20 Rules of Subject Verb

Agreement

Can’t we all just get

along?
1. Subjects and verbs must agree
in number.
• Singular subject = singular verb
• Plural subject = plural verb
• Cow= singular, eats= singular
• Ducks= plural, quack= plural
• *Hint*= SVS- singular verbs have an S
• Singular yes?- the verb has an “S”!
• Singular no? The “S” has to go!
2. Don’t get confused by the
words that come between the
subject and verb.

The detective who was called to the case

is usually very good.
3. Prepositional phrases between
the subject and verb usually do
not affect the agreement.

The biker in this race is very competitive.

The bikers in this race are very competitive.

4. If a sentence starts with “there”
or “ here”, the subject will always
be placed after the verb.

There is a meeting today.

Here are the results from this past month.

 5. Subjects can come after the
verb in questions.
• Does Betty always play with dolls?

• How are the Bosco sticks today?

 6. If two subjects are joined by
“and”, they typically require a
plural verb.

• The puppy and the lady are friends.

7. If two subjects are separated
by “and” refer to the same thing,
the verb is singular.

• Spaghetti and meatballs is my favorite

pasta dish.
 8. If both subjects are singular and
connected by or, nor, neither/nor,
either/or and not only/but also, the
verb is singular.

• Sally or Bubba has stolen the

scarecrow.

• Not only the guitar player but also the

drummer was soaked with sweat.
 9. If both subjects are plural and
connected by the words or, nor,
neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but
also, the verb is plural.

• Cookies or brownies are nice treats for

your teacher.
 10. If one subject is singular and one
plural and are connected by the words or,
nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but
also, use the subject that is nearest the
verb.
• Either my sisters or my mom has sent
me a present.

• Not only Bob but also the Smiths want

some hamburgers for supper.
11. Units of measurement usually
use a singular verb.
• Six gallons of paint was used on the
house.

• Five dollars is too much for a cup of

coffee.
 12. Collective nouns usually
take a singular verb.
• The herd is stampeding. QuickTi me™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.

The class was ready for the test.

 13. Titles of books, movies,
novels, etc. are treated as
singular.
• Holes was one of my favorite books.I
want to see the movie.

QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 14. Two infinitives separated
by and take a plural verb.
• To run and to read are my two favorite
“Free-time” activities.
 15. Gerunds alone take a
singular verb. Gerunds linked
by and take a plural verb.
• Dancing is not something everyone can
do as well as I can!
QuickTi me™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.
16. If the words each, every or no
come before the subject, the verb
is singular.

• Each boy and girl has to take the test.

• Every frog and toad turns into a prince.

• No paper and pen is required.

(But an apple would be nice!:)
17. Most indefinite pronouns take
singular verbs.
one body thing
someone somebody something
anyone anybody anything
No one nobody nothing
everyone everybody everything

Little One * Everybody is happy.

Another Neither * No one has a dime.
Much Either * Nothing was going to help.
Each
 18. Both, few, many, others,
and several take a plural verb.
• Several need to finish the race.

• A few have the right answer.

 19. When the subject is all, any, more,
most, none, or some, this is the ONLY
time you must look at the object of the
prepositional phrase to determine whether
it is singular or plural.
• All of the chickens have laid eggs.
QuickTi me™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.

• Some of the milk has spilled.

QuickTi me™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.
20. Final rule- Remember, only the
SUBJECT affects the verb!
Language Network

Pronouns
 Pronouns

What is a Pronoun?
Here’s the Idea
Why It Matters
Practice and Apply
 Here’s the Idea

Pronoun

A pronoun is a word that is

used in place of a noun or
another pronoun.
 Here’s the Idea

A pronoun can refer to a person,

place, thing, or idea.
 Here’s the Idea

The word that a pronoun refers

to is called its antecedent.

Ramon visited Death Valley, and he

was impressed.
 Here’s the Idea

Pronouns such as we, I, he,

them and it are called
personal pronouns.

