Sentence Skills:

Subject-verb Agreement

English Skills for Academic

Studies
John Langan
(pp 349-354)
Subject-Verb Agreement
• When subjects and verbs agree, they match
in number and person.
• In other words, singular subjects require
singular verbs and plural subjects match
plural verbs; third person subjects require
the third person form of the verb.

My brothers
My brother
buy
buys
old bicycles
old bicycles
to repair. to repair.
Subject-Verb Agreement
• In English, regular verbs take the
same form for singular and plural
except for the third-person singular
form of the verb.
• The -s, or -es ending on a verb
designates a singular verb.
• In fact, nouns and verbs are the
opposite where plural endings are
concerned.
The boy walks The boys walk
Subject-Verb
Agreement
A subject agrees with its verb no
matter how far apart the two are. Do
not be distracted by nouns or
pronouns placed between the subject
and verb.
• The ducks on the lake behind the
school swim in large groups.
• A list of required readings is mailed
to entering freshmen.
Subject-Verb
Agreement
A compound subject that is linked by the
conjunction “and ” requires a plural verb.
• Both the college newspaper and the literary
magazine fail to attract experienced staff.
Subject-Verb
Agreement
A compound subject linked by the
conjunction or or nor requires a
singular verb.
• Either the dean or his assistant
addresses the freshmen class.
• Neither geology nor astronomy is
required for my major.
Subject-Verb
Agreement
Indefinite pronouns refer to
indefinite persons or things and
usually require a singular verb.
• Each of the volunteers tutors for at
least three hours every week.
Subject-Verb
Agreement

If a collective noun acts as a single

unit, it takes a singular verb.
• My entire family is coming for
homecoming weekend.
 Textbook Exercises
z Unit 5, Chapter 2
z Activities 1-4 (p.350-353)
z Review Tests 1-3 (p.353-354)
Subject-Verb
Agreement

When normal word order is inverted

and the subject follows the verb,
the subject and verb must agree.
• Standing at the door with grins on
their faces were the cheerleaders.
Subject-Verb
Agreement
Note: Sentences that begin with
there or here have the subject
follow the verb.
• There are three branches of
government: judicial, executive,
and legislative.