AGREEMENT: MATCHING SENTENCE PARTS

 The Grammatical Subject of “Agreement

 Collective Nouns and Indefinite Pronouns

 Special Problems in Agreement

 Agreement of Pronouns and Antecedents

Diagnostic Preview
A. Choose the correct word or word group in parentheses in each of the following sentences.
EXAMPLE 1. Some of the paintings (is, are) dry now. 1. are

1. Three hours of work (is, are) needed to finish the charcoal drawing for art class.
2. Everybody has offered (his or her, their) advice.
3. Harlem Shadows (is, are) a collection of poems by the writer Claude McKay.
4. Either Stu or Ryan can volunteer (his, their) skill in the kitchen.
5. Black beans, rice, and onions (tastes, taste) good together.
6. Not one of them has offered (his or her, their) help.
7. Sometimes my family (disagrees, disagree) with one another, but usually we all get along
fairly well.
8. Five dollars (is, are) all you will need for the matinee.
9. (Doesn’t, Don’t) too many cooks spoil the broth?
10. One of my aunts gave me (her, their) silk kimono.

B. Proofreading for Subject-Verb Agreement and Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Most of

the following sentences contain an agreement error. Write the incorrect verb or pronoun.
Then, write the correct form. If the sentence is already correct, write C.
EXAMPLE 1. Most stargazers has seen points of light shooting across the night sky. 1. has—
have
11. These points of light is commonly called shooting stars.
12. Scientists who study our solar system calls these points of light meteors.
13. Some meteors are pieces of asteroids that exploded long ago.
14. Each of these pieces are still flying through space on the path of the original asteroid.
15. Most nights, a person is lucky if they can see a single meteor now and then.
16. Throughout the year, however, there is meteor “showers.”
17. None of these showers are as big as the ones that come each year in August and November.
18. Either Katie or Carla once saw a spectacular meteor shower on their birthday.
19. In November 1833,one of the largest meteor showers in history were recorded.
20. Two hundred forty thousand meteors observed in just a few hours are a record that has
never been matched! (p. 217)

The Grammatical Subject of Agreement

 Some things just seem to go together well. We carry this concept over into
grammar by matching all sentence parts. This matching of sentence elements is called
agreement. It helps to create smooth and logical sentences.
The basic rule of sentence agreement is simple: A subject must agree with its verb in

number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the background of the concept.

1. Singular and plural nouns

In English, the plurals of most nouns are formed by adding -s or -es to the singular form.

For example: bike → bikes; race → races; inch → inches. Some nouns have irregular plurals,

such as mouse → mice; woman → women, goose → geese.

2. Singular and plural pronouns

Pronouns have singular and plural forms, too: I, you, she, he, it we, they.

3. Singular and plural verbs

As with nouns and pronouns, verbs show singular and plural forms. The rule

introduced at the beginning of this unit: A subject must agree with its verb in number. All the other

rules follow from this one.

 A singular subject must have a singular verb.

1. A singular subject must have a singular verb: a) She hesitates at all intersections,

making the other drivers angry (sing. subject sing. verb). The singular subject she agrees with

the singular verb hesitates. b) Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday (sing. subject

sing. verb). The singular subject procrastination agrees with the singular verb is.

2. Two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor must have a singular verb. This

makes perfect sense: You are making a choice between two singular subjects. The or shows that

you are only choosing one: a) Either the dog or the cat has to go (sing. subject. or sing. subject

sing. verb). Only one pet will go—the dog or the cat. Therefore, you will only have one pet left.

Two singular subjects—dog and cat—joined by or take the singular verb has. b) Neither Elvis

Costello nor Elvis Presley is in the room (sing. subject nor sing. subject sing. verb). Each subject

is being treated individually. Therefore, two singular subjects—Elvis Costello and Elvis Presley—

joined by nor take the singular verb is.

3. Subjects that are singular in meaning but plural in form require a singular verb. These

subjects include words such as measles, civics, social studies, mumps, molasses, news, economics,

physics and mathematics: The news is on very night at 11:00 P.M (sing. subject sing. verb). The

singular subject news takes the singular verb is.

4. Plural subjects that function as a single unit take a singular verb: a) Spaghetti and

meatballs is my favourite dish (sing. subject sing. verb). The singular subject spaghetti and

meatballs requires the singular verb is. b) Bacon and eggs makes a great late night snack (sing.

subject sing. verb). The singular subject bacon and eggs agrees with the singular verb makes.
 5. Titles are always singular. It doesn’t matter how long the title is, what it names, or

whether or not it sounds plural— a title always takes a singular verb: a) For Whom the Bell Tolls

is a story about the Spanish Civil War (sing. subject sing. verb). The singular title For Whom the

Bell Tolls requires the singular verb is. b) Stranger in a Strange Land was written by Robert

Heinlein (sing. subject sing. verb). The singular title Stranger in a Strange Land requires the

singular verb was.

Most measurements are singular—even though they look plural. For example: “Half a

dollar/ two years/ ten pounds is more than enough” (not “are more than enough”).

6. The following expressions have no effect on the verb: together with, accompanied by,

along with, as well as:

E.g.: The actress, accompanied by her manager and some friends, is going to a party tonight.

The noun police always takes a plural verb:

E.g.: The police are busy evacuating people.

 A Plural Subject Must Have a Plural Verb

Just as a singular subject requires a singular verb, so a plural subject requires a plural

verb. Here are some examples:

1. A plural subject must have a plural verb: a) Men are from Earth. Women are from Earth.

Deal with it (plural subject plural verb plural subject plural verb). The plural subject men

requires the plural verb are. The plural subject women requires the plural verb are. b) On

average, people fear spiders more than they do death. (plural subject plural verb plural subject

plural verb). The plural subject people requires the plural verb fear (not the singular verb fears).

