Grammar 6:

Subject-Verb
Agreement
Group 2
Alyssa Puri Nadira
Eka Fitriana Azkiya
Marcellino Eka Putra
M. Hafizh Alfatih
 What is Subject-Verb
Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that the verb

or verbs in a sentence must match the number, person, and
gender of the subject; in English, the verb needs to match just
the number and sometimes the person. For example, the
singular subject it and the plural subject they use different
versions of the same verb: “it goes . . . ” and “they go . . . ”

Subject-verb agreement, also called

“subject-verb concord,” refers to matching
the subject and verb of a sentence in tense,
aspect, and mood (abbreviated as TAM),
which translates to number, person, and
gender.
 6-1 FINAL -SI,-ES : USE, PRONOUNCATION and SPELLING
(a) NOUN + -S: Friends are important.
NOUN + -ES: I like my classes.
(b) VERB + -s: Mary works at the bank.
VERB + -ES: John watches birds.
A final -s or -es is added to a noun to make
the noun plural. friend = a singular noun
fviends = a plural noun
A final -s or -es is added to a simple
present verb when the subject is a singular
noun (e.g., Mary, my jathn; the machine) or
third person singular pronoun (she, he, it).
May works = singular She works = singuIar
The students work = plural They work =
plural
 PRONOUNCATION OF -SI,-ES

(c)seats >> seat/s/ Final -s is pronounced Is1 after voiceless

Ropes >> rope/s/ sounds, as in (c): "t," "p," and "k" are
Backs >> back/s/ examples of voiceless sounds.*

(d)seeds >>seed/z/ Final -s is pronounced /z/ after voiced

Robes >> robe/z/ sounds, as in (h): "d," "b," "g," and "ee" are
Bags >> bag/z/ examples of voiced sounds."
Sees >> see/z/

(e) dishes >> dish/az/
catches >> catch/azl/
kisses >> kiss/az/
mixes >> mix/az/
prizes >> prize/az/
edges >> edge/az/
Final -s and -es are pronounced /az/ after
"-sh," "-ch," "-s,n c‘-z,n and "-geY'/"-dge"
sounds. The /az/ ending adds a syllable. All
of the words in (e) are pronounced with two
syllables. COMPARE: All of the words in (c)
and (d) are pronounced with one syllable.
 SPELLING OF -SI,-ES

( f) sing + sings For most words (whether a verb or a noun),

song + songs simply a final -s is added to spell the word
correctly.

(g) wash -+ washes Final -es is added to words that end in -sh,
watch + watches -ch, -s, -2, and -x.
class + classes
buzz + buzzes
box + boxes

(h) toy + WS: 1 buy + buys
(i) baby -r babies cry + cries
For words that end in -y:
In (h): If -y is preceded by a vowel, only -s
is added.
In (i): If -y is preceded by a consonant, the
-y is changed to -i and -es is added.
 6-2 basic subject-verb agreement
SINGULAR VERB
( a ) My friend lives in Boston
( e ) Every man, woman, and child needs
love
( F ) Each book and magazine is listed in
the card catalog
( g ) That book on political parties is
interesting
( i ) My dog, as well as my cats, likes cat
food
( k ) The book that i got from my parents
was very interesting
( m ) Growing flowers is her hobby
PLURAL VERB
( b ) My friends live in Bonston
( c ) My brother and sister live in Bonston
( d ) My brother and sister, cousin live in
Bonston
( h ) The ideas in the book are interesting
( j ) My dog, as well as my cats like cat
food
( l ) The books i bought at the bookstore
were expensive
Verb + -s/-es = third person singular in the
simple present tense
Noun + -s/es = plural
Two or more subjects connected by and
require a plural verb
Exception: Every and each are always
followed immediately by singular nouns. In
this case, even when there are two or more
nouns connected by and the verb is
singular
Sometimes a phrase or clause separates a
subject from its verb.
A gerund used as the subject of the
sentence requires a singular verb
6-3 | SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: USING
EXPRESSIONS OF QUALITY

SINGULAR VERB PLURAL VERB

( a ) Some of the ( b ) Some of the In most expressions of quantity, the verb is

book is good. books are good. determined by the noun (or pronoun) that
( c ) A lot of the ( d ) A lot of my follows of. For example:
equipment is new. friends are here. In (a): Some of + singular noun = singular
( e ) Two-thirds of ( f ) Two-thirds of the verb
the money is mine pennies are mine. In (b): Some of + plural noun = plural verb.

