Subject-Verb Agreement Rules
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Questions and Answers

Which of the following lists demonstrates correct parallel structure with gerunds?

  • We went fishing, hiking, and to the park.
  • We danced, sang, and with joy.
  • We enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and shoveling.
  • We are running, biking, and swimming. (correct)

Identify the sentence that correctly uses adjectives in a list.

  • She wore a dress that was blue, purple, and danced elegantly.
  • The cake was chocolate, layered, and sweet. (correct)
  • Her hair was long, curly, and colored restored.
  • The room was bright, with cluttered, and organized.

Select the option that correctly lists prepositional phrases.

  • We went with friends, to the movies, and happily.
  • Their picnic is under the tree, at the park, and with joy.
  • The meeting is scheduled for three, in the conference room, and before lunch. (correct)
  • We ran over the hill, across the bridge, and up the tree.

Which of the following correctly demonstrates the use of infinitives?

<p>She loves to dance, to sing, and to act. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Identify the list that does not exhibit parallel structure with adverbs.

<p>She spoke softly, graciously, and with kindness. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of prepositions of location?

<p>To indicate an area, surface, or point (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which conjunction is used to connect an independent clause with a dependent clause?

<p>Subordinating conjunctions (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a coordinating conjunction used to show contrast?

<p>Yet (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence uses a preposition of location correctly?

<p>I placed the book on the table. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which option is an example of correlative conjunctions?

<p>She is either tired or hungry. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of conjunction connects two clauses of equal importance?

<p>Coordinating conjunctions (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence 'Although it was late, she continued her work,' what type of conjunction is 'Although'?

<p>Subordinating conjunction (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following conjunction pairs is used to emphasize additional information?

<p>Not only/but also (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What verb form should be used when a collective noun refers to a group as a single unit?

<p>Singular verb (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following nouns is always considered singular?

<p>Information (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the present perfect tense indicate when used appropriately?

<p>An ongoing action from the past continuing to the present. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

When starting a sentence with 'There are', what should you look for next?

<p>The subject (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of pronoun should follow an indefinite pronoun like 'everyone'?

<p>Singular pronoun (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences correctly represents the simple past tense?

<p>He completed his project last week. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct use of the future perfect tense?

<p>They will have left before the concert starts. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which collective noun sentence indicates the individual members are being referred to?

<p>The team are celebrating with their families. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence demonstrates the use of the past progressive tense?

<p>They were watching TV when it started to rain. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct pronoun to use when referring to two antecedents joined by 'and'?

<p>They (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is an example of an always plural noun?

<p>Scissors (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following demonstrates the distinction between present perfect and simple past?

<p>I watched the game last night. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

When is the present progressive tense used?

<p>To indicate an ongoing action right now. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

If a pronoun refers to the antecedent 'each of the students', what form should it take?

<p>His or her (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one way to differentiate the future perfect tense from other tenses?

<p>It describes actions that will be completed before a specific future time. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a correct example of using the present perfect tense?

<p>She has finished her report for the meeting. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of subject and verb agreement occurs when two or more subjects are joined by 'and'?

<p>They are considered plural. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How should the verb be structured when using subjects modified by 'each' or 'every'?

<p>The verb should be singular. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence 'The dogs in the pet store deserve loving homes', what is the key agreement rule being applied?

<p>Intervening words do not alter the subject's number. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

When using 'either-or' or 'neither-nor', how does the verb agreement work?

<p>It agrees with the subject closest to the verb. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following pronouns is treated as always singular?

<p>Everybody (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence 'My family members except my youngest sister are afraid of snakes', how should the verb be treated based on the compound subject rule?

<p>The verb should agree with the family members. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In an inverted sentence such as 'Rarely do we see such dedication', where should you look to determine the correct verb?

<p>Look at the subject that follows the verb. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How should the verb be modified when using a compound subject that refers to the same entity, such as in 'My mom's specialty and my favorite dish is spaghetti'?

<p>The verb should be singular. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a run-on sentence?

<p>A sentence which improperly joins two or more independent clauses. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which method is NOT effective in correcting a run-on sentence?

<p>Add an exclamation mark. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How can a run-on sentence be corrected using a semicolon?

<p>By making it a compound sentence. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a misplaced modifier?

