Subject-verb agreement means that a subject and its verb must be both singular or both plural: A singular subject takes a singular verb. A plural subject takes a plural verb.
Basic Rule.
A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines), whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb. Example: The list of items is/are on the desk. If you know that list is the subject, then you will choose is for the verb.
3. If plural subjects are joined by “or,” “nor,” or “but,” the verb must only agree with the subject that is closest to it.
One way you can find the subject of a sentence is by asking yourself, “Who or what does/did the action?” The answer to this question will be the subject of the sentence. Example: Josh brings lunch to school every day. The action verb in the sentence above is brings.
How does subject-verb agreement work? In English, if a subject is singular, use the singular form of the verb; if the subject is plural, use the plural form of the verb. The only exception to this rule is the verb be, which uses different forms based on both number and person.
Through games and quizzes, students can get into teams or small groups and come up with 5 correct sentences and 5 incorrect. Then they can share their sentences with the other team and the first one to rewrite the incorrect answers wins. This quick activity takes minutes of class time and it's fun.
Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb. Examples: My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Subject-verb agreement means that the subject and the verb of a sentence agree in number with each other. If the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular. (I am going.) If the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural.
A subject/verb agreement error occurs when the subject and verb of a sentence do not. agree in number. Singular Subject + Singular Verb = Agreement. Plural Subject + Plural Verb = Agreement.
How do you recognise a singular or plural verb? A singular verb is one that has an s added to it in the present tense, such as writes, plays, runs, and uses forms such as is, was, has, does. A plural verb does not have an s added to it, such as write, play, run, and uses forms such as are, were, have and do.
Subject-verb agreement means that the subject of the sentence matches the verb describing its action. This helps your reader understand who or what is doing something and makes your writing easier to read. First, identify the subject (the person or thing doing the action) and the verb (the action word) in a sentence.
1-Identify the subject of the sentence. 2-Decide if the subject is singular or plural. 3-Lastly, decide which verb form will match the subject.
When writing a paper, it is helpful to keep in mind that verbs must always agree with the subject in both number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third). This type of agreement helps to ensure that your paper will be accurate, clear, and stylistically correct.
A singular noun needs a singular verb and a plural noun needs a plural verb. For example: Singular – The bird flies. Plural – The birds fly.
Simple Sentences
A simple sentence has the most basic elements that make it a sentence: a subject, a verb, and a completed thought. Examples of simple sentences include the following: Joe waited for the train. The train was late.
The subject of the sentence is what (or whom) the sentence is about. In the sentence “The cat is sleeping in the sun,” the word cat is the subject. A predicate is the part of a sentence, or a clause, that tells what the subject is doing or what the subject is.