y School Academy of St.

Joseph Quarter Third

Teacher Anabelle B. Labii Week 5-6
Grade Level and Learning Area Grade 8 - English Number of Days 10

Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs):

 Review subject and verb agreement

MODULE 11
SUBJECT -VERB AGREEMENT
Intro:
The most glaring errors that destroy the effectiveness of a sentence are grammatical errors due to carelessness or ignorance. To avoid
these, learn to be critical of your own work. Develop the habit of listening to yourself as you talk. In this way, you will never rush
headlong into errors. Whatever you do, do it well. Avoid having the “it’s-good-enough attitude,” as this attitude hardly ever leads to
success. The habit of conscientiously trying and reaching for self-improvement is fruitful.
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SUBJECT - VERB AGREEMENT RULES
Note: In the following examples, the agreeing subject is underlined and the verb is in bold.
A. The Predicate Agrees with the subject.
1. The subject agrees with the verb in person and number.
Singular Subject = Singular Verb
Plural Subject = Plural Verb
Example:
a. I like the story
b. Evelyn likes it too.

2. The subject agrees with verb regardless of intervening words. Whenever there is a phrase or a clause modifying the
subject, look past these words to the real subject and make the verb agree with it.
Example:
a. The pink and red flowers in the tall vase have wilted.
*the pink and red is an adjective clause that describes flowers
b. The old table that my parents gave us needs a coat of paint.
*old is an adjective that describes table
c. The back wheels of the car you borrowed are wobbling.
*back is an adjective that describes the subject wheels

3. Collective nouns can either be singular or plural depending upon their meaning in individual sentences. Some of this are
the following:
Club company government family
Jury team army group
Class troupe pack crowd
If we refer to the group as a whole and, therefore, as a single unit, we consider the noun singular.  In this case, we use a
singular verb. 
Example:
a. The class practices self-denial.
*class refers to a single unit so the verb takes the singular form.
b. The club is meeting today
*class refers to a single unit so the verb takes the singular form.
If, on the other hand, we are actually referring to the individuals within the group, then we consider the noun plural.  In
this case, we use a plural verb.
Example:
c. The crowd are doing different things.
*crowd refers to an individual group so the verb takes the plural form of the verb.
d. The couple are separating this week.
*each member of the couple is considered separately so the subject refers to two people that makes the verb plural
Of course group nouns, like other nouns, can also appear in plural forms (with an s). When used in the plural form,
group nouns mean MORE THAN ONE GROUP.  Thus, it uses a plural verb.
Example:
e. The clubs are having a meeting today.
*Clubs refers to more than one group, thus the verb takes the plural form of the verb
4. The verb must be singular when one of the following words is the subject: each, either, neither, everyone, any, anyone,
someone, everybody, anybody, and somebody.
Examples:
a. Each has a sacred duty to perform.
b. Neither of Bharat’s arguments convinces Rama.

5. In a compound subject, one of whose members is singular and the other plural, the verb agrees with the subject closer to
it.
Examples:
a. Either his friends or his father is with him.
b. Either his father or his friends are with him.

6. In a compound subject, one negative, one positive, the verb agrees with the positive member

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Examples:
a. You, not I, are to blame.
*”You” and I are both subject but I expresses negative thus the verb agrees with You, You ALWAYS takes the plural form of the verb.
b. I not you, am to blame
*”I and you” are both subject but you is negative thus the verb agrees with I. I is singular thus the verb must be singular.

7. The verb agrees with the subject and not with the predicate noun
Example:
a. My desire is peace. Desire is singular thus the predicate must also be singular.
*peace is a predicate noun since it tells you what my desire is
b. The main object of the Nazi offensive in the summer of 1942 was the oil fields of Baku.
* “the oil fields of Baku” is a predicate noun that tells the main object. Object is singular thus the predicate must also be singular.

8. Two nouns referring to the same person take o singular verb.

Example:
a. Mita's cousin and classmate is here.
b. My confidant and my adviser is my mother.

