Subject Verb Agreement

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What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

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Subject-Verb Agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its verb.

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When do we use a singular verb?

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We use a singular verb when the subject is singular, meaning it refers to one person, place, thing, or idea.

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When do we use a plural verb?

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We use a plural verb when the subject is plural, meaning it refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea.

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What is the rule for 'A number of' in subject-verb agreement?

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When using 'A number of,' the verb should be plural (e.g., 'A number of students were present').

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What is the rule for 'The number of' in subject-verb agreement?

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When using 'The number of,' the verb should be singular (e.g., 'The number of students is increasing').

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What is the agreement rule for compound subjects joined by 'and'?

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When compound subjects are joined by 'and,' they typically take a plural verb (e.g., 'Tom and Jerry are friends').

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What is the agreement rule for compound subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor'?

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When compound subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it (e.g., 'Neither the teacher nor the students were ready').

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How does the word 'none' affect subject-verb agreement?

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The word 'none' can be singular or plural depending on the context. Use a singular verb if 'none' refers to a singular noun and a plural verb if it refers to a plural noun.

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What is the rule for collective nouns in subject-verb agreement?

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Collective nouns (e.g., team, group) can take either singular or plural verbs depending on whether the group acts as a single unit or as individuals.

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What is the subject-verb agreement rule for 'each' and 'every'?

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When 'each' or 'every' is used, the verb should be singular (e.g., 'Each student has a book').