Subject – Verb Subject – Verb AgreementAgreement

Why do subjects and verbs Why do subjects and verbs have to agree? After all, they have to agree? After all, they

are only words!are only words!

What’s wrong with these What’s wrong with these sentences?sentences?

• There There isis too many too many picturespictures on the wall. on the wall.

Or this one?Or this one?• EverybodyEverybody but Sami but Sami wantwant to go home. to go home.

Or this one?Or this one?• AllAll the people the people plans plans to win the lottery.to win the lottery.

The The subjectssubjects and and verbsverbs don’t don’t agreeagree!!

How do we fix them?How do we fix them?

• There There areare too many too many picturespictures on the wall. on the wall.

A A plural subjectplural subject goes with a goes with a pluralplural verb.verb.• EverybodyEverybody but Jasim but Jasim wantswants to go home. to go home.

A A singular subjectsingular subject goes with a goes with a singular verb.singular verb.• AllAll the people the people planplan to win the lottery. to win the lottery.

A A plural subject plural subject goes with a goes with a pluralplural verb.verb.

Now the subjects and verbs agree!Now the subjects and verbs agree!

To be correct, subjects and verbs To be correct, subjects and verbs must agree…must agree…

They must agree in NUMBER:NUMBER:•SingularSingular subjectssubjects go with singularsingular verbs.verbs.

•EveryoneEveryone wantswants to win the lottery.

•Plural subjectsPlural subjects go with pluralplural verbs.verbs.

•AllAll the players want want to win the game.

•NumberNumber is always about is always about SingularSingular & & PluralPlural

What causes problems with S/V What causes problems with S/V agreement?agreement?• Words between the Words between the subjectsubject and the and the verb:verb:

The shoes The shoes in the closetin the closet needs to be shined. needs to be shined.In the closetIn the closet is a is a prepositional phraseprepositional phrase between the between the

subject subject shoesshoes and the verb and the verb need.need.To be correct, the verb should be: To be correct, the verb should be: need with no “s”need with no “s”

The shoes The shoes in the closetin the closet need to be shined. need to be shined.

Common PrepositionsCommon Prepositions

aboutabout beforebefore duringduring insideinside overover

aboveabove belowbelow exceptexcept inin througthroughh

acrossacross besidebeside forfor ofof toto

arounaroundd

betwebetweenen

fromfrom offoff underunder

atat byby inin onon withwith

VerbVerb before the before the subjectsubject……• Inside the garage Inside the garage areare the the shovelshovel..• Across the border Across the border isis Makka and Makka and

Jeddah.Jeddah.• Where Where isis the instructions for the the instructions for the

X-Box?X-Box?

Shouldn’t they be…?Shouldn’t they be…?

•Inside the garage Inside the garage isis the the shovelshovel..•Across the border Across the border areare Makka and Jeddah.•Where Where areare the instructions the instructions for the for the X-Box?X-Box?

Indefinite PronounsIndefinite Pronouns[-0ne [-0ne

words]words][-body [-body words]words]

[-thing [-thing words]words]

oneone nobodynobody nothingnothing eacheach

anyoneanyone anybodyanybody anythinganything neitherneither

everyoneeveryone everybodyeverybody everythingeverything eithereither

someonesomeone somebodysomebody somethingsomething

All of these indefinite pronouns are singularAll of these indefinite pronouns are singularNobodyNobody havehave a clue about what they are doing. (should be hashas)

Everything areare ready for the party. (should be isis)

NeitherNeither Sami, nor Ali, nor Tariq knowknow the way. (should be knowsknows)All All andand bothboth, , however, are pluralhowever, are plural

AllAll of them wantswants to go. (should be wantwant)

Compound SubjectsCompound Subjects• Subjects joined by Subjects joined by andand usually take a plural verb. usually take a plural verb.

Diet Diet andand exerciseexercise isis ways to be healthy. (should be ways to be healthy. (should be areare))

AmbitionAmbition and and luckluck is is Mahhood's keys to success. Mahhood's keys to success. (should be (should be areare))

Who, Which and ThatWho, Which and ThatIf they stand for singular wordssingular words, who, which and that take singular verbssingular verbs:

Jamal is a personperson who areare very private. (should be isis)

If they stand for plural wordsplural words, who, which and that take plural verbsplural verbs:

Ali is one of those peoplepeople who is is very private. (should be areare)

General Rules for checking subject / General Rules for checking subject / verb agreementverb agreement

• When you are trying to see if the subject and When you are trying to see if the subject and verb agree, verb agree, leave out the part you don’t need:leave out the part you don’t need:

EveryoneEveryone in the contestin the contest wantwant to win. to win.

EveryoneEveryone wantwant to win. [wrong!: should be to win. [wrong!: should be wantswants]]• Now put the part back:Now put the part back:

EveryoneEveryone in the contestin the contest wantswants to win. to win.• Say the sentence to yourself out loud, if it Say the sentence to yourself out loud, if it

doesn’t sound right, there is a very good doesn’t sound right, there is a very good chance it is not right.chance it is not right.

Subject / Verb Agreement Exercise          Underline the correct verb in the parentheses. 1.         Almost everybody (has / have) some difficulty with writing..2.         Neither the chipmunk nor the squirrels (is / are) bothering us.  3.         Both of us (is / are) voting in the next election.  4.         Neither of you (jump / jumps) to conclusions.  5.         Some say the Indians (has / have) been treated unfairly.  6.         He (is / are) my boss and friend.  7.       Sunbathing (is / are) my favorite form of exercise.  8.       Neither of us (has / have) to pay the fine.  9.       The twins and their parents (travel / travels) together.  10.       Nobody (believe / believes) your alibi(excuse).  11.       America and Russia (is / are) the most powerful nations.  12.       “Safe” and “out” (is / are) two calls in baseball.  13.       Neither of them (dance / dances) to disco music.  14.       Each (serve / serves) a different purpose.  15.       The hammer as well as the saw (make / makes) work easier.  16.       Our team (play / plays) hard every night.  17.       Neither of the boys (has / have) to shave.  

Present Tense Exercise Correct the subject-verb agreement problems.

    Dr. Salma state in her article that men and women is different emotionally and physically.  She believes that men avoids emotional issues, but women are more compassionate and sensitive.  Salma face the fact about the two different sexes. They acts and thinks very differently about ways of communication.  Women tends to looks at problems in several different ways but men looks at problems objectively only.  I knows that this point are quite true in the Arab Countries because the husband always talk about sports while the wife want to talk about relationships and feelings.  Men generally makes a lot of jokes and they likes to talk in public, but woman are much more serious and they hardly ever speaks in public.