LESSON

3 RULES ON SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

AND BASIC SENTENCE PATTERNS

INTRODUCTION
Your knowledge about subject-verb agreement and basic sentence
patterns is quite helpful and important for you to become better and effective
communicator in English. A common error usually committed by some is the
inappropriate pairing of the subject and the verb; that is, using singular verbs to pair
with plural subjects or using plural verbs to pair with singular subjects.
This lesson aims to help you avoid making those errors as you learn and
be guided by the rules of the subject- verb agreement and the patterns in
making sentences in English that you are about to explore. Some of the common
and complex rules are presented and explained for you to familiarize with.
An exercise before the proper discussion is provided for you to answer as a
sort of motivation to get you ready of the lesson. This is a setting pace for you as
you begin your journey throughout the lesson as you explore the world of
“Subject- Verb Agreement” and “Basic Sentence Patterns”. This exercise also serves
as a diagnostic test for you to check your prior knowledge and to find out if you have
some familiarity and back ground about the said topic. Then you are given the
chance to use and apply the rules as you answer some activities given after every
five rules discussed. Part of the application and assessment also is for you to
write an essay observing proper agreement of the subject and the verb and edit or
proofread statements that contain disagreement between the verb and the
subject.

TIME FRAME: 3 hours within the third week of the class

OBJECTIVES: At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

1. decide whether the verb to be used should be singular or

plural to agree with the subject;

2. identify and correct errors regarding the subject-verb

agreement found in some sentences;

3. identify the pattern in a given sentences;

4. observe and correct agreement between the subject and

the verb in writing a composition; and

5. write an essay on a given topic or theme observing the

correct sentence pattern and agreement of subject and
verb.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 1
 ACTIVITY: Realm of Subject-Verb Friendship

Welcome students to Realm of Friendship between “Subject” and “Verb”, who always
agree with each other all the time! But before you explore and navigate their
realm of rapport and attachment, let us test your knowledge on how far you
knew by answering this preliminary test!

Direction: Choose your answer from the words inside the parenthesis. Place your
answer at the designated portion below.

1. There (is, an, are) aliens in the sky.

2. There (is, are) a big truck on the road.
3. The teachers (has, have) their Lesson plans checked.
4. The worm (crawl, walk, crawls).
5. The worms (crawl, walks, crawls).
6. Jose and Jim (are, was, is) good friends.
7. My brother and teacher (tells, tell) me an unbelievable story.
8. My brother and my teacher (tells, tell) me an unbelievable story.
9. My singer and dancer (friend, friends) (perform, performs) on the stage.
10.Either Mar or Jorie (give, gives) the summary of the lesson.
11.Either the boys or the girls (receive, receives) the award.
12.Neither the Barangay officials nor the teachers (is, are) being accused of the
crime.
13.Not the grasses but the beans plant (need, needs) water.
14.Not the magazines but a piece of paper (is, are) stolen.
15.Flavio, together with Alfredo and Nielo (go, goes ) to school

MY ANSWERS!

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 2
 ANALYSIS

Direction: In this part, various questions related to the lesson are presented. Please
read carefully the following questions and answer each in a minimum of 20 and a
maximum of 40 words.

1. Explain the impact of subject – verb agreement rules in communication?

2. As future second language (L2) teacher, how can you teach the rules of
subject- verb agreement and sentence patterns to your students?

3.If there are no rules in subject-verb agreement, what do you think will happen in
the global village where communication between cultures and races is in place?

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 3
\ ABSTRACTION

RULES ON SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

1. A verb with ‘s’ is singular. A verb without ‘s’ is plural.

Examples:
He plays basketball. They play basketball.
John is/was playing the guitar. John and Mathew are/were playing the guitars.

Am  singular, present tense

2. Making theIslinking/be verbs
 singular, agree
present with the real
tense was subject.
 singular, past
Linking verbs such as;
tense Are  plural, present tense were plural, past tense

3. TheExamples:
expression ‘The number’ takes singular verb. The expression A number takes
a plural verb.
The number of students coming is decreasing.
A number of players practicing are increasing.

4. Subjects joined by ‘and’ take a plural verb.

Example:
Christine and Cora are my friends.

5. Compound
Examples:subjects joined by ‘and’ referring to one entity, should take
singular verb.
The secretary and treasurer is here.
My uncle and sponsor lives next door.

6. Compound subjects joined ‘and’, referring to separate entities, should take

Examples:
plural verb. The secretary and the treasurer are here.
My uncle and the sponsor live next door.

7. Compound subjects joined by correlatives, such as; either-or, neither- nor, not
Examples:
only- but also,
Eithershould take or
the children a verb that agrees
the mother with the nearer subject.
is going.
Not only the captain but also the cadets are marching.
Neither the mother nor the children are going.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 4
8. Compound positive and negative subjects take verbs that agree strictly with
the positive subjects only.

Examples:
The hotel, not the houses, was burned down.
The riders, not the horse, were injured.

9. Nouns ending in ‘s’ but singular in meaning should take singular verb. Nouns
Examples:
such as: News, Physics,
Measles Mumps, Economics,
is a communicable diseases. Politics, Mathematics, Measles
Physics is an interesting subject.

