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SVA Lesson

The document discusses rules for subject-verb agreement in sentences. It defines subject-verb agreement and provides 15 rules for determining if a verb should be singular or plural to match its subject. Some key rules are that verbs must match the number of their subjects, compound subjects joined by "and" take plural verbs, and collective nouns can take either a singular or plural verb depending on if the subject is thought of as a unit or separate individuals. Examples are provided for each rule.

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Jarwin Marco Maravilla
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401 views29 pages

SVA Lesson

The document discusses rules for subject-verb agreement in sentences. It defines subject-verb agreement and provides 15 rules for determining if a verb should be singular or plural to match its subject. Some key rules are that verbs must match the number of their subjects, compound subjects joined by "and" take plural verbs, and collective nouns can take either a singular or plural verb depending on if the subject is thought of as a unit or separate individuals. Examples are provided for each rule.

Uploaded by

Jarwin Marco Maravilla
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Rules in Subject

Verb Agreement

Definition
Subject-Verb Agreement refers to
the relationship between the verb
and its subject.

Every clause or sentence must


agree in number and person with
its subject.

Verb must be singular if its


subject is singular; verb must be
plural if its subject is plural.

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Prerequisite Knowledge:
Singular Verbs

Plural Verbs

am
is
was
has
does
s form

are
were
have
do
base form

The general rule is that singular


subjects require singular verbs
and plural subjects require plural
verbs.
Examples:
Robinhood steals from the rich and
helps the poor.
The books are on the table.

The pronouns I and you take a


plural verb.
Examples:
You are not alone.
I sympathize with the prosecutor
who covered his ears.

Exception:
I is used with am in the present
tense and with was in the past
tense.
Examples:
I am the leader of the group.
I was surprised when she walked
out of the room.

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 1 : Intervening Expressions do
not
affect the number of the
verb.
Example:
Jose Rizal, like the other heroes, is brave.
Simple
Subject

Intervening
Expressions

Verb

Jose Rizal

like the
other heroes

is

Examples:
The teachers, as well as the
students, learn in the classroom.
Noynoy, not Mar, is the leader of
the government.

Lets Practice!
1. Tandang Sora, together with some neighbors,
(was, were) a great help in the fight for
freedom.
2. Teodora Alonzo, many Filipinos say, (was, were)
an ideal mother.
3. The Spaniards, as well as the prisoners, (was,
were) searching the room.
4. Gabriela Silang, along with other brave
women, (has, have) a place in our hearts.
5. Our heroes, including Gregoria De Jesus, (is,
are) courageous.

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 2 : Compound subjects joined
by and
take the plural verb.
Example:
Ninoy Aquino and his wife were not afraid
to speak for their rights and the rights of
others.
Compound
Subject

Connector

Verb

Ninoy
Aquino
his wife

and

were

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 3 : Compound subjects
connected by and BUT preceded
by each, every,
or no require
a singular verb.
Examples:
1. Each boy and girl was given a medal.
2. Every grade five and grade six pupil is
required to join the parade.

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 4 : When a compound subject is
joined by or or nor the verb
agrees with the nearer subject.
Examples:
1. Either Elisa or her friends are coming.
2. Either his friends or Carlo is coming.

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 5 : When the special pronoun
I is one of the two subjects
connected by either/or or neither/nor,
put it second and follow it with the
singular verb am
Examples:
1. Neither she nor I am going to the festival.
2. Either him or I am in charge of the
program.

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 6: When either and neither
are subjects, they always take
singular verbs.
Examples:
1. Neither of them is available to speak
right now.
2. Either of us is capable of doing the job.

When compound subjects connected


by AND are modified by the words
each, every, no or many a, the
verb is singular.
Examples:
Each officer and member is
expected to help.
Many a boy and girl has volunteered
to help.

In compound subjects connected by


or or nor, the verb agrees with the
nearer subject part.
Examples:
Either the players or the coach is
welcome to attend the planning
session.
Neither the book nor the papers
were found.

REMEMBER:
Sometimes, sentence might be
grammatically correct but
awkward.
Examples:
Awkward: Either he or I am the
first.
Better: Either he is the first or I
am.

Lets Practice!
1. The pupils and teachers (is, are)
participating in the activities.
2. Men and women (has, have) something
in common.
3. Either Marissa or Melissa (is, are)
coming.
4. Every Filipinos and Americans (is, are)
included with the policy.
5. Adam and Eve (was, were) deceived by
the snake.

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 7 : A collective noun takes a
singular verb if the idea expressed by
the subject is thought of as a unit; it
takes a plural verb when the idea refers
to separate individuals.
Examples:
1. The class has prepared a program.
(Meaning to say that the whole class prepared the
program.)

2. The class have given different


suggestions.
(Meaning that the class is not taken as a whole but
it refers to the members of the class, separately or

Thestaffisin a meeting.
Stafis acting as a unit here.
Thestaffarein disagreement about the
results.
The stafare acting as separate individuals
in this example.
The sentence would read even better as:
The stafmembersarein disagreement
about the findings.

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 8 : The Indefinite Pronouns in
Group A require singular verb while
indefinite pronouns in Group B use
plural verb.

anyone; no one
anybody; nobody
everyone;
everybody
someone;
somebody
Examples:
1. Everybody is welcome.
2. Most are here already.

most
all
many
a few

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 9 : Some nouns that are plural in
form but singular in meaning take
singular verbs.
Rule # 10 : Some nouns are considered
plural and
require plural verbs.
Plural in Form but
Plural in Form
Singular in Meaning
and Require
Plural Verbs
news, measles,
tongs, pants,
appendicitis,
trousers,
aerobics,
suspenders,
mathematics,
ashes, clothes,
economics, mumps,
shorts, pliers,
civics, molasses
scissors

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 11 : Measurements of length, time,
distance and weight take a singular
verb
Examples:
1. Five meters is all I need for the uniform.
2. Two hours is required to finish the
game.

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 12: When the subject indicates a
fraction, percent, part, majority,
some, none, remainder, etc. the verb
agrees with the noun in the of the
phrase.
Examples:
1. Two-thirds of the pie is gone
2. Fifty percent of the pies are gone.
3. All of the pie is gone.

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 13 : The verb that follows there
and here is singular when the subject
that follows the verb is singular; it is
plural when the subject is plural.
Examples:
1. There is a change in the weather.
2. There are changes in the program.

Examples:
There are rice fields in Nueva
Ecija.
There is a boy waiting for you
outside.

Lets Practice!

1. There (is, are) a storm coming.


2. Here (is, are) the storm.
3. Here (is, are) the pliers.
4. There (is, are) the scissors.
5. Here (is, are) the 50 kilos of
rice.

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 14: Sometimes the
pronounswho, that,
andwhichare the subjects of the
verb in the middle of the sentence.
They become singular or plural
according to the noun before them.
Examples:
1. Faisal is the scientist who writes the
reports.
2. He is one of the men who do the work.

Rules in Subject Verb


Agreement
Rule # 15: The pronoun you always
takes a
plural verb.
Examples:
1. You are so beautiful.
2. You are not alone.

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