<p>A modifier that is not placed near the word it modifies. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which example represents a corrected run-on sentence using a coordinating conjunction?

<p>He went to the store, but it was closed. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes dangling modifiers?

<p>They lack the nouns they are supposed to modify. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of parallelism in writing?

<p>To ensure clarity and ease of understanding. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following sentences is a run-on sentence?

<p>They rushed to the station they did not want to miss the train. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Inverted Sentence

A sentence where the subject comes after the verb, often starting with "Here" or "There".

Collective Noun as Singular

A noun that refers to a group of individuals, treated as a single unit.

Collective Noun as Plural

A noun that refers to a group of individuals, treated as separate members.

Always Singular Nouns

Words that always remain singular, despite sometimes having a plural form.

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Always Plural Nouns

Words that always remain plural, despite not always having an 's' at the end.

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Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

A word that replaces a noun or pronoun, and should match the number and gender of its antecedent.

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Indefinite Pronoun Agreement

Indefinite pronouns like 'anyone', 'everyone', etc., require singular pronouns.

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Multiple Antecedent Agreement

Two or more antecedents connected by 'and' usually require a plural pronoun, unless preceded by 'each' or 'every'.

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Past Perfect Tense (Had + Past Participle)

A grammatical tense indicating an action completed before another action in the past.

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Present Perfect Tense (Has/Have + Past Participle)

A grammatical tense indicating an action happening in the present and continuing.

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Simple Past Tense (Past Tense Form of Verb)

A grammatical tense indicating a completed action in the past, with a specified time.

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Future Perfect Tense (Will have + Past Participle)

A grammatical tense indicating an action completed in the future before another action.

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Progressive Tenses

A group of verb tenses emphasizing ongoing actions.

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Present Progressive Tense (Is/Am/Are + Verb -ing)

A progressive tense describing an action ongoing in the present.

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Past Progressive Tense (Was/Were + Verb -ing)

A progressive tense describing an action that was ongoing in the past.

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Present Perfect Continuous Tense (Has/Have Been + Verb -ing)

A grammatical tense used to describe an action or a state that starts in the past and continues up to the present moment.

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Conjunctions

Words that connect clauses, sentences, words, or phrases, creating flow and clarity in writing and speech.

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Coordinating Conjunctions

Connect equal-importance words, phrases, or clauses

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Subordinating Conjunctions

Connects an independent clause with a dependent clause, indicating relationships like cause, time, or contrast.

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Correlative Conjunctions

Work as pairs to connect words or phrases of equal importance.

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In (preposition)

Shows a location inside an area or volume.

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On (preposition)

Shows a location on a surface.

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At (preposition)

Shows a location at a specific point.

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Spend the whole afternoon at the fair

Indicates that something is occurring for a prolonged period at a specific place.

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What is a run-on sentence?

A sentence with two or more independent clauses joined together incorrectly without proper punctuation or conjunctions.

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What is a compound sentence?

A sentence with two or more independent clauses joined together by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).

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What is an independent clause?

A complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence.

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What is a complex sentence?

A sentence that has a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses.

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What is a misplaced modifier?

A phrase that modifies a noun or pronoun, but is not placed close enough to the word it modifies.

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What is a dangling modifier?

A participial phrase that does not have a noun to modify.

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What is parallelism?

A grammatical pattern where closely related parts of a sentence have the same structure.

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Why is parallelism important?

Using parallelism in writing makes it clearer, more concise and easier to understand for the reader.

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Gerunds

Words that end in "ing" and function as nouns, describing an action.

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Verbs (Past Tense)

Words that end in "ed" and describe actions that happened in the past.

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Nouns

Words that name people, places, or things.

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Adjectives

Words that describe qualities or characteristics.

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Adverbs

Words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

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Subject-Verb Agreement

In English grammar, subject-verb agreement means that the verb in a sentence must match the subject in number. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.

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Compound Subjects with "and"

When two or more subjects are joined by the word "and," they are considered plural and require a plural verb.

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Subjects with "each" and "every"

When subjects are modified by words like "each" or "every," they are considered singular and require a singular verb, even if there are multiple subjects.

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Words Between Subject and Verb

The number of the subject doesn't change just because there are words between the subject and the verb. The verb still agrees with the subject.

