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GEE110 Module9

This document provides an overview of subject-verb agreement. It defines what constitutes a subject and verb, discusses different types of subjects including simple, complete, compound, definite, indefinite, and null subjects. It also covers identifying the subject and verb in a sentence, the usual sentence format of subject-verb-object, and the basic rules of subject-verb agreement, which require the verb to agree with the subject in number and person.

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39 views5 pages

GEE110 Module9

This document provides an overview of subject-verb agreement. It defines what constitutes a subject and verb, discusses different types of subjects including simple, complete, compound, definite, indefinite, and null subjects. It also covers identifying the subject and verb in a sentence, the usual sentence format of subject-verb-object, and the basic rules of subject-verb agreement, which require the verb to agree with the subject in number and person.

Uploaded by

jamokbaisas297
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Course Code: GEE 110

Description: English Plus


Instructor: Ms. Flornel T. Balmes

Module 9 Subject-Verb Agreement

Objective: At the end of this topic, the student will:

1. State the rules of subject-verb agreement.


2. Sustain interest in studying subject-verb agreement.
3. Construct their own sentences using correct subject-verb agreement.
What is subject and verb in grammar?

Subject-verb agreement errors are among the most common mistakes that
students make on their school papers. The general rule holds that singular nouns
should accompany singular verbs, while plural nouns should accompany plural
verbs. However, identifying a noun as either singular or plural can be tricky. There
are several types of subject-verb agreement that students and writers must be
familiar with to produce grammatically correct work.

What Is a Subject? Types of Subjects


The subject is whom or what a sentence is about. It is the doer or agent, or the person or
thing being described.

 Lulu lives on Mars.

A simple subject is the key word or phrase that the sentence is about. A complete
subject is the simple subject and any words that modify or describe it.

 Simple subject: My new friend lives on Mars.

 Complete subject: My new friend lives on Mars.

MORE EXAMPLES

Simple subject: Maya, who’s an astronaut, lives on Mars.

Complete subject: Maya, who’s an astronaut, lives on Mars.

Simple subject: The car that Farley bought last year has broken down.

Complete subject: The car that Farley bought last year has broken down.

In a compound subject, two or more noun phrases are coordinated or joined using a
conjunction. These noun phrases then together form a single subject and share the
same verb.

 Compound subject: Lulu and Rita live on Mars.

MORE EXAMPLES:

Maya and my new friend are both astronauts.

Tumkin and Maya are going to Thailand.

My friend from college and the woman who bought our house know each other.

Anita or Poco can help you with this.

Neither Farley’s car nor his motorcycle runs anymore.


Subjects may also be definite and indefinite.

A definite subject refers to someone or something known and specific. It can be a proper
name, a definite pronoun like you or I, or a noun phrase starting with the definite article the
or determiners like that, my, and your.

 Definite subject: The woman from the restaurant is here.

MORE EXAMPLES:

 Minerva Dash has won the Nobel Prize in literature.


 You need to solve this.
 The girl we met at the party is at the door.
 That girl stole my purse.

An indefinite subject begins with the indefinite article a/an or a determiner like some or any. It can
also simply be an indefinite pronoun (like someone or anyone).

 Indefinite subject: A man called for you.

MORE EXAMPLES

 A girl we don’t know is at the door.


 Some people prefer tea to coffee.
 Someone is at the door.

Null or implied subject


The null or implied subject in a sentence is not explicitly stated but is understood from context. It is
also called the zero subject. It is most often seen in imperative structures like commands and
requests, and also in minor sentences in informal usage.

EXAMPLES
 (You) shut the door.
 (You) please call me tomorrow.
 “Who won the match?” “(I) don’t know.”

The subject is most often a noun phrase, but it can take various grammatical forms.

SUBJECT: GRAMMATICAL FORMS

Form Example

Noun phrase My mother is an astronaut.

Gerund phrase Swimming is fun.

Infinitive phrase To dream is to live.

Noun clause What I want is some patience.

Prepositional phrase At midnight is when the magic happens.

Implied subject (You) send me an email, please.

Dummy subject It’s late. There is no time left.


The subject is the person or thing that a sentence or clause is about. It is often the
performer of an action, or the doer or agent. But not all sentences speak of actions.
The subject is also whom or what a state or event refers to.
EXAMPLES
The cat is riding a bicycle.
Rita runs in the morning.
Many people came to the party.
Everyone likes pasta.
She believes that things will get better.
Tumkin has won the lottery.

The subject can simply be the person or thing being described in a sentence.
EXAMPLES
Maya feels happy when it rains.
Roses of all colors smell lovely.
These songs are from my childhood.

The object is the recipient of an action.


EXAMPLE
The cat is riding a bicycle.
subject = the cat; verb = is riding; object = a bicycle

Identifying the subject


To identify the subject in a sentence, find the verb. Then find the person or thing being
described by the verb. In most sentences, the subject is the phrase right before the verb.
EXAMPLES
 The girls in the park are playing a game.
verb = are playing; subject = the girls in the park
 All cats are creatures of habit.
verb = are; subject = all cats
 The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
verb = jumps; subject = the quick brown fox

Usual Sentence Format


The usual sentence format includes a subject, verb, and object.
 The teacher taught the students.
 Teacher = subject
 Taught = verb
 Students = object
 Jennifer dusted the blinds.
 Jennifer = subject
 Dusted = verb
 Blinds = object

Subject-verb agreement
When speaking or writing in English it is vital that you follow the rules of subject verb
agreement. In simple terms, this is making sure that the subject agrees with the verb for
example ‘You are’ and not ‘you am.’

By using the correct subject verb agreement, you will be able to make much more
understandable and grammatically correct sentences which will make your English sound
more fluent. In this section, we will be paying closer attention to the idea of subject verb
agreement and how you can ensure you follow the rules.

The verb you use in a sentence should agree with the subject in person and number. This
means that the verb changes depending on whether the subject is singular or plural.

EXAMPLES
 I want to travel the world.
 Maya wants to travel the world.
 My parents want to travel the world.

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