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16
Agreement of Subject and Verb a–c

16b. A verb should agree in number with its subject.

(1) Singular subjects take singular verbs.
EXAMPLES He washes the dishes. [The singular verb washes
agrees with the singular subject He.]

A girl in my neighborhood plays in the band. [The singular

subject girl takes the singular verb plays.]

(2) Plural subjects take plural verbs.

EXAMPLES They wash the dishes.

Several girls in my neighborhood play in the band.

USAGE
In the examples above, the verbs agree in number with their
subjects. Like the single-word verbs above, verb phrases also agree
with their subjects. However, in a verb phrase, only the first helping Reference Note
(auxiliary) verb changes its form to agree with a singular or
For more about helping
plural subject. verbs, see page 391.
EXAMPLES He has been washing the dishes.

They have been washing the dishes.

A girl in my neighborhood was playing in the band.

Several girls in my neighborhood were playing in the

band.
NOTE
Generally, nouns ending in –s are plural (friends, girls), but Reference Note
verbs
ending in –s are generally singular (sees, hears). weeks.]

16c. The number of the subject usually is not determined

by a word in a phrase or clause following the subject.
EXAMPLES The apartments across the street do not have
balconies. [Do have agrees with apartments, not street.]

The planes pulling up to the gate were purchased by

a movie company. [Were purchased agrees with
planes, not gate.]

Eli, one of my friends, was late. [Was agrees with Eli,

not friends.]

The movie that I saw two weeks ago was reviewed in

today’s paper. [Was reviewed agrees with movie, not
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights Agreement of Subject and Verb 493
reserved.
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 For guidelines on form- ing plurals of nouns, see page 739.

Reference Note
For more about phrases, see Chapter 14. For more about clauses, see
Chapter 15. For examples of subjects whose num- ber is determined by a
phrase following the subject, see page 496.
 Chapter Menu

NOTE As well as, along with, together with, and in addition to are
compound prepositions. Words in phrases beginning with compound
prepositions do not affect the number of the subject or verb.
EXAMPLE Anne, together with her cousins, is backpacking in Nevada.

Exercise 2
Identifying Verbs That Agree in Number
with Their Subjects
For each of the following sentences, choose the verb in parentheses
that agrees with the subject.
EXAMPLE 1. Did you know that people in Japan frequently (eat,
eats) noodles?
USAGE

1. eat

1. These pictures (show, shows) how noodles are prepared.

2. First, the noodle maker (roll, rolls) out the dough as thin as possible.
3. Then, the cook (slice, slices) the folded layers.
4. Next, the strands of noodles (is, are) separated and
dusted with flour to prevent sticking.
5. After the noodles have dried a little, they (go, goes) into
boil- ing water or broth to cook.
6. The Japanese (enjoy, enjoys) noodles made from
either wheat flour, called udon, or buckwheat flour,
called soba.
7. A dish of cooked noodles mixed with sauce, broth,
fish, or vegetables (makes, make) a popular lunch.
8. Noodle shops all over Japan (serves, serve) a variety of noo-
dle dishes.
9. These shops often (resemble, resembles) fast-food
restau- rants in the United States.
10. For lunch or a snack, customers at a noodle shop
(order, orders) noodles with their favorite toppings.
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2011-03-11 22:47:27
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Exercise 3 Identifying Subjects and Verbs

That Agree in Number
Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses in the following
para- graph. Then, choose the form of the verb that agrees with the
subject.
EXAMPLE Units of measure sometimes [1] (causes, cause) confusion.
1. Units—cause

Confusion among shoppers [1] (is, are) understandable because

the traditional system for indicating quantities [2] (makes, make)
shopping a guessing game. For example, the quantity printed on
yogurt containers [3] (is, are) the number of ounces in a container.
A shopper on the lookout for bargains [4] (does, do) not know

USAGE
whether liquid or solid measure is indicated. In addition, different
brands of juice [5] (shows, show) the same quantity in different
ways. A can labeled “twenty-four ounces” [6] (contains, contain) the
same quantity
as a can labeled “one pint eight ounces.” Shoppers’ confusion over
such labeling, along with rising prices, [7] (is, are) a matter of
concern to consumer groups. These groups believe that the metric
system, in use in European countries, [8] (clears, clear) up most of
the confusion. The units in the metric system [9] (has, have) fixed
relationships to one another. As a result, consumer groups in this
country [10] (continues, continue) to advocate our adopting this
system of measurement.