The plural subject they requires the plural verb do (not the singular verb does). c) Facetious and

abstemious contain all the vowels in the correct order, as does arsenious, meaning “containing

arsenic.” (plural subject plural verb). The plural subject facetious and abstemious requires the

plural verb contain (not the singular verb contains.) Think of the conjunction and as a plus sign.

Whether the parts of the subject joined by and are singular or plural (or both), they all add up to

a plural subject and so require a plural verb.

2. Two or more plural subjects joined by or or nor must have a plural verb. This is the

logical extension of the earlier rule about two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor

taking a singular verb. Here, since both subjects are plural, the verb must be plural as well: a)

Either the children or the adults are clearing the table (plural subject plural subject plural verb).

Since both subjects are plural, one of them alone is still plural. Therefore, two plural subjects—

children and adults—joined by or take the plural verb are. b) Neither my relatives nor my friends

are leaving any time soon (plural subject plural subject plural verb). Since both subjects are
plural, one of them alone is still plural. Therefore, two plural subjects—relatives and friends—

joined by nor take the plural verb are.

3. A compound subject joined by and is plural and must have a plural verb. The

conjunction and acts like a plus (+) sign, showing that 1 + 1 = 2 (or 1 + 1 + 1 = 3, etc.): a) Brownies

and ice cream are a spectacular dessert (plural subject sing. subject plural verb). b) Nina and

Christopher have donated money to charity (sing. subject sing. subject plural verb). Nina and

Christopher = two people. 1 + 1 = 2. Therefore, the verb must be plural: have.

4. If two or more singular and plural subjects are joined by or or nor, the subject closest to

the verb determines agreement: a) Margery or the twins are coming on the trip to Seattle (sing.

subject plural subject plural verb). Since the plural subject twins is closest to the verb, the verb is

plural: are. b) The twins or Margery is coming on the trip to Seattle (plural subject sing. subject

sing. verb). Since the singular subject Margery is closest to the verb, the verb is singular: is.

5. If the sentence contains a positive and a negative subject and one is plural, the other

singular, the verb should agree with the positive subject. For example:

1. The department members but not the chair  have  decided  not to teach on Valentine's

Day.

2. It is not the faculty members but the president who  decides  this issue.

3. It was the speaker, not his ideas, that  has  provoked  the students to riot.

 Collective Nouns and Indefinite Pronouns

A collective noun names a group of people or things. Collective nouns include the words

class, committee, government, jury, team, audience, assembly, team, crowd, club. Collective nouns can

be singular or plural, depending on how they are used in a sentence. Here are the basic

guidelines:

 A collective noun is considered singular when it functions as a single unit. Collective

nouns used as one unit take a singular verb.

 A collective noun is considered plural when the group it identifies is considered to be

individuals. Collective nouns that indicate many units take a plural verb.

Here are some examples:

a) The team has practiced for tonight’s big game for months (sing. subject sing. verb). The

singular subject team agrees with the singular verb has practiced because in this instance, the

team functions as one (singular) group.

b) The team have practiced for tonight’s big game for months (plural subject plural verb).

The subject team becomes plural because each member of the group is now being considered as

an individual.
  Majority can be singular or plural. If it is used alone, it is usually singular; if followed

by a plural noun, it is usually plural:

E.g.: The majority believes that we are in danger.

The majority of the students believe him to be innocent.

 The following nouns are used to indicate groups of certain animals. It is necessary to

learn the nouns; however, they mean the same as group and are considered singular:

flock of birds, sheep; herd of cattle; pack of dogs, wolves; school of fish; pride of lions, peacocks;

army of caterpillars, frogs; brood of hens; colony of ants, bats, penguins; gaggle of geese; hive of

bees; host of sparrows; murder of crows; parliament of owls.

 Collective nouns indicating time, money and measurements used as a whole are

singular:

E.g.: Twenty-five dollars is too much to pay for that shirt.

Fifty minutes isn’t enough time to finish this test.

 A number of/ the number of:

A number of + plural noun + plural verb

The number of + plural noun + singular verb.

E.g. A number of students are going to the class picnic (a number of = many).

The number of days in a week is seven.

 Fractional expressions such as half of, a part of, a percentage of are sometimes singular and

sometimes plural, depending on the meaning. Sums and products of mathematical

processes are expressed as singular and require singular verbs. The expression "more

than one" takes a singular verb: "More than one student has tried this." For example:

1. Some of the voters  are  still angry.

2. A large percentage of the older population  is  voting against her.

3. Two-fifths of the troops  were  lost in the battle.

4. Two-fifths of the vineyard  was  destroyed by fire.

5. Forty per cent of the students  are  in favour of changing the policy.

6. Five per cent of the situation is Bob’s faults.

7. Two and two  is  four.

8. Four times four divided by two  is  eight.

 Indefinite pronouns, like collective nouns, can be singular or plural, depending on how

they are used in a sentence. Indefinite pronouns refer to people, places, objects, or things

without pointing to a specific one. Indefinite pronouns include words such as everyone,

someone, all, and more.

Singular indefinite pronouns take a singular verb.

 Plural indefinite pronouns take a plural verb.

The following chart shows singular and plural indefinite pronouns. The chart also shows

pronouns that can be either singular or plural, depending on how they are used in a sentence.

