Subject Verb Agreement
Subject Verb Agreement
The Basic Rules
To ensure subject and verb agreement, the basic rules to follow are:
1.Identify the real subject. The subject is the person or object that is described by a verb, or that performs the action of a verb.
2.Determine whether the subject is singular or plural.
3.Use the matching form of the verb (singular or plural).
We will now go to specific cases and the corresponding rules o Subject-Verb Agreement.
1.When the Subject and verb are separated Find the subject and verb and make sure they agree. Ignore prepositional phrases or words in-between like “as well as,” “such as,” “along with,” “rather than,” accompanied by,” etc., because these do not change the number of the subject.
Examples:
Roland, like most employees, commutes by bus.
A combination of good genes, healthy diet, proper health care, and exercise, is the key to longevity.
The taxes, as well as bureaucratic red tape, discourage potential investors.
Blessie’s parents, especially her mother, were against her buying a new car.
Clarisse, who was loveless for some times, has found a new inspiration in Renz.
I, and nobody else, am responsible for my son.
His propensity for telling tall tales is legendary.
2.When the word order is inverted
Sometimes the word order is inverted. The usual sequence in sentences is subject-verb-object, so we usually expect the subject to come before the verb. In some sentences such as those starting with “here” and “there,” the subject comes after the verb. As always, find the subject and make the verb “agree” with it.
High up in the mountains of Central Asia dwells the elusive snow leopard.
This sentence is inverted. In the usual Subject-Verb-Object order it would read as:
“The elusive snow leopard dwells high up in the mountains of Central Asia.
More Examples:
Among the evacuees was Ramon.
In one corner of the room lie his many trophies.
There are more mountains to climb, as they say.
Here is the mp3 song
The Basic Rules
To ensure subject and verb agreement, the basic rules to follow are:
1.Identify the real subject. The subject is the person or object that is described by a verb, or that performs the action of a verb.
2.Determine whether the subject is singular or plural.
3.Use the matching form of the verb (singular or plural).
We will now go to specific cases and the corresponding rules o Subject-Verb Agreement.
1.When the Subject and verb are separated Find the subject and verb and make sure they agree. Ignore prepositional phrases or words in-between like “as well as,” “such as,” “along with,” “rather than,” accompanied by,” etc., because these do not change the number of the subject.
Examples:
Roland, like most employees, commutes by bus.
A combination of good genes, healthy diet, proper health care, and exercise, is the key to longevity.
The taxes, as well as bureaucratic red tape, discourage potential investors.
Blessie’s parents, especially her mother, were against her buying a new car.
Clarisse, who was loveless for some times, has found a new inspiration in Renz.
I, and nobody else, am responsible for my son.
His propensity for telling tall tales is legendary.
2.When the word order is inverted
Sometimes the word order is inverted. The usual sequence in sentences is subject-verb-object, so we usually expect the subject to come before the verb. In some sentences such as those starting with “here” and “there,” the subject comes after the verb. As always, find the subject and make the verb “agree” with it.
High up in the mountains of Central Asia dwells the elusive snow leopard.
This sentence is inverted. In the usual Subject-Verb-Object order it would read as:
“The elusive snow leopard dwells high up in the mountains of Central Asia.
More Examples:
Among the evacuees was Ramon.
In one corner of the room lie his many trophies.
There are more mountains to climb, as they say.
Here is the mp3 song