SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

What is subject

Subject is the person/people/thing(s) that do the activity.

I, you, thet, we, it, my dad and my mom, linda,sussi, linda and sussi, the bank, the flight schedule.

What is verb

Verb is a word user to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence

Kinds of verb

ACTION VERBS

LINKING VERBS

HELPING VERBS

ACTION VERBS

Also known as MAIN VERB.

Action verbs are word that express action (give, eat walk, etc) or possession (have, own,etc.).

Action verbs can be either transitive (with object) or intransitive (without object).

Example

Laurissa raises her hard. (kkt)

Abdus gave becky the pencil.(kkt)

Laurissa  rises slowly from her seat.(kkt)

He was pontificating abaut art and history.(kkt)

LINKING VERBS

A linkin verb connects she subject of a sentence to a noun or adjective that renames or describe the subject

TO BE: IS, AM, WAS, WERE

Example

Lisa is in love with Jason.

We were there!

I am heppy

Verb: seem, appear, become, grow, remain, get, prove, turn, look, sound, smell, feel.

Example

She looks pale

I feel happy

That sounds great!

Your cook smells good.

HELPING VERBS

Helping verbs are used before action or linking verbs to convey additional information regarding aspects of possibility (can, could, etc.) or time (was, did, has, etc.)

MODALS always function as helping verbs

MODALS: can, cound, may, might, shall, will, ought to, should, would.

Example

Tojo (helping verb) going (main verb) to florida

The trip might (helping verb) be (main verb) dangerous

Tanya could learn fo fly helicopters. (could helps the main verb, learn.)

Janine will drive to Idaho tomorrow. (will helps the main verb, drive )

MAIN RULE OF

Subject verb agreemen

Only the subject affects verb

Rule 1

Subject and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the background of the concept

Example

The dog growls when it is angry.

The dogs growl when they are angry.

Rule 2

Don t get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb; they do not affect agreement.

Example

The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good

Ruke 3

Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement

 Example

The colors of the rainbow are beautiful

Rule 4

When sentences start with “there” or “here” the subject will always be placed after the verb, so care needs to be taken to indentify it correctly

Example

There is a problem with the balance sheet. Here are the papers you requested

Rule 5

If two subject are joined by and, they typically require a plural verb form.

Example

The cow and the pig are jumping over the moom

Rule 6

The verb is singular if the two subject separated by and refer to the same person or thing

Example

Red beans and rice is my mom’s favorite dish.

Rule 7

If one of the words each, every, or on comes before the subject, the verb is singular

Example

No smoking or drinking is allowed every man and women is required to check in

Rule 8

If the subject are both singular and are connected by the wors or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also the verb is singular

Example

Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident

Rule 9

The only time when the object of the preposition decides plural or singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like some, half none, more, all, etc. are followed by a prepositional phrase. In these sentences, the object of the preposition determines the form of the verb

Example

All of chicken is gone.

All of the chicken are gone.

Rule 10

 The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement or tim

 Example

Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.

Rule 11

If the subject are both plural and are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, and not only/but also, the verb is plural.

Example

Dogs and cats are both available at the pound

Rule 12

If one is singular and one plural and  the words are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/nor, and not only/but also, You use the verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb

Example

Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.

Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.

Rule 13

Indefinite pronouns (everything, anything, everyone, someone, somebody, nothing, etc.) typically take singular verbs.

Example

Everybody wants to be loved.

Everything is gonna be alright

Rule 14

Except for the pronouns (few, many, several, both, all, some) that always take the plural form.

Example

Few were left alive after the flood.

Several students understand the material    

Rule 15

If two infinitive are separated by and they take the plural form of verb

Example

To walk and to chew gun require great skill

Rule 16

When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence they take the singular verb form of the verb; but, when they are linked by and, they take the plural form.

Example

Standing in the water was a bad idea.

Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies

Rule 17

 Collective nouns like family, committee herd senate, class, crowd, etc. usually take a singular verb form

Example

The herd is stampeding.

Cooper family always attends the annual party

Rule 18

Title of book, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and a singular verb

Example

The burbs is a movie starring tom hanks

Harry potter has reached top 3 best seller books.