muet grammar - subject verb agreement

8/13/2019 MUET Grammar - Subject Verb Agreement

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MUET - GrammarSubject Verb Agreement


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EVERY VERB MUST AGREE

WITH ITS SUBJECT

SingularSubject

PluralVerb

PluralSubject

SingularVerb


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The Stupidity of

English Grammar To make a noun plural, we add-s

- Singular : girl

- Plural : girls

To make a verb plural, we take away -s.

- Singular : he talks- Plural : they talk


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Watch the Verb Endings!

Singular

I walk

You walk

He/She/It walk s

Joe walk s

The girl walk s

Plural

We walk

You walk

They walk

Joe and Maria walk

The girls walk


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Remember the THREE

irregular verbs:

DO

Singular Plural He does They do

HAVE She has They have

BE He is They are

She was They were


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Tip for Subject-Verb

Agreement

Generally, if the subject

doesntend inS, the verbwill.

If the subject doesend in

S, the verb wont.


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The girl dances.

No -s on

subject

-s on

verb


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The girls dance.

-s on

subject

No -s

on verb


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Compound subjects joined

by and If there are two or more subjects

joined by and,the subject must be

plural, so the verb will not get an s.

Example

Theboy and the girldance.

(= Theydance.)

No -s on

verb


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Compound subjects

joined by orIf there are two or more subjects joined

by or, the verb agrees with the part of

the subject closest to it.

Examples:

The professor or the students walkthe halls.The students or the professor walksthe

halls.


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Watch out for

Everybody Everybodylovesgrammar!

Everybodyunderstands subject-verb agreement.


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Possible Pitfalls

Sometimes, several words comebetween the subject and the verb.

The student, though she had lots ofproblems in other schools, f inds /f ind (?)

her new class easy.

The student, though she had lo ts of

prob lems in o ther schools, f indsher newclass easy.

The student f indsher new class easy.


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Possible Pitfalls

Sometimes, the subject will comeafterthe verb, in questions or when

sentence begins with there.ExamplesWhy ishefalling asleep?

Why aretheyfalling asleep?There isno excusefor such behavior.

There areno excusesfor such behavior.


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Possible Pitfalls

Relative Pronouns (who / which/ that)

can be either singular or plural,

depending on the word they refer to.

The student who workshard will succeed.

Thestudentswho workhard will succeed.


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How do I get this right?

First, identify whether or not you have

problems with subject/verb agreement.

If you dont have any problems with this,

dont worry about it!

If you do have problems Identify the verb. Ask who or what is doing it.

This will identify the subject. Say them together and make sure that they match in

terms of number.


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The subject and the verb are theskeleton of every sentence. Make

sure you fit those two importantparts together correctly!


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In the sentences below, do the

subjects & verbs agree?

1.They goes to the gym after class to work out.

2.Harry and his friends wants to see the new

movie coming out this weekend.

3.The cat who is meowing at my door wants in.

4.Neither the cat nor the dogs likes the new

food.

5.The mayor as well as his brothers are going tojail.

6.Nobody wants to dance.

7.The paper or the ruler are in the desk.


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uick TestDirections:In the items that follow, choose

the option that corrects an error in the

underlined portion(s). If no error exists, choose

No change is necessary.

Show mewhatyou

know.


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Item 1

In the cabinet is the tools that you will need to

unclog the bathroom sink; I have found that a

plunger and a prayer often do the trick.

A.are

B.has

C.does

D.No change is necessary.

In the cabinet isthe tools that you will need to

A

unclog the bathroom sink; I havefound that a

Bplunger and a prayer often dothe trick.

C

A.are

B.has

C.does


In the cabinet arethe tools that you will need to

A

unclog the bathroom sink; I havefound that a

Bplunger and a prayer often dothe trick.

C

A.are

B.has

C.does



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Item 2

Here are the books that Thomas and Darlene

need for their research, and here is the earplugs

that youll require once they both doze off in

boredom and start snoring.

