Subject/Verb

Ag reement

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Subject/Verb 2

Agreement

❚ When subjects and verbs agree, they match

in number and person.
❚ In other words, singular subjects require
singular verbs and plural subjects match
plural verbs; third person subjects require
the third person form of the verb.

My brothers My brother
buy buys
old bicycles old bicycles
to repair. to repair.
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Subject/Verb 3

Agreement

❚ In English, regular verbs take the

same form for singular and plural
except for the third-person singular
form of
Thethe verb.
boy walks. The boys walk.
❚ The -s, or -es ending on a verb
designates a singular verb.
❚ In fact, nouns and verbs are the
opposite where plural endings are
concerned.

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Subject/Verb 4

Agreement

❚ A subject agrees with its verb no

matter how far apart the two are. Do
not be distracted by nouns or
pronouns placed between the subject
and verb.
❙ The ducks on the lake behind the
school swim in large groups.
❙ A list of required readings is mailed
to entering freshmen.

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 Subject/Verb 5

Agreement

❚ A compound subject that is linked by the

conjunction “and ” requires a plural verb.
❙ Both the college newspaper and the
literary magazine fail to attract
experienced staff.

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Subject/Verb 6

Agreement

❚ A compound subject linked by the

conjunction or or nor requires a
singular verb.
❙ Either the dean or his assistant
addresses the freshmen class.
❙ Neither geology nor astronomy is
required for my major.

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Subject/Verb 7

Agreement

❚ Indefinite pronouns refer to

indefinite persons or things and
usually require a singular verb.
❙ Each of the volunteers tutors for at
least three hours every week.

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Subject/Verb 8

Agreement

❚ If a collective noun acts as a

single unit, it takes a singular
verb.
❙ My entire family is coming for
homecoming weekend.

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Subject/Verb 9

Agreement

❚ When normal word order is

inverted and the subject follows
the verb, the subject and verb
must agree.
❙ Standing at the door with grins on
their faces were the cheerleaders.

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Subject/Verb 10

Agreement

❚ Note: Sentences that begin with

there or here have the subject
follow the verb.
❙ There are three branches of
government: judicial, executive ,
and legislative.

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 11

Incorrect
Incorrect

Movies in today’s
market makes a
great deal of
money.

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 12

Revised
Revised

Movies in today’s
market make a
great deal of
money.

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 13

Incorrect
Incorrect

The American
audiences pays
for tickets at
the theater
and for cable at
home.

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 14

Revised
Revised

The American
audiences pay for
tickets at the
theater and for
cable at home.

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 15

Correct
Correct

The international
market, which
includes dozens
of countries,
produces even
more profit.

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 16

Incorrect
Incorrect

Films are very

expensive to
manufacture, so
American studios
creates far more
films than other
countries.

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 17

Revised
Revised

Films are very

expensive to
manufacture, so
American studios
create far more
films than other
countries.

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 18

Incorrect
Incorrect

There is many
advantages to
seeing a movie
in the theater rather
than watching
a video at home.

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 19

Revised
Revised

There are many

advantages to
seeing a movie
in the theater
rather than
watching a video
at home.

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 20

Correct
Correct

The dark theater

and the enormous
screen take the
movie viewer to
another world.

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 21

Incorrect
Incorrect

The background
music in movies
play an important
role.

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 22

Revised
Revised

The background
music in movies
plays an important
role.

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 23

Correct
Correct

The music creates

a mood and gives a
signal of something
to come.

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 24

Incorrect
Incorrect

Not everyone in
the entertainment
fields agree about
the quality of
movies.

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 25

Revised
Revised

Not everyone in the

entertainment field
agrees about the
quality of movies.

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 26

Incorrect
Incorrect

Neither the use of

subtitles nor black
and white
photography
demonstrate the
preferences of most
Americans.

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 27

Revised
Revised

Neither the use of

subtitles nor black
and white
photography
demonstrates the
preferences of most
Americans.

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 28

Any
Questions?

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