Subject-Verb Agreement

Review…

Sentence is a word or group of words that expresses a

complete thought or idea. It has two basic parts-the subject
and the predicate.

The subject is a word or group of words being talked

about in a sentence. It is basically a noun or a pronoun.

Predicate on the other hand, is a word or group of words

that talks about the subject. It is basically a verb (action
or state of being)
 Subject-Verb Agreement
Examples:

President Rody R. Duterte /meets trouble with his

critics.
Who gets trouble with the critics? Pres. Rody R. Duterte
What does Pres. Rody R. Duterte do? meets trouble with
his critics.

The country / is now experiencing political crisis.

What is experiencing political crisis now? The country
What is the country doing? is now experiencing political
crisis.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
Agreement in this context is determined through the
grammatical correctness of a sentence. This can be
basically achieved when a subject and a verb agree to
each other.
As a general rule, the number of a subject always
determine the kind of a verb to use.

The number being referred here is the singularity or the

plurality of a subject and a verb.
Note that a regular noun when it ends with –s means
plural, and singular when without –s. Ironically, a regular
verb when it ends with –s means singular and plural
without –s.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
Note the following be-verbs:

 am is used when a subject is the pronoun I and the action is in

the present tense.
 is is used when a subject is singular in the present tense.
 are is used when a subject is plural in the present tense and
also with the pronoun YOU.
 was is used when a subject is singular and the action took
place in the past,
 were is used when a subject is plural and the action took
place in the past and also with the pronoun YOU.
 has is used when the subject is singular and the verb is in the
past perfect tense.
 have is used when a subject is plural and the verb is in the
past perfect tense.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
1. If a subject is singular then a verb (predicate) is also a
singular, and when it's plural, then the verb becomes
pural.
Examples:
a. Our President is a strong man.
b. The Senators are supporters of the President.
c. I am so proud having an independent President.
d. My mother was the best mother on earth.
e. The students were busy preparing for the fest.
f. Some oppositions move secretly against the President.
g. Senator Leila Delima suffers from political dilemma.
h. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has fled to Germany.
i. Presidents have been the critics of their successors.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
2. Compound subject (means having two or more
subjects) connected by coordinating conjunction and
takes the plural form of the verb. However, if the
subjects complement each other to form a whole or
refer to one, then it takes a singular form of the verb.
Examples:
a. My father and my mother prioritize my needs for
schooling.
b. The principal and the teachers prepare for the
intramural activities.
c. Fork and spoon is needed for the party.
d. Coffee and sugar makes my morning complete.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
3. Compound subject connected by either-or, neither-
nor, not only but also, the verb to use depends on the
number of the subject closer to it (to the verb).

Examples:
a. Either the principal or the teachers announce the
holiday.
b. Neither my siblings nor mother attends the meeting.
c. Either the coach or the players make a right move.
d. Either the senators or the President solves the crisis.
e. Neither the President nor the senators admit violation
of the human rights over war on drugs.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
4. If a sentence contains intervening words between the
subject and the verb, the number of the subject still to
determine the verb to use.
Examples:
a. The President with the senators declares war against
illegal drugs.
Note that the noun senators in the phrase with the
senators may confuse the verb to use since it is plural.
Imaginary omit the intervening words and focus on the
number of the subject to determine the verb.
b. Some foreign countries along with U.S. President
Barak Obama condemn the manner of war against
illegal drugs in the Philippines.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
5. Collective noun takes the singular form of the verb.
(Note: Collective noun refers to a group of noun taken
as one. Some of them are army, herd, crowd etc. )

Examples:
a. The committee decides on the basis of majority.
b. The team gives the best play for the audience.
c. The whole battalion proceeds for the mission.
d. The organization formulates policies to observe.
e. The couple goes to Milan to have one month vacation.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
1. Senator Leila Delima (deny, denies) some of the
allegations against her.
2. All parents (want, wants) their children to be successful.
3. Dr. Jose P. Rizal and Andres Bonifacio (is, are) all
national heroes.
4. Shoes and socks (make, makes) feet feel comfortable.
5. Either the President or his critics (make, makes) the
wrong move over the war against illegal drugs.
6. Neither his classmates nor Omar (see, sees) the
suspect.
7. Fatima, as well as her friends, (go, goes) to market.
8. Ali, before his classmates, (clean, cleans) the garden.
9. The jury (declare, declares) the winner.
10. The mob (cheer, cheers) her to show support.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
6. Words plural in form but singular in meaning takes the
singular form of the verb. Some of these words are
physics, mathematics, measles, news, politics,
economics, statistics and many others.
Examples:
a. Mathematics is my favorite subject.
b. The news gives the latest happenings in the country.
c. Physics explains the interaction of space and time.
7. Words plural in form and meaning take the plural form
of the verb, such as scissors, pants, eyeglasses,
pliers
Examples:
a. Pants cover the lower part of the body.
b. Eyeglasses protect the eyes to see clearly.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
8. When a subject starts with the expression “a number”
takes the plural form of the verb and “the number”
takes the singular form of the verb.