10. Nouns that are plural in form should take a plural verb. Nouns such as:
Examples:
Slippers, Eyeglasses,
RefreshmentsTrousers, Earrings,
are served duringPants, Scissors, Sunglasses, Refreshments,
the seminar.
His trousers are newly bought
Exemptions:
My left slipper was lost.
That pair of earrings is very expensive.

11. A fraction should take a singular verb. However, it also depends on the ‘of
Examples:
phrase’.
Ten years was an eternity for him.
Ninety thousand pesos is too expensive for that ring.
12. Unit of measurements, distance, height, time, or amount of money should
take singular verb.
13. There and here are never used as subjects. When a sentence begins with there
Examples:
and here,There
you must look devices
are many thoroughly to find
in a man’s the real subject.
heart.
Here are the plants you want for the garden.

14. Subject followed by intervening expressions or phrase (group of words) such as; in
Examples:
addition to,
Theinteacher,
company with, together
together with, is
with the pupils, asdancing.
well as, etc., should take verbs that
agree with the
The real subject.
adviser, accompanied by her students, is attending the symposium.
The mother, with all her children, is here.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 5
15. The subject should be singular when the subject is a title, a name of a
book, a clause, a quotation, or a group of words expressing a single idea.

Examples:
Green Coconuts is Manansala’s latest painting.
Del Pan Brothers is a marketing firm.

16. Indefinite words such as each, every, neither, everyone, someone, nobody,
Examples:
no one, anyone are always
Every student singular
was asked in his
to give meaning. Hence,
opinion about they
the demand singular
exhibit.
Neither movie is good for you.

17. Words such as ‘many’ and ‘few’ are used only with plural nouns: words such
Examples:
as
Many applicants were hired.

18. ‘Each other’ is used when we refer to two persons or things. ‘One another’ is
Examples:
used whenHewe
andrefer to more
his sister thanadvice
always two. each other.
His classmates help one another in their project.

19. The phrases such as ‘one of the…’, and ‘among the….’ Must be followed by
Examples:
a plural Mike
noun.is one of the players.
Among the nominees, Leah is the most promising.

20. Collective
Examples:nouns take singular verbs, if all members act as a single body. Nouns
such as:The Audience,
committeeClass,
was in Team, Band,with
full agreement Committee,
my idea. Senate, Jury, Herd,
Crowd, Flock
The family is unanimous on the issue.

21. Collective
Examples:nouns take plural verbs if the members act as individuals.
The basketball team were disorganized.
The family are debating on the issue.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 6
22. Mass nouns can only be pluralized by quantifiers. Mass nouns such as; sugar,
rice, sand, hair, water, information, evidence

Examples:
The sacks of rice/ sugar/ sand…. Strands of
hair…. Pieces of evidence/ information/ advice…. Grains of rice….

23. The relative pronoun should take a verb that agrees in number with its
Examples:
near antecedent. Anof antecedent
Lorna is one the students is
whoa read
noun or pronoun to which a following
a lot.
relative pronoun refers.
Marlon is one of the players who have joined the soccer team.
Myrna is one of the children who live with foster parents.

BASIC SENTENCE PATTERNS

1. Subject + verb (S-V)

The simplest of sentence patterns is composed of a subject and verb without a
direct object or subject complement. It uses an intransitive verb, that is, a
verb requiring no direct object:

2. Subject + linking
 Control verb +inside
rods remain complement (S-LV-C)of the reactor.
the fuel assembly
 The simple
Another development of uses
pattern wind power practically
the linking verb,ceased until of
any form thethe
early
“to1970s.
be” verb without
 All amplitude-modulation
an action verb: (AM) receivers work in the same way.
 The cross-member exposed to abnormal stress eventually broke.
 Only two types of charge exist in nature.
 The+chain
3. Subject verbreaction
+ directisobject
the basis of nuclear power.
(S-V-DO)
 The debate over nuclear power has often been bitter.
Another common sentence pattern uses the direct object:
 Folding and faulting of the earth's surface are important geologic processes.
 Windspeed seems to be highest during the middle of the day.
 Silicon conducts
The silicon solar electricity
cell can beindifficult
an unusual way.
and expensive to manufacture.
 The anti-reflective coating on the the silicon cell reduces reflection from 32 to
22 percent.
 Prestressing of the concrete increases the load-carrying capacity of
the members.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 7
 4. Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object (S-V-IO-DO)
The sentence pattern with the indirect object and direct object is similar to
the preceding pattern:

 We are sending you the balance of the payment in this letter.

5. Subject + writing
 I am verb +her
direct object
about + object
a number complement
of problems (S-V-DO-OC)
that I have had with
my Execucomp
The sentence wordprocessor.
pattern using the [direct object] and object complement is not
 The supervisor
common but worthmailed the applicant a description of the job.
knowing:
 I am writing you about a number of problems...
 Austin, Texas, has recently built its citizens a system of bikelanes.
 The walls are usually painted black.
 The plant shutdown left the entire area an economic disaster.
 The committee
APPLICATION declared the new design a breakthrough in
energy efficiency.
 The low cost of the new computer made competition much
Part I.
Direction: Choose the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject.

