SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Transcription

1 LÍNGUA INGLESA III B - COMPREENSÃO E PRODUÇÃO ESCRITA CLASS 02 TOPIC 03: CHECKING SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT Adapted from: SMALZER, William R. Write to be read reading, reflection and writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press When you are writing a text, you must pay attention to a very important aspect of the writing process: subject-verb agreement. What does it mean? It means that a singular subject must have a singular verb and a plural subject must have a plural verb. These are some general situations to help you understand subject-verb agreement in a better way: THE SUBJECT CAN BE... A) A SINGULAR NOUN. THE STUDENT IS very interested in the class. Subject (singular noun): The student B) AN UNCOUNTABLE NOUN MONEY IS something everybody needs Subject (uncountable noun): Money OBS. Uncountable nouns always take singular verbs, since they do not have a plural form. C) A PLURAL NOUN ALL THE STUDENTS WERE excited for the class. Subject (plural noun): All the students Plural verb: were D) A GERUND PHRASE GOING TO THE BEACH IS always a good choice for the weekend. Subject (gerund phrase): Going to the beach OBS: Gerund phrases are always singular so they always take singular verbs. E) AN INFINITIVE PHRASE

2 TO STUDYHARD IS the best way to a good future. Subject (infinitive): To study hard However, besides these general situations, there are some specific rules for subject-verb agreement that are very important for our understanding of this topic. RULE 1 RULE 2 RULE 3 RULE 4 RULE 5 RULE 6 RULE 7 RULE 8 RULE 1 If the sentence has two subjects connected by the word and, they take a plural verb. Example: The students and the teacher were happy with the final scores in the test. Subjects: The student/the teacher Connecting word: and Plural verb: were RULE 2 Phrases that are not part of the subject do not affect the verb. Example: The class, with all the students, is always nice and fun. Subject: The class Prepositional phrase: with all the students RULE 3 The subject usually comes before the verb, but sometimes it may come after, depending on the way the sentence is formed. to them. Example: Between the two students in the class was the teacher, talking Subject: The teacher Singular verb: was OBS: Another way of organizing this sentence would be: The teacher was between the two students in the class, talking to them. RULE 4 Relative pronouns (who, which, that) can work as subjects, so the verb agrees with the word the pronoun refers to. talking. Example: The students, who were all together in the classroom, started

3 Subject: who (representing the students) Plural verb: were RULE 5 When you use the expressions either or and neither nor to connect two subjects, the verb agrees with the second subject. Example: Either my mom or my brothers are going to the mall today. Subjects: My mom/my brothers Plural verb: are (the verb agrees with the closest subject my brothers) RULE 6 Indefinite pronouns usually take singular verbs. They are: each, everyone, everybody, somebody, someone, something, everything, anybody, nothing, no one and nobody. Example: Everybody has classes at this school. Subject: Everybody Singular verb: has OBS: The indefinite pronouns that take plural verbs are: both, few, several and many. Example: Many of my students are in class today. Subject: Many (of my students) Plural verb: are OBS: The indefinite pronouns none, some, most and all agree with a singular verb if it is used with an uncountable noun and with a plural verb if it is used with a countable noun. Example: Most of the money was used for buying books. Subject: Most of (the money uncountable noun) Singular verb: was Example: Most of my students are ready for the test. Subject: Most of (my students countable noun) Plural verb: are RULE 7 Group nouns/collective nouns have a plural meaning, but usually agree with a singular verb. Some group nouns are: family, class, government, committee, band, group, team, audience and company. Example: The government is organizing a big party in the city. Subject: The government RULE 8 Some nouns end with the letter s, but they are not plural so they take a single verb. Some of these words are: mathematics, politics, news, physics and economics.

