1. Chapter 8: Agreement Number Agreement of Subject and Verb
Problems in Agreement
Phrases and Clauses Between Subjects and Verbs
Indefinite Pronouns
Compound Subjects
Other Problems in Agreement
Don’t, Doesn’t, and Collective nouns
Amount and form notes
Agreement of Pronoun and Antecedent

2. Agreement of Subject and Verb
Number
The form a word takes to show whether it’s singular or plural is its number
One thing: singular
Two or more things: plural
Agreement of Subject and Verb
Verbs must agree in number with their subjects

3. Agreement of Subject and Verb
Singular subjects take singular verbs:
Ex: The student raises her hand.
Ex: The dog eats my homework
Plural subjects take plural verbs
Ex: The students raise their hands
Ex: The dogs eat our homework.
Notice anything about the letter s?

4. In verb phrases, the first helping verb must always agree with the subject in number. Ex: I am teaching. Ex: They are talking again. Ex: Does anyone know what they are talking about? Ex: Do any students know the answer?

5. Exercise 3, p. 158 Use your boards
Write the verb that agrees with the subject given
Ex: The sport of basketball (enjoys, enjoy) great popularity worldwide
A: enjoys
#1: Successful basketball leagues (exist, exists)…
A: exist

6. Distributed review: Simple, compound, complex, or compound complex.
Classify the following exercises from today’s classwork:
Successful basketball leagues exist in many countries, but the NBA remains the world’s major league.
Around the world, children dream of one day playing in the NBA.
One such player is Emanuel Ginobili of Argentina.

7. Problems in Agreement Phrases and Clauses Between Subjects and Verbs
The number of a subject isn’t changed by a phrase or clause following the subject
Ex: The students in our class learn about grammar.
singular
plural
plural

8. WARNING: There is an exception to this rule
WARNING: There is an exception to this rule! If the subject is an indefinite pronoun (like all, any, more, none, or some), its number can be affected by what comes after it Ex: All of the veggies were peeled. Ex: All of the salad was eaten.

9. BEWARE prepositional phrases
BEWARE prepositional phrases! Check this sentence: The conductor, as well as the musicians, __________ formal clothing at every performance. What should be in the blank? (wear/wears) Remember: prepositional phrases should be eliminated to avoid subject/verb agreement confusion. A: wears (as well as is a compound preposition)

10. Exercise 4, p. 159 Use your boards Identify the subject.
Choose the verb form that agrees with the subject
Ex: The houses on my block (has, have) two stories.
A: houses: have
#1: The launch of the space shuttle (attracts, attract) the interest of people throughout the world.
A: launch: attracts

11. Indefinite Pronouns Pronoun review: Personal pronouns
Refer to specific people, places, things, or ideas
Indefinite pronouns
Do not refer to definite people, places, things, or ideas

12. Singular: Either of the answers is correct.
Examples:
Singular: Either of the answers is correct.
Always plural: Both of the apples are good.
Context dependent:
All of the room has been painted.
All of the rooms have been painted.

13. Exercise 5, p. 161 Use your boards Identify the subject.
Choose the verb form that agrees with the subject
Ex: Each of the marchers (was, were) carrying a sign protesting apartheid.
A: Each: was
#1: All of my friends (has, have) the chickenpox.
A: All: have

14. Compound subjects
Subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb. Ex: Superman and Batman are famous comic heroes. Ex: Last year, the Joker, the Penguin, and Bane were teaming up to take over Gotham City.

15. If a compound subject refers to only one person or thing, use a singular verb. Ex: The winner and new champion of the WWF is Hulk Hogan! Ex: Chicken and dumplings is a favorite Southern dish.

16. Singular subjects joined by or or nor take singular verbs
Singular subjects joined by or or nor take singular verbs. Plural subjects joined by or or nor take plural verbs. Ex: A pen or a pencil is needed for this test. Ex: Neither Minnesota nor Buffalo has won a Super Bowl. Ex: Are the Lakers or the Clippers winning the game?

17. When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject closest to the verb. Ex: Neither the manager nor the employees want to close the store early. Ex: Neither the employees nor the manager wants to close the store early.
Singular Plural
Plural
Plural Singular
Singular

18. Review B, p. 166 Use your boards
Choose the verb form that agrees with the subject
Ex: Pan dulce and other baked goods (sells, sell) well at the Mexican American bakery.
A: sell (agrees with closest subject: goods)
#1: The wonderful smells at the bakery (invites, invite) hungry customers.
A: invite (agrees with plural subject: smells)

19. Other problems in agreement
When a subject follows a verb, find the subject and make sure it agrees with the verb.
This usually happens in questions or with sentences that begin with here or there.
Ex: Here is my handle.
There are our spouts.
Where is my hairbrush?
Do they know them?
Does he know them?

