Sub Verb Agreement-English-Lecture-4
Subject: English
Subject Code: HUM 4101
Topic: Sub Verb Agreement- Lecture No-4
Lecturer: Md. Arif Moinuddin Chy
BASIC SENTENCE PATTERNS
My
arms are aching.
Five
people are moving the piano.
It
was a big problem.
Their
house is nearby.
It’s
giving me backache.
a. Subject + verb
b. Subject +
verb + object
c. Subject +
verb + complement
d. Subject +
verb + adverbial
e. Subject +
verb + object + object ...........
a.
My arms are aching.
b.
Five people are moving the piano.
c.
It was a big problem.
d.
Their house is nearby.
e.
It s giving me backache.
SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT
RULE 1
– A verb agrees with its subject in
number.
Remember : Singular subjects
take singular verbs Plural subjects take plural verb.
Example:
The car
stays in the garage.
The flowers
smell good.
RULE 2 – ‘One
of the’ takes singular verb
Example:
One of the eggs is
broken.
One of my books is
lost.
RULE 3 – Some
subjects always take a singular verb even though the meaning may seem plural.
These subjects always take singular
verbs:
Each, someone, either, anyone,
neither, nobody,
One, somebody, no one, anybody,
everyone, everybody,
Example:
Someone in the game was
(not were) hurt.
Neither of
the men is (not are) working.
1. Your friend (talk-talks) too much.
2. The man with the roses (look-looks)
like your brother.
3. The women in the pool (swim-swims)
well.
4. Bill (drive-drives) a cab.
5. The football players (run-runs) five
miles every day.
6. That red-haired lady in the fur hat
(live-lives) across the street.
7. He (cook-cooks) dinner for his family.
8. The boys (walk-walks) to school every
day.
9. The weather on the coast
(appear-appears) to be good this weekend.
10. The center on the basketball team
(bounce-bounces) the ball too high.
1. Each of the girls (look-looks) good on
skis.
2. Everybody (was-were) asked to remain
quiet.
3. Neither of the men (is-are) here yet.
4. (Is-Are) each of the girls ready to
leave?
5. Nobody in the class (has-have) the
answer.
6. Each of the girls (observe-observes) all
the regulations.
RULE 4 – Subjects joined by and
are plural. Subjects joined by or
or Nor take a verb that agrees with
the last subject.
Example:
Bob and George are
leaving.
Neither Bob nor George
is leaving.
Neither Bob nor his friends
are leaving.
RULE 5 – There and here
are never subjects. In sentences that begin with these words, the subject is usually found later on in the
sentence.
Example:
There were
five books on the shelf. (were
agrees with the subject book)
Here is the report you
wanted. (Is agrees with subject report)
RULE 6 – Collective
nouns may be singular or plural, depending on their use in the sentence.
A collective noun is a noun used to
name a whole group.
Common examples:
army
crowd orchestra audience flock public class group swarm
club
herd team committee jury troop United States
The orchestra
is playing a hit song. (Orchestra is
considered as one unit—singular.)
8. The committee (work-works) hard for
better schools.
9. There (is-are) many things to do
before the holidays.
10. The jury (was-were) polled for their
verdicts.
11. Here (is-are) the nails you need for
the projects.
12. Either Joyce or Ellen (was-were)
here.
13. The United States (is-are) a country
of contrast.
14. A magazine and a book (was-were)
lying on the floor.
15. The family (is-are) occupied with
their individual problems.
RULE 7 – Some
nouns, while plural in form, are actually singular in meaning.
Mathematics is (not
are) an easy subject for some people.
Physics is (not
are) taught by Prof, Baldwin.
Physics, gymnastics, phonetics,
news, acrobatics, aesthetics, thesis, mathematics, home economics, social
studies, economics, statistics, civics
1. Mumps (is-are) one of the most
uncomfortable diseases.
2. One hundred dollars (is-are) not a lot
of money to some people.
3. She (doesn’t-don’t) look very well
today.
4. Twenty minutes (is-are) the amount of
time it takes me to get home from work.
5. It (doesn’t-don’t) seem so cold today.
6. Gymnastics (is-are) easy for Angela.
7. Interesting news (is-are) what sells
our paper.
8. A pound of cookies (cost-costs) about
a dollar.
9. They (doesn’t-don’t) think they’ll win
the game tonight.
10. He (don’t-doesn’t) speak very well.
1. Margo and her parents (visit-visits)
each other often.
2. Either the cups or the glasses
(are-is) in the dishwasher.
3. Vern and Fred (need-needs) a ride to
work.
4. There (is-are) a dog, a cat, and a
bird in the garage.
5. Neither Matt nor his brothers
(was-were) at the party.
6. Here into the main ring of the circus
(come-comes) the trained elephants.
7. Either the workers or the boss
(deliver-delivers) the merchandise.
No comments