4 Example: Politics is always a conflicting issue. Subject: Politics Now that you learned the rules about subject-verb agreement, let s practice! EXERCISING 1 Identify the subject-verb agreement rule for each sentence and write its number in the box. Also, observe the subject and the verb in the sentences. a) The first person in the line was my mom. b) The two dogs and the cat were playing in the garden. c) Someone is calling you on the phone. d) The road, from one side to the other, was full of cars. e) Economics is not very interesting to me. f) Neither my family nor my friends liked the movie. g) The band was playing beautiful songs last night. h) My car, which is very expensive, was stolen last night. Click here (Visite a aula online para realizar download deste arquivo.) to download this exercise. Good luck!

5 ANSWERS (CLICK HERE TO OPEN) a) The first person in the line was my mom. 3 b) Two dogs and the cat were playing in the garden. RULE number 1 c) Someone is calling you on the phone. 6 d) The road, from one side to the other, was full of cars. RULE number 2 e) Economics is not very interesting to me. 8 f) Neither my family nor my friends liked the movies. RULE number 5 7 g) The band was playing beautiful songs last night. h) My car, which is very expensive, was stolen last night. RULE number 4 EXERCISING 2 Choose the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject. 1. Annie and her brothers (is, are) at school. 2. Either my mother or my father (is, are) coming to the meeting. 3. The dog or the cats (is, are) outside. 4. Either my shoes or your coat (is, are) always on the floor. 5. George and Tamara (doesn't, don't) want to see that movie. 6. Benito (doesn't, don't) know the answer. 7. One of my sisters (is, are) going on a trip to France. 8. The man with all the birds (live, lives) on my street. 9. The movie, including all the previews, (take, takes) about two hours to watch. 10. The players, as well as the captain, (want, wants) to win. 11. Either answer (is, are) acceptable. 12. Every one of those books (is, are) fiction. 13. Nobody (know, knows) the trouble I've seen. 14. (Is, Are) the news on at five or six? 15. Mathematics (is, are) John's favorite subject, while Civics (is, are) Andrea's favorite subject. 16. Eight dollars (is, are) the price of a movie these days. 17. (Is, Are) the tweezers in this drawer? 18. Your pants (is, are) at the cleaner's. 19. There (was, were) fifteen candies in that bag. Now there (is, are) only one left! 20. The committee (debates, debate) these questions carefully. 21. The committee (leads, lead) very different lives in private. 22. The Prime Minister, together with his wife, (greets, greet) the press

6 cordially. 23. All of the CDs, even the scratched one, (is, are) in this case. Click here (Visite a aula online para realizar download deste arquivo.) to download this exercise. Good luck! ANSWERS (CLICK HERE TO OPEN) 1. Annie and her brothers ARE at school. 3. The dog or the cats ARE outside. 4. Either my shoes or your coat IS always on the floor. 5. George and Tamara DON'T want to see that movie. 6. Benito DOESN'T know the answer. 7. One of my sisters IS GOING on a trip to France. 8. The man with all the birds LIVES on my street. 9. The movie, including all the previews, TAKES about two hours to watch. 10. The players, as well as the captain, WANT to win. 11. Either answer IS acceptable. 12. Every one of those books IS fiction. 13. Nobody KNOWS the trouble I've seen. 14. IS the news on at five or six? 15. Mathematics IS John's favorite subject, while Civics is Andrea's favorite subject. 16. Eight dollars IS the price of a movie these days. 17. ARE the tweezers in this drawer? 18. Your pants ARE at the cleaner's. 19. There WERE fifteen candies in that bag. Now there IS only one left! 20. The committee DEBATES these questions carefully. 21. The committee LEAD very different lives in private. 22. The Prime Minister, together with his wife, GREETS the press cordially.

7 23. All of the CDs, even the scratched one, ARE in this case. LOOKING CLOSER If you still have doubts on how to make subject-verb agreement, take a look at these links: [1] [2] [3] CHALLENGE Click on the link below to take a short quiz on subject-verb agreement. [4] FONTES DAS IMAGENS Responsável: Profª. Malena Monteiro Universidade Federal do Ceará - Instituto UFC Virtual