A.is

B.are

C.dozes


Here arethe books that Thomas and Darlene

A

need for their research, and here isthe earplugs

Bthat youll require once they both dozeoff in

C


A.is

B.are

C.dozes


Here arethe books that Thomas and Darlene

A

need for their research, and here arethe earplugs

Bthat youll require once they both dozeoff in

C


A.is

B.are

C.dozes



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Item 3

Jasmine and Rodney have decided to double the

number of cupcakes that they are baking since

everyone love moist cake and chocolate frosting.

A.hasB.is

C.loves


Jasmine and Rodney havedecided to double the

A

number of cupcakes that they arebaking since

Beveryone lovemoist cake and chocolate frosting.

C

A.hasB.is

C.loves


Jasmine and Rodney havedecided to double the

A

number of cupcakes that they arebaking since

Beveryone lovesmoist cake and chocolate frosting.

C

A.hasB.is

C.loves



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Item 4

Not only those students but also their professor

look forward to the final exam; everyone has

exciting vacation plans that start next Monday.

A.looksB.have

C.starts



lookforward to the final exam; everyone has

A Bexciting vacation plans that startnext Monday.

C

A.looksB.have

C.starts



looksforward to the final exam; everyone has

A Bexciting vacation plans that startnext Monday.

C

A.looksB.have

C.starts



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Item 5

At the pet store, each iguana, mouse, and gerbil

try to climb the walls of its glass cage while

humans hover outside like giant predators who are

ready to strike.

A.tries

B.hovers

C.is



tryto climb the walls of its glass cage while

Ahumans hoveroutside like giant predators who are

B C

ready to strike.

A.tries

B.hovers

C.is



triesto climb the walls of its glass cage while

Ahumans hoveroutside like giant predators who are

B C

ready to strike.

A.tries

B.hovers

C.is



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Item 6

Tyrone, as well as his cousins, hope that Grandma

brings her famous brownies and peach pie that

drip with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.

A.hopesB.bring

C.drips


Tyrone, as well as his cousins, hopethat Grandma

A

bringsher famous brownies and peach pie that

Bdripwith generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.

C

A.hopesB.bring

C.drips


Tyrone, as well as his cousins, hopesthat Grandma

A

bringsher famous brownies and peach pie that

Bdripwith generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.

C

A.hopesB.bring

C.drips



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Item 7

Either the dogs or the cat sleep on the bed while

everyone is out; Lorraine always finds an

indentation in the center of her comforter.

A.sleeps

B.are

C.find


Either the dogs or the cat sleepon the bed while

A

everyone isout; Lorraine always findsan

B Cindentation in the center of her comforter.

A.sleeps

B.are

C.find


Either the dogs or the cat sleepson the bed while

A

everyone isout; Lorraine always findsan

B Cindentation in the center of her comforter.

A.sleeps

B.are

C.find



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Item 8

Meryl, together with her friends Beatrice and Laverne,

plans a daily trip for ice cream, for these women

have discovered that the calories is worth seeing

Theo scoop their servings with his muscular arms.

A.plan

B.has

C.are



plansa daily trip for ice cream, for these women

A

havediscovered that the calories isworth seeing

B C


A.plan

B.has

C.are



plansa daily trip for ice cream, for these women

A

havediscovered that the calories areworth seeing

B C


A.plan

B.has

C.are



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Item 9

The scissors are sharp, so neither the cousins nor

Timmy is allowed to play with them, even when the

boys needs to finish a school project.

A.isB.are

C.need


The scissors aresharp, so neither the cousins nor

A

Timmy isallowed to play with them, even when the

Bboys needsto finish a school project.

C

A.isB.are

C.need


The scissors aresharp, so neither the cousins nor

A

Timmy isallowed to play with them, even when the

Bboys needto finish a school project.

C

A.isB.are

C.need



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Item 10

Each fork, spoon, and knife are scarred from the

disposal since Drew refuses to check the drain

before he throws the switch.

A.is

B.refuse

C.throw


Each fork, spoon, and knife arescarred from the

A

disposal since Drew refusesto check the drain

Bbefore he throwsthe switch.

C

A.is

B.refuse

C.throw


Each fork, spoon, and knife isscarred from the

A

disposal since Drew refusesto check the drain

Bbefore he throwsthe switch.

C

A.is

B.refuse

C.throw



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The End.

Badkitty!

muet grammar - subject verb agreement

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