9. Few, several, and many take plural verbs when used as pronouns.
Examples:
a. Few are willing to leave Rama.
b. Several have consented to follow him

10. Sums of money, mathematical equations, and units of measurement take singular verbs
Examples:
a. Three hundred pesos is enough
b. Two kilometers is not too for six plus three equals nine.
11. Fractions take singular verbs. But if the fraction is followed by an of-phrase, the number of the verb depends on whether the
noun in the of-phrase is singular or plural.
Examples:
a. Three-fourths is a fraction of one.
*Three-fourths is not followed by an of-phrase thus it takes the singular verb.
b. Three-fourths of the jackfruit is enough.
*Three-fourths is followed by the of phrase “of the jackfruit”. Jackfruit is the noun in the of- phrase which is singular, thus the verb is also
singular.
c. Three-fourths of the mangoes are rotten
*Three-fourths is followed by the of phrase “of the mangoes”. Mangoes is the noun in the of- phrase which is plural, thus the verb is also
plural.
12. All takes a plural verb when it refers to concrete nouns; all takes a singular verb when it refers to abstract nouns.
Note: Abstract nouns refer to an idea or concept that does not exist in the real world and cannot be touched, like
freedom, sadness and permission. While Concrete nouns refer to physical object in the real world and can be perceive by our
five senses; examples are tables, chairs, strawberry.

Examples:
a. All of the brothers of Rama were loyal to him.
*the brothers of Rama is a concrete noun thus the verb must be plural.
b. All my hope was lost.
*hope is an abstract noun thus the verb must be singular.

B. The Verb Agrees with Special Nouns

1. The words listed below are mass nouns. They are always singular and cannot be preceded by the phrase a number of.
They refer to things difficult to count. Master them.

advice mail (letters) graft

chalk paper (unused) ammunition
clothing homework soap
blood money help (noun)
Examples:
a. My homework gives me a hard time.
b. A bit of soap is on the table.

When a noun listed above is preceded by pieces of, kinds of, types of, etc., it is followed by a plural verb
Examples:
a. Various kinds of clothing are sold at that store.
*clothing is preceded by kinds of thus the verb must be plural.
b. Many pieces of chalk are in the box.
*chalk is preceded by pieces of thus the verb must be plural.

2. Some nouns change their meaning with a change in form. These nouns are commonly used in the singular and they carry a
special meaning when used in the plural.
Examples:
a. advice (counsel)
e.g. Go to her for advice.
advices (orders, news, instructions)

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 e.g. We received early advices from abroad.
b. candy (general use)
e.g. Here is some candy.
candies (different kinds)
e.g. This box contains assorted candies.
c. cloth (fabric)
e.g. This cloth is lovely.
clothes (finished garment)
e.g. Put away these clothes.
d. fish (general use)
e.g. She bought some fish.
fishes (different specimens)
e.g. They displayed different fishes.
e. food (general use)
e.g. There was so much food.
foods (different specimens)
e.g. Here are a variety of foods.
f. fruit (general use)
e.g. This store sells fruit.
fruits (different specimens)
e.g. She studies different kinds of fruits.
g. hair (entire growth on one's head)
e.g. What a lovely hair!
hairs (strands of hair)
e.g. My mother has one or two grey hairs.
h. glass (for drinking)
e.g. Give her a glass.
glasses (spectacles).
e.g. I lost my glasses.
i. grass (general use)
e.g. Step on the grass.
grasses (different specimens)
e.g. These are sample of different grasses.
j. instruction (teaching)
e.g. The instruction here is excellent.
instructions (orders, regulations)
e.g. All students have to follow instructions.
k. lace (general use)
e.g.Put more lace on her dress.
laces (different specimens)
e.g. She can weave different laces.
l. land (isolated portion of the earth's surface.)
e.g. We must cultivate all idle land.
lands (different nations or countries)
e.g. Shall we visit foreign lands?
m. paper (material for writing or printing)
e.g. Give her some paper.
papers (documents)
e.g. These papers are legal.
n. people (general use)
e.g. People are generally good.
peoples (different races or nations)
0. pottery (industry)
e.g. Pottery is profitable.
potteries (wares fashioned out of clay)
e.g. These are expensive potteries.
p. property (possession, real state)
e.g. The family has much property.
properties (materials used on the stage; props)
e.g. Be careful of stage properties.
q. sand (the whole stretch of sand)
e.g. The sand is warm.
sands (individual grains)
e.g. The sands of time have run low.
r. wood (lumber)
e.g. We need some wood.
woods (forest)
e.g. They went hunting in the woods.
s. work (product of human labor)
e.g. He has a lot of work to do.
works (all products; duties or ceremonials; a place where industrial labor is carried on as in iron works or public works)
e.g. The works of Juan Luna are famous. She is noted for her good works.

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3. Nouns ending in s but singular in meaning use singular verbs.
Examples:
Acoustics Measle Civics
Economics News Mumps
Ethics Phonetics Athletics
Linguistics Physics
Mathematics Statistics
a. Measles is contagious.
b. Economics is an interesting subject.
c. Mumps disfigures the face.
d. Physics is her favorite subject.

