subject verb agreement

7/17/2019 Subject Verb Agreement

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VERB•Voices• Subject-Verb Agreement



VOICE

Is the property of a verb which tells whetherthe subject is the doer of the act expressed bythe verb or is the receiver of the action so

indicated by the verb.Note:

When the sentence shows that thesubject performs the action expressed by the

verb that verb is in theactive voice. When thesubject becomes the receiver of the act, the verb is in the passive voice.



Active Voice:1.)My friend washes the car.

2.)Mario scrubs the floor.3.)Paolo and Carlo made this table.

Passive Voice:1.) The car is washed by my friend.

2.) The floor is scrubbed by Mario.

3.) This table was made by Paolo and Carlo.

It must be noted that onlytransitive verbshave voice. And onlytransitive verbscan be changedfrom active to passive voice or vice versa. Intransitiveandlinking verbs haveno voice.



Subject-Verb Agreement

RULE 1. Generally, compound subjects joined byand require plural verbs.

Example:Marianand John are cousins.

Exception: When considered as a unit,compound subjects joined byand require a

singular verb as in the following examples:

1.)Breadand butter is delicious.

2.)Riceand fish was served for dinner.



RULE 2. When used as subjects, nouns ending ins

generally require plural verbs.Examples:

The boysarenoisy.

The books were distributed to students.

RULE 3. Some nouns which are plural in form butsingular in meaning require singular verbs, as

mumps, news, measles, Mathematics, politics, Philippines.

Example:

Mathematicsis an interesting subject.



RULE 4. Indefinite pronouns likeeverybody,everything, anyone, everyone, nobody,each, either, neitheror someone, whenused as subjects require singular verb.

Examples:

Everybodyis happy.

Everythingis beautiful.

Eitherof the boys is ready.Oneof the boys looks sad.



RULE 5. Two or more singular subjects joined byand but modified byeach, every, no, ornot require singular verb.

Examples:Eachteacher and student was given a gift.

Every boy, girl, and visitor was given a ball pen.

Nostudent and no visitor was allowed to come in.

Notmoney and not comfort was his prime purposein marrying her.



RULE 6. The verb in a compound subject joined byor,either… or,neither… noragrees in numberand in person with the nearer or nearestsubject.

Examples:

Either you or I am at fault.

Neither he nor you are to be suspended.

Either you or she is involved in the anomaly.



RULE 7. Parenthetical expressions or intervening

wordslike along with, accompanied by, aswell as, together with, including, with, donot affect the number of the subject.

Examples:

The teacher, together with her students, iscoming.

The captain, as well as his soldiers, is marching.

rs. !ru", accompanied by her children, #as#elcomed.

$ernando %oe &r., including his 'ans, #as #ellaccommodated.



RULE (. A compound subject joined by and which refers to the

same person or thing and preceded by one articletakes singular verb.

Examples:

The treasurer and secretary of the English Club is amiable.

The red and white uniform is very becoming.

RULE ). When used as subjects, indefinite pronouns likeboth, few, some, many, andseveral take plural verbs.

Examples:

Both are expected to pass the test.

Many have signified their intention to join us.



RULE 1*. When a singular subject is in the third personand expressed in the present tense, the verbends either ins ores whichever is applicable

(if verb is notis).

Examples:

Tandances gracefully.

Paolo works in a low office.

Magi brushes her teeth every morning. Johnnylikes to go to school.



RULE 11. When used as subjects, collective nouns such

asclass, team, committee, mob, crowd, faculty, board, audience, group, staff , takesingular verbs when considered as a unit; but, when the members of the unit are

thought of separately and individually, thecollective nouns take plural verbs.

Examples: (if taken as a unit)

Theclass is silent. Theteam practices every day.

Thecommittee has finished its work.



Examples: (if the members of the group arethought of separately or individually)

Theaudience were allowed to join theirrespective groups.

The committeeare actually taking theirlunch.

Thecrowd were throwing all kinds of hardobjects during rally.

Themob were seen running to differentdirection.