Exercise 4 Choosing Verbs with the Correct Number

Each of the following sentences contains an italicized pair of verbs
in parentheses. From each pair, choose the form of the verb that
agrees with its subject.
EXAMPLE 1. Of all numbers, the number 12 (is, are) one of the most
versatile.
1. is

1. The even division of 12 by 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 (is, are) possible.

2. Curiously, the sum of these five divisors (is, are) a square, 16;
and their product is 144, which is the square of 12 itself.
3. When the Greek philosopher Plato devised his ideal state, the
sys- tem of weights and measures (were, was) based on the
number 12 because it could be evenly divided in so many
ways.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights Agreement of Subject and Verb 495
reserved.
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4. To this day, many quantities in our lives (involve, involves)
the number 12.

496 Chapter 16 Agreement Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights
reserved.
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 5. The number of months in a year, inches in a foot, and items
in a dozen (is, are) 12.
6. In our courts of law, 12 members of a jury (decides, decide) a
defendant’s guilt or innocence.
7. Each player in a game of checkers (begin, begins) with 12 pieces.
8. In bowling, 12 consecutive strikes (give, gives) you a perfect game.
9. The number of black pentagons on a soccer ball (equal, equals)
the number of buttons on a push-button telephone—12.
10. Samuel Clemens even used this number as his pen name—
the riverboat slang for 2 fathoms, or 12 feet, (are, is) mark

TIPS & TRICKS

twain!

16d. The following indefinite pronouns are singular: anybody,

The words one, thing, and
body are singular and so anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone,
USAGE

are the indefinite everything, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody,
pronouns that contain someone, and something.
these words.
EXAMPLES Each of the athletes runs effortlessly.
EXAMPLES
Is [any]one late? Neither of the women is ready to
[Every]body was
start. Someone was waving a large
welcome.
[No]thing has been lost. flag.

Does everyone who signed up enjoy playing tennis?

16e. The following indefinite pronouns are plural: both,

few, many, and several.
EXAMPLES Were both of the games

postponed? Few that I know of have

qualified. Several of the runners are

exercising.

16f. The indefinite pronouns all, any, more, most, none,

and some may be singular or plural, depending on their
meaning in a sentence.

These pronouns are singular when they refer to a singular word and
plural when they refer to a plural word.
EXAMPLES Some of the test is hard. [Some refers to the
singular noun test.]
Some of the questions are easy. [Some refers to the
plural noun questions.]
All of the
exhibit is open
to the public.
All of the
paintings are
on display.
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16
Most of his routine sounds familiar.
d–f
Most of his jokes sound familiar. Reference Note
Was any of the feedback positive? For more information
about adjectives, see
Were any of the reviews positive?
page 382. For more about
The rice was eaten. None is left. correlative conjunc-
tions, see page 404.
The potatoes were eaten. None are left.

More of the class is going to the archaeological dig.

More of the students are going to the archaeological dig.

Exercise 5 Identifying Subjects and Verbs

That Agree in Number
Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose

USAGE
the form of the verb that agrees with that subject.
EXAMPLE 1. Several of the kittens (has, have) been adopted.
1. Several—have

1. Each of the comedians (tries, try) to outdo the other.

2. Somebody on the bus (was, were) whistling.
TIPS & TRICKS

3. (Is, Are) all of the apples spoiled? Some of the words listed in
Rule 16d can also be used
4. Neither of these books (has, have) an index. as adjectives or as parts of
5. (Do, Does) everybody in the class have a pencil? correlative conjunctions:
6. Few of these jobs (sounds, sound) challenging. each, either, neither, one.
7. (Is, Are) more of the vendors in the market? Used as these parts of
speech, such words cannot
8. She said that no one in the office (leaves, leave) early.
function as subjects.
9. Both of her parents (has, have) offered us a ride.
10. (Do, Does) most of those CDs belong to her?

