Subject-Verb Agreement: Mastering Grammar

• Subject-verb agreement requires the subject and verb in a sentence to match in number.
• Clear and grammatically correct sentences depend on the understanding of subject-verb agreement.

Singular Subjects

• Singular subjects refer to one person, place, thing, or idea.
• Singular subjects take verbs that do not end with an "s."
• "The dog runs fast" shows a singular subject with a singular verb.

Plural Subjects

• Plural subjects refer to more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
• Plural subjects take verbs that typically end with an "s" in the present tense.
• "The dogs run fast" demonstrates a plural subject with a plural verb.

Compound Subjects

• Compound subjects consist of two or more subjects joined by "and."
• The sentence, "Tom and Jerry are friends" uses a plural verb because the subjects are combined.
• Always use a plural verb when subjects are joined by "and."

Subjects Joined by "Or" or "Nor"

• The verb agrees with the nearest subject when subjects are connected by "or" or "nor."
• Use a singular verb if the nearest subject is singular, and a plural verb if plural.
• "Either the cat or the dogs are outside" uses a plural verb because "dogs" is closer.

Indefinite Pronouns

• "Everyone" and "somebody" are examples of indefinite pronouns and always take singular verbs.
• "Everyone loves pizza" uses a singular verb with the indefinite pronoun.
• "Several" and "few," are indefinite pronouns that take plural verbs.

Collective Nouns

• Collective nouns refer to groups and can be singular or plural, depending on context.
• Singluar collective nouns takes a singular verb in a sentence like, "The team wins the game."
• Plural verbs are used if the collective noun emphasizes individual actions.
• "The team are arguing among themselves" uses a plural verb because it emphasizes individual actions.

Exceptions to the Rules

• "News" and "mathematics" are exceptions that can confuse subject-verb agreement.
• "The news is on" is an exception, and uses a singular verb despite sounding plural.
• Be mindful of these exceptions when constructing sentences.

Common Mistakes

• Confusing "there is" and "there are" is 1 common mistake.
• Use "there is" with singular nouns and "there are" with plural nouns.
• "There is a cat" and "There are two cats" demonstrate correct usage.