4. Nouns always used in the plural use plural verbs.

Examples:
glasses (spectacles) oats goods
riches scissors socks
thanks tongs pliers
shoes slacks refreshment
proceeds ashes clippers
trousers remains (a corpse) pants
a. The goods are being inventoried.
b. His pants are too tight.
c. Lita's shoes are comfortable.
5. With nouns always singular in form but either singular or plural in meaning, the verb agrees with the meaning intended.
Examples:
deer salmon shape swine trout

a. Fifty sheep are grazing in the meadow.

*Sheep is preceded by the word fifty thus making it plural, so the verb must also be plural.
b. A sheep is grazing in the meadow.
*sheep is preceded by the word a which signifies singular, so the verb must also be singular.
c. Five deer are drinking in the brook.
*deer is preceded by five thus making it plural, so the verb must also be plural.
d. One deer, the largest, leads the rest.
*deer is preceded by one which is singular, thus the verb must also be singular.

6. Nouns that express abstract ideas are usually singular in form. They require a singular verb.
Examples:
Poverty Happiness Luck Pity
Courage Laughter Wealth Presence
Education Hatred Merriment Presence
Fun Honesty Piety Sadness

a. Courage was what Sita needed.

b. Rama’s presence was not necessary.
c. Pity springs naturally in a brother’s heart.
d. There is merriment at the wedding celebration.

English 8
ACTIVITY WORKSHEET
(Quarter 3: Week 5-6)

Name: Section:
TASK 1: Choose the correct verb from the parenthesis. Write your answers on the space provided before the
number.
__________________ 1. India, as well as the Philippines, still (have, has) aboriginal tribes.
__________________ 2. All the adolescents (live, lives) in dormitories.
__________________ 3. All (have, has) supervisors to look after them.
__________________ 4. The unmarried young people (gather, gathers) in these dormitories.
__________________ 5. They (hold, holds) parties.
__________________ 6. This merrymaking (last, lasts) far into the night.
__________________ 7. Wine (ploy, plays) an important part in these celebrations.
__________________ 8. There (are, is) singing and dancing.
__________________ 9. The songs and dances (are, is) traditional.
__________________ 10. The manner of singing and dancing (are, is) also traditional.

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__________________ 11. Neither Luis nor his friends (is, are) here.
__________________ 12. (Is, Are) either Joey or your friends coming?
__________________ 13. Either the boys or the girls (is, are) mistaken.
__________________ 14. Neither his shoes nor my shift (fit, fits) Gene.
__________________ 15. My cousin and my friend (is, are) in the box.
__________________ 16. The pen and pencil (is , are) in the box.
__________________ 17. Each of his friends (bring, brings) a present.
__________________ 18. Ten pesos (was, were) our contribution.
__________________ 19. Three meters of cloth (is, are) what we need.
__________________ 20. The class (feel, feels) that you are unreasonable.

Task 2: Identify the verb in the following sentences by underlining it. Then tell whether it is a PLURAL or
SINGULAR, write your answers on the space provided before the number.

1. Every one of those book is fiction.

2. Nobody knows the trouble I've seen.

3.  Is the news on at five or six?

4. Mathematics is John's favorite subject.

5. Eight dollars is the price of a movie these days.

6. Are the tweezers in this drawer?

7. Your pants are at the cleaner's.

8. There were fifteen candies in that bag. Now there is only one left!

9. The committee debates these questions carefully.

10. The committee members lead very different lives in private.

11. The Prime Minister, together with his wife, greets the press cordially.

12. Either my mother or my father is coming to the meeting.

13. One of my sisters is going on a trip to France.

14. The players, as well as the captain, want to win.

15. The man with all the birds lives on my street.

PERFORMANCE TASK
THIRD QUARTER

Writing is one of the most powerful modes self-expression, and it is also an incredibly effective way to help you
sort out all of your thoughts and feelings. Best of all, it also doubles as extra critical thinking practice and gives you an
additional opportunity to practice your writing skills.

Applying the rules of subject-verb agreement, your task is to choose one of the given topics below and write a 200
to 300 words essay about it.

Option 1: A person or activity that makes you feel inspired

Option 2: The best way for schools to prevent bullying
Option 3: The best thing about getting older

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 Remember that an essay has Three (3) important parts: introduction, body and conclusion.

Your essay can be written or encoded in a Short Wor-X and be filed in short folder upon submission. Creativity is
not necessary in your outputs. Your output will be graded based on the criteria below.

CRITERIA

Focus and Details - 20%

Organization - 10%
Grammar and Mechanics - 40%
Content - 20%
Neatness - 10%
Total - 100%

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