Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-Verb Agreement

Freshman Composition

Verbs

Verbs do one of two things: they either show action or link a subject to the rest of the sentence.

Action Verbs

• Action verbs most often show physical action such as talked, freezes, jump, arrives, and threw.

• Action verbs can also show mental action: remember, considered, thinks, realize, and learns

Action Verb Examples:

• Nearly 10% of Americans dress their pets in Halloween costumes.

• Nearly 90% of Americans consider pets in Halloween costumes ridiculous.

• Before Galileo, most people in Europe believed that the sun revolved around the earth.

• Cleo understands the situation.

Linking Verbs

• Linking verbs link the subject to a noun, pronoun, or an adjective that best describes it.

• The most common linking verbs are forms of "be," which are am, is, are, was, were, and been.

• Other examples of linking verbs: becomes, appears, seem, and remain

Linking Verb Examples:

• Actor Robert Pattinson seems a very believable vampire.

• During the full moon, Professor Remus Lupin becomes a werewolf.

• All of the students appear worried about the upcoming test.

• This cashmere sweater feels soft.

Helping Verbs

• Verbs that help other verbs to precisely express the meaning intended are called helping verbs.

• Examples of helping verbs: be, am, is, was, were, been, have, has, had, do, does, did, shall, should, will, would, may, might, can, could, must, ought

• A complete verb might consist of two, three, or four words, and may include helping verbs.

Helping Verb Examples

• Tony has not been working very long. (The word not is not a verb.)

• All gondolas in Venice, Italy, must be painted black, unless they belong to government officials.

• I should have known you it was you!

The Subject

The subject in a sentence is the person, place, or thing that is completing the verb.

How to Identify the Subject

• Find the verb and ask who? of that verb

• Ask what? of the verb

How to Identify the Subject

Example 1

The Romans constructed military roads, aqueducts, bridges, and marble buildings.

Verb: constructed

Who constructed? The Romans

Therefore, Romans is the subject of the sentence.

How to Identify the Subject

Example 2

The computers in the Learning Center must be replaced.

Verb: must be replaced

What must be replaced? The computers

Therefore, computers is the subject of the sentence.

How to Identify the Subject

If you are trying to find the subject of a question, it will help if you rewrite the question in a form of a statement.

Example

Why does China have only one time zone?

Rewrite: China does have only one time zone.

Verb: does have

What does have? China.

Therefore, China is the subject of the sentence.

Multiple Choice

True or False:

A singular noun ends with an "s."

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False:

A singular verb ends with an "s."

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False:

A plural noun ends with an "s."

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False:

A plural verb ends with an "s."

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

My friend _____ that there is a ghost in the attic.

• believe

• believes

Multiple Choice

All teachers _____ their students to do well.

• want

• wants

Multiple Choice

The most venomous snakes _____ in Australia.

• live

• lives

Multiple Choice

The weatherman _____ a 95% chance of rain.

• predict

• predicts

Multiple Choice

After this difficult school year, the students _____ a vacation.

• deserve

• deserves

Multiple Choice

Select the correct verb:

All of the tickets _____ sold out!

• is

• are

Multiple Choice

My brother _____ the best cookies!

• bake

• bakes

Multiple Choice

Mr. Pulido _____ when you copy your answers from the internet.

• know

• knows

Multiple Choice

The top executives _____ enough money to buy themselves a Porsche.

• earn

• earns

Multiple Choice

After school, we _____ going to get ice cream.

• is

• are