5.2 Agreement and Verb Consistency

Agreement and Verb Consistency

In standard academic English, sentences must display clear, consistent connections between their grammatical components. On the TSIA2 ELAR test, agreement errors—both between subjects and verbs, and between pronouns and their antecedents—along with inconsistent shifts in verb tense, voice, and mood are heavily tested. Recognizing these issues requires identifying the core elements of a sentence and ignoring distracting filler phrases.

Subject-Verb Agreement

The basic rule of subject-verb agreement requires a singular subject to take a singular verb and a plural subject to take a plural verb. However, test writers frequently construct sentences designed to obscure the true subject.

1. Intervening Phrases and Words

Prepositional, parenthetical, or participial phrases often sit between the subject and the verb. These intervening words do not change the number of the subject. Common distracting phrases include along with, as well as, in addition to, together with, and accompanied by.

• Incorrect: The professor, along with her graduate assistants, have published a new study.
• Correct: The professor, along with her graduate assistants, has published a new study. (The subject is the singular "professor," not "assistants").
• Incorrect: The results of the laboratory analysis was inconclusive.
• Correct: The results of the laboratory analysis were inconclusive. (The subject is "results," which is plural, not "analysis").

2. Compound Subjects

Compound subjects consist of two or more nouns joined by conjunctions.

• Joined by "and": Typically require a plural verb.
  • Example: The textbook and the lecture slides are required for the course.
• Joined by "or" or "nor": The verb must agree with the subject that is physically closer to the verb (the rule of proximity).
  • Incorrect: Neither the lead researcher nor the assistants is attending the conference.
  • Correct: Neither the lead researcher nor the assistants are attending the conference. (The plural "assistants" is closer to the verb).

3. Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific people or things. They fall into three categories:

• Always Singular: Each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, everything, someone, somebody, something, anyone, anybody, anything, no one, nobody, nothing.
  • Example: Each of the candidates is qualified for the position. (Even though "candidates" is plural, the subject is "each," which is singular).
• Always Plural: Both, few, many, several, others.
  • Example: Several of the students have completed their homework.
• Variable (Depends on Context): All, any, more, most, some, none. These pronouns can be singular or plural depending on the noun they refer to (often found in the following prepositional phrase).
  • Example: Some of the water is contaminated. / Some of the samples were contaminated.

4. Collective Nouns

Collective nouns refer to groups (e.g., team, family, committee, class). They take a singular verb when the group acts as a single, unified unit.

• Example: The committee meets every Thursday afternoon.
• Example: The team is celebrating its victory.

5. Nouns Ending in '-s' That Take Singular Verbs

Some nouns end in -s but are singular in meaning, representing a single branch of study, diseases, or administrative units. Examples include mathematics, physics, economics, news, measles, and civics.

• Incorrect: The news about the tuition increases are concerning to the student body.
• Correct: The news about the tuition increases is concerning to the student body.
• Incorrect: Economics were my most challenging course last semester.
• Correct: Economics was my most challenging course last semester.

6. Expressions of Quantity and Fractions

For fractions, percentages, or expressions of quantity (like half of, some of, majority of, part of), the verb agrees with the noun that follows the preposition of.

• Example: Half of the essay is completed. (Singular noun "essay" requires singular "is").
• Example: Half of the essays are completed. (Plural noun "essays" requires plural "are").
• Example: A majority of the senators vote to approve the bill. (Plural noun "senators" requires plural "vote").

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun, and the antecedent is the noun that the pronoun replaces. A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number, gender, and person.

Number Agreement

Singular antecedents require singular pronouns; plural antecedents require plural pronouns. A common mistake occurs with singular indefinite pronouns:

• Incorrect: Everybody must submit their paper by noon.
• Correct: Everybody must submit his or her paper by noon.
• Better: Students must submit their papers by noon. (Plural subject, plural pronoun).

Person Agreement

Do not shift perspectives (person) mid-sentence. Keep first-person (I/we), second-person (you), and third-person (he/she/it/they/one) consistent.

• Incorrect: When a person enters college, you should learn how to manage time.
• Correct: When a person enters college, he or she should learn how to manage time.

Verb Consistency: Tense, Voice, and Mood

Verbs within a sentence or passage must remain consistent in tense, voice, and mood unless a logical shift is required.

Tense Consistency

Avoid shifting between past, present, and future without a clear reason.

• Incorrect: She finished her research paper and then submits it online.
• Correct: She finished her research paper and then submitted it online.

Voice Consistency

Do not shift awkwardly from the active voice (subject performs the action) to the passive voice (subject receives the action).

• Incorrect: The technician injected the solution, and the reaction was observed by her.
• Correct: The technician injected the solution and observed the reaction.

Mood Consistency

Ensure the grammatical mood remains stable. Do not shift between the imperative mood (commands) and the indicative mood (statements of fact).

• Incorrect: First, open the booklet, and then you should read the directions.
• Correct: First, open the booklet, and then read the directions.