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SUBJECT VERB

AGREEMENT

Institut Teknologi Del


Jl. Sisingamangaraja, Sitoluama-Laguboti
Toba Samosir, 22381 Sumatera Utara
English 2-Subject-verb agreement 2

Subject-verb agreement in relation with kinds of


nouns as subjects
Rule 1: a verb agrees with its subject in number
e.g. The boy plays on the ground.

Rule 2: the number of the subject (singular or plural) is not


changed by words that come between the subject and the verb.
e.g. One of the girls is shouting at you.

Rule 3: Some subjects always take a singular verb even though


the meaning may seem plural.
e.g. Someone in the game was not hurt.

The other words to this rule are: each, either, neither, one, no
one, everyone, someone, anyone, nobody, somebody, anybody,
everybody.
English 2-Subject-verb agreement 3

Subject-verb agreement in relation with kinds of


nouns as subjects
Rule 4: Some words may be singular or plural, depending
upon their use in a sentence.
e.g. Most of the news is good.
Most of the news are good.

The other words to this rule are: some, all, any

Rule 5: There and here are never subjects. In sentences


that begin with these words, the subject is usually found
later on the sentence.
e.g. Here is the book you order.
There are three birds in the cage.
English 2-Subject-verb agreement 4

Subject-verb agreement in relation with kinds of


nouns as subjects
Rule 6: collective nouns may be singular or plural,
depending on their use in the sentence.
e.g. The orchestra is playing a hit song.
The orchestra were asked to give their musical
backgrounds.

The other words to this rule are: army, audience, class,


club, committee, crowd, flock, group, herd, jury, public,
swarm, team, troop, etc.
English 2-Subject-verb agreement 5

Subject-verb agreement in relation with


kinds of nouns as subjects

Rule 7: expressions of time, money, measurement, and


weight are usually singular when the amount is considered
one unit.
e.g. Five dollars is not too much to ask.

Rule 8: some nouns, while plural in form, are actually


singular in meaning.
e.g. Mathematics is an easy subject for some people.
English 2-Subject-verb agreement 6

9. Subject-verb agreement in relation with conjunctions


Subjects joined by and are plural. Subjects joined by or
and nor take a verb that agrees with the last subject.
e.g. Ben and Bin are brothers.
Neither Ben nor Bin is here tonight.

10. Subject-verb agreement in relation with prepositional phrase

Always pay attention to the subject not the prepositional


phrase.
e.g.
1. The key to the doors is in the drawer.
2. The keys to the door are in the drawer.
English 2-Subject-verb agreement 7

11. Subject-verb agreement in relation with


auxiliary verbs and use of Tense

Subject Auxiliary Verb


I am, do, will, shall, was, have, can, could, may, might, have to,
ought to
You are, do, will, were, have, can, could, may, might, have to, ought to
He is, does, will, was, has, can, could, may, might, has to, ought to
She is, does, will, was, has, can, could, may, might, has to, ought to
It is, does, will, was, has, can, could, may, might, has to, ought to
We am, do, will, shall, were, have, can, could, may, might, have to,
ought to
You are, do, will, were, have, can, could, may, might, have to, ought to
They are, do, will, were, have, can, could, may, might, have to, ought to
English 2-Subject-verb agreement 8

11. Subject-verb agreement in relation with


auxiliary verbs and use of Tense

Present Tense using verb:


1. I usually cook rice at 6 a.m. (NOT: I am usually cook
rice at 6 a.m.)
2. They do not live here anymore. (NOT: They not live
here anymore.)
3. She loves to sing. (NOT: She love to sing.)

Present Tense using non-verb:


1. I am happy to be your friend. (NOT: I happy to be your
friend.)
2. They are proud of you. (NOT: They proud of you.)
English 2-Subject-verb agreement 9

Always be careful in your spoken or


written English so that all your verbs
agree with the subjects you mentioned
earlier.

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