Personal pronouns
have a variety of
forms to indicate
different persons,
numbers, and
cases.
 Here’s the Idea

There are first-person,

second-person, and
third-person personal
pronouns, each having both
singular and plural forms.
 Here’s the Idea

Singular Plural

I went out. We left early.

FIRST PERSON FIRST PERSON

You left too. You are leaving.

SECOND PERSON SECOND PERSON

He came by bus. They came by car.

THIRD PERSON THIRD PERSON
 Here’s the Idea

Each personal pronoun

forms three cases:
subject, object, and
possessive.
 Here’s the Idea

Choose the pronoun form depending on

the pronoun’s function in the sentence.

He read about Death Valley.

SUBJECT

Julie asked him about the rocks.

OBJECT

Ramon bought his book.

POSSESSIVE
 Why It Matters

Pronouns help you talk about people concisely

when you’re telling a story.
 Practice and Apply

Write the personal pronoun in the

sentence below.

1. Death Valley is famous for its

strange moving boulders.
 Practice and Apply

Write the personal pronoun in the

sentence below.

2. The rocks slide and leave long

tracks behind them.
 Practice and Apply

Write the personal pronoun in the

sentence below.

3. Do you know why this happens?

 Pronouns

Pronoun Agreement
Here’s the Idea
Why It Matters
Practice and Apply
 Here’s the Idea

Antecedent

The antecedent is the noun or

pronoun that a pronoun
replaces or refers to.
 Here’s the Idea

Use a singular pronoun to refer to a

singular antecedent.

One story has its setting in Egypt.

 Here’s the Idea

Use a plural pronoun to refer to a

plural antecedent.

The characters have their motives for murder.

 Here’s the Idea

The pronoun must agree in person

with the antecedent.

Louis likes his mysteries to

have surprise endings.
 Here’s the Idea

The gender of the pronoun must be the

same as the gender of its antecedent.
 Here’s the Idea

Personal pronouns have three gender forms:

• masculine he, his, him

• feminine she, her, hers

• neuter it, its

 Here’s the Idea

Agatha Christie sets many of her

her
stories in England.

The hero has to use all his

wits to solve the crime.
 Why It Matters

In your writing, you will

sometimes refer to several
people or groups of people.

Correct pronoun-antecedent
agreement will help your
readers keep track of who is
who in your writing.
 Practice and Apply

Write the pronouns and their antecedents

in these sentences.

4. Agatha Christie loved real-life

mysteries of the past. She helped to
investigate them in the Middle East.
 Practice and Apply

Write the pronouns and their antecedents

in this sentence.

5. Agatha Christie and her husband

went on many archaeological trips
and found them exciting.
 Practice and Apply

Write the pronouns and their antecedents

in this sentence.

6. A mystery writer may use exotic

places and backgrounds for his or
her stories.
 Practice and Apply

Write the pronouns and their antecedents

in this sentence.

7. Christie started Murder in

Mesopotamia in the desert, but she
finished it in England.
 What is a Conjunction?
• A conjunction is like glue. It helps
things to stick together.

• A conjunction joins words, phrases, and

sentences, which are called clauses.
 There Are 3 Types of
Conjunctions
1. Coordinating Conjunctions
2. Subordinating Conjunctions
3. Correlative Conjunctions
 Take Notes in Your Interactive Notebooks
1. Draw a Tree Map 2. Label the Branches as the Three
Types of Conjunctions

Conjunctions

Coordinati Subordina Correlativ

ng ting e
Definition and Example Definition and Example Definition and Example
 What is a Conjunction?
• Conjunctions join two or more words.

Example: I went to the store to buy eggs,

milk, and bread.
 What is a Conjunction?
• Conjunctions can join two prepositional
phrases.

Ex. I went skiing down the hill and past

the trees.
 What is a Conjunction?
• Conjunctions can connect two clauses
or sentences.
• When two sentences are joined, a
comma MUST be placed before the
conjunction.

