Subject – Verb Agreement

A Bite-Sized Bit of EOC Prep

GrammarSubject/Verb Agreement

• In sentences the subject and the verb have to agree in number.

Ok….well, what does that mean?

Let’s break it down. We’re going to talk about:Subjects NumberVerbs Agreement

Subject

• The subject is what the sentence is about. It’s the WHO that does something.

The cat ate some cheese.

My sister and I love to dance.

While riding my bike, I ran over an acorn.

Verb

• The verb is an action or state of being.• The action verbs are the easiest to find,

because they are verbs of DOING.The girl ate a hot dog.My sister dances for hours.

• A state of being verb shows that something EXISTS. (You just have to memorize these verbs)

You are my friend. My sister was tired.

Agreement and Number

• When things agree they are the same.• Number just means singular or plural.

So…In order for your subject and verb to agree in

number……the must both be singular or both be plural.

Why it’s tricky..Plural subjects often end in S (cats, sisters, houses)Plural verbs do not (eat, dance, burn)

Singular subjects often don’t end in S (cat, sister, house)Singular verbs do (eats, dances, burns)

Plus, there are those tricky “Be” verbs…you just kind of have to learn those (the red ones are singular):

Am Is Are Was Were Can Could May Might Must Shall Should Will Would Has Have Had Be Being Been Do Does Did

How to Answer These Questions Correctly

1. Figure out what the subject is (who/what is doing the action) and then ask yourself, is this one or more than one?

2. Figure out what the verb is (what is the action, or what is the be verb?) and then make sure it is the same number as the subject.

3. Ask yourself if it SOUNDS right…usually if it doesn’t, then it isn’t.