Time for Subject-Verb Agreement!

Front

What is subject-verb agreement?

Back

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

Front

When do you use a singular verb?

Back

A singular verb is used when the subject is singular (e.g., 'The cat runs').

Front

When do you use a plural verb?

Back

A plural verb is used when the subject is plural (e.g., 'The cats run').

Front

What is a compound subject?

Back

A compound subject consists of two or more subjects joined by 'and' or 'or' (e.g., 'Tom and Jerry').

Front

How does 'neither...nor' affect verb agreement?

Back

With 'neither...nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it (e.g., 'Neither the teacher nor the students were present').

Front

What is a prepositional phrase?

Back

A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun (e.g., 'in the park').

Front

How do you identify the main subject in a sentence?

Back

To identify the main subject, look for the noun or pronoun that the verb is acting upon, ignoring prepositional phrases.

Front

What verb form do you use with collective nouns?

Back

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

Front

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

Back

When subjects are joined by 'and,' use a plural verb (e.g., 'The dog and cat are playing').

Front

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

Back

When subjects are joined by 'or,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it (e.g., 'Either the teacher or the students are late').