ENGLISH 1301 - SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT - Mr. Castillo

*In the PRESENT TENSE, VERBS must agree with SUBJECTS in NUMBER (meaning singular or plural) and in PERSON. If the subject is third person singular (pronouns he, she, it), the present tense verb ends in -s. 
 
SINGULAR PLURAL
First Person  I write  we write
Second Person you write  you write
Third Person he writes they write
she writes  advertisers write
it writes
Carol writes

 
EXCEPTIONS: am, is, are, was, were, has, have
I am  we are I was we were
you are you are you were you were
he, she, it is they are he, she, it was they were

 
* To ensure agreement, find the SUBJECT and the VERB when you revise your paper. 
* Be careful when words come between the SUBJECT and the VERB or when the SUBJECT 
   and VERB are INVERTED.
The box is ready.
The box, not the bags, is ready.
The box, which was correctly addressed, is lost in the mail.
There is the box, waiting to the be shipped.

 
Subjects joined by and are almost always plural. 

             Mark's quick smile and his sense of humor have made him popular. 

If subjects are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject closer to the verb. 

             Neither the judge nor the contestants were satisfied with the results. 

             If the judge or the lawyers are late, the trial cannot continue. 

             If the lawyers or the judge is late, the trial cannot continue. 

             Official passes or proper identification is required for entry to the backstage area. 
 

 
 
AGREEMENT: SUBJECTS AND VERBS: A singular subject requires a singularverb. A plural subject requires a plural . Find the subject and the verb.
1 AGREE IN NUMBER (present tense)
The telephone rings. The telephones ring.
             SUBJ         VERB                SUBJ          VERB
 
2. OVERLOOK INTERVENING WORDS (Find the subject and the verb.)
The telephone, not the door bell, rings.
            SUBJ                                            VERB
 
3.  SUBJECTS JOINED BY "AND" (These subjects are plural; use a plural verb.)
The telephone and the door bell ring often.
               PLU SUBJ using AND                  VERB
 
4. SUBJECTS JOINED BY EITHER-OR / NEITHER-NOR (The verb agrees with the subject that is closer to the verb.)
Neither the door bell nor the telephones ring.
                                   SING               SUBJ closer to VERB
 
5. INDEFINITE PRONOUNS ARE SINGULAR (These will cause trouble because in
speaking, people use the plural.)
Each girl should bring her ticket.
     SUBJ                             PRON
 
6. INVERTED SENTENCES (Find the subject of the sentence.)
Out of the clouds shines a bright sun.
                                    VERB                   SUBJ
 
7. LINKING VERBS (agree with subject, not with the words that follow)
The winning recipe is cherries and cream.
                           SUBJ VERB
 
8. WHO,WHICH, and THAT AGREE WITH ANTECEDENTS.
She is one of the people who support me. "ONE OF THE" REQUIRES A PLURAL.
She is the only one of the group who supports me. "THE ONLY ONE OF THE"
REQUIRES A SINGULAR.
 
9. TITLES AND FEATURED WORD (These are singular.)
Hayes and Jones is my insurer.
"Workaholics" is a new word.
The Grapes of Wrath is a very descriptive novel. 

 
AGREEMENT: PRONOUN AND ANTECEDENT: The pronoun always agrees with the antecedent in person, number, and gender. 
* The pronoun must have a clear antecedent. Both the pronoun and the antecedent must agree in number. 
EXAMPLES: Each woman will have a ticket in her hand. (singular pronoun and antecedent) 
                              ANTECEDENT                                         PRON
                      Virginia and Reba are lucky. They won the prize. (Both are plural.) 
                                     ANTECEDENT                             PRON

 
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