Chapter 4: Subject-Verb Assignment

Question 1

What is subject-verb agreement?

Answer 1

When a verb aggressive with its subject in number and person
E.g The girl plays, the girls play, I am here on Thursdays

Question 2

What is the 1st rule in problems of subject verb agreement?

Answer 2

The subject is not always the noun closest to the verb
E.g The hairline cracks in the engine present a serious threat to passengers safety

Question 3

What is the 2nd rule in problems of subject verb agreement?

Answer 3

Many indefinite pronouns take a singular verb
E.g everyone is…(sing.), both were…(plural)

Question 4

What is the 3rd rule in problems of subject verb agreement?

Answer 4

When a pair of conjunctions is used, the verb agrees with the subject closer to the verb
E.g. neither the textbook nor my lecture notes explain the meaning of this word

Question 5

What is the 4th rule in problems of subject verb agreement?

Answer 5

In some sentences, the subject can come after the verb. In these cases, be sure that the verb agrees with the subject
E.g here is the surprise I promised you or who were the people with toy last night?

Question 6

What is the 5th rule in problems of subject verb agreement?

Answer 6

A group noun usually takes a singular verb if the group is acting as a unit
E.g The town council is planning a canada day celebration

Question 7

What is the 6th rule in problems of subject verb agreement?

Answer 7

A group noun takes a plural verb if the members of the group are acting as individuals
E.g The town council qee preparing their speeches for this event

Question 8

What is the 7th rule in problems of subject verb agreement?

Answer 8

The uses for “s” for the 3rd person singular in the present tense (he, she, it does) and for the verb to be in the past tense (he, she, or it was)
E.g she does the signage for the pageant every year