Examples:
a. The number of the participants shows that the training
is relevant.
b. A number of candidates reject the result of the election.
c. A number of teachers go to the congress and lobby.
d. The number of supporters of the President makes his
campaign stronger.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
9. Singular indefinite pronoun when used as subject takes
the singular form of the verb. Some of them are
someone, something, somebody, noone, nobody,
nothing, everybody, everyone, everything, anyone,
anybody, anything, each, none.

Examples:
a. Everyone is allowed to participate in the parlor games.
b. Someone finds the party boring.
c. Everything makes the event very meaningful.
d. Nothing is neglected during the planning session.
e. Everyone was in their best suit during the party.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
10. Plural indefinite pronoun when used as subject take the
plural form of the verb. Some of them are some, few,
both, many, all.
Note: Some and all can also function as singular when
these words introduces an of-phrase having singular
object of the preposition.
Examples:
a. Some feel left behind during the orientation.
b. Both show sincerity during the reconciliation period.
c. Many express support for the President against his
campaign on illegal drugs.
d. Few from the passengers have felt dizzy during the
flight.
e. All are interested in the plan to shift the government
system from presidential to federal.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
11. Mathematical operation takes the singular form of the
verb. On the other hand, when a subject is expressed in
fractional form with an of phrase, the verb to use
depends on the number of the noun in an of-phrase.
This also includes, the expression half of, a part of, a
percentage of, majority of.
Examples:
a. Three times four is equal twelve.
b. Some of the apple was damaged.
c. One-fourth of the mangoes were eaten by the insects.
d. Majority of the mob was injured in the stampede.
e. Three-fourths of the cake was consumed already.
f. Three-fourths of the marbles were sold yesterday.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
12. Amount of money, distance when used as subject take
the singular form of the verb.
Examples:
a. Two thousand pesos is not enough for the project.
b. Ten kilometers is too much for the fun run.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
13. In a sentence with an inverted pattern, and basically
starting with words “here and there”, a verb to use
depends on the noun after the verb.

Examples:
a. Here comes the bride.
b. There are some complainants who went to the office.
c. Here is the copy of the report to present tomorrow.
d. There was a woman looking for her lost child yesterday.
e. There were four of the twelve applicants make it to the
final.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
1. Measles (is, are) the cause/s of her death.
2. Politics (give, gives) people the opportunity to take part
in public policy.
3. Scissors (is, are) important in artwork.
4. The pliers (help, helps) engineers fixing a car.
5. The number of examinees (was, were) enough for slot.
6. A number of policemen (has, have) escaped from the
fire.
7. No one (was, were) able to pass the screening criteria.
8. Everyone (has, have) passed the examination.
9. Few (are, is) bringing their own documents.
10. Both (make, makes) it to the finale of the contest.
11. One-half of the apple (was, were) damaged.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
11. Three-fourth of the eggs (was, were) sold yesterday.
12. Half of his body (is, are) paralyzed by the diabetes.
13. Three million pesos (is, are) allotted for the campaign.
14. Three kilometers (make, makes) the walk so tiring.
15. Here (come, comes) the participants of the training.
16. There (is, are) so many difficult questions to answer.

