (e.g. statistics, furniture, sugar, water, news) uses a singular
verb. Example ü Statistics, for most students, >>>>>> is a difficult subject.
NON-COUNT/SINGULAR SUBJECT SINGULAR VERB

Exercise 1. Choose the word that correctly completes each sentence

below.
1. Everyone (complains, complain) when gas prices go up.
2. Most of Benito's shirts (has, have) at least one pocket.
3. Somebody (is, are) addressing all the wedding invitations with a fountain pen.
4. Everyone in the Hundley family (buys, buy) a new toothbrush twice a year.
5. Few of my friends (dislikes, dislike) both crunchy peanut butter and the smooth
variety.
6. Nobody (remembers, remember) that the space between the thumb and the first
finger is called the purlicue.
7. Some of the children (stops, stop) at the ice cream shop every day.
8. Nothing (ends, end) the baby's crying except being rocked in the rocking chair.
9. All of the workers who enter by the main gate (passes, pass) through a metal
detector.
10. Each of the messages on the answering machine (is, are) for Dody.

Exercise 2. Choose the correct form from the parentheses.

1. Every participant (has / have) been notified of the change in schedule.
2. The old lady and her twelve cats (was / were) evicted from the apartment.
3. Everyone (is / are) bringing a homemade dish.
4. Neither of the cars in the accident (was / were) insured.
5. Most of the rooms in the hotel (have / has) air-conditioning.
6. John, together with his wife and two children, (is / are) going to dinner.
7. One of the speakers (is / are) not here yet.
8. No news (is / are) good news.

Exercise 3. Choose the correct form from the parentheses.

1. Neither Mary nor her friends (is / are) going to have a party.
2. A number of graduates (have / has) received scholarship from this department.
3. All of the money (was / were) found.
4. Every man and woman (has / have) the right to vote.
5. The number of car accidents (is / are) increasing every year.
6. Both corn and wheat (is / are) grown in Canada.
7. Most of our furniture (is / are) in storage.
8. My new pair of pants (is / are) at the cleaners.
9. The Chinese (was /were) drinking tea in the year 2000 B.C.
10.The police (is / are) on the alert for the escaped convict.
Exercise 4. Find the correct form of the given verb in the following
sentences.
1. One of the students in my class (come) from Bangladesh.
2. The people who have invited me to the opening of the exhibition (want) me to
write an article about it afterward.
3. Almost everyone in my class (have) a part-time job.
4. Writing essays (require) a lot of skill.
5. Neither his wife nor his children (know) that he has lost his job.
6. Every book that is assigned for this course (cost) more than $20.
7. The president and his wife (have) agreed to attend the ceremony.
8. My sister always (try) her hardest.
9. Today's news (be) surprising.
10.The bunch of flowers that she (want) to buy (be) very expensive.

Exercise 5. Underline the form from that correctly completes each

sentence.
1. Ethics (is / are) the study of moral duties, principles, and values.
2. The first bridge to be build with electric lights (was / were) the Brooklyn Bridge.
3.There (is / are) two types of calculus, differential and integral.
4.George Gershwin, together with his brother Ira, (was / were) the creator of the first
musical comedy to win Pulitzer Prize.
5. In a chess game, the player with the white pieces always (moves / move) first.
6. The Earth and Pluto (is / are) the only two planets in the solar system believed to
have a single moon.
7. A number of special conditions (is / are) necessary for the formation of a geyser.
8. Each of the Ice Ages (was / were) more than a million years long.
9. The battery, along with the alternator and starter, (makes / make) up the electrical
system of a car.
10. Teeth (is / are) covered with a hard substance called enamel.
11. The more-or-less rhythmic succession of economic booms and busts (is / are)
referred to as the business cycle.
12. The number of chromosomes in a cell (varies / vary) from species to species.
13. All trees, except for the tree fern, (is / are) seed bearing plants.
14. Fifteen hundred dollars a year (was / were) the per-capita income in the United
States in 1950.
15. Everyone who (goes / go) into the woods should recognize common poisonous
plants such as poison ivy and poison oak.

Exercise 6. Underline the subject of the missing verb and fill in the
blanks with "is" or "are".
1. Neither the doctor nor the nurses __ here.
2. The number of nurses in the city __ very large.
3. All of nurses __ very good.
4. All of the medicine__gone.
5. Some of the water __ used for irrigation.
6. Most of the money __ counterfeit.
7. Not only the money but also the jewels __ locked up in the safe.
8. Neither the jewels nor the money __ mine.
9. All of the cookies __ gone.
10. Half of the furniture __ in the truck.
11. Neither of the reporters __ allowed to interview the players.
12. Everyone __ required to write a composition.
13. Every man, woman, and child __ given a free ticket.
14. Everything in the house __ destroyed by the fire.

Exercise 7. Underline the subject of each sentence and fill in the blanks
with "is" or "are".
1. The crew __ asleep in their bunks down in the hold of the ship.
2. Several unusual species of birds __ found in this area.
3. When a young deer __ motionless, its coloring will hide it well.
4. The committee __ ready to make its recommendations public.
5. Both apparatus __ available for your use.
6. The family __ fighting among themselves constantly.
7. The fish in the aquarium __ waiting for their daily feeding.
8. Each of those species of birds __ common in Texas.
9. All sheep __ dipped in the spring to kill the parasites.
10.The press __ requested to show their credentials to the guard.
Exercise 8. Underline the subject and fill in the blanks with "is" or "are".
1. Alumni of the university __ invited to the graduation ceremony.
2. English __ heard all over the world.
3. The Portuguese __ fortunate to have such a beautiful coastline.
4. Many Vietnamese __ living in the United States.
5. The criteria for promotion __ clearly stated.
6. The appendices __ usually found at the back of a book.
7. Supernatural phenomena __ of great interest to many people.
8. Few __ strong enough to finish the race.
9. There __ a pair of sunglasses lying on the floor.
10.Both my good trousers and my old jeans __ at the laundry.
11 .Many of you __ going to score above 500 on the TOEFL.
12.There __ several books on the top shelf of the bookcase.
Exercise 9. Underline the subject and fill in the blanks with "is" or "are".
1. Nylon, like orlon __ synthetic.
2. Either his children or his wife __ arriving today.
3. Both the chair and the sofa __ on sale.
4. Every dog and cat __ vaccinated against rabies.
5. There __ several universities in the city.
6. It __ the bicyclists who endanger the joggers.
7. The New York Times __ read by many people.
8. Everyone in the class __ working hard.
9. All of the creeks __ polluted.
10. All of the water __ contaminated.
11.The committee __ having its meeting.
12. The committee __ separated from their families for long periods of time.
13. Two hundred dollars __ a lot of money to lose.
14. Mathematics __ a pure science.
15. A number of doctors __ employed by the hospital.
16. The number of female doctors __ growing.
17. The English __ well known for their love of tea.