Page 64 - New Grammar with a Smile 8

Subject-Verb

8 Agreement

Warm-up

Identify the errors in the use of subject-verb agreement and correct them.

Hey, what Hmmm… Is you Am you trying
is you wonder what learning how to absorb the
doing? he am up to. to spell? words?

I is checking
if there is
mistakes in
the dictionary!

A verb should agree with its subject in number and in person. In other words, a
singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb. If
a subject is a noun phrase with more than one noun, the verb should agree with the
noun that is the real subject or the headword. For example,

• The main objective of all my efforts is to help him.
subject (noun phrase) predicate

The headword in the noun phrase is ‘objective’, which is singular, that’s why the verb
(is) used here is singular.

• All my plans to start a new school have failed.
subject (noun phrase) predicate

The headword in the noun phrase is ‘plans’ which is plural, that’s why the verb (have)
used here is plural.

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