Subject Verb Agreement



Subject Verb Agreement

A verb must agree with its subject in number

Singular subjects take singular verbs

Ex.

The candle burns slowly

S V

The car comes to a sudden stop.

Plural subjects take plural verbs.

Ex.

The candle burns slowly

S V

The prisoners walk in the exercise yard.

S V

* How can you tell if the verb is singular or plural?

Replace the subject with he or they.

You should be able to hear if it is correct or not

Ex.

He walk (Does this sound correct?)

He is singular and it does not fit the verb.

They walk (Does this sound correct?)

They is plural and it does fit the verb.

Prepositional phrases between subject and verb

Students often commit agreement errors because they mistake words in prepositional phrases for the subjects of verbs

Ex. The many lights on the Christmas tree makes it look very festive.

[Lights, not tree, is the subject.]

The many lights on the Christmas tree make it look very festive.

When there is a prepositional phrase, one should cross out the phrase in order to see the subject and verb agreement.

Commonly Used Prepositions

|Aboard |Behind |From |Throughout |

|About |Below |In |To |

|Above |Beneath |Into |Toward |

|Across |Beside |Like |Under |

|After |Between |Near |Underneath |

|Against |Beyond |Of |Until |

|Along |But (except) |Off |Unto |

|Amid |By |On |Up |

|Among |Down |Over |Upon |

|Around |During |Past |With |

|At |Except |Since |Within |

|Before |For |Through |Without |

Ex.

1. Many dogwood trees on my street are in bloom.

2. Her paper on rare American stamps needs editing.

3. Your opinion of the candidates gives the pollster important information.

4. The scientists at Cape Canaveral work many extra hours during a launch

5. Some students in the class volunteer for outside assignments.

Name ____________________ Date:

English 7 Per:

Subject Verb Agreement

1. Many tourists from America (goes, go) to Holland during April or May.

2. The flowers in Holland (reaches, reach) their peak at this time of the year.

3. One of the most beautiful sights imaginable (is, are) the long expanse of flowers from Haarlem to Leiden.

4. For mile after mile a solid carpet of brilliant colors (greets, greet) the eye.

5. Strangely enough, the flowers in this section (is, are) grown for their bulbs rather than for their blossoms.

6. When the flowers are in full bloom, workers in the field (clips, clip) them.

7. Then very large garlands of brilliant blooms (is, are) made and sold to passing travelers.

8. Visitors in a Dutch city (is, are) usually amazed to find flowers everywhere.

9. Many homes in the Netherlands (is, are) filled with vases of flowers.

10. Even the cars of the Dutch often (contains, contain) little vases of flowers.

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