20. Exercise 9, p. 167 Use your boards
Choose the word or word group that correctly completes the sentence.
Ex: (Here’s, Here are) the jazz CDs I borrowed.
A: Here are (agrees with subject: CDs)
#1: According to this map, (there’s, there are) seven countries in Central America.
A: there are (agrees with plural subject: countries)

21. The contractions don’t and doesn’t should agree with their subjects
The contractions don’t and doesn’t should agree with their subjects. Don’t: All plural subjects and the pronouns I and you Doesn’t: All singular subjects (except I and you) Ex: These gloves don’t fit. (plural) I don’t want to be late. (I) It doesn’t matter. (singular) Doesn’t she like cold weather? (singular)

22. A collective noun may be either singular or plural, depending on its meaning in the sentence.
A collective noun is:
Singular when it talks about the whole group as a unit
Plural when it talks about individual members of the group

23. Ex: Tomorrow, the science class is taking a field trip to the planetarium. (the class as a unit is taking a trip) Ex: The science class are working on their projects at their own pace. (members are working on various projects) Ex: The family has moved to Canada. (all together as one!) Ex: The family have been unable to agree upon where to spend their next vacation. (they all have different opinions)

24. Ex: The science class are working on their projects at their own pace.
Ex: The family have been unable to agree upon where to spend their next vacation.
Correct, but sometimes strange sounding! Sometimes it’s best to use clearer phrasing.
The members of the class are working at their own pace.
The members of the family have been unable…

25. Review C, p. 169 Use your boards
If the sentence has an agreement error, write the correct form of the verb
If the sentence is correct as is, your answer will be “C”. There are two C answers.
Ex: There is a man and a woman here to see you.
A: are (subjects joined by and = plural verb)
#1: Leilani and Yoshi doesn’t know how to swim.
A: don’t (as above!)

26. An expression of an amount may be singular or plural depending on how it is used.
Consider an amount singular when it is thought of as a unit
Consider it plural when you think of it as separate units
Ex: Three years seems like a long time. (singular)
Ex: Two years in particular were tough for us. (plural)

27. Fractions and percents
Consider these singular when they refer to singular words
Consider them plural when they refer to plural words
Ex: Two thirds of the population was there.
Ex: Eighty percent of the students were there.
singular
singular
plural
plural

28. Some nouns in plural form take singular verbs
civics
economics
electronics
genetics
gymnastics
linguistics
mathematics
molasses
news
physics
summons
Ex: Economics is my favorite subject.
Ex: The evening news begins at 6:00.

29. Some plural form nouns that name singular objects take plural verbs
binoculars
eyeglasses
Olympics
pants
pliers
scissors
shears
shorts
slacks
Ex: Your binoculars have huge lenses
Ex: The slacks are torn in two different spots.
Ex: The pliers belong in the toolbox!

30. Titles and names of countries, cities, and businesses take singular verbs even when they are in the plural form.
Ex: Blue Lines is an early painting by Georgia O’Keefe. Ex: “Greensleeves” is an old English folk song. Ex: The Netherlands has thousands of canals. Ex: Cedar Rapids is a manufacturing center in the Midwest.

31. A verb agrees with its subjects but not necessarily with a predicate nominative.
Ex: The best time to visit is weekday mornings. (time and is have to agree; the word mornings doesn’t matter) Ex: Weekday mornings are the best time to visit. (mornings and are have to agree; the word time doesn’t matter)

32. Each remaining exercise has only one correct answer!
Review E, p. 173
Use your boards
Choose the verb that agrees with the subject
Ex: There (is, are) many new students this year.
A: are (students is the subject (see p. 167))
#1: The audience (loves, love) the mime performance.
A: loves (both will actually work because audience is collective and the meaning of the sentence is not totally clear)
Each remaining exercise has only one correct answer!

33. Agreement of Pronoun and Antecedent
Antecedent: that to which a pronoun refers
pronouns must agree in both number and gender w/their antecedents
Be careful when the antecedent is another pronoun:
Each of the men put on (his/their) hat.
A: his
Neither of those women got what (they/she) wanted.
A: she
Each and neither are always singular

34. Gender ambiguous pronouns
Some pronouns may be masculine or feminine. When referring to these, use both forms. Did someone in this line lose their ticket? Did someone in this line lose his or her ticket? Everybody in the class wanted to know their grade. Everybody in the class wanted to know his or her grade.

35. Use singular pronouns when you join two or more singular antecedents with or or nor
Bob or Fred will bring their football. Correct: Bob or Fred will bring his football. Neither Jane nor Wanda had forgotten their batting helmet. Correct: Neither Jane nor Wanda had forgotten her batting helmet.

36. Use plural pronouns when you join two or more antecedents with and
My mother and father send her and his regards. Correct: My mother and father send their regards. My dog and cat never share its food. Correct: My dog and cat never share their food.

37. Indefinite pronouns Singular: Anybody/anyone/anything
Some are plural, some are singular, and some can be either.
Copy these lists:
Singular:
Anybody/anyone/anything
Each
Either
Everybody/everyone/everything
Neither/nobody/no one
Nothing
One
Somebody/someone/something

38. Context-dependent: All Any More Most None Some Plural: Both Few Many
Several

39. Let’s try it
Provide the pronoun that matches up with the given antecedent.
Ex: Anyone who has finished ( ? ) sketch should now show it to me.
A: his or her

40. Were both of the concerts canceled, or were (. ) just rescheduled
Were both of the concerts canceled, or were (?) just rescheduled? A: they Some of the test is hard, isn’t (?) ?. A: it Several of the ice sculptures are melting. How can we save (?)? A: them

41. Was any of the music original, or had you heard (. ) all before
Was any of the music original, or had you heard (?) all before? A: it Some of the questions are easy. I’ll do (?) first. A: them

42. Exercise 12, p. 176 Use your boards
Complete the sentences with pronouns that agree with their antecedents.
Identify each antecedent.
Ex: Ann Marie and Margaret wore (?) cheerleader uniforms.
A: their: Ann Marie and Margaret
#1: The trees lost several of (?) branches.
A: their: trees
The lessons in the book get a bit redundant after this. Go on to use the Language Handbook pages (near 70) as both class work and homework until you are ready to test.