IS104 ADVANCED GRAMMAR

MODULE 2
 Lessons:

Lesson 2: Subject-Verb Agreement

Lesson 3: Present Tenses
 Lesson 2:
Subject- Specific Learning
Outcome:
Verb Identify and apply
Agreement knowledge on subject-verb
agreement rules
Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement, also

called “subject-verb concord,”
refers to matching the subject and
verb of a sentence.
 Rule: 1

Example:
Singular subjects
require singular The bus travels from
verbs. CDO to Davao.
 Rule: 2

Example:
Plural subjects
require plural The call center agents
verbs work all night long.
 Rule: 3

Example:
Compound
subjects with the Pizza and cauliflower
word “and” taste great together.
require plural
verbs.
 Rule: 4

Compound subjects If the number of the subject closest to the verb is

singular, use a singular verb. For example, “Either
with the word “or” or Jeff or Jane knows the answer.”
“nor” can take either
a singular verb or a If the number of the subject closest to the verb is
plural verb plural, use a plural verb. For example, “Either Jeff
or his sisters know the answer.”
 Rule: 5
When the subject and
verb are separated by a Example:
long phrase or a clause,
The president, along with his
the verb must agree with
cabinet members, holds
the actual subject (and meeting every Monday to
not that of the phrase/ solve COVID-19 issues.
clause).
 Rule: 6

Example:
When the subject is a
phrase begins with, One of the doctors in a
‘one of‘, the verb that hospital in Manila catches
follows is singular. COVID from one of his
patients.
 Rule: 7

When two nouns in a Example:

sentence refer to the
same person or thing, The skeletal development
system is one of the most
the verb that follows complex systems in the body.
is singular.
 Rule: 8

Nouns such as shoes, trousers, Example:

scissors, binoculars, spectacles
etc. are followed by a plural
verb, BUT if the sentence, begins
with the phrase, “A pair of”, a
Eyeglasses are essential nowadays to prevent
us from touching our eyes.
A pair of eyeglasses is essential nowadays to
prevent us from touching our eyes.

singular verb follows.

 Rule: 9
Uncountable nouns,
such as: furniture, Example:
equipment, stationery,
poetry, machinery,
News today is filled
with COVID-19 news.
information etc. are
always followed by a
singular verb.
 Rule: 10
If a collective noun is used in the
Example:
sentence, and it is spoken of as a The faculty are deliberating whether or not
single/ united entity, a singular verb to pursue online class.
follows. BUT if individual members
are being referred to, or the group is
The faculty has decided to do modular/
flexible learning.
divided, in that case, a plural verb
follows.
 Rule: 11
When two nouns are
connected by phrases like
Example:
accompanied by, in addition
The senator, as well as the
to, as well as, along with etc.,
congressman, fights for the people
the verb agrees with the first
who lost their job in this pandemic.
noun.
 Rule: 12
When two nouns are
connected by ‘either or’, Example:
‘neither nor’, the verb that Either the president or the senators make
changes to the COVID-19 law.
follows, must agree with
the noun that is nearest Either the senators or the president makes
to it. changes to the COVID-19 law.
 Rule: 13

Example:
Everyone has to wear masks.
An indefinite pronoun
is always followed by a Nobody is happy with the
singular verb. prolonged quarantine.
 Rule: 14

Example:
The verb that follows a The boxes of masks which are on the
relative pronoun, takes table are to be given to the students.
its number from the
noun that precede the The box of masks which is on the table is
relative pronoun. to be given to the students.
ACTIVITY: Supply the right verb that completes the sentence.

Sentence 1 Sentence 2 Sentence 3

The visitors Neither John nor Everybody

(wait, waits) to his classmates (strive, strives)
be (solve, solves) to keep up.
acknowledged. the problem on
polynomials.
Lesson 3: Specific Learning Outcomes:

Present Identify the types of present

Tenses tense and exemplify proper
use of present tenses.
THE PRESENT TENSE
expresses action or state in the present time and
is used of what occurs or what is true at the time
of speaking and of what is habitual or
characteristic or is always or necessarily true, that
is sometimes used to refer to action in the past,
and that is sometimes used for future events.
THE PRESENT TENSE
expresses action or state in the present time and
is used of what occurs or what is true at the time
of speaking and of what is habitual or
characteristic or is always or necessarily true, that
is sometimes used to refer to action in the past,
and that is sometimes used for future events.
THE PRESENT TENSE
expresses action or state in the present time and
is used of what occurs or what is true at the time
of speaking and of what is habitual or
characteristic or is always or necessarily true, that
is sometimes used to refer to action in the past,
and that is sometimes used for future events.
THE PRESENT TENSE
expresses action or state in the present time and
is used of what occurs or what is true at the time
of speaking and of what is habitual or
characteristic or is always or necessarily true, that
is sometimes used to refer to action in the past,
and that is sometimes used for future events.
THE PRESENT TENSE
expresses action or state in the present time and
is used of what occurs or what is true at the time
of speaking and of what is habitual or
characteristic or is always or necessarily true, that
is sometimes used to refer to action in the past,
and that is sometimes used for future events.
 ACTIVITY: Observe how the underlined words differ
Sentence 1 Sentence 2
Current evidence indicates Previous outbreaks have
that the COVID-19 virus is demonstrated that when
transmitted through health systems are
respiratory droplets or overwhelmed, mortality from
contact. vaccine-preventable and
other treatable conditions can
also increase dramatically.
Sentence 3
The Philippines is working
with the Department of
Health and subnational
authorities to respond to the
pandemic.
 ACTIVITY: Observe how the underlined words differ
Sentence 1 Sentence 2
Current evidence indicates Previous outbreaks have
that the COVID-19 virus is demonstrated that when
transmitted through health systems are
respiratory droplets or overwhelmed, mortality from
contact. vaccine-preventable and
other treatable conditions can
also increase dramatically.
Present Simple Present Perfect
Sentence 3
The Philippines is working
with the Department of
Health and subnational
authorities to respond to the
pandemic.
Present Progressive
ACTIVITY: Supply the right present tense that completes the sentence.

Sentence 1 Sentence 2 Sentence 3

Harold always I (read, have Jeric (works, is

(comes, have read) about that working) on his
come) to class terrifying news. thesis.
early.
THANK
YOU
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