Subject-Verb Agreement

Your subjects and verbs should

always agree
Singular subjects = verb +s
Plural subjects = verb
Example:
She eats candy.
They eat dinner.

Which of these are plural (PL)

subjects? Which are singular (S)?
Mary
The ghosts
Tommy and Suzanne
The dog
My shoes
Their doll

Subject-Verb Agreement
Find the subject fix the
s-v problem
So which is
Dont be distracted by 1) High levels of air pollution
the subject?
causes damage to the
nouns that look like they
respiratory tract.
could be the subject
2) The slaughter of pandas for
their pelts have caused the
-> The samples on the tray
panda population to die off.
in the lab need testing.
Ex: Find the nouns

Subject-Verb Agreement
1) A drivers license or credit card .
required.

If there are two subjects

joined by and or or, use
the last one to decide
2) A drivers license or two credit cards
your verb
.. required.
3) If an infant or child . having
difficulty, help them.
4) Neither the chef or waiter .. able to
convince the customer to calm down.

Subject-Verb Agreement
Indefinite pronouns are
generally considered
singular
Which of these are
indefinite pronouns?

A. Anybody
B. Everybody
C. Each
D. Nobody
E. No one
F. Something

Subject-Verb Agreement
The class . (respect) the teacher.
The class. (is/am/are) arguing
among themselves.

Collective nouns are

singular unless the
meaning is plural

The board of trustees (meet)

every spring.

Ex: The jury requests

Martin McCall testify.

One-fourth of drivers texting.

Subject-Verb Agreement
Make the verb agree with 1) A major force in todays
economy children as
the subject, not the subject
consumers, decision
complement.
makers, and trendspotters.

Ex: These exercises are a way

to test your ability to perform 2) A tent and sleeping
under pressure.
bag the required
equipment for campers.

Practice: Each of these sentences has 3

words that are italicized. Which is the
subject? Which is the verb?
1. During one part of his life, Picasso preferred the color blue.
2. There are many famous paintings by Picasso from this
period.
3. Blue refers not only to the predominant color of these
paintings but also to their mood.
4. In these paintings you will find outcasts or victims of
society as the main characters.