Review A Proofreading a Paragraph for Reference Note

Subject-Verb Agreement
For more information
Identify the agreement errors in the following paragraph. Then, about indefinite pro-
supply the correct form of each incorrect verb. nouns, see page 381. For
information on distin-
EXAMPLE [1] On weekends, I often goes with my mother to guishing indefinite pro-
antique shops. nouns from adjectives,
1. goes—go see page 382.

[1] Until recently, this hunt for old things were very boring.
[2]Then one day I noticed that a dusty shoe box full of antique
postcards were sitting near me on a counter. [3] Soon I was Go to the Chapter Menu for an interacti
flipping through the cards, and before you knows it, I had
decided to start a
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights Agreement of Subject and Verb 497
reserved.
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 postcard collection! [4] The cards in my collection is very
precious to me. [5] Because I am interested in American history, I
has chosen to specialize in cards showing American Indians. [6]
On one of my cards, the flames of a campfire glows in front of
several Plains Indian tepees under a colorful sunset. [7] Most of
the postcards in my collection shows pictures of Native American
leaders and warriors. [8] On my favorite card, a Navajo mother
wrapped in beautiful blankets are pos- ing with her baby on her
back. [9] Collecting postcards are not an expensive hobby either.
[10] Many of my cards was priced at a dollar or less.

The Compound Subject

A compound subject consists of two or more subjects that are
USAGE

joined by a conjunction and that have the same verb.

16g. Subjects joined by and generally take a plural verb.

The following compound subjects joined by and name more than

one person, place, thing, or idea and take plural verbs.
Reference Note
about compound sub-
For moresee
information
EXAMPLES George Lucas and Steven Spielberg make movies.
jects, page 424.
[Two persons make movies.]

Rhyme, rhythm, and imagery help poets express their

feelings. [Three things help.]

Compound subjects that name only one person, thing, place, or

idea take a singular verb.
EXAMPLES My pen pal and best friend is my cousin. [One person is
my best friend and pen pal.]

Broccoli and melted cheese makes a tasty dish. [The one

combination makes a dish.]

16h. Singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular

verb. Plural subjects joined by or or nor take a plural verb.
EXAMPLES After dinner, either Anne or Tony loads the dishwasher.
[Anne loads the dishwasher or Tony loads the
dishwasher.]

Neither the coach nor the principal is happy with the

team’s performance. [Neither one is happy.]

Either the boys or their sisters take the garbage out.

Neither the dogs nor the cats come when we call

t

.
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16
16i. When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by 7. The drum g–i
or major and
or nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer the verb. student council
ACCEPTABLE Neither the children nor their mother was ready presidentT I(is,
P
for the trip. are) my older
ACCEPTABLE Neither the mother nor her children were ready sister Janet.
for the trip. 8. The
principal
Oral Practice 1 , the
Using Verbs That Agree in Number
band
with Their Subjects director,
Read the following sentences aloud, stressing the italicized words. and the
gymnasti
1. The books on that shelf need dusting.
cs coach
2. A carton of duck eggs is in the refrigerator.

USAGE
(was,
3. Tina and Betty are first cousins once removed.
were)
4. Playing games or listening to old records is an enjoyable way
proud of
to spend a rainy Saturday.
the half-
5. Several of these insects eat through wood. time
6. Every one of you has met my friend Phil. show.
7. Neither the twins nor Greg enjoys listening to that kind of
music.
8. Both Mr. and Mrs. Chen agree to be chaperons for our spring
dance.

