Chapter 8: Agreement• Number• Agreement of Subject and Verb• Problems in Agreement

1. Phrases and Clauses Between Subjects and Verbs

2. Indefinite Pronouns3. Compound Subjects4. Other Problems in Agreement• Don’t, Doesn’t, and Collective nouns• Amount and form notes

• Agreement of Pronoun and Antecedent

Number• The form a word takes to show whether it’s

singular or plural is its number– One thing: singular– Two or more things: plural

Agreement of Subject and Verb

• Verbs must agree in number with their subjects

• Singular subjects take singular verbs:Ex: The student raises her hand.Ex: The dog eats my homework

• Plural subjects take plural verbsEx: The students raise their handsEx: The dogs eat our homework.

Agreement of Subject and Verb

Notice anything about the letter s?

In verb phrases, the first helping verb must always agree with the subject in number.

Ex: I am teaching. Ex: They are talking again.Ex: Does anyone know what they are talking about?Ex: Do any students know the answer?

Exercise 3, p. 158• Use your boards• Write the verb that agrees with the subject

given

Ex: The sport of basketball (enjoys, enjoy) great popularity worldwideA: enjoys#1: Successful basketball leagues (exist, exists)…A: exist

Distributed review: Simple, compound, complex, or compound complex.

Classify the following exercises from today’s classwork:1. Successful basketball leagues exist in many countries, but the NBA

remains the world’s major league.2. Around the world, children dream of one day playing in the NBA.5. One such player is Emanuel Ginobili of Argentina.

Problems in Agreement

Phrases and Clauses Between Subjects and Verbs• The number of a subject isn’t changed by a

phrase or clause following the subject

Ex: The students in our class learn about grammar.

pluralsingularplural

WARNING: There is an exception to this rule!If the subject is an indefinite pronoun (like all, any, more, none, or some), its number can be affected by what comes after it

Ex: All of the veggies were peeled.Ex: All of the salad was eaten.

BEWARE prepositional phrases!Check this sentence:The conductor, as well as the musicians, __________ formal clothing at every performance.

What should be in the blank? (wear/wears)Remember: prepositional phrases should be eliminated to avoid subject/verb agreement confusion.A: wears (as well as is a compound preposition)

Exercise 4, p. 159• Use your boards• Identify the subject. • Choose the verb form that agrees with the subject

Ex: The houses on my block (has, have) two stories.A: houses: have#1: The launch of the space shuttle (attracts, attract) the interest of people throughout the world.A: launch: attracts

Pronoun review:1. Personal pronouns– Refer to specific people, places, things, or ideas

2. Indefinite pronouns– Do not refer to definite people, places, things, or

ideas

Indefinite Pronouns

Examples:

Singular: Either of the answers is correct.Always plural: Both of the apples are good.

Context dependent:All of the room has been painted.All of the rooms have been painted.

Exercise 5, p. 161• Use your boards• Identify the subject. • Choose the verb form that agrees with the

subject

Ex: Each of the marchers (was, were) carrying a sign protesting apartheid.A: Each: was#1: All of my friends (has, have) the chickenpox.A: All: have

Subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb.

Ex: Superman and Batman are famous comic heroes.Ex: Last year, the Joker, the Penguin, and Bane were teaming up to take over Gotham City.

Compound subjects

If a compound subject refers to only one person or thing, use a singular verb.

Ex: The winner and new champion of the WWF is Hulk Hogan!

Ex: Chicken and dumplings is a favorite Southern dish.

Singular subjects joined by or or nor take singular verbs. Plural subjects joined by or or nor take plural verbs.

Ex: A pen or a pencil is needed for this test.Ex: Neither Minnesota nor Buffalo has won a Super Bowl.Ex: Are the Lakers or theClippers winning the game?

When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject closest to the verb.

Ex: Neither the manager nor the employees want to close the store early.

Ex: Neither the employees nor the manager wants to close the store early.

Singular Plural

Plural

Plural Singular

Singular

• Use your boards• Choose the verb form that agrees with the

subjectEx: Pan dulce and other baked goods (sells, sell) well at the Mexican American bakery.A: sell (agrees with closest subject: goods)#1: The wonderful smells at the bakery (invites, invite) hungry customers.A: invite (agrees with plural subject: smells)

Review B, p. 166

Other problems in agreement

When a subject follows a verb, find the subject and make sure it agrees with the verb.

This usually happens in questions or with sentences that begin with here or there.

Ex: Here is my handle. There are our spouts. Where is my hairbrush? Do they know them? Does he know them?

• Use your boards• Choose the word or word group that correctly

completes the sentence.

Ex: (Here’s, Here are) the jazz CDs I borrowed.A: Here are (agrees with subject: CDs)#1: According to this map, (there’s, there are) seven countries in Central America.A: there are (agrees with plural subject: countries)

Exercise 9, p. 167

The contractions don’t and doesn’t should agree with their subjects.Don’t: All plural subjects and the pronouns I and youDoesn’t: All singular subjects (except I and you)

Ex: These gloves don’t fit. (plural)I don’t want to be late. (I)It doesn’t matter. (singular)Doesn’t she like cold weather? (singular)

A collective noun may be either singular or plural, depending on its meaning in the sentence.

