SUBJECT AND VERB

AGREEMENT
KEY CONCEPT ONE
 A SINGULAR SUBJECT MUST HAVE A SINGULAR
VERB. A PLURAL SUBJECT MUST HAVE A
PLURAL VERB.
 EXAMPLES: HUNGARY IS A SMALL EUROPEAN
COUNTRY.
 HUNGARIANS VOTE IN FREE ELECTIONS.
 SINCE THE FIRST EDSA PEOPLE POWER, A
GREAT CHANGE HAS ALREADY OCCURRED IN
PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT.
KEY CONCEPT TWO
 A PHRASE OR CLAUSE THAT INTERRUPTS A
SUBJECT AND ITS VERB DOES NOT AFFECT
THE SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT.
 EXAMPLES:IN HUNGARY, THE
LEGISLATURE,WHICH HAS 386 MEMBERS, IS
CALLED THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.
 CITIZENS, EXERCISING THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE,
CURRENTLY SEEM TO PREFER THE MORE
CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL PARTY.
KEY CONCEPT THREE
 A COMPOUND SUBJECT JOINED BY AND IS
GENERALLY PLURAL, AND IT MUST HAVE A
PLURAL VERB.
 EXAMPLES: THE CHANCELLOR AND THE
CABINET MEMBERS GO OVER THE AGENDA
EVERY SESSION.
 THE MINISTERS AND THEIR ASSISTANTS
DISCUSS A NEW BILL AT THE OPENING OF A
NEW SESSION.
EXCEPTION TO THE RULE
 IF THE PARTS OF THE COMPOUND SUBJECT
ARE THE SAME THING OR ARE THOUGHT OF
AS ONE ITEM, THEN A SINGULAR VERB IS
NEEDED. A SINGULAR VERB IS ALSO NEEDED IF
THE WORD EVERY OR THE WORD EACH
PRECEDES A COMPOUND SUBJECT.
 EXAMPLES: GERMANY’S CAPITAL AND LARGEST
CITY IS BERLIN.
 GIVE AND TAKE IS A RULE OF NEGOTIATIONS.
 EACH ISSUE AND PROPOSAL IS DISCUSSED.
KEY CONCEPT FOUR
 TWO OR MORE SINGULAR SUBJECTS JOINED
BY OR OR NOR MUST HAVE A SINGULAR VERB.
 EXAMPLES: SCHROEDER OR KOHL IS GOING TO
WIN.
 BLACK MAGIC NOR FORTUNE TELLING IS BAD.
KEY CONCEPT FIVE
 TWO OR MORE PLURAL SUBJECTS JOINED BY
OR OR NOR MUST HAVE A PLURAL VERB.
 EXAMPLE: THE LIBERALS OR THE
CONSERVATIVES ARE GOING TO WIN.
KEY CONCEPT SIX
 IF A SINGULAR SUBJECT IS JOINED TO A
PLURAL SUBJECT BY OR OR NOR , THE
SUBJECT CLOSER TO THE VERB DETERMINES
WHETHER THE VERB IS SINGULAR OR PLURAL.
 EXAMPLES: NEITHER THE BERLIN WALL NOR
MANY OTHER ASPECTS OF DIVISION EXIST
ANY LONGER.
 EITHER THEMINISTERS OR SCHROEDER IS
GOING TO SPEAK.
KEY CONCEPT SEVEN
 A VERB THAT COMES BEFORE ITS SUBJECT MUST
STILL AGREE WITH THE SUBJECT IN NUMBER.
 EXAMPLES:
 ON THE WALL ARE SLOGANS.
 SLOGANS ARE ON THE WALL.
 IS THE MESSAGE CLEAR?
 THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR.
 THERE IS ONLY ONE GOVERNMENT IN GERMANY.
 THERE ARE SEVERAL PARTIES IN THE
GOVERNMENT.
KEY CONCEPT EIGHT
 A LINKING VERB MUST AGREE WITH ITS
SUBJECT, REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF
THE PREDICATE NOMINATIVE.
 EXAMPLES:
 ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ARE ONE CAUSE FOR
CONCERN.
 ONE CAUSE FOR CONCERN IS ECONOMIC
CONDITIONS.
KEY CONCEPT NINE
 A COLLECTIVE NOUN TAKES A SINGULAR VERB
WHEN THE GROUP IT NAMES ACTS AS A
SINGLE UNIT. A COLLECTIVE NOUN TAKES A
PLURAL VERB WHEN THE GROUP IT NAMES
ACT AS INDIVIDUALS WITH DIFFERENT POINTS
OF VIEW.
 EXAMPLES: SINGULAR: THE COMMITTEE
VOTES ON THE ISSUE.
 PLURAL: THE COMMITTEE HAVE SPLIT THEIR
VOTES.
KEY CONCEPT TEN
 NOUNS THAT ARE PLURAL IN FORM BUT
SINGULAR IN MEANING TAKE SINGULAR
VERBS.
 EXAMPLES: SOCIAL STUDIES HAS BECOME HIS
FAVORITE SUBJECT.
 MEASLES IS A DANGEROUS DISEASE FOR
UNBORN BABIES.
KEY CONCEPT ELEVEN
 SINGULAR INDEFINITE PRONOUNS TAKE SING
ULAR VERBS. PLURAL INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
TAKE PLURAL VERBS.
 ALWAYS PLURAL: BOTH, FEW, MANY, OTHERS,
SEVERAL
 SINGULAR OR PLURAL: ALL, ANY, MORE, MOST,
NONE, SOME
 NOTE: DO NOT BE MISLED BY A PREPOSITIONAL
PHRASE THAT INTERRUPTS THE SUBJECT AND
VERB. THE INTERRUPTING PHRASE DOES NOT
AFFECT THE SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT.
