This presentation is

brought to you by
Grammar Bytes!,
©2019 by Robin L.
Simmons.
 Subject-Verb
Subject-Verb Agreement
Agreement

Do I need an Or should I
s at the end leave the s
of the verb? off?
 This presentation
covers maintaining
agreement
between subjects
and verbs.
A
A subject-verb
subject-verb agreement
agreement
item
item on
on an
an objective
objective testtest
might
might look
look like
like this
this ......
 Sample
Sample Item
Item
The foods that provide
providegood
goodnutrition
nutritionisare
is
A BB
often the least tasty; a hamburger and fries,

on the other hand, satisfy

satisfythe
thetongue
tonguebut
but
C
clog the arteries.
Does
Doesto be
Is
Is needs
needs to be
disagreement
disagreement
the plural are
plural
thehappen are ,,
A.provides happen
which
which option
option
at
at B
B
provide
provide ,, is
is ,, or
or
B.are
are fixes.
fixes.
satisfy
satisfy??
C.satisfies
D.No change is necessary.
Agreement
Agreement in
in a
a Nutshell
Nutshell

The elephant
trumpets for a peanut.
elephant = singular subject
trumpets = singular verb

The elephants
trumpet for peanuts.
elephants = plural subject
trumpet = plural verb
 In the present
tense, singular
verbs end in the suffix
s; plural verbs do
not.
Two
Two [or
[or more]
more] singular
singular nouns
nouns
joined by and
joined by and make a plural
make a plural
subject.
subject.

The chicken wing and pork rib sit

untouched on Ruth’s plate.

Because there’s no s
at the end of sit, you
know it’s a plural
verb.
When each
When or every
each or every precedes
precedes two
two
[or
[or more]
more] singular
singular nouns
nouns joined
joined by
by
and
and,, you
you have
have aa singular
singular subject.
subject.

Every chicken wing and pork rib sits

untouched on Ruth’s plate.

Because there is
an s at the end of
sit, you know it’s a
singular verb.
In
In this
this situation,
situation, no matter how
no matter how many
many
singular
singular nouns
nouns youyou join with and
join with and,, the
the
subject is still
subject is still singular.
singular.

Every chicken wing, pork rib, slice of pepperoni pizza,

hotdog, hamburger, steak, and fried shrimp sits
untouched on Ruth’s plate.

X X X X I’m a
vegetarian!

X X
Use
Use caution
caution with
with these
these three
three
conjunctions: either
conjunctions: either …
… or
or,, neither
neither …
…
nor and not
nor,, and not only
only …
… but
but also
also..

Not only the boss

employees
but also
buther
also their
wishes
employees
boss wish the wish
shift
the shift
would
thewould
endwould
shift .end. end.

If you flip the two subjects,

You’ll have two subjects,
so that employees is next
but only the closer one — in
to the verb, then wish will
this case boss — counts!
work!
These indefinite
These indefinite pronouns
pronouns are
are
always singular
always singular [even
[even when
when they
they
seem
seem plural].
plural].

 Each, either, neither

 Anyone, anybody, anything
 Everyone, everybody, everything
 No one, nobody, nothing
 Someone, somebody, something
Everyone
Everyone on on Earth
Earth ==
more
more than
than one
one person
person
—billions
— billions of
of people,
people, in
in
fact.
fact.
The word everyone
The word everyone,,
however,
however, is is still
still
singular
singular..
 Beware
Beware interrupting
interrupting phrases.
phrases.

 As well as  Including
 Along with  In addition to
 Together with  Especially

The squirrel as well as the pigeons keep an

eye on Sammy, the sneaky cat.

This sentence might

Bad
sound right, but it is
kitty!
completely wrong!
 Beware
Beware inverted
inverted word
word order.
order.

Here is the onions you need for the chili. In the

refrigerator is the jalapeño peppers you might
want to add.

Here and Cross through

there are prepositional
never the phrases to find
subjects. the real subject!
 Quick
Quick Test
Test

Directions: In the items that follow, choose

the option that corrects an error in the
underlined portion(s). If no error exists, choose
“No change is necessary.”

