Writing skills success - LearningExpress 2009
Lesson 12. Subject-verb agreement
Pretest
Grasp the subject, the words will follow.
—Cato the Elder, Roman orator and politician (234 b.c.e.-149 b.c.e.)
LESSON SUMMARY
Without thinking about it, you usually make sure your subjects and verbs agree, both in speaking and in writing. Only a few situations cause difficulty in subject-verb agreement. This lesson will show you how to deal with those few situations in your writing.
When a subject in a clause—the person or thing doing the action—matches the verb in number, we say the subject and verb agree. Most native English speakers have little trouble matching subjects with the correct verbs. A few grammatical constructions pose most of the problems. This lesson explains the concept of subject-verb agreement and provides practice in those problem areas.
Agreement between Noun Subjects and Verbs
In written language, a subject must agree with its verb in number. In other words, if a subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. If you are unsure whether a verb is singular or plural, apply this simple test. Fill in the blanks in the two sentences that follow with the matching form of the verb. The verb form that best completes the first sentence is singular. The verb form that best completes the second sentence is plural.
Singular Plural
One person ... . Two people ... .
Look at these examples using the verbs speak, do, and was. Try it yourself with any verb that confuses you. Unlike nouns, verbs ending in -s are usually singular.
Special Problems
Doesn’t/Don’t and Wasn’t/Weren’t
Some people have particular trouble with doesn’t/don’t (contractions for does not and do not) and with wasn’t/ weren’t (contractions for was not and were not). Doesn’t and wasn’t are singular; don’t and weren’t are plural. If you say the whole phrase instead of the contraction, you’ll usually get the right form.
Phrases Following the Subject
Pay careful attention to the subject in a sentence. Do not allow a phrase following it to mislead you into using a verb that does not agree with the subject. The subjects and verbs are highlighted in the following examples.
One of the print orders is missing.
The software designs by Liu Chen are complex and colorful.
A handbook with thorough instructions comes with this product.
The president, along with her three executive assistants, leaves for the conference tomorrow.
Special Singular Subjects
Some nouns are singular even though they end in -s. Despite the plural form, they require a singular verb because we think of them as a single thing. Most of the nouns in the following list are singular. Some can be either singular or plural, depending on their use in the sentence.
measles mathematics
mumps civics
news athletics
checkers sports
marbles (the game) politics
physics statistics
economics
Here are some examples of how these words work in sentences.
The news is on at 6:00.
Checkers is my favorite game.
Sports is a healthy way to reduce stress.
Low-impact sports are recommended for older adults.
Words stating a single amount or a time require a singular verb. Examine a sentence carefully to see if the amount or time is considered a single measure.
Two dollars is the price of that small replacement part. [single amount]
Two dollars are lying on my dresser.
Three hours was required to complete this simulation. [single measure]
Three hours of each day were spent rehearsing.
Three-quarters of her time is spent writing.
Practice
Circle the correct verb in each of the following sentences. The answers to each set of questions can be found at the end of the lesson.
1. When the clown (performs, perform), the children in the audience (laughs, laugh).
2. This chocolate chip cookie with walnuts (is, are) absolutely delicious, and so (is, are) the brownies.
3. That pair of scissors (is, are) sharp; we should (handles, handle) it carefully.
4. Luigi (speaks, speak) English, but his parents (speaks, speak) Italian.
5. The bakery (wasn’t, weren’t) open on Sunday afternoon.
6. The new tenants (doesn’t, don’t) pay their rent on time.
7. Spaghetti and meatballs (is, are) a popular menu choice at Italian restaurants; as (is, are) macaroni and cheese.
8. The box office (doesn’t, don’t) sell tickets until the week before the show.
9. The office was closed yesterday because the heat (wasn’t, weren’t) working.
10. Marly (doesn’t, don’t) know if the neighbors (is, are) on vacation.
11. The milk, along with the eggs, (is, are) added to the batter before baking.
12. These statistics (is, are) not at all what we expected.
13. Statistics (was, were) a required course at my university.
14. One of the students (is, are) looking for the stack of books that (was, were) misplaced.
15. Half of the banana (was, were) eaten.
16. Half of the bananas (was, were) eaten.
Agreement between Pronoun Subjects and Verbs
Pronoun subjects present a problem for even the most sophisticated speakers of English. Some pronouns are always singular; others are always plural. A handful of pronouns can be either singular or plural.
Singular Pronouns
These pronouns are always singular.
each anyone nobody
either everybody one
neither everyone somebody
anybody no one someone
The pronouns in the first column are the ones most likely to be misused. You can avoid a mismatch by mentally adding the word one after the pronoun and removing the other words between the pronoun and the verb. Look at the following examples to see how this is done.
Each of the men wants his own car.
Each one wants his own car.
Either of the salesclerks knows where the sale merchandise is located.
Either one knows where the sale merchandise is located.