Exercise 6 Choosing Verbs That Agree in Number

with Their Subjects
Choose the correct form of the verb in parentheses in each
of the following sentences.
EXAMPLE 1. In August, eager players and their fans (looks,
look) forward to the start of football season.
1. look

1. The coach and the player (was, were) surprised by the referee’s
call.
2. (Is, Are) Drew or Virgil going out for the pass?
3. Neither the quarterback nor the wide receiver (hear, hears)
the referee’s whistle.
4. The marching band or the pep squad (has, have) already
performed.
5. (Do, Does) Christopher and Alexander enjoy football as much
as Rachel does?
6. Either Albert or Selena (leads, lead) the student fight song.
Constructions like those shown with Rule 16i STYLE
can sound awkward. Try rephrasing sentences to avoid such awkward
constructions.
EXAMPLES
The children were not ready for the trip, and neither was their mother.
or
The mother was not ready for the trip, and neither were her children.
 9. Neither the coach nor the players (has, have) ever won a
state championship game.
10. (Was, Were) the announcer or the referees prepared for
the triumphant fans to rush the field?

Review B Revising Sentences for Subject-Verb

Agreement
Go to the Chapter Menu for an interactive activity.
Revise each of the following sentences according to the directions
given in parentheses. Change the verb in the sentence to agree
with the subject as necessary.
EXAMPLE 1. The teachers have finished grading the tests. (Change
The teachers to Each of the teachers.)
1. Each of the teachers has finished grading the tests.
USAGE

1. My aunt is planning a trip to Nairobi National Park in

Kenya. (Change aunt to aunts.)
2. Have Yoko and Juan already seen that movie? (Change and to or.)
3. Nobody on the team plans to attend the award
ceremonies. (Change Nobody to Many.)
4. My grandmother, as well as my mother and aunts, raises
tropical fish to earn extra money. (Change grandmother to
grandparents.)
5. Most of the food for the party is in the refrigerator. (Change food
to salads.)
6. Neither the librarian nor the aides have found the missing
book. (Change Neither the librarian nor the aides to Neither the
aides nor the librarian.)
7. Black bean soup and a tossed salad make an inexpensive meal.
(Change Black bean soup and a tossed salad to Macaroni and
cheese.)
8. Some of my friends take the bus to school. (Change Some to One.)
9. Few of the reporter’s questions were answered in detail. (Change
Few to Neither.)
10. The puppy playing with my sisters is two months old. (Change
puppy to puppies and sisters to sister.)

Other Problems in Agreement

16j. The contractions don’t and doesn’t should agree
with their subjects.
The word don’t is the contraction of do not. Use don’t with all
plural subjects and with the pronouns I and you.
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16
EXAMPLES I don’t know. They don’t give up.
j, k
You don’t say. Don’t these shrink?
We don’t want to. Apathetic people don’t care.

The word doesn’t is the contraction of does not. Use doesn’t STYLE TIP
with all singular subjects except the pronouns I and you.
Many people consider con-
EXAMPLES He doesn’t know. One doesn’t give up. tractions informal. There-
She doesn’t say. This doesn’t shrink. fore, it is generally best not
to use contractions in for-
It doesn’t want to. Doesn’t Donna care? mal speaking and writing.

Exercise 7 Using Doesn’t and Don’t Correctly

Write the correct form (doesn’t or don’t) for each of the

USAGE
following sentences.
EXAMPLE 1. that bouquet of roses look great?
1. Doesn’t

1. This apple taste sweet.

2. he want to see the game?
3. These impress me.
4. One of the players plan to go.
5. Jason and Tanya like the new band uniforms?
6. You and she have time to play computer games now.
7. The engine in that old pickup start in winter.
8. Tonio asked why we want to go mountain biking.
9. several of those in the front window cost more than these
in the fruit cart?
10. The international children’s chorus is so marvelous that their
new fans want to leave the theater.

16k. A collective noun may be either singular or Reference Note

plural, depending on its meaning in a sentence. For more information
about collective nouns,
The singular form of a collective noun names a group of persons
see page 377.
or things.

Collective Nouns

army class family grouppublic

assembly club fleet herd swarm
audience committee flock jury team

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights Agreement of Subject and Verb 501
reserved.
Chapter Menu
 Use a plural verb with a collective noun when the noun refers
to the individual parts or members of the group. Use a singular
verb when the noun refers to the group as a unit.
EXAMPLES The class have completed their projects. [Class is
thought of as individuals.]
The class has elected its officers. [Class is thought of
as a unit.]

