~When a word refers to one person or thing, it is singular in number. When a word refers to more than one, it is plural in number.
SingularPlural
studentstudents
childchildren
itthey
berryberries
Example: As a child, the girl in the photograph was sure she was not very good at anything.
photograph=singular
A verb should ALWAYS agree with it’s subject in number.
1) Singular subjects take singular verbs.
Examples :
He washes the dishes. ( The singular verb washes agrees with the singular subject he. )
A girl in my neighborhood playsin the school band. ( The singular subject girl takes the singular verb plays. )
2) Plural subjects take plural verbs.
Examples:
They wash the dishes.
Several girls in my neighborhood play in the school band.
In the examples above, the main verbs agree in number with their subjects. Like single-word verbs, verb phrases agree with their subjects.
However, in a verb phrase, only the first helping verb changes its form to agree with a singular or plural subject.
Examples:
The Essay on Girls Numbers Boy Talk
Steve SyoenIntellectual essay Men and women, different in so many ways no one could keep count, but I picked one aspect to look at especially. The way in which males and females think, analyze, and where they stand versus each other. According to the book, males are supposed to score higher on the math portion of the SAT, yet girls can score higher on advances placement and math course tests. My ...
A girl in my neighborhood was playing in the school band.
Several girls in my neighorborhood were playing in the school band.
He has been washing the dishes.
They have been washing the dishes.
GENERALLY, NOUNS ENDING IN –S ARE PLURAL (friends, girls), BUT VERBS ENDING IN –S ARE SINGULAR (sees, hears)
The number of the subject is not changed by a phrase following the subject.
Remember that a verb agrees in number with its subject. A subject is never part of a prepositional phrase.
Examples:
The sign near the glass doors explains the theme of the exhibit.
Several painitings by Emilio Sanchez were hanging in the galley.
Compound prepositions such as together with, in addition, as well as, and along with following the subject do not affect the number of the subject.
Examples:
Anne, together with her cousins, is backpacking in Nevada this summer.
Robert, along with Kimberely and Ervin, has been nominated for class president.
The following pronouns are singular : each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, noone, nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody.
Examples
Each of the athletes runs effortlessly. ( Each one runs. )
Neither of the women is ready to start. ( Neither one is ready. )
The following pronouns are plural: several, few, both, many.
Examples:
Several of the runners are exercising.
Few of the athletes have qualified.
Were both of the games postponed?
Many on the team practice daily.
The pronouns some, all most, any, and none, may be either singular or plural.
Example
Some of the show is funny. ( Some refers to the singular noun show. )
Some of the entertainers are funny. ( Some refers to the plural noun entertainers. )
Was any of the criticism positive?
Were any of the reviews positive?
The words any and none may be singular even when they refer to a plural word if the speaker is thnking of each item individually. Any and none are plural only if the speaker is thinking of several items as a group.
Examples :
Any of these books is worth reading. ( Any one book is worth reading.)
None of the books was overdue. ( Not one book was overdue.)
The Essay on 20 Rules of Subject Verb Agreement
1. Use verbs that agree with a subject, not with a noun that is part of a modifying phrase or clause between verb and subject: “The pot of eggs is boiling on the stove.” 2. Use singular or plural verbs that agree with the subject, not with the complement of the subject: “My favorite type of movie is comedies,” but “Comedies are my favorite type of movie.” 3. Use singular verbs with singular ...
Several of the kittens ( has, have) been adopted. Several-have
SINGULAR SUBECTS JOINED BY or OR nor TAKE A SINGULAR VERB.
After dinner, either Anne or Tony loads the dishwasher. ( Either Anne or Tony loads the dishwasher, not both. )
SUBJECTS JOINED BY and USUALLY TAKE A PLURAL VERB.
Leslie Marmon Silko and Mari Evans are poets. ( Two persons are poets. )
Rhyme, rythmn, and imagery help poets express their feelings. ( Three things help. )
WHEN A SINGULAR SUBJECT AND A PLURAL SUBJECT ARE JOINED BY or OR nor, THE VERB AGRESS WITH THE SUBJECT NEARER THE VERB.
Neither the losers nor the winner was happy with the outcome of the match.
Neither the winner nor the losers were happy with the outcome of the match.
A VERB AGREES WITH ITS SUBJECT NOT WITH ITS PREDICATE NOMINATIVE.
S PN
The marching bands are the main attraction.
