Module 5: Subject-Verb Agreement PDF

MODULE 5: AGREEMENT SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT Number is the form of a word that indicates whether the word is singular or plural. 5a When a word refers to one person or thing, it is singular in number. When a word refers to more than one, it is plural in number. SINGULAR...

MODULE 5: AGREEMENT SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT Number is the form of a word that indicates whether the word is singular or plural. 5a When a word refers to one person or thing, it is singular in number. When a word refers to more than one, it is plural in number. SINGULAR plumber mouse I chopstick PLURAL plumbers mice we chopsticks EXERCISE 1 Classifying Nouns and Pronouns by Number In the sentences below, identify each italicized word by writing S for singular or P for plural above the word. P S EX. The tiny peaches were carved from a piece of green jade. 1. Cleon said that Irene and he can rehearse their scenes later. 2. When the ball came flying toward the plate, Shawna swung the bat with all strength. 3. The political cartoons are usually on the editorial page. 4. Simone Biles has certainly won a lot of medals and awards in gymnastic events! 5. An auto mechanic can adjust your brakes easily. 6. The new double-paned windows replaced the ones that had been damaged during the hailstorm. 7. Each person in the class created colorful drawings of people or animals. 8. An antique silk kimono was displayed in a glass case. 9. The driver asked us if we wanted to stop at Monticello. 10. Corey is teaching his twin sisters how to ride their bikes. © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Module 5 1 5b A verb should always agree with its subject in number. (1) Singular subjects take singular verbs. EXAMPLE Julie kicks the ball to me. [The singular verb kicks agrees with the singular subject Julie.] (2) Plural subjects take plural verbs. EXAMPLE The players run toward the goal. [The plural verb run agrees with the plural subject players.] Like single-word verbs, verb phrases also agree with their subjects. However, in a verb phrase, only the first helping (auxiliary) verb changes its form to agree with the subject. EXAMPLES Maribeth has been working on my campaign. Maribeth and Eula have been working on my campaign. EXERCISE 2 Identifying Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects For each sentence below, underline the verb in parentheses that agrees with the subject. EX. First, the pilot (checks, check) the controls. 1. (Has, Have) you ever seen Alvin Ailey’s ballet? 2. The Pachecos all (laughs, laugh) at the same jokes. 3. These folk tales (is, are) about how the world began. 4. First, the students (picks, pick) up their pencils. 5. Mama (has, have) made sopapillas for dessert. 6. Several trains (runs, run) on that track. 7. My youngest cousin (spins, spin) the wheel on her bike after fixing the flat tire. 8. The Indian monetary system (is, are) based on the rupee, not the dollar. 9. The students (collects, collect) cans to recycle so they can help fund a dance. 10. Since July, Lorenz (has, have) painted four pictures. 11. Tegan (earns, earn) her blue belt in tae kwon do this year. 12. Dexter and Paul (enjoys, enjoy) our school carnivals. 13. The band from Mexico City (plays, play) for us frequently. 14. The Camping Show (has, have) many interesting booths. 15. Next week, business leaders (is, are) hosting a job fair. © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Module 5 2 MODULE 5: AGREEMENT INTERVENING PHRASES 5c The number of the subject is not changed by a phrase following the subject. Remember that a verb agrees in number with its subject. The subject is never part of a prepositional phrase. EXAMPLES That curtain behind the actors is new. [The verb is agrees with the subject curtain.] The books on that shelf are dictionaries. [The verb are agrees with the subject books.] Compound prepositions such as together with, in addition to, as well as, and along with following the subject do not affect the number of the subject. EXAMPLES Leona, as well as her parents, is visiting us. The lettuce, in addition to the tomatoes, has been washed. EXERCISE 3 Identifying Subjects and Verbs That Agree in Number In each of the following sentences, underline the verb form that agrees with the subject. Then underline the subject twice. EX. Several cars in the parking lot (needs, need) washing. 1. Roberto Garcia, Jr., a bronze sculptor who lives south of Kingsville, Texas, (has, have) a fascinating job. 2. All the work on a bronze sculpture (is, are) done by Garcia alone. 3. Bronze, wax, and clay, along with steel, (is, are) materials he works with every day. 4. Two clay statues outside his garage (guards, guard) his workshop. 5. Sketches, as well as small models, (makes, make) up the first step of a new bronze sculpture. 6. A full-size structure of steel and clay (goes, go) together next. 7. Mr. Garcia’s kiln, at temperatures of about 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, (melts, melt) the wax in a mold. © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Module 5 3  8. The wax between the mold’s layers (drains, drain) out. 9. Bronze for the statue (is, are) poured into the gap left by the drained wax. 10. Welding, along with sandblasting and grinding, almost (finishes, finish) the process. EXERCISE 4 Proofreading a Paragraph for Subject-Verb Agreement In the paragraph below, draw a line through each verb that does not agree with its subject. Write the correct verb form in the space above the incorrect word. has EX. A student in my biology class have an interesting terrarium. A fish tank, a gift from Pedro’s parents, are the container. The plants in it is mostly nonflowering. The moss, as well as the lichens, have spores, not flowers. The mosses near the front comes from the woods near the school. The lichens on the rock is about five years old, according to my biology teacher. The bright red tips on the lichen is partly fungus. One name for the lichens are “British soldiers.” In addition to mosses and lichens, a fern thrive in the terrarium. Our teacher, along with us students, want to start a class terrarium. Some students in the class knows where to get a fish tank and some plants. © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Module 5 4 MODULE 5: AGREEMENT AGREEMENT WITH INDEFINITE PRONOUNS Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that do not refer to a specific person or thing. 