Show me
what you
know.
 Item
Item 1
1

In the cabinet is
is the
are the
the
tools
tools
tools
that
that
that
you
you
youwill
will
will
need
need
needto
toto
AA
unclog the bathroom sink; I havehave found
found that
that aa
B
plunger and a prayer often do do the
the trick.
trick.
C

A.
A.are
are
B.has
C.does
D.No change is necessary.
 Item
Item 2
2
Here are
are the
the books
books that
that Thomas
Thomas and
and Darlene
Darlene
A
need for their research, and here is
is the
arethe
the
earplugs
earplugs
earplugs
BB
that you’ll require once they both doze
doze off
off in
in
C
boredom and start snoring.

A.is
B.are
are
C.dozes
D.No change is necessary.
 Item
Item 3
3
Jasmine and Rodney have
have decided
decided to
to double
double the
the
A
number of cupcakes that they are
are baking
baking since
since
B
everyone love
love moist
lovesmoist
moistcake
cake
cakeand
and
andchocolate
chocolate
chocolatefrosting.
frosting.
frosting.
CC

A.has
B.is
C.loves
loves
D.No change is necessary.
 Item
Item 4
4
Not only those students but also their professor

looksforward
look
look forward
forwardto
totothe
the
thefinal
final
finalexam;
exam;
exam;everyone
everyone
everyonehas
has
has
AA BB
exciting vacation plans that start start next
next Monday.
Monday.
C

A.
A.looks
looks
B.have
C.starts
D.No change is necessary.
 Item
Item 5
5
At the pet store, each iguana, mouse, and gerbil

tries
try
try to
toto
climb
climb
climb
the
the
the
walls
walls
walls
of
ofof
its
itsits
glass
glass
glass
cage
cage
cage
while
while
while
AA
humans hoverhover outside
outside like
like giant
giant predators
predators who
who are
are
B C
ready to strike.

A.
A.tries
tries
B.hovers
C.is
D.No change is necessary.
 Item
Item 6
6
Tyrone, as well as his cousins, hope
hope that
hopes that
thatGrandma
Grandma
Grandma
AA
brings
brings her
herfamous
famousbrownies
browniesand
andpeach
peachpie piethat
that
B
drip
drip with
with generous
generous scoops
scoops of
of vanilla
vanilla ice
ice cream.
cream.
C

A.hopes
hopes
B.bring
C.drips
D.No change is necessary.
 Item
Item 7
7

Either the dogs or the cat sleep

sleep on
sleeps on
onthe
the
thebed
bed
bedwhile
while
while
AA
everyone is
is out;
out; Lorraine
Lorraine always
always finds
findsan an
B C
indentation in the center of her comforter.

A.
A.sleeps
sleeps
B.are
C.find
D.No change is necessary.
 Item
Item 8
8
Meryl, together with her friends Beatrice and Laverne,

plans aa daily
plans daily trip
trip for
for ice
ice cream,
cream, for
for these
these women
women
A
have discovered
have discovered that that the
the calories
calories is
is worth
are worth
worthseeing
seeing
seeing
B CC
Theo scoop their servings with his muscular arms.

A.plan
B.has
C.are
D.No change is necessary.
 Item
Item 9
9
The scissors are
are sharp,
sharp, soso neither
neither the
the cousins
cousins nor
nor
A
Timmy is
is allowed
allowed to to play
play with
with them,
them, even
even when
when the
the
B
boys needs
needstoto
need tofinish
finish
finishaaaschool
school
schoolproject.
project.
project.
CC

A.is
B.are
C.need
need
D.No change is necessary.
 Item
Item 10
10

Each fork, spoon, and knife are

is
arescarred
scarred
scarredfrom
from
fromthe
the
the
AA
disposal since Drew refuses
refusestotocheck
checkthe
thedrain
drain
B
before he throws
throwsthe
theswitch.
switch.
C

A.
A.is
is
B.refuse
C.throw
D.No change is necessary.
 Grammar Bytes!
provides additional
handouts and exercises on
subject-verb
agreement.
Go to
chompchomp.com!
 The End.

Bad
kitty!