Subject-verb agreement (With example)
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Just as pronouns must
agree with their antecedents in person, case, and number, verbs also must agree
with their subjects in person and in number.
The first person
subject is the person or persons speaking in a sentence (I, we). The second
person subject is the person or persons addressed (you, you). The third person
subject refers to the person or thing spoken about and may be any noun or
third-person (he, she, it, they).
Verbs agree with their
subjects in number. Therefore, a singular subject takes a singular verb; a
plural subject takes a plural verb.
FORMULA:
Singular Subject + Singular Verb
(s/es/ies)
|
Plural Subject + Plural Verb
|
Example:
- The window is open.
- Many computers are
innovated from day to day.
- Some companies need
a manager who has multiple skills.
- A child cries for
ice-cream.
NOTE: Verbs have an opposite rule if we
compare to nouns. Nouns always change their form when they are plural and keep
the same form when they are singular. But for verbs, they always change their
form when they are singular and keep the same form when they are plural.
Compare:
- A cat eats grilled
fish. (cat is singular noun, eats is singular verb)
- Too many people want
to visit Angkor Wat. (people is plural noun, want is plural verb)
WARNING: Mistakes in subject-verb agreement are
sometimes made in the following situations:
1) When words come
between the subject and the verb
2) When a verb comes
before the subject
3) With indefinite
pronouns
4) With compound
subjects
5) With who, which,
and that
1) Words between the
subject and the verb
Words that come
between the subject and the verb do not change subject-verb agreement.
Example: One of the crooked politicians was
jailed for a month.
2) Verb before the
subject
A verb agrees with its
subject even when the verb comes before the subject.
Example: Lumbering along the road were six heavy
trucks.
3) Indefinite pronouns
The following words,
know as indefinite pronouns, always take singular verbs.
One Word
|
Body Word
|
Thing Word
|
one
anyone
everyone
someone
|
nobody
anybody
everybody
somebody
|
nothing
anything
everything
something
|
each
either
neither
|
Example: Everyone keeps silent when the teacher
arrives.
NOTE: Both always takes a plural verb.
Example:
- Neither of those
last two books on the list is required for the course.
- Both of these belts
no longer fit.
- Each of these
children needs to be inoculated against polio.
4) Compound subjects
Subjects joined by and
generally take a plural verb.
Example: Ambition and good luck are the keys to
his success.
NOTE: When subjects are joined by either
..or/neither …or, not only …but also, the verb agrees with the subject closer
to the verb.
Example: Neither the plumber not his helpers work
on weekends.
5) Who, which, and
that:
ç Who, which or that standing for a
singular noun takes a singular verb.
Example:
- A student who
studies English at NIS is Mr. Sokha’s son.
- A sharp pain that
begins in the lower abdomen may signal appendicitis.
ç Who, which or that standing for a plural
noun takes a plural verb.
Example:
- Animals which were
arrested in the forest are in the zoo now.
- The heavy trucks that thunder past my Honda
make me feel as though I’m being blown off the road.SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Just as pronouns must
agree with their antecedents in person, case, and number, verbs also must agree
with their subjects in person and in number.
The first person
subject is the person or persons speaking in a sentence (I, we). The second
person subject is the person or persons addressed (you, you). The third person
subject refers to the person or thing spoken about and may be any noun or
third-person (he, she, it, they).
Verbs agree with their
subjects in number. Therefore, a singular subject takes a singular verb; a
plural subject takes a plural verb.
FORMULA:
Singular Subject + Singular Verb
(s/es/ies)
|
Plural Subject + Plural Verb
|
Example:
- The window is open.
- Many computers are
innovated from day to day.
- Some companies need
a manager who has multiple skills.
- A child cries for
ice-cream.
NOTE: Verbs have an opposite rule if we
compare to nouns. Nouns always change their form when they are plural and keep
the same form when they are singular. But for verbs, they always change their
form when they are singular and keep the same form when they are plural.
Compare:
- A cat eats grilled
fish. (cat is singular noun, eats is singular verb)
- Too many people want
to visit Angkor Wat. (people is plural noun, want is plural verb)
WARNING: Mistakes in subject-verb agreement are
sometimes made in the following situations:
1) When words come
between the subject and the verb
2) When a verb comes
before the subject
3) With indefinite
pronouns
4) With compound
subjects
5) With who, which,
and that
1) Words between the
subject and the verb
Words that come
between the subject and the verb do not change subject-verb agreement.
Example: One of the crooked politicians was
jailed for a month.
2) Verb before the
subject
A verb agrees with its
subject even when the verb comes before the subject.
Example: Lumbering along the road were six heavy
trucks.
3) Indefinite pronouns
The following words,
know as indefinite pronouns, always take singular verbs.
One Word
|
Body Word
|
Thing Word
|
one
anyone
everyone
someone
|
nobody
anybody
everybody
somebody
|
nothing
anything
everything
something
|
each
either
neither
|
Example: Everyone keeps silent when the teacher
arrives.
NOTE: Both always takes a plural verb.
Example:
- Neither of those
last two books on the list is required for the course.
- Both of these belts
no longer fit.
- Each of these
children needs to be inoculated against polio.
4) Compound subjects
Subjects joined by and
generally take a plural verb.
Example: Ambition and good luck are the keys to
his success.
NOTE: When subjects are joined by either
..or/neither …or, not only …but also, the verb agrees with the subject closer
to the verb.
Example: Neither the plumber not his helpers work
on weekends.
5) Who, which, and
that:
ç Who, which or that standing for a
singular noun takes a singular verb.
Example:
- A student who
studies English at NIS is Mr. Sokha’s son.
- A sharp pain that
begins in the lower abdomen may signal appendicitis.
ç Who, which or that standing for a plural
noun takes a plural verb.
Example:
- Animals which were
arrested in the forest are in the zoo now.
- The heavy trucks that thunder past my Honda
make me feel as though I’m being blown off the road.
No comments