Sentence Agreement Mrs Weeks Intermediate English Subject Subjects

Sentence Agreement Mrs. Weeks Intermediate English

Subject Subjects are the word or words that tell readers or listeners who or what the sentence is about. The subject can only be a noun or pronoun. Not every noun and pronoun in a sentence can be the subject. The cat sat in the grass all day.

Simple or Compound Simple subjects can be found in sentences that only have one subject. Carson likes to garden. Compound subjects can be found in sentences that have more than one subject. Carson and Chloe enjoy gardening.

Understood Subject The subject is understood in an imperative sentence. Imperative sentences are usually commands. Please sit down. Stop at the red light. Take deep breaths.

Verbs A verb shows action or state of being. Every sentence needs at least one verb to work with the subject.

Agreement Verbs and subjects must agree in person and number. Person 1 st person (I) 2 nd person (You) 3 rd person (he, she, it, they) Number Singular Plural

Agreement Continued Make sure that your verb agrees with the true subject of your sentence. Use a plural verb if you have two or more subjects (“compound subject”) that are joined by AND Julie and Rachel go to the store. Use a singular subject if you have two or more subjects (“compound subject”) that are joined by OR Your verb should agree with the subject that is closest to the verb. Neither Rachel nor her friends love to shop. Neither friends nor Rachel loves to shop.

Collective Nouns and Indefinite Pronouns You must determine if a subject is plural or singular to know whether a verb needs to be plural or singular. There are some subjects (nouns and pronouns) that can refer to many things that are treated in a singular way. Sand/Gravel (collective nouns) Class (collective nouns) Anyone/Anybody/Anything (Indefinite pronouns that end in one, body, or thing) Everyone/Everybody/Everything (Indefinite pronouns that end in one, body, or thing) Gulliver’s Travels (Book or movie title)