Singular Plural Singular or Plural

another both all
anybody few any
anyone many more
anything others most
each several none
either some
everyone no
everybody
everything
little
much
neither
nobody
no one
nothing
one
other
somebody
someone
something

If we look back at the chart, we will see that the following patterns emerge:

1. Indefinite pronouns that end in -body are always singular. These words include

anybody, somebody, nobody.

2. Indefinite pronouns that end in -one are always singular. These words include anyone,

everyone, someone, and one.

3. The indefinite pronouns both, few, many, others, and several are always plural.

4. The indefinite pronouns all, any, more, most, none, and some can be singular or plural,

depending on how they are used. Here are some examples:

a) One of the gerbils is missing (sing. subject sing. verb). The singular subject one requires

the singular verb is.

b) Both of the gerbils are missing (plural subject plural verb). The plural subject both

requires the plural verb are.

c) All of the beef stew was devoured (sing. subject sing. verb). In this instance, all is being

used to indicate one unit. As a result, it requires the singular verb was.
 d) Many of the guests are sick of Tedious Ted’s endless chatter (plural subject plural

verb). The plural subject many requires the plural verb are.

5. None can take either a singular or plural verb depending on the noun which follows it:

a) None + of the + non-count noun + singular verb:

E.g.: None of the counterfeit money has been found.

b) None + of the + plural count noun + plural verb:

E.g.: None of the students have finished the exam yet.

6. No can take either singular or plural verb depending on the noun which follows it:

a) No + {singular noun } + singular verb

non-count noun

E.g.: No example is relevant to this case.

b) No + plural noun + plural verb

E.g.: No examples are relevant to this case.

 Special Problems in Agreement

The rules for agreement are straightforward, but some thorny problems do arise. Here

are the two most challenging issues: hard-to-find subjects and intervening phrases.

1. Hard-to-find subjects should be identified. Some subjects can be harder to find than

others. Subjects that come after the verb are especially tricky. However, a subject must still

agree in number with its verb, as the following examples show:

a) At the bottom of the lake there are two old cars (plural verb plural subject). The plural

subject cars agrees with the plural verb are.

b) There were still half a dozen tyres in the lake, too (plural verb plural subject). The

plural subject tyres requires the plural verb were.

2. Intervening phrases should be ignored. Words or phrases that come between the

subject and the verb should be disregarded. A phrase or clause that comes between a subject

and its verb does not affect subject-verb agreement:

a) The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue (sing. subject prep. phrase sing. verb).

The singular subject muscle agrees with the singular verb is. Ignore the intervening prepositional

phrase “in the body.”

b) The captain of the guards stands at the door of Buckingham Palace (sing. subject prep.

phrase sing. verb). The singular subject captain agrees with the singular verb stands. Ignore the

intervening

prepositional phrase “of the guards.”

c) The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.

 3. When sentences start with “there” or “here,” the subject will always be placed after

the verb, so care needs to be taken to identify it correctly.

E.g. There is a problem with the balance sheet.

Here are the papers you requested.

4. There Is vs. There Are With a Series of Items

When you’re making a list of things, sometimes there are sounds wrong:

There are a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom in my apartment.

There are sounds bad because the noun that follows it, kitchen, is singular. Even though

you’re really talking about multiple things, (a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom), it’s often

better to use the singular verb is in a construction like this.

There is a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom in my apartment.

Some language commentators still insist on using are in sentences like this despite the

awkwardness, but actual usage is extremely mixed. Remember, if the sentence sounds

awkward either way, you can always rewrite it to avoid the “there is/are” problem altogether.

 Agreement of Pronouns and Antecedents

Like subjects and verbs, pronouns and antecedents (the words to which they refer) must

agree. These are the rules that will be followed to make sure that pronouns and antecedents

match.

1. A pronoun agrees (or matches) with its antecedent in number, person, and gender: Jenny

gave half her cupcake to Shirley. Both the antecedent Jenny and the pronoun her are singular in

number, in the third person, and feminine in gender. Errors often occur when there are

incorrect shifts in person and gender.

Error: Jenny will eat her bran flakes and tofu, which you need to stay healthy.

Correct: Jenny will eat her bran flakes and tofu, which she needs to stay healthy.

2. A singular personal pronoun is used with a singular indefinite pronoun: If anyone

questions the edict, refer him or her to the boss. The singular pronouns him or her refer to the

singular pronoun anyone.

3. A plural pronoun is used when the antecedents are joined by and. This is true even if

the antecedents are singular: The dog and cat maintain their friendship by staying out of each

other’s way (sing. subject sing. subject plural pronoun). Since the two singular antecedents dog

and cat are joined by and, the plural pronoun their is used. This is a case of 1 + 1 = 2 (one dog +

one cat = two pets).

4. Antecedents joined by or, nor, or correlative conjunctions such as either . . . or, neither . .

. nor agree with the antecedent closer to the pronoun:

 a) Neither my baby sister or the twins sleep in their bed (sing. subject plural subject plural

pronoun). The plural pronoun their is used to agree with the plural antecedent cats.

b) Neither the twins nor my baby sister sleeps in her bed (plural subject sing. subject sing.

pronoun). The singular pronoun her is used to agree with the singular antecedent sister.

5. The pronoun should refer directly to the noun. Confusion occurs when the pronoun

can refer to more than one antecedent.

Confusing: Norman saw a coupon in last year’s newspaper, but he can’t find it.

What is it that Norman can’t find: the coupon or the newspaper?

Correct: Norman can’t find the coupon he saw in last year’s newspaper.

