Learning Objectives
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In the workplace, you want to present a professional image. Your outfit or suit says something about you when meeting face-to-face, and your writing represents you in your absence. Grammatical mistakes in your writing or even in speaking make a negative impression on coworkers, clients, and potential employers. Subject-verb agreement is one of the most common errors that people make. Having a solid understanding of this concept is critical when making a good impression, and it will help ensure that your ideas are communicated clearly. AgreementAgreement in speech and in writing refers to the proper grammatical match between words and phrases. Parts of sentences must agree, or correspond with other parts, in number, person, case, and gender.
Subject-verb agreement describes the proper match between subjects and verbs. Because subjects and verbs are either singular or plural, the subject of a sentence and the verb of a sentence must agree with each other in number. That is, a singular subject belongs with a singular verb form, and a plural subject belongs with a plural verb form. For more information on subjects and verbs, see Section 2.1 “Sentence Writing”. Singular: The catjumps over the fence. jump over the fence. Regular VerbsRegular verbs follow a predictable pattern. For example, in the third person singular, regular verbs always end in -s. Other forms of regular verbs do not end in -s. Study the following regular verb forms in the present tense.
TipAdd an -es to the third person singular form of regular verbs that end in -sh, -x, -ch, and -s. (I wish/He wishes, I fix/She fixes, I watch/It watches, I kiss/He kisses.) Singular: I read every day. read every day. In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the first person singular and the first person plural. Singular: Youstretch before you go to bed. stretch before every game. In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the second person singular and the second person plural. In the singular form, the pronoun you refers to one person. In the plural form, the pronoun you refers to a group of people, such as a team. Singular: My motherwalks to work every morning. In this sentence, the subject is mother. Because the sentence only refers to one mother, the subject is singular. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person singular form. Plural: My friendslike the same music as I do. In this sentence, the subject is friends. Because this subject refers to more than one person, the subject is plural. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person plural form. TipMany singular subjects can be made plural by adding an -s. Most regular verbs in the present tense end with an –s in the third person singular. This does not make the verbs plural. Singular subject, singular verb: The catraces across the yard. race across the yard. Exercise 1On your own sheet of paper, write the correct verb form for each of the following sentences.
Irregular VerbsNot all verbs follow a predictable pattern. These verbs are called irregular verbs. Some of the most common irregular verbs are be, have, and do. Learn the forms of these verbs in the present tense to avoid errors in subject-verb agreement. BeStudy the different forms of the verb to be in the present tense.
HaveStudy the different forms of the verb to have in the present tense.
DoStudy the different forms of the verb to do in the present tense.
Exercise 2Complete the following sentences by writing the correct present tense form of be, have, or do. Use your own sheet of paper to complete this exercise.
Errors in Subject-Verb AgreementErrors in subject-verb agreement may occur when
Recognizing the sources of common errors in subject-verb agreement will help you avoid these errors in your writing. This section covers the subject-verb agreement errors in more detail. Compound SubjectsA compound subject is formed by two or more nouns and the coordinating conjunctions and, or, or nor. A compound subject can be made of singular subjects, plural subjects, or a combination of singular and plural subjects. Compound subjects combined with and take a plural verb form. Two singular subjects: Aliciaand Miguelride their bikes to the beach. and the boysride their bikes to the beach. and the boysride their bikes to the beach. Compound subjects combined with or and nor are treated separately. The verb must agree with the subject that is nearest to the verb. Two singular subjects: Neither Elizabethnor Riannawants to eat at that restaurant. nor the adultswant to eat at that restaurant. nor the kidswant to eat at that restaurant. nor Elizabethwants to eat at that restaurant. Two singular subjects: Either youor Jasontakes the furniture out of the garage. or the twinstake the furniture out of the garage. or the twinstake the furniture out of the garage. or Jasontakes the furniture out of the garage. TipIf you can substitute the word they for the compound subject, then the sentence takes the third person plural verb form. Separation of Subjects and VerbsAs you read or write, you may come across a sentence that contains a phrase or clause that separates the subject from the verb. Often, prepositional phrases or dependent clauses add more information to the sentence and appear between the subject and the verb. However, the subject and the verb must still agree. If you have trouble finding the subject and verb, cross out or ignore the phrases and clauses that begin with prepositions or dependent words. The subject of a sentence will never be in a prepositional phrase or dependent clause. The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a prepositional phrase: The students with the best grades win the academic awards. under the table is my favorite. The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a dependent clause: The car that I bought has power steering and a sunroof. who are courteous sell the most tickets. Indefinite PronounsIndefinite pronouns refer to an unspecified person, thing, or number. When an indefinite pronoun serves as the subject of a sentence, you will often use a singular verb form. However, keep in mind that exceptions arise. Some indefinite pronouns may require a plural verb form. To determine whether to use a singular or plural verb with an indefinite pronoun, consider the noun that the pronoun would refer to. If the noun is plural, then use a plural verb with the indefinite pronoun. View the chart to see a list of common indefinite pronouns and the verb forms they agree with.