These sentences may sound awkward because so many speakers misuse these pronouns, and you have probably become accustomed to hearing them used incorrectly. Despite that, the substitution trick (one for the words following the pronoun) will help you avoid this mistake.
Watch Out for Questions
With questions beginning with has or have, remember that has is singular while have is plural. Pay special attention to the verb-subject combination in a question. In fact, the correct verb is easier to identify if you turn the question into a statement.
Plural Pronouns
These pronouns are always plural and require a plural verb.
both many
few several
Singular/Plural Pronouns
The following pronouns can be either singular or plural. The words or prepositional phrases following them determine whether they are singular or plural. If the phrase following the pronoun contains a plural noun or pronoun, the verb must be plural. If the phrase following the pronoun contains a singular noun or pronoun, the verb must be singular. See how this is done in the sentences following the list of pronouns. The key words are highlighted.
all none
any some
most
Practice
Circle the correct verb in each of the following sentences. Answers are at the end of the lesson.
17. Each of the soccer players (receive, receives) a new uniform this season.
18. Each of the letters (makes, make) a strong case for changing the policy.
19. All of the pieces of art (was, were) signed by their creators.
20. All of the recommendations (has, have) been made.
21. Either of these software programs (is, are) suitable for my staff.
22. (Was, Were) any of the parts missing?
23. (Has, Have) either of the owners expressed an interest in selling the property?
24. (Do, Does) some of the employees get bonuses?
25. Neither of our largest accounts (needs, need) to be serviced at this time.
26. Both of the applicants (seems, seem) qualified.
27. A woman in one of my classes (works, work) at the Civic Center box office.
28. None of our resources (goes, go) to outside consultants.
29. Many students from the school’s band (perform, performs) in the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
30. Each of these prescriptions (causes, cause) bloating and irritability.
31. (Have, Has) either of them ever arrived on time?
Special Sentence Structures
Compound Subjects
■ If two nouns or pronouns are joined by and, they require a plural verb.
He and she want to buy a new house.
Jack and Jill want to buy a new house.
■ If two singular nouns or pronouns are joined by or or nor, they require a singular verb. Think of them as two separate sentences and you’ll never make a mistake in agreement.
Jack or Jill wants to buy a new house.
Jack wants to buy a new house.
Jill wants to buy a new house.
■ Singular and plural subjects joined by or or nor require a verb that agrees with the subject closest to the verb.
Neither management nor the employees like the new agreement.
Neither the employees nor the management likes the new agreement.
Make Sure You Find the Subject
Verbs agree with the subject, not the complement, of a sentence. The verb, a form of be-, links the subject and the complement, but usually, the subject comes first and the complement comes after the verb.
Taxes were the main challenge facing the financial department.
The main challenge facing the financial department was taxes.
A serious problem for most automobile commuters is traffic jams.
Traffic jams are a serious problem for most automobile commuters.
Questions and Sentences Beginning with There or Here
When a sentence asks a question or begins with the words there or here, the subject follows the verb. Locate the subject of the sentence and make certain the verb matches it. In the following examples, the subjects and verbs are highlighted in the corrected forms.
Inverted Sentences
Inverted sentences also contain subjects that follow, rather than precede, the verbs. Locate the subject in the sentence and make certain the verb agrees with it. In the following example sentences, the subjects and verbs in the corrected sentences are highlighted.
Practice
Circle the correct verb in each of the following sentences. Answers are at the end of the lesson.
32. Every other day, either Bert or Ernie (takes, take) out the trash.
33. Neither the style nor the color (matches, match) what we currently have.
34. Due to unavoidable conflicts in the school calendar, neither the Fall Fest nor the charity bowl (fall, falls) in October, in time for homecoming.
35. Either the manager or the associates (orders, order) the merchandise.
36. (Is, Are) the men’s wear or the women’s wear department on the ground floor?
37. Mr. Jefson’s passion (is, are) economics.
38. (Was, Were) there any furniture sets left over after the sale?
39. There (aren’t, isn’t) two people I can name that enjoyed the performance, despite the hype about the starring lineup.
40. Unfortunately, neither we nor they (swim, swims) well.
41. Off into the horizon (runs, run) the herd of buffalo.
Answers
1. performs, laugh
2. is, are
3. is, handle
4. speaks, speak
5. wasn’t
6. don’t
7. is, is
8. doesn’t
9. wasn’t
10. doesn’t, are
11. is
12. are
13. was
14. is, was
15. was
16. were
17. receives
18. makes
19. were
20. have
21. is
22. Were
23. Has
24. Do
25. needs
26. seem
27. works
28. go
29. perform
30. causes
31. Has
32. takes
33. matches
34. falls
35. order
36. Is
37. is
38. Were
39. aren’t
40. swim
41. runs
TIP
Listen to people as they speak. Do they use verbs correctly? Do they use the correct tense? Do the subjects and verbs match? It’s probably not a good idea to correct your family, friends, and coworkers, but you can give yourself some good practice by listening for mistakes.