6. The need for pronoun-antecedent agreement can create gender problems. If one were

to write, for instance, "A student must see his counsellor before the end of the semester," when

there are female students about, nothing but grief will follow. One can pluralize, in this

situation, to avoid the problem: for example:

1. Students must see their counsellor before the end of the semester.

Or, one could say

2. A student must see his or her counsellor. . . .

Too many his's and her's eventually become annoying, however, and the reader becomes

more aware of the writer trying to be conscious of good form than he or she is of the matter at

hand. We can use they, them, their and theirs to refer to both sexes at the same time, even when a

singular noun has been used, although some people consider this unacceptable. However, in

present-day English, this usage is becoming more accepted:

Every student  must show  their  identity card on entering the examination room. (preferred

to Every student must show his identity card.)

A nurse  has to be very open and understanding.  They  must listen to their patients and respond

to them. (preferred to She must listen to her patients. or He must listen to his patients.)

It is also widely regarded as being correct (or correct enough), at the beginning of the

twenty-first century, to say

 Somebody has left their bag on the floor.

but many people would object its being written that way because somebody is singular

and their is plural.

Exercise 1. Identifying Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects

Identify the form of the verb in parentheses that agrees with its subject.
EXAMPLE 1. wind (howls, howl) 1. howls

1. people (talks, talk)

2. rain (splashes, splash)
3. birds (flies, fly)
4. we (helps, help)
5. it (appears, appear)
6. geese (hisses, hiss)
7. night (falls, fall)
8. roofs (leaks, leak)
9. baby (smiles, smile)
10. tooth (aches, ache ) (p.219)

Exercise 2. Identifying Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects

Identify the form of the verb in parentheses that agrees with its subject.
EXAMPLE 1. Special tours (is, are) offered at the National Air and Space Museum in
Washington, D.C. 1. are

1. This museum (has, have) been called the best of all the Smithsonian museums.
2. This enormous building (covers, cover) three blocks.
3. Twenty-three galleries (offers, offer) visitors information and entertainment.
4. The different showrooms (deals, deal) with various aspects of air and space travel.
5. As you can see, the exhibits (features, feature) antique aircraft as well as modern spacecraft.
6. In another area, a theater (shows, show) films on a five-story-high screen.
7. A planetarium (is, are) located on the second floor.
8. Projectors (casts, cast) realistic images of stars on the ceiling.
9. Some tours (is, are) conducted by pilots.
10. In addition, the museum (houses, house) a large research library. (p.219)

Exercise 3. Proofreading for Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement Most of the following

sentences contain errors in subject-verb agreement. If a verb does not agree with its subject,
write the correct form of the verb. If a sentence is already correct, write C.
EXAMPLE 1. More than fifteen million people lives in and around Mexico’s capital. 1. live
1. Located in an ancient lake bed, Mexico City have been built on Aztec ruins.
2. Visitors admire the colorful paintings of Diego Rivera at the National Palace.
3. In one of the city’s many subway stations, an Aztec pyramid still stand.
4. Sculptures grace the Alameda, which is Mexico City’s main park.
5. Atop the Latin American Tower, an observatory offer a great view on a clear day.
6. At the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the library’s outer walls is famous as
works of art.
7. Juan O’Gorman’s huge mosaics shows the cultural history of Mexico.
8. Usually, tourists is quite fascinated by the Great Temple of the Aztecs.
9. Many fiestas fills Mexico City’s social calendar.
10.In addition, the city has one of the largest soccer stadiums in the world. (p.220)

Exercise 4. Identifying Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects

Identify the form of the verb in parentheses that agrees with its subject.
EXAMPLE 1. The water in the earth’s oceans (cover, covers) much of the planet’s surface. 1.
covers
1. A tidal wave, despite its name,(is, are) not caused by the tides.
2. Earthquakes beneath the sea (causes, cause) most tidal waves.
3. A network of warning signals (alert, alerts) people in coastal areas of an approaching tidal
wave.
4. The tremendous force of tidal waves sometimes (causes, cause) great destruction.
5. Walls of earth and stone along the shore (is, are) often too weak to protect coastal villages.
6. Some tidal waves, according to this encyclopedia article, (travel, travels) more than five
hundred miles an hour.
7. Tidal waves in the open ocean generally (do, does) not cause much interest.
8. The height of tidal waves there often (remain, remains) low.
9. However, waves up to one hundred feet high (occur, occurs) when tidal waves hit land.
10. The scientific name for tidal waves (are, is) tsunamis. (p. 221)

Exercise 5. Identify Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects

Choose the form of the verb in parentheses that agrees with its subject.
EXAMPLE 1. One of these books (is, are) yours. 1. is
1. Neither of the movies (were, was) especially funny.
2. Everybody in those classes (gets, get) to research a historical person.
3. Someone among the store owners (donates, donate) the big trophy each year.
4. Each of the Jackson brothers (study, studies) dance.
5. No one on either team (was, were) ever in a playoff before. 6. Everyone with an interest in
sports (are, is) at the tryouts.
7. Anybody with sewing skills (are, is) needed for the project.
8. Each of our neighbors (have, has) helped us plant the new community garden. (p. 222)
9. One of the new Spanish teachers (supervises, supervise) the language lab.
10. Nobody in our family (speak, speaks) Greek well, but we all can speak a little bit.