Ex. I played cards for awhile, but then I

played chess.
 Types of Conjunctions
• One type of conjunction is the
coordinating conjunction.
• They connect words, phrases, and
clauses, which are sentences.
• They connect things of equal value.
(This means that they would connect a noun with
another noun or a prepositional phrase with another
prepositional phrase.)
 Types of Conjunctions
• There are seven coordinating
conjunctions: Use FANBOYS to
remember

for and nor but

or yet so
 Types of Conjunctions
• Coordinating conjunctions affect the
meaning of your sentence.
• “And” connects things that are alike or
joined together.
• Ex. I want popcorn and pizza.
 Types of Conjunctions
• Coordinating conjunctions affect the
meaning of your sentence.
• “But” is used to connect things that are
different or separated.
• Ex. I want popcorn but not pizza.
 Types of Conjunctions
• Coordinating conjunctions affect the
meaning of your sentence.
• “Or” is used to offer a choice.
• Ex. Do I want popcorn or pizza?
 Types of Conjunctions
• Coordinating conjunctions affect the
meaning of your sentence.
• “Nor” is used to offer a negative choice.
• Ex. I do not want popcorn nor pizza.
 Types of Conjunctions
• Coordinating conjunctions affect the
meaning of your sentence.
• “Yet” is used to show a change. When
it is used to combine two sentences,
you must put a comma before it.
• Ex. I want popcorn, yet I also want
pizza.
 Types of Conjunctions
• Coordinating conjunctions affect the
meaning of your sentence.
• “So” is used to show a relationship
between things. When it is used to
combine two sentences, you must put a
comma before it.
• Ex. I want popcorn, so I made some.
 Types of Conjunctions
• Coordinating conjunctions affect the
meaning of your sentence.
• “For” is also used to show a relationship
between things. When it is used to
combine two sentences, you must put a
comma before it.
• Ex. I ordered a pizza, for I was hungry.
 Types of Conjunctions
• Another Type of Conjunction is a
Subordinating Conjunction.
A subordinating conjunction-
-Connects a dependent clause (a clause that cannot be
written as a separate sentence) with an independent
clause.
IF, WHILE, BECAUSE, ALTHOUGH, AFTER, BEFORE,
UNLESS, WHEN, UNTIL, SINCE, THEN, AS
• We celebrated after we won the game.
• Because our train was delayed, we arrived late.
• Watson listened quietly while Holmes explained his
theory
 Types of Conjunctions
• Another type of conjunction is called
correlative conjunctions.
• Correlative conjunctions connect words,
phrases, and clauses, which are sentences.
• Correlative conjunctions connect things of
equal value.
(This means that they will connect a verb with
another verb or a sentence with another
sentence.)
 Types of Conjunctions
• Correlative Conjunctions are not single words.
They work in pairs.
• There are five pairs of correlative conjunctions:

both….and whether….or neither….nor

not only….but also either….or

 Examples of Correlative
Conjunctions
I saw both the Statue of Liberty and the
Empire State Building.
 Examples of Correlative
Conjunctions
I don’t want neither pickles nor tomato on
my hamburger.
 Examples of Correlative
Conjunctions
I don’t know whether to play baseball or
to play basketball this year.
 Examples of Correlative
Conjunctions
Either the student or the teacher can
answer the question.
 Examples of Correlative
Conjunctions
Not only do I play the flute, but I also
play the clarinet.
 Conjunction Junction
• http://www.schooltube.com/video/6b265
f3478554fef993c/Conjunction-Junction
 What is an Interjection?
• An interjection is something that
interrupts a sentence.
• It is something that also expresses your
emotions like happiness, fear, anger, or
pain.
• Some examples of interjections are:
ouch, wow, uh oh, oh no, gosh,
shhhh
 Punctuating Interjections
• If an interjection is spoken calmly,
simply put a comma after it and
continue the sentence.

Ex. Shhh, the baby is sleeping.

Ex. Oh my, I dropped my pencil.

 Punctuating Interjections
• If an interjection is spoken with more
emotion, it is followed by an
exclamation point. The next word is
then capitalized.

Ex. Ouch! I just cut my finger.

Ex. He scored the winning touchdown.

Wow!
THANK
YOU!