Singular: Everybodyin the kitchen sings along when that song comes on the radio. The indefinite pronoun everybody takes a singular verb form because everybody refers to a group performing the same action as a single unit. Plural: Allthe people in the kitchen sing along when that song comes on the radio. The indefinite pronoun all takes a plural verb form because all refers to the plural noun people. Because people is plural, all is plural. Singular: Allthe cake is on the floor. In this sentence, the indefinite pronoun all takes a singular verb form because all refers to the singular noun cake. Because cake is singular, all is singular. Collective NounsA collective noun is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and considers those people, places, or things one singular unit. Because collective nouns are counted as one, they are singular and require a singular verb. Some commonly used collective nouns are group, team, army, flock, family, and class. Singular: The classis going on a field trip. In this sentence, class is a collective noun. Although the class consists of many students, the class is treated as a singular unit and requires a singular verb form. The Subject Follows the VerbYou may encounter sentences in which the subject comes after the verb instead of before the verb. In other words, the subject of the sentence may not appear where you expect it to appear. To ensure proper subject-verb agreement, you must correctly identify the subject and the verb. Here or ThereIn sentences that begin with here or there, the subject follows the verb. Here is my wallet! in the water. If you have trouble identifying the subject and the verb in sentences that start with here or there; it may help to reverse the order of the sentence so the subject comes first. My walletis here! are in the water. QuestionsWhen you ask questions, a question word (who, what, where, when, why, or how) appears first. The verb and then the subject follow. Who are the people you are related to? TipIf you have trouble finding the subject and the verb in questions, try answering the question being asked. When am I going to the grocery store? I am going to the grocery store tonight! Exercise 3Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following sentences. If there are no errors in subject-verb agreement, write OK. Copy the corrected sentence or the word OK on your own sheet of notebook paper.
Exercise 4Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following paragraph. Copy the paragraph on a piece of notebook paper and make corrections. Dear Hiring Manager, Writing at WorkFigure 2.5 Advertisement
Imagine that you are a prospective client and that you saw this ad online. Would you call Terra Services to handle your next project? Probably not! Mistakes in subject-verb agreement can cost a company business. Paying careful attention to grammatical details ensures professionalism that clients will recognize and respect. Key Takeaways
Writing ApplicationUse your knowledge of subject-verb agreement to write one of the following:
Be sure to include at least the following:
Which of the following is one of the purposes for an informative speech?The Purpose and The Parts: The purpose of an informative speech is to impart new knowledge. The speech should consist of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The purpose of the introduction is to gain the audience's attention by building interest.
What is the overarching goal of a speech called?The general purpose, or overarching goal, of virtually any speech is to inform, to persuade, or to entertain.
Which of the following does your textbook recommend when you need to speak impromptu?Which of the following does your textbook recommend when you need to speak impromptu? Maintain eye contact with the audience. Use signposts to help listeners keep track of your ideas. Tell the audience how nervous you are.
Which part of the speech does the text recommend that you create first?The introduction should be prepared before the body of a speech is developed. The textbook recommends that you make a fresh set of speaking notes on the eve of your speech.
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