SubjectVerb Agreement Subjects n Subjects are mostly found

Subject/Verb Agreement

Subjects n Subjects are mostly found at the beginning of the sentence. n Subjects are nouns or pronouns that are “doing” an action. Example: My dog, Jesse, jumps over the log. Who jumps over the log? Jesse does.

Verbs n Verbs are actions or state of being. n Verbs show the reader what action the subject is doing. Example: My dog, Jesse, jumps over the log. What did Jesse do? Jesse jumps.

What it’s all about! My dog, Jesse, jumps over the log. 1. 2. 3. 4. My dog is a noun and the subject of the sentence. Jesse is renaming the noun and called an appositive. Jumps is the action or verb of the sentence. Over the log is a phrase called a prepositional phrase because “over” is a preposition.

Agreement If a subject is singular, its verb must be singular. Example: My dog, Jesse, jumps over the log. (only one dog jumps over the log in the sentence. ) Notice that the verb jumps has an “s” on it. Remember a verb is NOT a noun. Don’t treat it like one. A verb with an “s” is singular.

Agreement Cont’d If a subject is plural, its verb must be plural. Example: My dog, Jesse, and Ralph’s dog, Fido, jump over the fence. (2 dogs are jumping over the fence, now) Notice that the verb jump does NOT have a “s”. This is because a verb is plural when it does NOT have an “s”. Remember: A verb is NOT a noun!

Practice 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The cook (slices/slice) the meat thinly. Vegetables (makes/make) a good lunch. He (is/are) working for the city. They (was/were) going to the game. Our football team (is/are) the best.

Answers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The cook (slices/slice) the meat thinly. Vegetables (makes/make) a good lunch. He (is/are) working for the city. They (was/were) going to the game. Our football team (is/are) the best.

Explanation 1. The cook (slices/slice) the meat thinly. How many cooks? 1 Therefore, the verb must be singular. Singular verbs HAVE an “s. ”

Explanation 2. Vegetables (makes/make) a good lunch. How many vegetables? More than 1. Therefore, the verb must be plural. Plural verbs DO NOT have an “s”

Explanation 3. He (is/are) working for the city. Is “he” singular or plural? Singular. Therefore, the verb must be singular. Singular verbs HAVE an “s”

Explanation 4. They (was/were) going to the game. How many went to the game? More than 1. Therefore, the verb is plural. A plural verb DOES NOT have an “s. ”

Explanation 5. Our football team (is/are) the best. Is team singular or plural? Singular. Team is called a “collective noun” and groups many into one, therefore is singular. The verb must be singular and have a “s. ”