Subject Verb Agreement ESL

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What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

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

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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 (one person or thing). For example, 'He runs fast.'

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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 (more than one person or thing). For example, 'They run fast.'

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

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When subjects are joined by 'and', they are considered plural, and we use a plural verb. For example, 'Tom and Jerry play together.'

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

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When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. For example, 'Either the cat or the dogs are outside.'

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What is the verb form for 'he', 'she', or 'it'?

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For 'he', 'she', or 'it', we add 's' or 'es' to the base form of the verb in the present tense. For example, 'She dances.'

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What is the verb form for 'I', 'you', 'we', or 'they'?

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For 'I', 'you', 'we', or 'they', we use the base form of the verb in the present tense. For example, 'They dance.'

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What is an example of a singular subject with a singular verb?

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An example is 'The dog barks.' Here, 'dog' is singular, and 'barks' is the singular verb.

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What is an example of a plural subject with a plural verb?

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An example is 'The dogs bark.' Here, 'dogs' is plural, and 'bark' is the plural verb.

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What happens when the subject is a collective noun?

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Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on whether the group acts as one unit or as individuals. For example, 'The team wins' (singular) vs. 'The team are arguing' (plural).