1.1 Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement is one of the most fundamental rules of English grammar, and it frequently appears on the PERT Writing exam. At its core, the rule is simple: a subject and its verb must agree in number. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.

However, sentences are not always as straightforward as "The cat sits." Often, phrases come between the subject and the verb, confusing the writer. Other times, the subject itself may be complex, such as a compound subject, a collective noun, or an indefinite pronoun. To succeed on the PERT, you must learn to identify the true subject of the sentence and match it correctly with its verb, disregarding any deceptive intervening words.

Singular and Plural Agreement

The basic principle is matching singular subjects with singular verbs, and plural subjects with plural verbs. A singular noun refers to one person, place, thing, or idea. A plural noun refers to more than one.

Unlike nouns, which typically add an s to become plural (e.g., dog becomes dogs), verbs generally add an s to become singular in the present tense. For instance, the plural verb run becomes the singular verb runs.

Examples:

• Singular: The dog barks loudly at the mail carrier.
• Plural: The dogs bark loudly at the mail carrier.

Ignoring Intervening Phrases

A common trap on the PERT exam is the placement of a prepositional phrase or an appositive between the subject and the verb. The verb must agree with the subject, not with a noun in the intervening phrase. When checking for agreement, mentally cross out the prepositional phrase.

Incorrect: The box of chocolates are on the table. Correct: The box (of chocolates) is on the table.

In this example, the subject is box, which is singular. The word chocolates is the object of the preposition of, so it cannot be the subject.

Another type of intervening phrase is an additive phrase, which begins with expressions like along with, as well as, in addition to, or together with. These phrases do not make a singular subject plural.

Correct: The manager, along with his employees, is attending the conference. (The subject is 'manager', so the verb 'is' is singular.)

Compound Subjects

A compound subject consists of two or more subjects joined by a conjunction. The rules for agreement depend on which conjunction is used.

Subjects Joined by "And"

When two or more subjects are joined by the conjunction and, they generally form a plural subject and require a plural verb.

Example: The student and the teacher are discussing the assignment.

Exception: If the parts of the compound subject refer to a single person or thing, or if they are considered a single unit, the verb is singular. Example: Macaroni and cheese is my favorite meal. (Viewed as a single dish)

Subjects Joined by "Or" or "Nor"

When subjects are joined by or, nor, either/or, or neither/nor, the verb must agree with the subject that is closer to the verb. This is often called the rule of proximity.

Example 1: Neither the manager nor the employees want to work late. (The plural subject 'employees' is closer to the verb, so the plural verb 'want' is used.)

Example 2: Neither the employees nor the manager wants to work late. (The singular subject 'manager' is closer to the verb, so the singular verb 'wants' is used.)

Collective Nouns

A collective noun names a group of people or things. Examples include team, family, committee, jury, audience, class, and herd.

In American English (which is the standard tested on the PERT), collective nouns are almost always treated as singular because the group acts as a single unit.

Correct: The team is practicing on the field. Correct: The committee has reached a final decision.

On rare occasions, a collective noun can take a plural verb if the members of the group are acting individually rather than collectively. However, for standardized testing purposes, it is safest to treat collective nouns as singular unless there is a glaring contextual clue indicating individual action.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific persons or things. They are a major focus on grammar exams because many of them sound plural but are grammatically singular.

Singular Indefinite Pronouns

The following indefinite pronouns are always singular and require singular verbs:

• Anyone, anybody, anything
• Everyone, everybody, everything
• Someone, somebody, something
• No one, nobody, nothing
• Each, either, neither, one

Examples:

• Each of the students is responsible for the project.
• Everyone in the room has a copy of the agenda.

Note the phrase of the students in the first example. As discussed earlier, this is a prepositional phrase. The subject is Each, which is singular, not students.

Plural Indefinite Pronouns

A few indefinite pronouns are always plural: both, few, many, several. Example: Many of the books are overdue.

Variable Indefinite Pronouns

Some indefinite pronouns can be either singular or plural, depending on the noun they refer to (usually found in the prepositional phrase that follows). These include all, any, more, most, none, some. (An easy way to remember this is the acronym SAMAN).

• Singular: Some of the pie is missing. (Pie is singular)
• Plural: Some of the pieces are missing. (Pieces is plural)

Inverted Sentence Structure

In most English sentences, the subject comes before the verb. However, sometimes the order is inverted, particularly in questions or sentences beginning with there or here. In these cases, you must look after the verb to find the subject.

• Example 1: There are many challenges ahead. (The subject is the plural noun 'challenges', so the plural verb 'are' is used.)
• Example 2: On top of the hill sits an old house. (The subject is the singular noun 'house', so the singular verb 'sits' is used.)

By mastering these rules, you will be well-equipped to tackle any subject-verb agreement question on the PERT Writing exam. Practice identifying the true subject and mentally stripping away confusing phrases, and you will see immediate improvements in your accuracy.