Reference Note
Notice in the examples above that any pronoun referring to a
See page 511 for collective noun has the same number as the noun. In the first
more about pronoun-
example, their refers to class. In the second example, its refers to
antecedent
agreement class.
with collective nouns.
USAGE

Exercise 8 Writing Sentences with Collective Nouns

Select five collective nouns, and write five pairs of sentences that
show clearly how the nouns you choose may be singular or
plural.
EXAMPLE 1. The jury is ready.
The jury are still arguing among themselves.

16l. A verb agrees with its subject, but not necessarily

with a predicate nominative.
S PN
EXAMPLES The marching bands are the main attraction.

S PN
The main attraction is the marching bands.

TIPS & TRICKS 16m. When the subject follows the verb, find the subject
and make sure that the verb agrees with it.
To find the subject in a
sen- tence in which the
subject follows the verb, The subject generally follows the verb in questions and in sentences
rearrange the sentence. that begin with here and there.
EXAMPLES EXAMPLES Here is a list of addresses.
A list of addresses is Here are two lists of addresses.
here.
My notebooks are There is my notebook.
there. There are my notebooks.
Heather and Chris are
Where is Heather? Where is
where?
Chris? Where are Heather and
C
h
r
i
s
?
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16
Contractions such as here’s, where’s, how’s, and what’s include the
l–o
singular verb is. Use these contractions only with singular subjects. Reference Note
NONSTANDARD There’s some facts on that topic in a chart. For more on contractions,
STANDARD There are some facts on that topic in a chart. see page 707.
STANDARD There’s a chart with some facts on that topic.
Reference Note
16n. An expression of an amount (a measurement, a
For a discussion of
percentage, or a fraction, for example) may be singular or stan- dard and
plural, depending on how it is used. nonstandard English,
see page 595.
A word or phrase stating an amount is singular when the amount is
thought of as a unit.
EXAMPLES Thirty dollars is too much for a concert ticket.

USAGE
Two hours is a long time to wait.

Sometimes, however, the amount is thought of as individual

pieces or parts. If so, a plural verb is used.
EXAMPLES Five dollars were scattered on the desk.

Two hours—one before school and one after—are all I

have for practice.

A fraction or a percentage is singular when it refers to a singular

word and plural when it refers to a plural word.
EXAMPLES Three fourths of the pizza is gone.

Of these songs, three fourths are new.

16o. Some nouns that are plural in form take singular verbs.
EXAMPLES Politics is a controversial topic.

The news of the nominee was a surprise.

Rickets is a serious health problem in some countries.

NOTE
Some nouns that end in –s take a plural verb even when they
refer to a single item.
HELP
EXAMPLES The scissors need to be sharpened.
If you do not
Were these pants on sale? know whether a noun that
is plural in form is singular
The Olympics are on television.
or plural in meaning, look
up the word in a dictionary.
 16p. Even when plural in form, the title of a creative work
(such as a book, song, film, or painting), the name of an
organization, or the name of a country or city generally
takes a singular verb.
EXAMPLES The Souls of Black Folk is often cited as a
classic of African American literature. [one book]

“Greensleeves” is an old English folk song. [one piece of

music]

The United Nations was founded in 1945. [one organization]

White Plains is home to several colleges. [one city]

Review C Using Titles That Agree with Verbs

in Number
USAGE

Go to the Chapter Menu for an interactive activity.

Terence and Janeese are at the video rental store deciding what
movies they will rent for the weekend. In the following sentences,
wherever TITLE appears, supply the name of one of the movies
shown here or of a movie of your own choice. Then, choose the
correct form of the verb to complete each sentence.
EXAMPLE 1. Look, Terence. TITLE (is, are) supposed to be very
funny.
1. Horse Feathers—is