WHEN THE SUBJECT FOLLOWS THE VERB, FIND THE SUBJECT AND MAKE SURE THAT THE VERB AGREES WITH IT.
WORDS STATINNG AMOUNTS ARE USUALLY SINGULAR.
A WORD OR PHRASE STATING A WEIGHT, A MEASUREMENT, OR AN AMOUNT OF MONEY OR TIME IS USUALLY CONSIDERED ONE ITEM AND TAKES A SINGULAR VERB.
Thirty dollars is too much for a concert ticket.
Two hours is a long time to wait.
Three fourths of the show is over.
THE TITLE OF A WORK OF ART, LITERATURE, OR MUSIC, EVEN WHEN PLURAL IN FROM, TAKES A SINGULAR VERB.
Blue Lines is an early painting by Georgia O Keefe. ( one work of art)
The Souls of Black Folk is often citied as a classic of African American Literature. ( one book)
Every OR many BEFORE A SUBJECT CALLS FOR A SINGULAR VERB.
Many a litterbug was surprised by the stiff fines.
Every homeowner and storekeeper has joined the cleanup drive.
A FEW NOUNS, ALTHOUGH PLURAL IN FORM, TAKE SINGULAR VERBS.
Politics is a controversial topic.
The news of the nominees for the Supreme Court was a surprise to many observers.
Rickets is a serious health problem in some countries.
SOME NOUNS THE END IN –S TAKE A PLURAL VERB EVEN THOUGH THEY REFER TO A SINGLE ITEM.
The scissors need to be sharpened.
Were these plants on sale?
The pliers are next to the ranch.
A PRONOUN USUALLY REFERS TO A NOUN OR ANOTHER PRONOUN THAT COMES BEFORE IT. THE WORD THAT A PRONOUN REFERS TO IS CALLED ITS ANTECEDENT.
The Term Paper on Centipede: Pronoun Antecedent
... use of indefinite pronouns as antecedents and the pronoun antecedent agreement. The following indefinite pronouns are singular and need a singular pronoun: one, no one, ... few, any, nobody, anything, and everything Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of a clause or sentence. These ... it, and they Objective personal pronouns are the object of a preposition, verb, or infinitive phrase. These are: ...
A PRONOUN SHOULD AGREE WITH ITS ANTECEDENT IN NUMBER AND GENDER.
A FEW SINGULAR PERSONAL PRONOUNS HAVE FORMS THAT INDICATE THE GENDER OF THE ANTECEDENT. MASCULINE PRONOUNS REFER TO MALES, FEMININE PRONOUNS REFER TO FEMALES. NUETER PRONOUNS REFER TO THINGS AND OFTEN TO ANIMALS.
MASCULINEFEMININENEUTER
HESHEIT
HIMHERIT
HISHERSITS
Colette performs her solo today.
James makes his lunch everyday.
WHEN THE ANTECEDENT OF A PERSONAL PRONOUN IS ANOTHER KIND OF PRONOUN, LOOK IN A PHRASE FOLLOWING THE ANTECEDENT TO DETERMINE THE GENDER.
One of the women in the act class designs her own costumes.
Each of the boys rode his bicycle to school.
WHEN THE ANTECEDENT MAY BE EITHER MASCULINE OR FEMININE, USE BOTH THE MASCULINE AND FEMININE FORMS CONNECTED BY or.
Every one of the students shouted his or her approval.
A person should always choose his or her friends carefully.
IN MANY CASES YOU CAN AVOID THE AKWARD his OR her CONSTRUCTION BY REPHRASING THE SENTENCE AND USING THE PLURAL FORM OF THE PRONOUN.
All of the students shouted their approval.
People should always choose their friends carefully.
USE A SINGULAR TO REFER TO each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, OR somebody.
Someone left his or her hat on the field.
One of the parakeets escaped from its cage.
TWO OR MORE SINGULAR ANTECEDENTS JOINED BY or OR nor SHOULD BE REFERRED TO BY A SINGULAR PRONOUN.
Neither Richard nor Bob distinguished himself in the finals.
Paula or Janet will present her views on the subject.
TWO OR MORE ANTECEDENTS JOINED BY and SHOULD BE REFERRED TO BY A PLURAL NOUN.
Mona and Janet left early because they had to be home before ten o’ clock.
Mom and Dad celebrated their twentieth wedding anniversary yesterday.
