Subject-Verb Agreement

May2011 Subject-Verb Agreement Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement Singular Verbs Agreement with One of Agreement with There in the Subject Position

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement Present simple tense Verb +-s/-es with a third person singular (it, he, she) subject: The PDA plans his schedule for him. The student hopes she will do well in the exam.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement Do not use -s/-es with: first person singular (I): I plan to do my PhD after 2 years of work. second person singular and plural (you) third person plural (they): The team try hard to meet their deadlines.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement Auxiliary verbs (be/do/have) must agree with their subjects. Singular: is/was/does/has Plural: are/were/do/have Does the university accept mature students? The administrators have informed all the staff about the new policy.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement A compound subject (more than one subject) takes a plural verb. The engineer and the architect work on the different aspects of the building.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement The verb must agree with the head word of a noun phrase or clause. The assistant assigned to this job has received a raise. The assistants assigned to this job have received a raise.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement The modal auxiliaries do not have an -s or –(e)d form. The programme may work. The programme may works. X The programmers cannot ascertain the damage. The programmers cannot ascertained the damage. X

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Singular Subject Use the singular verb for collective nouns when they refer to a group of people. For example:

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Singular Subject Use singular verbs for uncountable nouns. The information is updated every hour. The equipment has just arrived.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Singular Subject Use the singular verb for certain uncountable nouns ending with –s as they are singular in nature. Physics/Economics/ Statistics is my favourite subject. News about the country is currently unavailable because of the communication breakdown. Politics is a popular subject.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Singular Subject Use the singular verb for gerunds that function as nouns. Driving requires focus and quick reflexes. Studying for exams is tedious but rewarding.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Singular Subject Use the singular verb with subject clauses beginning with what. What the experts have said has proven to be true. What he is currently studying applies to the field of bioengineering.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Singular Subject When the subject is joined by either…or /neither…nor, use the verb form that agrees with the closest noun. Either the manager or the team members are present. Neither he nor I am aware of the changes.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Singular Subject Use the singular or plural verb depending on the noun used with the quantifying words or phrases. All of the students have been working on the project. All of the money has been invested in a foreign bank.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Agreement with One of.. The noun phrase “one of” is used with a plural noun. However, the subject is singular and takes a singular verb. One of my partners has not arrived. One of the examples given does not show the steps clearly.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Agreement with There in Subject Position When the subject begins with There, the verb agrees with the following noun. There are some students who haven’t finished. There is news of the latest cure for cancer. (Uncountable nouns are singular).

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Sources Lane, A. and Lange, E. (1999). Writing Clearly: An Editing Guide (2 nd ed.). Boston: Heinle and Heinle Publishers. Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (2006). Writing Academic English (4 th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Raimes, A. (2006). Grammar Troublespots: A Guide for Student Writers (3 rd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press,