Points to Remember!
 Make sure that the subject agrees with the verb.
 Don’t be distracted with the intervening words.
 Common Grammar Errors
1. Run-on Sentence
A run-on sentence is where two more sentences joined
together without proper connectors (conjunction) or
punctuation marks.
Wrong: My duty was very tiring I extended until 4:00 AM.
Correct: My duty was very tiring. I extended until 4:00 AM.
Wrong: The President use to berate his critics he always
meet trouble because of his heavy remarks.
Correct: The President use to berate his critics and he
always meet trouble because of his heavy remarks.
Wrong: The senators seem partial in the investigation they
imply favorable questions for the President.
Correct: The senators seem partial in the investigation;
they imply favorable questions for the President.
 Common Grammar Errors
2. Sentence Fragmented
A sentence fragment is a simply a phrase with
incomplete thought.
Wrong: Many people standing dangerously close to the
edge of the cliff.
Correct: Many people were standing dangerously close to
the edge of the cliff.
Wrong: The cat under the table.
Correct: The cat is under the table.
Wrong: Unless she will invite me to go with them in the
party.
Correct: She will invite me to go with them in the party.
 Common Grammar Errors
3. Comparative versus Superlative
Do not use the superlative form of the verb when
comparing two persons or things.
Comparative degree is used to compare two entities
and used the suffix –er (one syllable-word) or
more/lesser (two-syllable words or more).
Superlative degree is used to compare three or more
entities and used the suffix –est (one syllable-word) or
most/least (two-syllable words or more).
Wrong: The scientists are searching for the best solutions.
Correct: The scientists are searching for the best solution.
Wrong: Maria is most intelligent than Fatima.
Correct: Maria is more intelligent than Fatima.
 Common Grammar Errors
4. Error in the case of a noun or pronoun.
Nominative Case (I, you, he, she, we, they) when a
pronoun is used as subject.
Objective Case (me, you, him, her, us, them, whom) when
a pronoun is used as direct object or indirect object, and
object of the preposition.
Wrong: Between you and I, this job is a piece of cake.
Correct: Between you and me, this job is a piece of cake.
Wrong: You and me will work together for the project.
Correct: You and I will work together for the project.
Wrong: Show it to the group first before she.
Correct: Show it to the group first before her.
 Common Grammar Errors
5. Dangling Modifiers
A dangling modifier occurs when a noun being modified
is not placed next to its modifier or nothing is really
being modified.
Modified Word is a word or group of wordsbeing
described or modified.
Word Modifier is a word or group of words that
describes or modifies a modified word.
Examples:
intelligent boy
(intelligent-word modifier, boy-modified word)
cat under the table
(under the table-words modifier, cat-modified word)
 Common Grammar Errors
When a word modifier is a single word or a compound
word, it comes before the word it modifies. Example:
Young girl. Young is a single word modifying the word girl,
and it is placed before the word it modifies.
Some examples: religious leader, head-cracking seminar,
When a word modifier is a phrase or a clause, it comes
after the modified word. It can also be placed before the
modified word, but it has to be separated with comma.
Examples:
This is the bag which I have been telling you.
(bag- MW, which I have been telling you-WM placed after the
MW.)
 Common Grammar Errors
Lying on the bed, Omar is thinking for her future.
(Omar-MD, lying on the bed-WM placed before the MW but
separated with a comma.)
Wrong: Sitting in the sofa, the movie is being watched by
Ana.
Correct: Sitting in the sofa, Ana is watching a movie.
Wrong: Having climbed Mt. Kanlaon, Mt. Banahaw is more
scenic.
Correct: Having climbed Mt. Kanlaon, I find Mt. Banahaw is
more scenic.
Wrong: Omar is doing his assignment sitting on a chair.
Correct: Omar, sitting on a chair, is doing his assignment.
Wrong: My mother goes to market bringing her bag.
Correct: My mother, bringing her bag, goes to market.
 Common Grammar Errors
6. Lack of Parallelism
Words of phrases (verbal: gerund, infinitive) in a series must
be similar in form.
Gerund ends in –ing functioning as noun. (dancing, singing)
Infinitive is formed by preposition to plus base form of the
Verb (to dance, to sing)
Wrong: We practiced reloading, disarming and to shoot.
Correct: We practiced reloading, disarming and shooting.
Wrong: Our family loves to swim, to dance and singing.
Correct: Our family loves to swim, to dance and to sing.
 Common Grammar Errors
7. Use of Capital Letters
 All proper nouns must be capitalized.
 Capitalize the pronoun “I”.
 Anything related to Allah (S.W.A) or God
 Titles of a song, a movie, a book etc. (content words)
 First letter of the first word of a sentence.
 Acronyms (DPWH, DSWD, DOST)
Wrong: I love listening to sarah geronimo’s song “forever is
not enough.
Correct: I love listening to Sarah Geronimo’s song “Forever
is not Enough).
Wrong: she submits herself to him for he knows everything.
Correct:She submits herself to Him for He knows everything.