Exercise 6. Identifying Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects

Identify the verb form in parentheses that agrees with its subject.
EXAMPLE
1. Somebody in the club (want, wants) the meetings held on a different day. 1. wants
1. “Both of the songs (sound, sounds) good to me,” Gregory said.
2. If anyone (know, knows) a better way to get to Washington Square, please tell me.
3. Each of the problems (are, is) easy to solve if you know the correct formulas.
4. Probably everyone in the class (remember, remembers) how to solve the equation.
5. All of the new research on dreams (is, are) fascinating.
6. Most of our dreams (occur, occurs) toward morning.
7. Few of us really (understand, understands) the four cycles of sleep.
8. Most of the research (focus, focuses) on the cycle known as rapid eye movement, or REM.
9. None of last night’s dream (is, are) clear to me.
10. Many of our dreams at night (is, are) about that day’s events. (224)

Exercise 7. Identifying Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects

Identify the verb form in parentheses that agrees with its subject.
EXAMPLE 1. The flying object shown on the next page probably (look, looks) familiar to you. 1.
looks
1. Many people throughout the world (claims, claim) to have seen objects like this.
2. However, no one (know, knows) for sure what they are.
3. They (resembles, resemble) huge plates or saucers.
4. Not surprisingly, people (call, calls) them flying saucers.
5. Since 1947,they (has, have) been officially called unidentified flying objects, or UFOs.
6. The U.S.government (has, have) investigated many unusual UFO sightings.
7. The U.S.Air Force (was, were) responsible for conducting these investigations.
8. Government records (shows, show) that more than twelve thousand sightings were reported
between 1948 and 1969.
9. Most reported sightings (has, have) turned out to be fakes, but others remain unexplained.
10. None of the official reports positively (proves, prove) that UFOs come from outer space.
(224)
Exercise 8. Identifying Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects
Identify the correct form of the verb in parentheses. If you choose a singular verb with any of
these compound subjects, be prepared to explain why.

EXAMPLE 1. Chris and her sister (is, are) in the school band. 1. are
1. (Is, Are) the brown bear and the polar bear related?
2. Wind and water (erodes, erode) valuable farmland throughout the United States.
3. My guide and companion in Bolivia (was, were) Pilar.
4. New words and new meanings for old words (is, are) included in a good dictionary.
5. Mrs.Chang and her daughter (rents, rent) an apartment.
6. Iron and calcium (needs, need) to be included in a good diet.
7. Mr.Marley and his class (has, have) painted a wall-size map.
8. A horse and buggy (was, were) once a common way to travel.
9. Tornadoes and hurricanes (is, are) dangerous storms.
10. Fruit and cheese (tastes, taste) good together. (226)

Exercise 9. Identifying Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects

Identify the correct form of the verb in parentheses in each of the following sentences. Be
prepared to explain the reason for your choice.

EXAMPLE 1. The club president or the officers (meets, meet) regularly with the sponsors. 1.
Meet
1. Neither pens nor pencils (is, are) needed to mark the ballots.
2. Either my aunt or my uncle (is, are) going to drive us.
3. That table or this chair (was, were) made by hand in Portugal.
4. (Has, Have) the sandwiches or other refreshments been served yet?
5. Index cards or a small tablet (is, are) handy for taking notes.
6. Neither that clock nor my wristwatch (shows, show) the correct time.
7. One boy or girl (takes, take) the part of the narrator.
8. During our last visit to Jamaica, a map or a guidebook (was, were) my constant companion.
9. The dentist or her assistant (checks, check) my braces.
10. Either Japanese poetry or Inuit myths (is, are) going to be the focus of my report.
(227)

Exercise 10. Proofreading for Subject-Verb Agreement

Identify each verb that does not agree with its subject in the following sentences. Then, write
the correct form of each verb.
EXAMPLE 1. The players in the photograph on the next page is competing in the most popular
sport in the world— soccer. 1. is—are
1.One expert in the field of sports have described soccer as the world’s favorite type of football.
2. Some sports writers has estimated that there are over thirty million registered soccer players
around the globe.
3. Youth leagues and coaching clinics has helped make amateur soccer the fastest-growing team
sport in the United States.
4. In Dallas, Texas, neither baseball nor American football attract as many young players as
soccer does.
5. Also, more colleges now has varsity soccer teams than have football teams.
6. This increase in soccer fans are a trend that started in 1967, when professional teams began
playing in the United States.
7. Additional interest were generated when the U.S.Youth Soccer Association was formed.
8. Both males and females enjoys playing this sport.
9. In fact, by the 1980s,many of the soccer teams in the country was women’s teams.
10. In the past, professional soccer were more popular abroad, but the United States hosted the
World Cup in 1994. (p.228)

Collective nouns Exercise 11. Identifying Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects
Identify the subject in each of the following sentences. Then, write the correct form of the
verb in parentheses.
EXAMPLE 1. That flock of geese (migrates, migrate) each year. 1. flock—migrates
1. There (is, are) at least two solutions to this complicated Chinese puzzle.
2. The soccer team (was, were) all getting on different buses.
3. (Is, Are) both of your parents from Korea?
4. Here (comes, come) the six members of the prom decorations committee.
5. Here (is, are) some apples and bananas for the picnic basket.
6. There (is, are) neither time nor money for that project.
7. (Here’s, Here are) the social studies notes I took.
8. At the press conference, there (was, were) several candidates for mayor and two for governor.
9. The family (has, have) invited us over for a dinner to celebrate Grandma’s promotion.
10. Here (is, are) some masks carved by the Haida people. (p.230)

