SUBJECT VERB

AGREEMENT
 Subject
is the main point of interest
Nouns and Pronouns may be singular or
plural.
Example:
Singular Plural
Farmer Farmers
Foot Feet
Ox Oxen
Him Them
I We
My ( datum , data ) is gone
last night.

The ( criterion , criteria ) are

announced.
 Verb
indicates action.
Verbs have singular and plural forms in the
simple present tense.
Example:

Singular Plural
Is Are
Does Do
Was Were
Sings Sing
 The Ramoses’s articles ( is, are )
interesting.

 Maria( was , were ) turned down

twelve times before she finally got a
job.
RULE 1
 Singular subjects need singular
verbs: Plural subjects need plural
verbs.

Example:
 My father has many duties.
 My mother teaches fifty boys and girls.
 They come in all colors.
My aunt or my uncle ( is , are )
arriving by train today.
 If contractions are used in sentences, the
verb agrees in number with the subject.

Singular Plural
Is not – isn’t Are not – aren’t
Was not – wasn’t Were not – weren’t
Does not – doesn’t Do not – don’t
Has not – hasn’t Have not – haven’t
Here is – here’s
There is – there’s
Examples:
 The ilang-ilang isn’t a vine
 The durian tree hasn’t begun to blossom.
 The farmers don’t forget to smudge them.
RULE 2
 Thenoun or pronoun coming after of is
generally not the true subject of the
verb.

Example:
 The flight of swallows is very low.
 Talk of huge mosquitoes ( doesn’t, don’t )
frighten me at all.

 Problems of irrigation ( affect , affects ) our

rice production.
RULE 3
 Do not be deceived by such expressions as
including, with , together with , or as
well as. Gives a singular subject.

Example:
 My house, like all other Muslim houses, is built
differently.
 Salih, as well as other boys his age, swims very
well.
RULE 4
 A compound subject connected by and
generally takes a plural verb.

Example:
 My cousins and I go to Manila for our
vacation.
 A car and a bike are my means of
transportation.
 My classmate and friend (is , are ) with
me

boy and girl ( has , have ) clothes

 Each
made of silk for special occasions.

 Everyman and woman ( has , have )

helped to make the occasion memorable.
Either the brass jars or the tray
( is , are ) hers.
The subject nearer to the verb is
tray so the verb is singular.
 RULE 5
 Nouns ending in –s but singular in
meaning, take a singular verb.

Examples:
 Mathematics is a subject which many
students find difficult.
 Measles is a disease often fatal to children.
 RULE 6
 Fractions may take singular or
plural verbs depending on the object of
preposition.

Examples :
 Two-thirds of the farm is planted to
coconut.
 One-half of the coconuts are sent to
our cousins in the city.
 Words or phrases express period of
weights, measurements, and
amounts of money are usually
regarded as singular.

Examples:
 Today ten thousand pesos seems a small
sum to pay for building a house.
 Two kilos of sugar meets our monthly
needs.
 All of the pie ( is , are ) gone.
 All of the pies ( is , are ) gone.

 One-third of the city ( is , are )

unemployed.
 One-third of the people ( is , are )
unemployed.
RULE 7
 Adjectives used as subjects take
plural verbs.

Example:
 The poor are always with us
RULE 8
 Indefinite pronouns such as nobody ,
each , everyone, another,
anyone, and someone take a singular
verbs.

Example:
 Nobody in our class has tasted a durian.

 Everyone is delighted with the harvest.

 words some, a few , and
 The
many take plural verbs.

Examples;
 Many have gone to barrio fiesta.

 Some of the participants in the fiesta

are tired.
Rule 9
 Collective nouns used to denote a unit take
singular verbs ; collective nouns used to refer to
the members in the collection take
plural verbs.

Examples:
 The committee is making plans for the fiesta.

 The committee do not agree to some proposals.

 RULE 10
 The words here and there in the
beginning of a sentence, the subject follows
the verb.

Examples:
 There are four hurdles to jump.
 There is a high hurdle to jump.
RULE 11
 In sentences beginning with It, the word it
is always followed by a singular verb.

Examples:
 It was a Tausug who won the gold medal
for swimming.
 It is people like the Tausug who produce
swimming champions.
RULE 12
 The expression The number takes a
singular verb; the expression A number
takes a plural verb.

Examples:
 The number of resorts is large.
 A number of visitors are going to the pearl
farms in Sulu.
RULE 13
 Sometimes the pronoun who, that , or
which is the subject of a verb in the
middle of the sentence.

Example:
 Salma is the scientist who writes the
reports.
HANK YOU
“I am” is the shortest
complete sentence in
the English language.
Make a sentence using these word/s
and write it on the board.
 Some
 The number

 One hundred pesos

 Fill in the blank with is or are.

1.) A T’boli necklace _____ made of beads of

knotted horse hair.
2.) A necklace of five strands _____ not uncommon.
3.) Other necklaces with beads of colored stone
_____ are lovely.
4.) Half of this necklace of colored beads ______
finished.
5.) Over half of the necklaces made by the tribe
_____ sold.
6.) A third of the T’boli women _____ busy
working on other projects.
7.) Through “Beads for Progress” the
government _____ helping them lead
productive lives.
8.) There _____ many women working on the
project.
9.) It _____ wonderful to see these women at
work.
10.) A number _____ eager to have their work
finished.
11.) A committee ____ studying export
possibilities for these beads.
12.) The committee ____ not agreed on some
matters.
13.) The number of T’boli necklaces sold
each year ____ increaseing.
14.) There _____ more tourists getting
interested in them.
15.) Many _____ sent abroad as gifts.
16.) A few _____ bought for museum.
17.) Some ______ not sold; they are for the
T’boli women themselves.
18.) As a general rule, each T’boli maiden
above ten years _____ always adorned with
beads.
19.) Nobody among them _____ without a set
of necklaces.
20.) Not only one necklace but many _____
worn at the same time.