RULE 12. When used as subjects,nouns denoted in pairs,

such as pliers, trousers, tongs, scissors,spectacles, andtweezers require plural verb; theyhave no singular forms.

Examples:

Thetongs are hot.Mypliers were lost.

Histrousers are still wet.

Thespectacles were broken.

Note: When pair is used as the subject denoting thesame objects under this rule, the verb should besingular.

1.) Thepair of tongs was borrowed.



RULE 13. The verb should agree with the number of the

subject, not with the number of the predicatenominative.

Example:

Herproblem is her mother-in-law and hersister-in-law.

Hismission in life is to work hard and tohelp the poor.

Hermother-in-law and hersister-in-law areher problems.

To work hard and tohelp poor are his chiefconcerns.



RULE 14. When used as subjects mathematical

terminologies signifyingaddition,subtraction, multiplication anddivision require singular verbs.

Examples:

Two plus two is four.

Four added to four is eight.

Two times three equals six.

Ten divided by two equals five. Three and three is six.



RULE 15. When used as subject of a subordinate

clause, therelative pronoun who derives itsnumber and person from its antecedenthence, the verb should agree in number andin person with its antecedent.

Examples:

It isI who am guilty. (The antecedent of who is I)

It ishe who is guilty. (The antecedent of who is he)

It isyou who are guilty. (The antecedent of who is you)



RULE 16. When used as subjects,adjectives preceded by

the articlethe require plural verb.Examples:

The beautiful are fortunate.

The poorare persevering.

The richcrave for more wealth.

RULE 17. The verb must agree with thenumber of the

subject and not with that of the modifiers.

Examples:

Aset of new rules was adopted.

Theintention of the laborers is in good faith.



RULE 1(. When used as subject,a numberrequires a plural verb;the numberrequires a singular verb.

Examples:

A numberof students are in the office.

The numberof students in the office is ten.

RULE 1). When used as the subject, anumerical fraction iseither singular or plural. It’s number depends upon the“of phrase”.

Examples:

One halfof the classis still out.

One halfof the studentsare still out.

Three fourthsof the audiencehas left.

Three fourthsof the delegateshave left.



RULE 2*. When used as the subject, agerund or aninfinitive

takes a singular verb.

Examples:

To earnis my mission. (infinitive)

Walking is a good form of exercise. (gerund)

RULE 21. When used a subject, aunit of measure, anamountof money, or aspan of period takes a singular verb.

Examples:

Twelve inchesis equal to one foot.

Three yearsis too short for a good mayor.



RULE 22. When used as subject, the pronounthis orittakes

a singular verb; these or those takes a plural verb.Examples:

Thisis a book. It is true.

These are the books we need. Those are what we like.

RULE 23.

The prepositional phrase modifying the subjectdoes not change the number of the subject.

Examples:One of the boys is sick.

The leaderof the students is very young.



RULE 24. In dependent clauses introduced byif,as if,

as though, the verb were, in the subjunctivemood of the verb to be, should be used withall persons in expressing a supposition or acondition contrary to fact.

Examples:

IfI were the President, I would dismiss cabinetmembers involved in any anomalous transaction.

Dado actedas ifhe were rich.

He spokeas thoughhe were the manager.



Note:

Were should also be used with allpersons to express a mere wish to be what would not be possible at the moment.

Examples:I wish I were you.

I wish I were a bird so that I could fly.

She wishedshe were you during the dance.



RULE 25. When used as the subject of a subordinate clause, therelative pronoun, who, that, or which, derives its numberfrom its antecedent; so, the verb in that subordinateclause should also agree in number with the assumednumber of the relative pronoun.

Example:

One of the boys who are absent is sick.Principal Clause:

One of the boys is sick. (The subject is one; the verb should beis)

Subordinate Clause:

Who are absent.• Number of the relative pronoun who is plural.

• The antecedent of who is boys.

Explanation: The verb of the subordinate clause is are, because who, by reason of its antecedent, is plural.

subject verb agreement

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