Exercise 12. Identifying Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects
Identify the correct form of the verb in parentheses in each of the following sentences.
EXAMPLE 1. Three inches in height (is, are) a great deal to grow in one year. 1. is
1. The Friends (is, are) a book about a girl from the West Indies and a girl from Harlem.
2. Two cups of broth (seems, seem) right for that recipe.
3. Fifteen feet (was, were) the length of the winning long jump.
4. Navarro and Company (is, are) selling those jackets.
5. The National Council of Teachers of English (is, are) holding its convention in our city this
year. 6. Physics (is, are) the study of matter and energy.
7. Three hours of practice (is, are) not unusual for the band.
8. Arctic Dreams (was, were) written by Barry Lopez.
9. Two weeks of preparation (has, have) been enough.
10. A dollar and a half (is, are) the cost of a subway ride. (p.232)

Exercise 13. Identifying Verbs That Agree in Number with Their Subjects
Write the verb form in parentheses that agrees with its subject.
EXAMPLE 1. Wheelchairs with lifts (help, helps) many people. 1. help
1. Twenty-five cents (is,are ) not enough to buy the Sunday newspaper.
2. Everyone in her family (prefers, prefer) to drink water.
3. Allen and his parents (enjoy, enjoys) basketball.
4. Jan (don’t, doesn’t) know the rules of volleyball.
5. Neither the radio nor the speakers (work, works ) as well as we had hoped.
6. There (is, are) 132 islands in the state of Hawaii.
7. Many California place names (comes, come) from Spanish.
8. The principal or her assistant (is, are ) the one who can help you.
9. Home economics (is, are ) a required course in many schools.
10. A flock of sheep (was, were) grazing on the hill. (p. 233)

Exercise 14. Proofreading for Subject-Verb Agreement

Most of the following sentences contain errors in subject-verb agreement. If a verb does not
agree with its subject, write the correct form of the verb. If a sentence is already correct, write
C.
EXAMPLE 1. The two pictures below shows Vera Wang and one of her dress designs. 1. show

1. There is few names in fashion today as recognizable as Vera Wang.

2. Perhaps Ralph Lauren or Vogue are more familiar to you?
3. Well, Vera Wang has worked as a design director for Ralph Lauren and as a senior fashion
editor for Vogue magazine.
4. Now, Wang run a company famous for its bridal gowns.
5. Retailers and the fashion press routinely praises Wang’s innovative bridal offerings.
6. She don’t just make one kind of dress, though.
7. Some of her designs has been seen at the Olympic games.
8. A former figure skater herself, Wang creates dazzling costumes for some of skating’s biggest
stars.
9. Skaters such as Michelle Kwan has performed in outfits Wang designed.
10. Vera Wang’s diverse collection also include jewellery, shoes, and fragrances. (p.234)

Exercise 15.Using Pronouns in Sentences

For each of the following sentences, write a pronoun or a pair of pronouns that will correctly
complete the sentence.
EXAMPLE 1. David or Martin will show slides. 1. his
1. A writer should proofread _______work carefully.
2. One of the boys had finished _______homework.
3. No, Joyce has not given me _______answer.
4. The store sent Paula and Eric the posters that ________had ordered.
5. Mark or Hector will arrive early so that ________can help us.
6. Everyone will read one of ________poems aloud.
7. One of the students raised ______hand.
8. ___________of the tennis rackets were damaged by the water leak.
9. The hamsters had eaten none of _________food.
10. Each of the dogs ate the scraps that we gave _________.
11. The principal and the Spanish teacher announced ______plans for the Cinco de Mayo fiesta.
12. All of the bowling pins were on ___________sides.
13. The movie made sense to ________of the audience members.
14. Everyone in my class has __________own writer’s journal.
15. Neither recalled the name of ________first-grade teacher.
16. __________ of the players, Sharon and P.J., agreed that the game was a draw.
17. Ms.Levine said _________was proud of the students.
18. Frank had tried on all of the hats before _______chose one.
19. Anyone may join if _________collects stamps.
20. Either Vanessa or Marilyn was honored for __________design. (p.237)

Exercise 16. Choosing Pronouns That Agree with Their Antecedents

Choose the correct word or words in parentheses in the following sentences.
EXAMPLE 1. Even a trio can have a big sound if (it, they) can arrange the score properly. 1. it
1. They are asking two hundred dollars, but (it, they) should be a lower price because there is no
chair with the desk.
2. Darla, The Hero and the Crown has been checked out; however,(it, they) should be back next
Wednesday.
3. If the high school band doesn’t show up soon,(it, they) won’t lead the parade.
4. These plans call for ten feet of African ebony, and although (it, they) would look great, I have
no idea where we could even find ebony.
5. Seven points may not seem like much, but in jai alai,(it, they) can be enough to decide the
game.
6. The cavalry unit took up (its, their) position on the hill.
7. “Sixteen Tons”has always been one of my favorite songs, and (it, they) always will be.
8. Six of the sales teams exceeded (its, their) goals.
9. Will the board of directors alter (its, their) decision?
10. Try Harper Brothers Appliances first; if (it, they) happens to be closed, go up the street to
Smith’s Hardware. (p.239)

Exercise 17. Proofreading Sentences for Correct Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Most of the following sentences contain errors in pronoun antecedent agreement.
Identify each error, and write the correct pronoun or pronouns. If a sentence is already
correct, write C.
EXAMPLE 1. At the meeting, each member of the Small Business Council spoke about their
concerns. 1. their—his or her
1. Everybody had a chance to express their opinion about the new shopping mall.
2. Mrs.Gomez and Mr.Franklin are happy about his or her new business locations at the mall.
3. Both said that his or her profits have increased significantly.
4. Neither Mr.Chen nor Mr.Cooper, however, feels that his or her customers can find convenient
parking.
5. Anyone shopping at the mall has to park their car too far from the main shopping area.
6. Several members of the council said that the mall has taken away many of their customers.
7. One of the women on the council then presented their idea about creating a farmers’market
on weekends.
8. Many members said he or she favored the plan, and a proposal was discussed.
9. Each farmer could have their own spot near the town hall.
10. The Small Business Council then agreed to take their proposal to the mayor. (p.238)