( g ) One of my EXCEPTIONS: One of, each of, and Every

friends is here. one of take singular verbs.
( h ) Each of my One of + plural noun = singular verb
friends is here. Each of + plural noun = singular noun
( i ) Every one of Every one of + plural noun = singular verb
my friends is here.
6-3 | SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: USING
EXPRESSIONS OF QUALITY

SINGULAR PLURAL VERB

VERB

( j ) None of the ( k ) None of the Subjects with none of are considered

boys is here. boys are here. singular in very formal English, but plural
(Informal) verbs are often used in informal speech
writing.

( L ) The ( m ) A number COMPARE: In (L): The number is the

number of of students subject.
students in the were late for in (m): A number of is an expression of
class is fifteen. class. quantity meaning “a lot of.” It is followed
by a plural noun and a plural verb.
6-4 | SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: USING THERE + BE

( a ) There are In the structure there + be, there is called an

twenty students in “expletive.” It has no meaning as a vocabulary
my class. word. It introduces the idea that something exists in
( b ) There’s a fly a particular place.
in the room. Pattern: there + be + subject + expression of place
( c ) There are Sometimes the expression of place is omitted when
seven continents. the meaning is clear. In ( c ): The implied
expression of place is clearly in the world
6-4 | SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: USING THERE + BE

SINGULAR PLURAL
VERB VERB

( d ) There ( e ) There are The subject follows be when there is used.

is a book on some books on In (d): The subject is book.
the shelf. the shelf. In (e): The subject is books

( f ) INFORMAL: There’s In very informal spoken English, some native

some books on the shelf. speakers use a singular verb even when the
subject is plural, as in (f). The use of this form is
fairly frequent but is not generally considered to
be grammatically correct.
 6-5: Some Irregularities
Singular Verb

a. The United States is big Sometimes a proper noun that ends with -s is
b. The Philippines consists of more than singular. Think of the noun as if it was an it
7,000 islands pronoun, so use is because the noun is singular,
c. Sears is a department store not plural (they). (ex: The States is big, it is a
d. The news is interesting large country.)

e. Mathematics is easy for her. But psychics is Fields of study that end in -ics require singular
hard for her verbs

F. Diabetes is an illness Certain illnesses that end in -s are singular. (ex:

rabies, rickets, measles)

G. Eight hours of sleep is enough for me Expressions of time, money, and distance usually
H. 20 dollars is too much to pay require a singular verb

H. Two and two is four Arithmetic expressions require singular verbs

Two and two equals four
 6-5: Some Irregularities
Plural Verb

a. These people are from Canada People, police, and cattle do not end in -s, but are
b. The police have been called plural nouns and require plural verbs
c. Cattle are domestic animals

Singular Verb Plural Verb

English is spoken 1. The English drink tea Some nouns of nationality that
in many countries 2. The Chinese have an interesting ends in -sh, -ese and -ch can mean
story either language or people.
Chinese is his
native language 3. The poor have many problems A few adjectives can be preceded
4. The rich get richer by the and used as a plural noun
(without -s) to refer people who
have that quality (ex: the young,
the living, the dead, the deaf)
Thank You For Reading
Group 2
Alyssa Puri Nadira (11220140000004)

Eka Fitriana Azkiya (11220140000031)

Marcellino Eka Putra

(112201400000024)

M. Hafizh Alfatih (11220140000013)