UWF Writing Lab Rules of Thumb for SUBJECTVERB

UWF Writing Lab Rules of Thumb for SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT from Real Good Grammar, Too by Mamie Webb Hixon Created by April Turner

Rule 1 • Use a verb ending in –s if your subject is a he, she, or it. • Singular subjects include, but are not limited to, these: – Singular nouns: • A list of phone numbers is available. • A major problem is smokers. – Singular indefinite pronouns: • Each of us has a key. – Subjects preceded by each, every, or many a: • Every Tom, Dick, and Harriet has an opinion.

Singular Subjects, cont. – Subjects preceded by the number of: • The number of students attending college is very high. – Titles/names of companies, books, plays, movies, etc. : • The Centers for Disease Control is in Atlanta, Georgia. – Gerunds: • Recycling telephone directories helps save landfill space each year. – Relative pronouns referring to singular antecedents: • Ora is the only one in the group who smokes. – Subjects joined by or, nor, either…or, or neither…nor: • Neither the players nor the coach was present.

Rule 2 • Use a verb that does not end in –s if your subject is a they. • Plural subjects include, but are not limited to, these: – Subjects joined by or, nor, either…or, or neither…nor: • Neither the coach nor the players were present. – Plural indefinite pronouns: • Both of us have a key.

Plural Subjects, cont. – Plural nouns: • The scissors are lying on the desk. – Subjects preceded by a number of: • A number of students are majoring in law. – Relative pronouns referring to plural antecedents: • He is one of the millions of people who smoke.

Rule 3 • Ignore prepositional phrases: – A list of phone numbers is available. • Ignore there and here at the beginning of a sentence: – There are three books on the censored list. • Ignore appositives: – They each have a ticket. • Ignore words synonymous with the subject: – Clothes are her passion. Her passion is clothes.

Rule 4 • Some subjects may be singular or plural depending on the meaning of the subject. – – – – Some of the food is cold. Some of the vegetables are cold. The cast was congratulated. The cast were practicing their lines. Fifteen minutes is a long time. Fifteen minutes remain. Statistics is a difficult course. Divorce statistics are alarmingly high.

Let’s Practice!!! • The sheriff along with two of her deputies (were, • • • was) checking licenses at the North Road exit. • WAS Some of the lots in our subdivision (was, were) not for sale. • WERE Here (is, are) the transistors and diodes that you purchased for your repair shop. • ARE Genetics (is, are) very difficult for beginning students to understand. • IS

More Practice!!! • The number of girls in my football club (was, were) surprising. • WAS • A number of the swimmers (is, are) going to the state competition. • ARE • There (is, are) some error messages showing up in my program. • ARE • Neither Betty nor Jane (type, types) more than fifty words per minute. • TYPES