Subject Verb

Agreement
Why do subjects and verbs
have to agree? After all, they
are only words!

Identify the correct

verb that
should be used
in each statement.

BE

BEGIN

UNDERSTAND

DRIVE

SPEAK

LIFT

Basic Rule
1. The subject and verb in a sentence
must agree in number.
Singular
Subject

Plural
Subject

Singular
Verb

Plural
Verb

Do not be confused.
To make a noun plural, we add s
Singular: girl
Plural: girls
To make a verb plural, we take
away the s.
Singular: he talks
Plural: they talk

Watch the verb endings!

Singular
I walk
You walk
He/She/It walk
s
Joe walks.
The girl walks.

Plural
We walk
You walk
They walk
Joe and Maria
walk.
The girls walk.

Take note!

To avoid problem in S-V Agreement, make

sure that you know which word functions as
the subject.
He donates to the church on a weekly
basis.

Lets Practice:
1. He (talk, talks) quietly.
2. They (read, reads) their
assigned books.
3. The young girls (looks, look) up
with smiles.
4. We (write, writes) letters for our
friend abroad.
5. Ian (sing, sings) well.

Rule 1
A subject will come before a phrase
beginning withof.
Incorrect:A bouquet of yellow roses
lend color and fragrance to the room.
Correct:Abouquetof yellow
roseslends color and fragrance to the
room.

Rule 2
Two singular subjects connected
byor,either/or,orneither/nor
require a singular verb.
MyAuntor
myUncleisarrivingby train
today.

Rule 3
The verb in anor,

either/or,orneither/norsentence
agrees with the noun or pronoun
closest to it.
1. Neither theplatesnor the
servingbowlgoeson that shelf.
2. Neither the servingbowlnor
theplatesgoon that shelf.

Rule 4
Phrases beginning with the words
with, including, as well as, along
with, and in addition to are not part
of the subject.
Danny, together with his family, has left the
country.

Lets Practice:
1. Jim, as well as Sally and Joe, (is,
are) on the team.
2. Kara, together with her
schoolmates, (present, presents)
a awesome performance.
3. The secretary, including the
eleven teachers, (leaves, leave)
this Friday.

Rule 5
1. Compound subjects joined by and,
not only, but also take a plural verb.
The bowls and the spoons are in the
cupboard.
Pens and bookmarks were given away.

Lets Practice:
1. A car and a bike (is, are) my means of
transportation.
2. The dog and the cat (run, runs) around
the house.
3. Kim and I (spend, spends) our free
time reading books.
4. The teacher and the students (was,
were) able to present something last
Foundation Day.
5. The Math book and the notebook

Rule 6
When sentences start with there or
here, the subject will always be
placed after the verb, so identify it
correctly.
Thereisa problem with the balance sheet.
Thereareproblems with the balance sheet.
Herearethekeys.

 Divide the class

into 4 groups
with at least 10
members
Sentence strips
with numbers 110
Answer and paste
it on the
Cartolina

B. The student will

paste first the strip on
the cartolina before
answering. The first one
to paste and answer is
group member number
1 followed by 2 and so
on.
C. After the activity,
each group will post
their work on the board
for checking.