1 of 11

SUBJECT VERB

AGREEMENT

2 of 11

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

TO EXPLAIN THE RULES OF SUBJECT- VERB AGREEMENT
TO IDENTIFY AND CORRECT ERRORS IN SUBJECT- VERB AGREEMENT.
TO USE CORRECT SUBJECT- VERB AGREEMENT IN THEIR SENTENCES.

3 of 11

THE VERB LIKE PERSONAL PRONOUNS HAS THREE PERSONS-

1^ST PERSON- I LIKE TO READ STORY BOOKS.

2^ND PERSON- YOU LIKE TO READ NOVELS.

3^RD PERSON- HE LIKES TO READ COMICS.

THE VERB ALWAYS TAKES THE SAME PERSON AS ITS SUBJECT.

IT ALWAYS AGREES WITH ITS SUBJECT IN PERSON.

4 of 11

THE VERB LIKE NOUN AND PRONOUN HAS TWO NUMBERS.

THE SINGULAR- HE SPEAKS.

THE PLURAL- THEY SPEAK.

THE VERB TAKES THE SAME NUMBER AS ITS SUBJECTS.

THE VERB ALWAYS AGREES WITH ITS SUBJECT IN NUMBER.

5 of 11

THE VERB MUST AGREE WITH ITS SUBJECT IN NUMBER AND PERSON.

AS- I AM HERE.

I WAS THERE.

I HAVE A BAT.

I PLAY HOCKEY.

HE IS HERE.

HE HAS A PEN.

THEY HAVE A BOOK.

THEY PLAY FOOTBALL.

6 of 11

BASIC RULES

RULE:1- TWO SINGULAR SUBJECTS CONNECTED BY ‘OR’ OR ‘NOR’ REQUIRE A SINGULAR VERB-

AS- MY AUNT OR MY UNCLE IS ARRIVING BY TRAIN TODAY.

RULE:2- THE TWO SINGULAR SUBJECTS CONNECTED BY ‘EITHER….OR’ OR NEITHER…NOR’ REQUIRE A SINGULAR VERB-

AS- EITHER KIRAN OR SUSHILA IS HELPING THEM TODAY.

7 of 11

RULE:3-

WHEN ‘I’ IS ONE OF THE TWO SUBJECTS - CONNECTED BY ‘EITHER…OR’ OR ‘NEITHER…NOR’ PUT IT SECOND AND FOLLOW IT WITH THE SINGULAR VERB-

AS- NEITHER SHE NOR I AM GOING TO THE FESTIVAL.

RULE:4-

WE ALWAYS USE SINGULAR VERBS AFTER ‘EITHER’, ‘NEITHER’, ‘EACH’ AND ‘EVERYONE’-

AS- EACH OF YOU HAS HELPED ME.

8 of 11

RULE:5-

WHEN A SINGULAR SUBJECT IS CONNECTED BY ‘OR’ OR ‘NOR’ TO A PLURAL SUBJECT, PUT THE PLURAL SUJECT IAST AND USE A PLURAL VERB-

AS- NIRMAL OR HIS FRIENDS HAVE DONE THIS.

RULE:6-

IF TWO OR MORE SINGULAR NOUNS ARE CONNECTED WITH ‘AND’ USE PLURAL VERB-FIRE AND WATER DO NOT AGREE.

AS-

9 of 11

RULE:7-

IF TWO SINGULAR NOUNS ARE CONNECTED WITH ‘AS WELL AS’, WE ALWAYS USE SINGULAR VERB-

AS- JUSTICE AS WELL AS MERCY ALLOWS IT.

RULE:8-

IF TWO NOUNS ARE CONNECTED WITH ‘AS WELL AS’, WE ALWAYS USE THE VERB ACCORDING TO THE FIRST SUBJECT-

AS- YOU AS WELL AS I ARE GUILTY OF IT.

10 of 11

RULE:9-

IF COLLECTIVE NOUNS EXPRESS SOMETHING FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, WE USE SINGULAR VERB-

AS- THE COUNCIL HAS CHOSEN ITS PRESIDENT.

RULE:10-

IF COLLECTIVE NOUNS EXPRESS SOMETHING FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL IN THE COMMUNITY, WE USE PLURAL VERB-

AS- THE MILITARY WERE CALLED OUT.

11 of 11

HOME ASSIGNMENT

RAM AND SHYAM……….. FRIENDS
EITHER YOU OR YOUR FRIEND……… GUILTY OF IT.
YOU, HE AND I ……….. TO GO TO DELHI.
THE POLICE ……… BEATEN THEM.
HE AS WELL AS I ……. THE VICTIM OF IT.
NEITHER HE NOR I …….. GOING TO LUCKNOW.