Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Ex:
1. He cleans the room very well.
2. She speaks Spanish fluently.
3. Your voice sounds good.
4. It looks grea
So, when you use the simple present tense and in the sentence
are the subject he, she, or it, then use the suffix s.
Verb ending by the letter O, add the letter E
before S.
example:
1. Do: does
2. Echo: echoes
3. Go: goes
form of a verb ending by CH, S, SH, X, and Z,
please add the ice at the end of the word.
example:
1. Pass: passes
2. Push: pushes
3. Watch: watches
4. Fix: fixes
5. Buzz: buzzes
SPELLING FINAL S, -ES
Sing >> sings
Song >> songs
Wash >> washes
Class >> classes
Box >> boxes
Baby >> babyes
Cry >> cries
What is Subject-Verb
Agreement?
Subject-verb agreement means your subject and
verb must match, or agree, in number.
If you have a singular subject, then you must use a singular
verb.
The dog barks at every sound he hears.
If you have a plural subject, then you must use a plural
verb.
The dogs bark at every sound they hear.
Subject-Verb Agreement
It is important to know how your singular and
plural subjects and verbs are formed!
For your subject, which is a noun
The singular form does not end in an s
The dog barks at every sound it hears.
The plural form ends in an s
The dogs bark at every sound they hear.
For your verb
The singular form ends in an s
The dog barks at every sound it hears.
The plural form does not end in an s
The dogs bark at every sound they hear.
S-V Agreement
Trouble Spots
1. The verb is a form of be, have, or do.
2. Words or phrases come between the subject &
the verb.
3. There is a compound subject.
4. The subject is an indefinite pronoun.
5. The verb comes before the subject.
6. The subject is a collective noun.
1. The Verb is a form of be, have, or
do.
Make sure a linking verb agrees with its
subject, not with the word or phrase that
describes the subject.
Incorrect: The worst backyard pest are squirrels.
Correct: The worst backyard pest is squirrels.
2. Words or phrases come
between the subject & verb.
Prepositional Phrases
Incorrect: The number of students have remained
consistent.
Correct: The number of students has remained
consistent.
Relative Clauses
Incorrect: The dog who likes to chase my cats have
run away.
Correct: The dog who likes to chase my cats has run
away.
3. There is a compound subject
joined by and, or, nor.
If joined by and, then subjects are combined and become
plural, so verb must also be plural.
Incorrect: Jack and Jill walks up the hill.
Correct: Jack and Jill walk up the hill.
If joined by or /nor, then the subjects are not combined,
so the verb must agree with whichever subject is closest
to it.
Either the microphone or the speakers are broken.
Either the speakers or the microphone is broken.
Neither the teacher nor the students want to stay late.
Neither the students nor the teacher wants to stay late.
4. The subject is an indefinite
pronoun.
What is an indefinite pronoun?
A pronoun that does not replace a specific person, place, or thing; it is
general (i.e. someone, anyone, everyone, each, every, some, all).
Most indefinite pronouns are either always singular or always
plural.
Beware: indefinite pronouns are often followed by a prepositional
phrase or dependent clause.
Incorrect: Each of my classes are difficult in some way.
Correct: Each of my classes is difficult in some way.
5. The verb comes before the
subject.
Sentences that ask a question.
Is the book in the library?
Turn the sentence into a statement.
The book is in the library.
Sentences that begin with Here or There.
Here is your textbook.
There are three more exams scheduled for this
class.
Turn the sentence around.
Your textbook is here.
Three more exams are scheduled for this class.
6. The subject is a collective
noun.
What is a collective noun?
A collective noun names a group (i.e. family,
team, committee).
Most collective nouns refer to a group
acting as one unit; therefore, they are
treated as singular and must have a
singular verb.
The family rides bikes together each day.
The team practices every Saturday.
4. subject-verb agreement : using
there + be
Subject-Verb Agreement: there is,
there are
There is a bird in the sky.
There are two birds in the sky.
This grammar error has been spreading over the past few
years like germs at a nursery school. Is (theres, of course,
means there is) is a singular verb; why would it be paired
with a plural noun (ways) after it? There are only one
reason (see how ridiculous that sounds?)I mean,
there is only one reason: confusion with subject-verb
agreement.
If you use there is (or the abbreviation theres), then there
had better be a singular noun after it. There is a way to
save money. Here, is is singular, and way is singular. If you
use there are, then there should be a plural noun after it.
There are other ways to save money when buying a car.
Here, are is plural, and ways is plural.
I actually saw a Web site that said that in informal speech, there is is
being used with plural nouns. Im always shocked and dismayed when I
find a popular source perpetuating grammar errors. People may be
using there is with plural nouns, but whether its informal conversation
or formal writing, its always wrong. Subject-verb agreement is just
thatsubject-verbagreement, not disagreement. Just because people
are doing it doesnt mean that its correct.
Here are some other examples of there is/there are use.
Theres a lot of reasons to be optimistic. (incorrect)
There are a lot of reasons. (correct)
Theres two sides to every story. (incorrect)
There are two sides.(correct)
Theres several storms arriving in the West. (incorrect)
There are several storms arriving in the West. (correct)
Theres not options out there that they like at the moment. (I actually
heard this one on ESPN.) (incorrect)
There arent options. (correct)
5. Subject verb agreement : some
irregulerities
Subject Agreement : Some Irregularities
Singular verb
The United States is big It a proper noun is changed to a pronoun, is singular
English is spoken in many The English drink tea. Singular verb : English
countries means
The Chinese have interesting
Chinese is his native language history l anguage