 EXAMPLES: SINGULAR: EITHER OF YOUR
PLANS IS ACCEPTABLE TO ME.
 PLURAL: FEW OF THE REPRESENTATIVES ARE
HERE.
KEY CONCEPT TWELVE
 THE PRONOUNS ALL, ANY, MORE, MOST,
NONE, AND SOME TAKE A SINGULAR VERB IF
THEY REFER TO SINGULAR WORDS AND A
PLURAL VERB IF THEY REFER TO PLURAL
WORDS.
 EXAMPLES: SINGULAR: MOST OF SOUTH
AFRICA WAS PROUD.
 PLURAL: MOST OF THE SOUTH AFRICANS
WERE PROUD.
KEY CONCEPT THIRTEEN
 A TITLE OR THE NAME OF AN ORGANIZATION
IS SINGULAR AND MUST HAVE A SINGULAR
VERB.
 EXAMPLES: HARD TIMES IS A NOVEL BY
CHARLES DICKENS.
 SUNFLOWERS IS VAN GOGH’S MOST FAMOUS
PAINTING.
 DICUFFA BROTHERS MAKES THE BEST PIZZA.
KEY CONCEPT FOURTEEN
 A NOUN EXPRESSING AN AMOUNT OR A
MEASUREMENT IS USUALLY SINGULAR AND
REQUIRES A SINGULAR VERB.
 EXAMPLES: FIFTY CENTS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH.
 TWENTY FEET WAS THE LENGTH OF THE VOTING
LINE.
 USUALLY, ONLY ONE THIRD OF THE VOTES WAS
COUNTED.
 EXCEPTION:
 HALF THE VOTES WERE COUNTED.
 HALF REFERS TO MANY INDIVIDUAL ITEMS AND
THEREFORE PLURAL
ADDITIONAL KEY CONCEPTS
 1. DO NOT CONFUSE THE OF PHRASE AS THE
SUBJECT.
 EXAMPLES: THE ENTICING HANDS OF THE
DEMON ATTRACT US INTO THE LABYRINTHS
OF CYNICAL DISTRUST.
 THE BUNDLE OF BANK NOTES ATTRACTS THE
DRIVER’S ATTENTION.
 2. SOME NOUNS ARE PLURAL IN FORM AND
PLURAL IN MEANING. THESE NOUNS TAKE THE
PLURAL FORM OF THE VERB: TONGS,
SCISSORS, SHEARS, PLIERS, PANTS, TWEEZERS
 3. FRACTIONS MAY TAKE THE SINGULAR OR
PLURAL FORM DEPENDING ON THE OF
PHRASE. IF THE OBJECT OF THE PREPOSITION
OF IS SINGULAR, THE FRACTION TAKES THE
SINGULAR FORM OF THE VERB. IF THE
OBJECT OF THE PREPOSITION IS PLURAL , THE
VERB TAKES THE PLURAL FORM.
 EXAMPLES: TWO THIRDS OF THE FARM IS
PLANTED TO MANGOES.
 ONE- HALF OF THE MANGOES ARE SOLD.
 4. EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY OR AMOUNT
THAT DESCRIBE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS RATHER
THAN WHOLE UNIT REQUIRE PLURAL VERB.
 EXAMPLE: A HUNDRED YEARS HAVE PASSED
SINCE THE COUNTRY GAINED ITS
INDEPENDENCE.
 5. ADJECTIVES USED AS SUBJECTS TAKE THE
PLURAL FORM OF THE VERBS.
 EXAMPLE: THE HARDWORKING ARE
REWARDED.
 6. EXPRESSIONS LIKE MANY A, MORE THAN
ONE, NOT ONE, TAKE THE SINGULAR FORM OF
THE VERB.
 EXAMPLES: MANY AN INDIVIDUAL FEELS HAPPY
ABOUT THE MISERY OF OTHERS.
 MORE THAN ONE PERSON FINDS IT VERY
UNCHRISTIAN.
 7. THE EXPRESSION THE NUMBER TAKES THE
SINGULAR FORM OF THE VERB; A NUMBER
TAKES THE PLURAL FORM OF THE VERB.
 EXAMPLES: THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO
ACTS LIKE DEMONS IN OUR LIVES IS MANY.
 A NUMBER OF DEMONS TEMPT GOOD PEOPLE
TO DO BAD THINGS.
 8. SOME, MOST AND ANY ARE SINGULAR WHEN
THEY REFER TO QUANTITY. THEY ARE PLURAL
WHEN THEY REFER TO NUMBER.
 EXAMPLES: MOST OF THE WORK WAS DONE BY
WOMEN.
 SOME OF THE BASKETS WERE PREPARED BY
THEM.
 9. THE WORDS LISTED BELOW ARE MASS NOUNS.
THEY ARE ALWAYS SINGULAR AND CANNOT BE
PRECEDED BY A, AN, OR, A NUMBER. THEY REFER
TO THINGS TO THINGS DIFFICULT TO COUNT.
 INFORMATION BAGGAGE POETRY ADVICE
 HOMEWORK SCENERY CHALK MONEY
 JEWELRY GRAFT BLOOD SOAP
 PERSONNEL CLOTHING HELP(NOUN)
 MAIL (LETTERS) PAPER(UNUSED)
 WHEN THEY ARE PRECEDED BY PIECES OF, KINDS
OF, A COLLECTION OF,ETC., THEY ARE FOLLOWED
BY A PLURAL VERB.
 EXAMPLES: ANTIQUE PIECES OF FURNITURE
ARE SOLD HERE.
 MANY BITS OF CHALK ARE IN THE BOX.
 RARE COLLECTIONS OF JEWELRY ARE KEPT IN
THE VAULT.