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Jubilee Christian Academy

Elementary Department
English 4, S.Y. 2018-2019
Notes # 3.3: Subject-Verb Agreement

Name: ___________________________________ CN: _____ Date: _________________

Section: __________________________________ Teacher: Mrs. Von Grace A. Camacho

Identifying the subject

 Ask: Who/what is being talked about? or Who is doing the action?
 Remove any descriptions or intervening phrases/words
 Ask : Is it singular or plural?

BASIC RULE #1: Singular subjects use singular verbs.

Singular Verbs (with –s/-es, is, was, has, does)

BASIC RULE #2: Plural subjects use plural verbs.

Plural Verbs (no –s/-es, base form, are, were, have, do)

SUB-RULES
Sub-Rule # 1– Or/Nor
Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.
Two plural subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a plural verb.
✘ The boy or his friend runs every day.
✘ Their friends or the boys run every day.
Sub-Rule # 2– Or/Nor
✘ When a compound subject contains nouns or pronouns joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb should
agree with the part of the subject that is nearer the verb.
✘ The boy or his friends run every day.
✘ His friends or the boy runs every day.
Sub-Rule #3: Compound Subjects Joined by “and”
Most compound subjects joined by “and” are plural.
✘ A car and a bike are my means of transportation.
✘ Jodi and Sam is / are playing.
Sub-Rule #4: Subjects separated from the verb
If the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along with, as well as, besides, not, etc.
the verb follows the subject.
✘ The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
✘ Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.
Sub-Rule #5: Portions
With words that indicate portions—percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, and so
forth —look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a
singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of
the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.
✘ Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared.
✗ “Pie” is the object of the preposition “of.”
✘ Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared.
✗ Pies is the object of the preposition “of.”
✘ One-third of the city is unemployed.
✘ One-third of the people are unemployed.