For instance:. In each of these sentences, it is clear to the reader who performed the action. It is also clear what they did. The subject-verb agreement in each of these sentences is clear and the reader is not left wondering who did the action and what they did. It becomes clear that subject-verb agreement is essential and even critical in all forms of English writing. Why should you care?
Secondly, it is always a good idea to practice proper grammar in writing because it makes you credible. The first rule in making your subjects and verbs agree is that the subject has to match with the verb. In general, if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural as well:. Regular verbs written in the present tense when converted to plural omit the use of s at the end of each verb.
In the past tense, however, verbs do not change:. The trick to making your subject and verb agree with each other is to identify the quantity of your subject and match the verb to it. However, there are phrases which are not as easily calculated.
You may be knowledgeable about a certain area of expertise, but if you cannot communicate effectively, your ability to share that knowledge is affected. Incorrect subject-verb agreement can cause your writing to be confusing to the reader. For example the sentence below has incorrect subject-verb agreement.
If your subjects and verbs disagree, you does not sound so good. In fact, a writer who do not understand the elementary concepts of grammar have no credibility.
Was the sentence easy to understand? You probably found it quite confusing. In this lesson, you will learn how to determine correct subject-verb agreement and correct verb tenses.
Making Subjects and Verbs Agree. Subject-verb agreement errors are very common in the English language. Odds are that you have made this mistake yourself. Subject-verb agreement is very important because without it, the reader can be confused.
Sometimes, however, it seems a bit more complicated than this. When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and , use a plural verb. When there is one subject and more than one verb, the verbs throughout the sentence must agree with the subject.
When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, remember that the verb still agrees with the subject, not the noun or pronoun in the phrase following the subject of the sentence. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by "or" or "nor," use a singular verb.
When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by "or" or "nor," the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is closest to the verb.
This is also called the rule of proximity. The words and phrases "each," "each one," "either," "neither," "everyone," "everybody," "anyone," "anybody," "nobody," "somebody," "someone," and "no one" are singular and require a singular verb. Noncount nouns take a singular verb.
Some countable nouns in English such as earnings, goods, odds, surroundings, proceeds, contents, and valuables only have a plural form and take a plural verb. In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there are," the subject follows the verb. Since "there" is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows the verb.
Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but are considered singular and take a singular verb. Some examples are "group," "team," "committee," "family," and "class. Related Resources. On your own sheet of paper, write the correct verb form for each of the following sentences. Complete the following sentences by writing the correct present tense form of be , have , or do.
Use your own sheet of paper to complete this exercise. Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following paragraph. Copy the paragraph on a piece of notebook paper and make corrections.
I feels that I am the ideal candidate for the receptionist position at your company. I has three years of experience as a receptionist in a company that is similar to yours. My phone skills and written communication is excellent.
These skills, and others that I have learned on the job, helps me understand that every person in a company helps make the business a success. At my current job, the team always say that I am very helpful. Everyone appreciate when I go the extra mile to get the job done right. My current employer and coworkers feels that I am an asset to the team. I is efficient and organized. Is there any other details about me that you would like to know?
If so, please contact me. You can reach me by e-mail or phone. I looks forward to speaking with you in person. Imagine that you are a prospective client and that you saw this ad online. Would you call Terra Services to handle your next project? Probably not! Mistakes in subject-verb agreement can cost a company business. Paying careful attention to grammatical details ensures professionalism that clients will recognize and respect. Skip to main content.
Search for:. Identify common errors in subject-verb agreement. Agreement Agreement in speech and in writing refers to the proper grammatical match between words and phrases. All parts must match in singular or plural forms. All parts must match in first person I , second person you , or third person he, she, it, they forms.
All parts must match in subjective I, you, he, she, it, they, we , objective me, her, him, them, us , or possessive my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, their, theirs, our, ours forms. For more information on pronoun case agreement, see Section 1. All parts must match in male or female forms. Subject-verb agreement describes the proper match between subjects and verbs. Regular Verbs Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern.
We live. Second Person You live. You live. They live. Tip Add an -es to the third person singular form of regular verbs that end in -sh , -x , -ch , and -s.
Tip Many singular subjects can be made plural by adding an -s. Irregular Verbs Not all verbs follow a predictable pattern. Be Study the different forms of the verb to be in the present tense. We are. Second Person You are. You are. They are. Have Study the different forms of the verb to have in the present tense. We have. Second Person You have. You have.
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