1. Terence: According to LaShonda, TITLE and TITLE (is, are)

very
exciting.
2. Janeese: Well, TITLE or TITLE (sounds, sound) more
interesting to me. Let’s ask the clerk.
3. Terence: Sir, (is, are) TITLE in stock?
4. Clerk: I’m afraid not, but TITLE (entertain, entertains)
almost everyone, and you might enjoy it.
5. Terence: Janeese, TITLE (is, are) a fairly recent movie, but
TITLE (are, is) an old-timer.
6. Janeese: Well, I like animated films, and TITLE (fit, fits) that
cate- gory.
7. Clerk: If you ask me, TITLE (beat, beats) every other film
8. Janeese: we
Bothhave, butand
TITLE someone
TITLE just
(are,rented mybut
is) good, lastI’ve
copy.
seen
each of them twice.
9. Terence: (Isn’t, Aren’t) TITLE any good? I’m surprised.
10. Janeese: All right, here’s my vote. TITLE (is, are) tonight’s
movie, and either TITLE or TITLE (is, are) the movie
for Saturday night’s party.
 Chapter Menu

16
16q. Subjects preceded by every or many a take singular p–r
verbs.
EXAMPLES Every homeowner and storekeeper has joined the cleanup
drive sponsored by the town council.
Many a litterbug was surprised by the stiff fines.
Reference Note
16r. When the relative pronoun that, which, or who is the For more about relative
subject of an adjective clause, the verb in the adjective pronouns, see page 380.
clause agrees with the word to which the relative pronoun For more about adjective
refers. clauses, see page 473.

EXAMPLES This is the store that has the discount sale. [That refers
to the singular noun store.]

London, which is the capital of England, is the largest city

USAGE
in Europe. [Which refers to the singular noun London.]

The Garcias, who live next door, are going with us to the
lake. [Who refers to the plural noun Garcias.]

Oral Practice 2 Using Subject-Verb Agreement

Read each of the following sentences aloud, stressing the italicized
words.
1. Of the inhabitants, two thirds are registered to vote.
2. Many a writer and scholar has puzzled over that problem.
3. Is economics taught at your high school?
4. Are there any green apples in that basket?
5. Romeo and Juliet has been made into a ballet, a
Broadway musical, and several movies.
6. Two weeks is more than enough time to write a report.
7. My family is planning to hold its reunion in October.
8. My family are planning their schedules now.

Exercise 9 Identifying Subjects and Verbs

That Agree in Number
Identify the subject of each verb in parentheses. Then, choose the
form of the verb that agrees with the subject.
EXAMPLE 1. (Do, Does) Meals on Wheels deliver in
your neighborhood?
1. Meals on Wheels—Does

1. The class (has, have) chosen titles for their original plays.
2. First prize (was, were) two tickets to Hawaii.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights Agreement of Subject and Verb 505
reserved.
Chapter Menu
 Chapter Menu

3. Three quarters of the movie (was, were) over when we arrived

at the theater.
4. Rattlesnakes (was, were) the topic of last week’s meeting of
the hiking club.
5. (Has, Have) every student in the class memorized a poem
to present for the oral interpretation contest?
6. Crime and Punishment (is, are) a world-famous novel.
7. Two thirds of the missing books (was, were) returned to
the downtown branch of the library.
8. Mathematics (is, are) an important part of many
everyday activities.
9. Where (is, are) the paragraphs you wrote?
10. Four weeks (is, are) enough time to rehearse the play.
USAGE

Review D Identifying Verbs That Have the

Correct Number
Go to the Chapter Menu for an interactive activity.
Choose the correct form of the verb in parentheses in each
of the following sentences.
EXAMPLE 1. Fifty pesos (was, were) a great price for that carving.
1. was

1. Mumps (is, are) a common childhood disease that causes

swelling in glands in the neck.
2. Politics (is, are) always a popular subject both to debate and
to study at college.
3. Not one of the ushers (know, knows) where the lounge is.
4. The team (is, are) on a winning streak.
5. Carol, as well as Inés, (write, writes) a weekly column for the
East High Record.
6. “Beauty and the Beast” (is, are) a folk tale that exists in
many different cultures.
7. Ten pounds (is, are) too much weight for a young child to
carry in a backpack.
8. It is difficult to concentrate when there (is, are) radios and
stereos blasting away.
9. (Has, Have) either of you read the book or seen the movie
version of To Kill a Mockingbird?
10. In most situation comedies, there (is, are) a very wise character,
a very foolish character, and a very lovable character.