5d The following pronouns are singular: each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody. EXAMPLES Neither of the books is difficult. [Neither one is difficult.] Someone does have the key. 5e The following pronouns are plural: several, few, both, many. EXAMPLES Several of the books are easy. Both have keys to the house. 5f The pronouns some, all, most, any, and none may be either singular or plural. These pronouns are singular when they refer to a singular word and plural when they refer to a plural word. SINGULAR All of the report is factual. Most of the lawn has been raked. PLURAL All of the facts are true. Most of the leaves have been raked. The words any and none may be singular even when they refer to a plural word if the speaker is thinking of each item individually. Any and none are plural only if the speaker is thinking of several items as a group. EXAMPLES None of the windows was broken. [Not one window was broken.] None of the windows were large. [No windows were large.] Is any of the windows open? [Is any one window open?] Any of the windows are good places for a plant. [All the windows are good places for a plant.] EXERCISE 5 Using Indefinite Pronouns Correctly Complete each sentence in the space provided. Underline the subjects once and the verbs twice in your sentences. EX. Most of my homework Most of my homework is finished. © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Module 5 5  1. Several of my friends 2. Both Nikki and Emilio 3. Everybody in the room 4. Someone from school 5. Neither of the movies 6. Somebody upstairs 7. All of the guitars 8. Everyone at the meeting 9. Many of the puppets 10. Each fish in the tank EXERCISE 6 Proofreading a Paragraph for Subject-Verb Agreement Draw a line through each verb that does not agree with its subject. Write the correct verb form in the space above the incorrect word. Some sentences may contain no agreement errors. Write C for correct above sentences with no errors. is EX. One of my term papers are on Hausa proverbs from western and northern Africa. All of the proverbs I found makes me really think. Neither of these two proverbs are easy to understand: “It is not the eye which understands, but the mind” and “Lack of knowledge is darker than the night.” Both proverbs gives insight into how people think. Some proverbs reflects the Hausa way of life. “A chief is like a trash heap where everyone brings his or her rubbish” seems to show us that the Hausa bring their problems to their leader. Someone like that chief have to be very patient, I think. Several proverbs contains words I had to look up in a dictionary. Most of the unfamiliar words are natural objects, such as cowries and groundnuts. No one I know have clearly explained the proverb “It is by traveling softly, softly that you will sleep in a distant place.” One of my teachers have suggested that I also read the proverbs of the Ashanti, one of the peoples of West Africa. © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Module 5 6 MODULE 5: AGREEMENT THE COMPOUND SUBJECT A compound subject has two or more nouns or pronouns that are the subject of the same verb. 5g Subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb. EXAMPLES Cao and I are building the model together. [Two people are building the model.] Light, warmth, and water act together. [Three things act together.] 5h Compound subjects that name only one person or thing take a singular verb. EXAMPLE Red beans and rice is inexpensive and healthful. [Red beans and rice is one dish.] 5i Singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb. EXAMPLES Either Grandfather or Julie has the scissors. [Only one person has the scissors, not both.] Neither fog nor rain stops this train! [Neither one stops the train.] 5j When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer the verb. ACCEPTABLE Either the peaches or the watermelon is fine for dessert. Either the watermelon or the peaches are fine for dessert. BETTER The peaches are fine for dessert, and so is the watermelon. The watermelon is fine for dessert, and the peaches are too. You can usually avoid such awkward constructions by rewording the sentence so that each subject has its own verb. EXAMPLE Either Darren is bringing the flowers to the ceremony, or his mother and father are. EXERCISE 7 Choosing Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects In each of the following sentences, underline the correct form of the verb in parentheses. EX. Charles and Pang (is, are) on the team. © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Module 5 7  1. Either the tuba or the saxophones (plays, play) first. 2. Neither my mother nor my father (is, are) eager to go. 3. Either Yori or Sheila (has, have) extra flyers. 4. Macaroni and cheese (is, are) our favorite food. 5. The audience and the actors (likes, like) that play. 6. Either Jun or Asa (has, have) time to saw the boards. 7. Neither pencil and paper nor a calculator (was, were) available. 8. Jordan’s sketch and Meg’s painting (was, were) finished. 9. My brother and sister never (enjoys, enjoy) arguing. 10. Tents, backpacks, and food (has, have) been packed. 11. (Was, Were) chicken and dumplings on the menu today? 12. Both salsa and gazpacho (requires, require) tomatoes as ingredients. 13. Scissors and paper (does, do) need to be on the list. 14. Paula, her brothers, and her sister (wishes, wish) to help Mrs. Landowski. 15. Either Mrs. Columbo or Mr. Andrews (is, are) able to help them too. 16. Pencil or pens (writes, write) equally well on this type of paper. 17. Bonnie and Rolando (has, have) agreed to run for office. 18. How soon (is, are) Etta and Albert leaving on vacation? 19. Mark and Coretta (watches, watch) the runners carefully. 20. (Does, Do) Erica or Han-Ling cast the last vote? © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Module 5 8