1. Annie and her brothers (is, are) at school.

2. Either my mother or my father (is, are) coming to the meeting.
3. The dog or the cats (is, are) outside.
4. Either my shoes or your coat (is, are) always on the floor.
5. George and Tamara (doesn't, don't) want to see that movie.
6. Benito (doesn't, don't) know the answer.
7. One of my sisters (is, are) going on a trip to France.
8. The man with all the birds (live, lives) on my street.
9. The movie, including all the previews, (take, takes) about two hours
to watch.
10.The players, as well as the captain, (want, wants) to win.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 8
Part II
Direction: Identify each sentence pattern below as:

SV, SVO, SV-IO-DO, SVC, SV-DO-OC, SVA.

1. He bought his girlfriend a ring.

2. She sings and dances.
3. She made the problem complicated.
4. She goes to school.
5. John and Marry are swimming.
6. He brought me a cup of tea.
7. The company has been very successful.
8. They are in class.
9. He is brave.
10. I called my dog Dodo.

Part III
Direction. Review each sentence and look for errors in subject verb agreement. If there is an
error, write the correct sentence in the space below the sentence.

1.She walk to the market.

2.Of all the girls in this room, she are the most beautiful.

3.The cat meows when he is hungry.

4.My favorite book are Green Eggs and Ham.

5. All of the leaves are falling off the trees.

6.Ten minutes are enough time to get there.

7.The man and the woman were late for their appointment.

8.One of the earliest things I remember are my third birthday.

_
9. All of them is going to the parade.

10.One of the real problems are a lack of oversight.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have finished this lesson and thank you for
accomplishing all the task and guided questions given. Do you have an amazing
learning experience in finishing this lesson? If yes, continue that motivation to learn
on the next module however if it is no, keep going and make learning as a fun
experience.
Have great interest and passion for learning because it is the key to
unleash your previous knowledge to the new ones. Again, congratulations and see
you on the following lessons and module.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 9
 MODULE ASSESSMENT

Direction: Guided by your learnings on Module 1, write a three-paragraph essay with

the theme “Teaching is Love: Pursuing Teacher Education Program in this time of
Pandemic”. Below is the rubric for your guidance and reference on how your output
will be rated.

Areas Excellent Very Good Average Needs Unacceptabl

Improvement e
5 4 3 2
1
Ideas Ideas are Ideas are The writer is Topic is not As yet, the
clear and mostly beginning to well-defined paper has no
focused with focused, and define the and/or there clear sense of
relevant has some topic, even are too purpose or
details which good details though many topics. central
holds the and quotes. development is theme..
reader's still basic or
attention. general.
Organizatio The central Paper (and The Sentences The writing
n idea or paragraphs) organizational within lacks a clear
theme is are mostly structure is paragraphs sense of
enhanced organized, in strong enough make sense, direction.
and order, and to move the but the order of
showcased makes sense reader through paragraphs
due to to the reader. the text does not.
compelling without too
order, much
structure of confusion.
information
that moves
the reader
through the
text.
Sentence It has an easy The writing The text hums The text seems The reader
Fluency flow, rhythm, mostly flows, along with a choppy and is has to
and cadence. and usually steady beat, not easy to practice quite
Sentences are invites oral but tends to read orally. a bit in order
well built, with reading. be more to give this
strong and business like paper a fair
varied than musical, interpretive
structure that more reading.
invites mechanical
expressive oral than fluid.
reading.
Conventions The writer The writer The writer shows The writer Errors in
demonstrates demonstrates reasonable seems to have spelling,
a good grasp a good grasp control over a made little punctuation,
of standard of standard limited range of effort to use capitalization,
writing writing standard conventions: usage, and
conventions conventions writing spelling, grammar
(e.g., spelling, (e.g., spelling, conventions. punctuation, and/or
punctuation, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing
capitalization, capitalization, usage, repeatedly
grammar, grammar, grammar distract the
usage, usage, and/or reader and
paragraphing paragraphing paragraphing make the text
) ) have multiple difficult to
errors. read.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 10
Presentation The The format The writer's The writer's The reader
presentation only has a few message is message is receives a
of the text is mistakes and understandabl only garbled
pleasing and is generally e in this format. understandabl message due
allows reader easy to read e occasionally, to problems
to understand and pleasing and paper is relating to the
and connect to the eye. messily written. presentation
with the of the text,
message. and is not
typed.

GLOSSARY

ADVERB a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb,

or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place,
time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc

CONJUNCTION a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in

the same clause

GRAMMAR the way the words are arranged to make proper sentences.

INTERJECTION an abrupt remark, made especially as an aside or interruption.

NOUN a word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of

people, places, or things

PREPOSITION a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and

expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

PRONOUN a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers
either to the participants in the discourse (e.g., I, you ) or to
someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g.,
she, it, this).

SUBJECT a person or thing that is being discussed, described, or dealt with in

a sentence

TENSE -is a verb form that shows the time of an action, event or
state, by a change in its form and / or the use of a helping
verb
VERB -a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence,
and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 11