Exercise 18. Writing Sentences That Demonstrate Correct Subject-Verb and Pronoun
Antecedent Agreement
Using the following words or word groups as subjects, write twenty sentences. In each
sentence, underline the verb that agrees with the subject. Then, underline twice any pronoun
that agrees with the subject.
EXAMPLE 1. all of the players
1. All of the players were tired; they had had a long practice.
1. both Jed and Bob 11. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
2. none of the puppies
3. Los Angeles 12. the football team
4. fifty cents 13. each of the chairs
5. Anne of Green Gables 14. athletics
6. news 15. the Masters tournament
7. either the teacher or the students 16. few armadillos 17. most of the apple
8. the litter of kittens 18. several days
9. neither Nancy nor Tim 19. any of the orange juice
10. everyone 20. none of the pizza (p. 240)

A. Determining Subject and Verb Agreement

Identify the correct form of the verb given in parentheses in each of the following sentences.
Base your answers on the rules of standard, formal usage.
1. Elephants (has, have) worked with people for centuries.
2. A blue vase (is, are) the only thing on the shelf.
3. (Doesn’t, Don’t) Midori come here every afternoon?
4. The exhibit of drawings by John James Audubon (was, were ) fascinating, don’t you think?
5. Civics (was, were) only one of the classes that challenged me.
6. Since Mom repaired them, both of the radios (work, works).
7. Everyone (calls, call) Latisha by her nickname, Tish.
8. Fifty cents (was, were) a lot of money in 1910!
9. Ms.Sakata’s former neighbor and best friend, Ms.Chang, (writes, write) poetry.
10. (Is, Are) there any other blacksmiths in town?
11. I’m sorry, but somebody (has, have) checked out that book.
12. (Was, Were) the geese in the cornfield again?
13. All of the shells in my collection (was, were) displayed.
14. Neither Cindy nor her cousins (knows, know) how to sew.
15. Outside the back door (is, are) a few of your friends.
16. My brother and my uncles (plays, play) rugby.
17. The Netherlands (has, have) a coastline on the North Sea.
18. Here (is, are) several subjects for you to consider.
19. The team (has, have) all received their jerseys and hats.
20. Some of Ernest Hemingway’s writings (was, were) autobiographical.
21. This news (was, were) just what Barb wanted to hear.
22. Giants of Jazz (is, are) an interesting book.
23. Everyone (is, are) expected to attend.
24. Most of our reading (was, were) done on weekends.
25. Either Gordon or Ruben (knows, know) the right answer. (p. 241)

B. Determining Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement

If the italicized pronoun in each of the following sentences does not agree with its
antecedent, write the correct form of the pronoun. If the pronoun does agree with its
antecedent, write C. Base your answers on the rules of standard, formal usage.
26. Everyone put their suitcases on the bus.
27. Either Marcia or Christina will bring her serving platter to the dinner party.
28. Both Sarah and Sue agreed with her counselor.
29. Several of my friends do his or her homework after school.
30. One of the boys used their bat in the game.
31. My grandfather’s favorite television show is The Honeymooners. He watches them every
night on cable.
32. All of the horses received its vaccinations.
33. Either Maria or Louise will receive their award today.
34. Everybody should know their ZIP Code.
35. Each student in the class has given their report on an African American folk tale.
36. Every one of the dogs obeyed its owner.
37. I found twenty dollars in my sock drawer. Do you think I should spend them on Christmas
presents? 38. Will either Hector or Tony read his paper aloud?
39. Not one of the students had finished their science project on time this semester.
40. After Celia finished her solo, the audience roared their approval for five minutes. (p. 241)

True-False Questions
1. A subject must agree with its verb in number. Number means singular or plural.
2. A plural subject names one person, place, thing, or idea.
3. A singular subject names more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
4. In English, the plural of most nouns is formed by adding -s or -es to the singular form.
5. Pronouns do not have singular and plural forms.
6. Verbs also show singular and plural forms.
7. The form of the verb changes only in the third-person singular form.
8. A plural subject must have a singular verb. A singular subject must have a plural verb.
9. Two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor must have a singular verb.
10. Subjects that are singular in meaning but plural in form require a singular verb.
11. Plural subjects that function as a single unit take a plural verb.
12. Titles are always singular.
13. Two or more plural subjects joined by or or nor must have a plural verb.
14. A compound subject joined by and is singular and must have a singular verb.
15. If two or more singular and plural subjects are joined by or or nor, always use a plural verb.
16. A collective noun names a group of people or things.
17. Collective nouns are always plural, no matter how they are used in a sentence.
18. Indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural, depending on how they are used in a
sentence.
19. Indefinite pronouns include words such as everyone, someone, all, and more.
20. When you are determining agreement, disregard words or phrases that come between the
subject and the verb.
21. A pronoun agrees (or matches) with its antecedent in number and person, but not gender.
22. Use a singular personal pronoun with a singular indefinite pronoun.
23. In general, use a plural pronoun when the antecedents are joined by and. This is not true if
the antecedents are singular.
24. Antecedents joined by or, nor, or correlative conjunctions such as either . . . or, neither . . .
noragree with the antecedent closer to the pronoun.
25. Agreement makes sentences sound smooth and logical.
26. The noun car is singular, but cars is plural.
27. The noun tomatoes is singular, but tomato is plural.
28. The noun women is singular, but woman is plural.
29. The pronoun I is singular, but we is plural.
30. The verb stands is singular, but stand is plural.
31. The verb are is singular, but is is plural.
32. The verb was eating is singular, but were eating is plural.
33. The verb were is singular, but was is plural.
34. The verb grows is singular, but grow is plural.
35. The verb phrase have been watching is singular, but has been watching is plural.