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Compound Subjects Referring to the Same Thing

When a compound subject refers to the same person, place, or thing, it is considered singular and requires a singular verb.

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Subjects with Positive and Negative Parts

When a sentence has both a positive and a negative part, the verb agrees with the positive subject.

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Study Notes

Subject-Verb Agreement

  • Subjects and verbs must agree in number
  • Singular subjects take singular verbs
  • Plural subjects take plural verbs

SVA Rules

  • Two or more subjects joined by "and": Considered plural
    • Example: Porthos, Aramis, and Athos are the Three Musketeers.
  • Subjects modified by "each" or "every": Always singular
    • Example: Each boy and girl needs to present their work to the crowd.
  • Number of the subject is unchanged: by words between the subject and verb
    • Example: The dogs in the pet store deserve loving homes.
  • Compound subject with same person/place/thing: Singular verb
    • Example: My mom's specialty and my favorite dish is spaghetti.
  • Plural subject joined by "either-or", "neither-nor", "but", or "or": Verb agrees with the subject closest to it.
    • Example: Either the blue shirt or the black polo suits your jeans.

Indefinite Pronouns

  • Always Singular: Anybody, everyone, neither, nobody, anyone, each, either, everybody, nobody, someone, something
  • Always Plural: Both, Few, Many, Several
  • Depends on the noun that follows: All, Many, Most, Some
    • If the noun is countable, the verb is plural
    • If the noun is abstract or mass, the verb is singular
    • Example: Everyone needs help.

Inverted Sentences

  • Locate the subject to determine the correct verb
  • Words "here" and "there" are never subjects, if these appear before the verb, look for the subject after the verb
    • Example: Here lies the secret to success.

Collective Nouns

  • Singular verb: If the noun refers to the group as a single unit
    • Example: The committee meets every Tuesday to discuss the new policies.
  • Plural verb: If the noun refers to the individual members of the group
    • Example: The team are celebrating with their families and friends.

Special Nouns

  • Always singular: advice, baggage, bread, clothing, equipment, food, furniture, garbage, information, jewelry, luggage, news, stuff, transportation
  • Always plural: binoculars, briefs, clothes, earphones, eyeglasses, goggles, headphones, jeans, pants, pliers, scissors, shorts, tweezers

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

  • Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number and gender
  • Pronoun = word that replaces a noun
  • Antecedent = noun or pronoun that the pronoun refers to
  • Example: Stan bought a suit and an overcoat. He will wear them tomorrow.

Verb Tenses

  • Indicate time and sometimes the continuation or completeness of an action
  • Proper verb tenses give the reader an idea of when an action happened
  • Simple Tenses: do not use auxiliary verbs
    • Simple past: Example: She walked to school yesterday.
    • Simple present: Example: She walks to school every day.
    • Simple future: Example: She will walk to school tomorrow.
  • Perfect Tenses: use auxiliary verbs (has/have/had)
    • Past perfect: Example: Charlie had failed images before
  • Progressive Tenses: use auxiliary verbs (is/are/am/were/was) with "-ing"
    • Present progressive: Example: She is walking to school right now.
    • Past progressive: Example: She was walking to school when it started raining.
    • Future progressive: Example: She will be walking to school at 8 AM tomorrow.

Prepositions

  • Show relationships between words in a sentence
    • of Time (in, on, at for specific times and days)
    • of Place (in, on, at to indicate a location)

Conjunctions

  • Connect words, phrases, or clauses
    • Coordinating (FANBOYS) e.g. For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
    • Subordinating (e.g. although, because, when)

Run-On Sentences

  • Two or more independent clauses connected improperly without punctuation or a conjunction

Errors in Modifier Use

  • Misplaced Modifiers: A modifier not placed near the word it describes
    • Example: Taped to the wall, Margaret read the note.
  • Dangling Modifiers: A modifier without a noun to connect to
    • Example: Waiting for the bus, the time went by slowly.

Parallelism

  • Using the same grammatical structure for closely related items in a sentence
  • Example: Our baby is cute and well-behaved.

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ASHAPE Review 2024 English Grammar PDF

Description

Test your knowledge on subject-verb agreement with this quiz. Explore the key rules and examples that determine how subjects and verbs relate in number. This quiz will help reinforce your understanding of both singular and plural forms in sentences.

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