Writer's Choice Grade 9

Unit 16: Subject-Verb Agreement

Overview

Verbs must agree with their subjects in both number and person. When the subject and the verb agree in number, a singular subject is paired with a singular verb, or a plural subject is paired with a plural verb. A subject that is an indefinite pronoun, like everyone or no one, must also agree in number with its verb.

With most verbs, the only change in form to indicate agreement in person occurs in the present tense. Consider the following sentence. She speaks. In this example, an -s is added to the base form, speak, to agree in person with the third-person singular pronoun she.

Sometimes, locating the subject in a sentence can be tricky. Remember that the subject is never within a prepositional phrase. Also, predicate nominatives do not affect the number of a linking verb—only the subject affects the number of a linking verb.

1. To determine the number of a subject that is a collective noun, or a noun that names a group, consider whether the sentence is referring to the group as a whole or to each member of the group individually. If the collective noun refers to the group as a whole, it is singular. If it refers to each member of the group individually, then the collective noun is plural.
2. Certain nouns that end in -s are actually singular nouns, like mumps, measles, and mathematics. Other nouns that end in -s, such as scissors, pants, and binoculars, are plural nouns.
3. Nouns that end in -ics may be either singular or plural, depending on their meaning.
4. When a noun of amount refers to a total that is considered as one unit, the noun is singular; however, when it refers to a number of individual units, the noun is plural.
5. Titles are always singular, even if a noun within the title is plural.
6. If an intervening expression, like as well as or in addition to, links a singular subject to another noun, the subject is still considered singular.
7. When many a, every, or each precedes a compound subject, the subject is considered singular.

Compound subjects joined by and or both…and are plural unless its parts belong to tne unit or the parts both refer to the same person or thing. Compound subjects joined by or, nor, either…or, or neither…nor always agree with the subject nearest to the verb.

In simple sentences, subject-verb agreement is usually clear. However, achieving subject-verb agreement can be difficult when using inverted sentences (sentences in which the subject follows the verb) or compound or complex sentences. Rearrange inverted sentences so that the subject comes before the verb, or try diagraming the sentence by breaking it into its parts to determine the proper subject-verb agreement.