Completion Questions
Select the word that best completes each sentence.
1. The pop you get when you crack your knuckles (are, is) actually a bubble of gas bursting.
2. Polar bears (is, are) left-handed.
3. The name of all the continents (ends, end) with the same letter that they start with.
4. No president of the United States (were, was) an only child.
5. Everyone (are, is) entitled to my opinion.
6. Here is some good advice: Don’t sneeze when someone (is, are) cutting your hair.
7. If a man (are, is) wearing a striped suit, it’s against the law to throw a knife at him in Natoma,
Kansas.
8. In 1659, Massachusetts (mades, made) Christmas illegal.
9. Unless you have a doctor’s note, it (are, is) illegal to buy ice cream after 6 P.M. in Newark,
New Jersey.
10. It is a misdemeanor to show movies that (depicts, depict) acts of felonious crime in Montana.
11. I (drives, drive) way too fast to worry about cholesterol.
12. If Barbie (are, is) so popular, why do you have to (buys, buy) her friends?
13. Many people (quits, quit) looking for work when they find a job.
14. A Rolling Stone (play, plays) the guitar.
15. It’s always darkest just before I (open, opens) my eyes.
16. The squeaking wheel (get, gets) annoying.
17. A journey of a thousand miles (begin, begins) with a blister.
18. Don’t count your chickens—it (take, takes) too long.
19. Donald Duck comics (was, were) banned from Finland because he doesn’t wear pants.
20. Kemo Sabe (mean, means) “soggy shrub” in Navajo.
21. All porcupines (floats, float) in water.
22. The only nation whose name (begins, begin) with an A but doesn’t end in an A is
Afghanistan.
23. Emus cannot (walks, walk) backwards.
24. Most Americans’ car horns (beep, beeps) in the key of “F.”
25. No word in the English language (rhymes, rhyme) with month.

Exercise 2. Correct all errors in agreement in the following paragraphs.

A. Two people left a 15-mile-long trail of doughnuts after they tooks a doughnut lorry from a
car park and fled, police said Thursday. The truck were parked at a convenience store with its
rear doors open and its engine running while a deliveryman carried doughnuts inside, said a
Slidell police spokesman. Two suspects hopped in the lorry and sped off to the nearby town of
Lacombe, with doughnuts spilling out along the way, he said. They abandoned the truck when
they was spotted by police responding to reports of a dangerous driver who were losing his
doughnuts. A passenger were captured, but the driver, whose name were not released, ran
away. Their motive for taking the truck filled with doughnuts were unclear. “I don’t know if it
were a need for transportation or if they just had the munchies,” the police said.

B. A wife are complaining about her husband spending all his time at the local tavern, so one
night he take her along with him. “What’ll ya have?” he ask. “Oh, I don’t know. The same as
you, I suppose,” she reply. So the husband order a couple of Jack Daniels and gulp his down in
one go. His wife watch him, then take a sip from her glass and immediately spit it out. “Yuck, it
tastes awful, worse than awful!” she splutter. “I don’t know how you can drink this stuff !”
“Well, there you goes,” cry the husband. “And you thinks I’m out enjoying myself every night!”

Multiple-Choice Questions
Choose the best answer to each question.
1. The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, “Salem-Feeling Free,”__________ translated into
the Japanese market as “When smoking Salem, you will feel so refreshed that your mind
_________to be free and empty.”
(a) Was, seems (b) Was, seem (c) Were, seem (d) Were, seems
2. Frank Perdue’s chicken slogan, “It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken,”
__________translated into Spanish as “It ___________an aroused man to make a chicken
affectionate.”
(a) Were, takes (b) Were, take (c) Was, takes (d) Was, take
3. I had a linguistics professor who said that it’s man’s ability to use language that
_____________him the dominant species on the planet. That may be. But I think there’s one
other thing that ___________us from animals. We aren’t afraid of vacuum cleaners. —Jeff Stilson
(a) Make, separate (b) Make, separates (c) Makes, separate (d) Makes, separates
4. According to the national average: Once someone _________an elevator button, 58 seconds
will pass before they will it __________again. In New York, it’s 11 seconds.
(a) Push, push (b) Push, pushes (c) Pushes, push (d) Pushes, pushes
5. If police arrest a mime, do they ________him he __________the right to remain silent?
(a) Tell, have (b) Tell, has (c) Tells, has (d) Tells, have
6. I’ve learned that it _________years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy_______ .
(a) Takes, them (b) Takes, it (c) Take, them (d) Take, it
7. I’ve learned that either you_________ your attitude or it _________you.
(a) Control, controls (b) Control, control (c) Controls, control (d) Controls, controls
8. I’ve learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we
__________, but we are responsible for who we .
(a) Is, become (b) Is, becomes (c) Are, becomes (d) Are, become
9. I’ve learned that credentials on the wall do not ____________you a decent human being.
(a) Made (b) Makes (c) Make (d) Making
10. Up to 3,000 species of trees ________been cataloged in one square mile of the Amazon
jungle.
(a) Is (b) Was (c) Has (d) Have