A collective noun is:• Singular when it talks about the whole group as a unit• Plural when it talks about individual members of the group

Ex: Tomorrow, the science class is taking a field trip to the planetarium.(the class as a unit is taking a trip)Ex: The science class are working on their projects at their own pace.(members are working on various projects)Ex: The family has moved to Canada.(all together as one!)Ex: The family have been unable to agree upon where to spend their next vacation.(they all have different opinions)

• Ex: The science class are working on their projects at their own pace.

• Ex: The family have been unable to agree upon where to spend their next vacation.

Correct, but sometimes strange sounding! Sometimes it’s best to use clearer phrasing.The members of the class are working at their own pace.The members of the family have been unable…

• Use your boards• If the sentence has an agreement error, write the

correct form of the verb• If the sentence is correct as is, your answer will be

“C”. There are two C answers.

Ex: There is a man and a woman here to see you.A: are (subjects joined by and = plural verb)#1: Leilani and Yoshi doesn’t know how to swim.A: don’t (as above!)

Review C, p. 169

• Consider an amount singular when it is thought of as a unit

• Consider it plural when you think of it as separate units

Ex: Three years seems like a long time. (singular)Ex: Two years in particular were tough for us. (plural)

An expression of an amount may be singular or plural depending on how it is used.

• Consider these singular when they refer to singular words

• Consider them plural when they refer to plural words

Ex: Two thirds of the population was there.

Ex: Eighty percent of the students were there.

Fractions and percents

singularsingular

plural plural

• civics• economics• electronics• genetics• gymnastics• linguistics• mathematics• molasses

Some nouns in plural form take singular verbs

• news• physics• summons

Ex: Economics is my favorite subject.

Ex: The evening news begins at 6:00.

• binoculars• eyeglasses• Olympics• pants• pliers• scissors• shears

Some plural form nouns that name singular objects take plural verbs

• shorts• slacks

Ex: Your binoculars have huge lenses

Ex: The slacks are torn in two different spots.

Ex: The pliers belong in the toolbox!

Ex: Blue Lines is an early painting by Georgia O’Keefe. Ex: “Greensleeves” is an old English folk song.Ex: The Netherlands has thousands of canals.Ex: Cedar Rapids is a manufacturing center in the Midwest.

Titles and names of countries, cities, and businesses take singular verbs even when they are in the plural form.

Ex: The best time to visit is weekday mornings.(time and is have to agree; the word mornings doesn’t matter)

Ex: Weekday mornings are the best time to visit.(mornings and are have to agree; the word time doesn’t matter)

A verb agrees with its subjects but not necessarily with a predicate nominative.

• Use your boards• Choose the verb that agrees with the subject

Ex: There (is, are) many new students this year.A: are (students is the subject (see p. 167))#1: The audience (loves, love) the mime performance.A: loves (both will actually work because audience is collective and the meaning of the sentence is not totally clear)Each remaining exercise has only one correct answer!

Review E, p. 173

Agreement of Pronoun and AntecedentAntecedent: that to which a pronoun refers• pronouns must agree in both number and gender

w/their antecedents

Be careful when the antecedent is another pronoun:Each of the men put on (his/their) hat.A: hisNeither of those women got what (they/she) wanted.A: she

Gender ambiguous pronouns

Some pronouns may be masculine or feminine. When referring to these, use both forms.

Did someone in this line lose their ticket?Did someone in this line lose his or her ticket?

Everybody in the class wanted to know their grade.Everybody in the class wanted to know his or her grade.

Bob or Fred will bring their football.Correct: Bob or Fred will bring his football.

Neither Jane nor Wanda had forgotten their batting helmet.Correct: Neither Jane nor Wanda had forgotten her batting helmet.

Use singular pronouns when you join two or more singular antecedents with or or nor

My mother and father send her and his regards.Correct: My mother and father send their regards.

My dog and cat never share its food.Correct: My dog and cat never share their food.

Use plural pronouns when you join two or more antecedents with and

• Some are plural, some are singular, and some can be either.

• Copy these lists:

Indefinite pronouns

Singular:1.Anybody/anyone/

anything2.Each3.Either4.Everybody/

everyone/everything

5. Neither/nobody/no one

6. Nothing7. One8. Somebody/

someone/something

Plural:1. Both2. Few3. Many 4. Several

Context-dependent:1. All2. Any3. More4. Most5. None6. Some

Let’s try it• Provide the pronoun that matches up with the

given antecedent.

Ex: Anyone who has finished ( ? ) sketch should now show it to me.A: his or her

Were both of the concerts canceled, or were (?) just rescheduled?A: they

Some of the test is hard, isn’t (?) ?.A: it

Several of the ice sculptures are melting. How can we save (?)?A: them

Was any of the music original, or had you heard (?) all before?A: it

Some of the questions are easy. I’ll do (?) first.A: them

• Use your boards• Complete the sentences with pronouns that agree

with their antecedents.• Identify each antecedent.

Ex: Ann Marie and Margaret wore (?) cheerleader uniforms.A: their: Ann Marie and Margaret#1: The trees lost several of (?) branches.A: their: trees

Exercise 12, p. 176