12 Questions
Which of the following statements correctly describes subject-verb agreement with subject complements or predicate adjectives?
Subject complements and predicate adjectives do not change the verb form and do not affect subject-verb agreement.
In the sentence 'The color of the dress is red,' which part of the sentence is the subject complement?
'red'
What is the correct subject-verb agreement in the sentence 'She ___ a student'?
is
In the sentence 'He likes pizza,' what is the subject and verb?
The subject is 'He' and the verb is 'likes'.
In an inverted sentence, where does the subject typically appear?
After the verb
Which of the following statements about subject-verb agreement in inverted sentences is correct?
Subject-verb agreement still follows the regular rules in inverted sentences, with the verb agreeing with the subject.
In the sentence 'The students, tired from exams, were disappointed with their grades,' what is the correct verb form to maintain subject-verb agreement?
were
Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement with an appositive?
My neighbor, a retired teacher, enjoys gardening.
Identify the sentence with incorrect subject-verb agreement involving a relative pronoun.
The dog that chase squirrels lives next door.
In the sentence 'One of the reasons is that he missed the deadline,' what is the correct verb form?
is
Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement with a compound subject joined by 'and'?
The musician and the artist have painted a mural.
Identify the sentence with incorrect subject-verb agreement involving an introductory phrase.
In addition to music, art classes is offered.
Study Notes
Subject-Verb Agreement With Phrases
In English grammar, subject-verb agreement refers to the consistency between the subject and the verb in a sentence in terms of person and number. Phrases can sometimes create challenges in subject-verb agreement, as they do not have a clear subject or verb. This article will explore how subject-verb agreement works in special cases with phrases.
Subject Complement and Predicate Adjective
Subject complements and predicate adjectives are dependent clauses that follow the subject and describe it. They do not change the verb form, so they do not affect subject-verb agreement. For example, in the sentence "The color of the dress is red," "color" is the subject complement, and "is" is the linking verb. The verb "is" agrees with its subject "color" in the present tense.
Subject-Verb Agreement With Pronouns
Pronouns, which can act as both subjects and objects, follow the regular rules of subject-verb agreement. For example, in the sentence "She goes to school," "she" is the subject, and "goes" is the verb in the third-person singular form. In the sentence "He likes pizza," "he" is the subject, and "likes" is the verb in the third-person singular form.
Inverted Sentences
In inverted sentences, the verb comes before the subject. In these cases, the subject typically appears after the verb. Subject-verb agreement still follows the regular rules, with the verb agreeing with the subject in terms of person and number. For example, in the sentence "Coming from France, she speaks French fluently," "she" is the subject, and "speaks" is the verb in the third-person singular form.
Subject-Verb Agreement With Appositives
Appositives, nouns or noun phrases that rename or restate another noun or noun phrase, follow the regular rules of subject-verb agreement when they appear after an introductory phrase. For example, in the sentence "My friend, John, is coming tonight," "John" is the appositive, and "is" is the verb in the third-person singular form.
Subject-Verb Agreement With Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses, which describe or give additional information about the subject of the main clause. They follow the regular rules of subject-verb agreement when they act as subjects. For example, in the sentence "The person who went to the party arrived late," "who" is a relative pronoun, and "arrived" is the verb in the third-person singular form.
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement with phrases requires understanding the specific roles of various elements within sentences. While there may be variations depending on the type of phrase involved, the general principle remains consistent: the verb should agree with its subject in terms of person and number.
Explore the nuances of subject-verb agreement with phrases in English grammar, including subject complements, pronouns, inverted sentences, appositives, and relative pronouns. Understand how the verb should align with its subject's person and number even in complex sentence structures.
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