Mechanics- Subject-Verb Agreement
Page 1: Properties of a Well-Written Text
Page 2: Mechanics of Language
Page 3: Mechanics
Definition: A set of conventions regarding spelling, abbreviating, punctuation, and capitalization.
Importance: Observing these conventions avoids confusion in writing.
Page 4: Subject-Verb Agreement
Considerations: Do I need an 's' at the end of the verb? Or should I leave the 's' off?
Page 5: Subject-Verb Agreement Overview
Presentation focus: Maintaining agreement between subjects and verbs.
Page 6: Test Item Example
Subject-verb agreement items may appear in objective tests.
Page 7: Sample Item Analysis
Example Sentence: "The foods that provide good nutrition is often the least tasty; a hamburger and fries, on the other hand, satisfy the tongue but clog the arteries."
Options for correction:
A. provides
B. are
C. satisfies
D. No change is necessary.
Analysis: Agreement issue occurs, and 'is' should be 'are' (B).
Page 8: Agreement in a Nutshell
Example:
Singular: The elephant trumpets for a peanut.
Plural: The elephants trumpet for peanuts.
Explanation:
Singular subject 'elephant' → singular verb 'trumpets'.
Plural subject 'elephants' → plural verb 'trumpet'.
Page 9: Present Tense Verb Endings
Key Point: Singular verbs end with 's'; plural verbs do not.
Page 10: Plural Subjects
Rule: Two [or more] singular nouns joined by 'and' form a plural subject.
Example: "The chicken wing and pork rib sit untouched on Ruth’s plate."
(No 's' at the end of 'sit' indicates a plural verb.)
Page 11: Singular Subjects with Each/Every
Rule: When 'each' or 'every' precedes singular nouns joined by 'and', the subject remains singular.
Example: "Every chicken wing and pork rib sits untouched on Ruth’s plate."
('s' at the end of 'sits' indicates a singular verb.)
Page 12: Continuing Singular Subjects
Key Point: Each additional singular noun joined with 'and' maintains the subject's singularity.
Example: "Every chicken wing, pork rib, slice of pepperoni pizza, hotdog, hamburger, steak, and fried shrimp sits untouched on Ruth’s plate."
Page 13: Cautions with Conjunctions
Important Conjunctions: either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also.
Example: "Not only the employees but also their boss wish the shift would end."
Note: Only the closer subject 'boss' determines the verb.
Page 14: Indefinite Pronouns
Rule: These pronouns are always singular, even if they seem plural:
Each, either, neither
Anyone, anybody, anything
Everyone, everybody, everything
No one, nobody, nothing
Someone, somebody, something
Page 15: Singular Collective Nouns
Example: "Everyone on Earth" refers to billions but is treated as singular.
Page 16: Beware of Interrupting Phrases
Example: "The squirrel as well as the pigeons keep an eye on Sammy, the sneaky cat."
Note: Interrupting phrases do not change the subject-verb agreement.
Page 17: Beware of Inverted Word Order
Rule: Cross through prepositional phrases to identify the real subject. Example corrections:
"Here are the onions you need for the chili."
"In the refrigerator are the jalapeño peppers you might want to add."