Agreement

Agreement: The subject of a sentence must agree with the verb and pronouns must agree with their antecedents. The following are guided lessons to help you review this important grammar lesson.


 * Subject- Verb Agreement**

Power Point Review //When you have finished reviewing the power point, please go back to the website and take the practice quizzes.//

1. When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.  **She** and **her friends** **are** at the fair. 2. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or or nor, use a singular verb.  **The book** or **the pen** **is** in the drawer. 3. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearer the verb.  **The boy** or **his friends** **run** every day.  **His friends** or **the boy** **runs** every day. 4. Doesn't is a contraction of does not and should be used only with a singular subject. Don't is a contraction of do not and should be used only with a plural subject. The exception to this rule appears in the case of the first person and second person pronouns I and you. With these pronouns, the contraction don't should be used.  **He** doesn't **like** it.  **They** don't **like** it. 5. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb. The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.  **One** of the boxes **is** open  **The people** who listen to that music **are** few.  **The team captain**, as well as his players, **is** anxious.  **The book**, including all the chapters in the first section, **is** boring.  **The woman** with all the dogs **walks** down my street. 6. The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a singular verb.  **Each** of these hot dogs **is** juicy.  **Everybody** **knows** Mr. Jones.  **Either** **is** correct. 7. Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require singular verbs.  **The news** **is** on at six. Note: the word **dollars** is a special case. When talking about an amount of money, it requires a singular verb, but when referring to the dollars themselves, a plural verb is required.  **Five dollars** **is** a lot of money. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;"> **Dollars** **are** often used instead of rubles in Russia. 8. Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs. (There are two parts to these things.) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;"> **These scissors** **are** dull. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;"> **Those trousers** **are** made of wool. 9. In sentences beginning with there is or there are, the subject follows the verb. Since there is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">There **are** **many questions**. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">There **is** **a question**. 10. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but that are considered singular and take a singular verb, such as: group, team, committee, class, and family. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;"> **The team** **runs** during practice. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;"> **The committee** **decides** how to proceed. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;"> **The family** **has** a long history. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;"> **My family** **has never been able to agree**. In some cases in American English, a sentence may call for the use of a plural verb when using a collective noun. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;"> **The crew** **are preparing** to dock the ship. This sentence is referring to the individual efforts of each crew member. //The Gregg Reference Manual// provides excellent explanations of subject-verb agreement (section 10: 1001). 11. Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb is too. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;"> **The President**, accompanied by his wife, **is** traveling to India. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;"> **All of the books**, including yours, **are** in that box. Purdue Owl Advanced Information
 * What is Subject-- Verb Agreement? (The following is adapted from the Purdue Owl.)**


 * Pronoun- Antecedent Agreement**

Because a pronoun REFERS BACK to a noun or TAKES THE PLACE OF that noun, you have to use the correct pronoun so that your reader clearly understands which noun your pronoun is referring to. Therefore, pronouns should: **1. Agree in number** If the pronoun takes the place of a singular noun, you have to use a singular pronoun. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">If a student parks a car on campus, he or she has to buy a parking sticker. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">(NOT: If a student parks a car on campus, they have to buy a parking sticker.) Remember: the words **everybody**, **anybody** , **anyone** , **each** , **neither** , **nobody** , **someone** , **a person** , etc. are singular and take singular pronouns. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">Everybody ought to do his or her best. (NOT: their best) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">Neither of the girls brought her umbrella. (NOT: their umbrellas) NOTE: Many people find the construction "his or her" wordy, so if it is possible to use a plural noun as your antecedent so that you can use "they" as your pronoun, it may be wise to do so. If you do use a singular noun and the context makes the gender clear, then it is permissible to use just "his" or "her" rather than "his or her." **2. Agree in person** If you are writing in the "first person" ( I), don't confuse your reader by switching to the "second person" ( you) or "third person" (he, she, they, it, etc.). Similarly, if you are using the "second person," don't switch to "first" or "third." <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">When a person comes to class, he or she should have his or her homework ready. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">(NOT: When a person comes to class, you should have your homework ready.) **3. Refer clearly to a specific noun.** Don't be vague or ambiguous. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">NOT: Although the motorcycle hit the tree, it was not damaged. (Is "it" the motorcycle or the tree?) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">NOT: I don't think they should show violence on TV. (Who are "they"?) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">NOT: Vacation is coming soon, which is nice. (What is nice, the vacation or the fact that it is coming soon?) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">NOT: George worked in a national forest last summer. This may be his life's work. (What word does "this" refer to?) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">NOT: If you put this sheet in your notebook, you can refer to it. (What does "it" refer to, the sheet or your notebook?) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,mono; font-size: 12px; line-height: 2; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 25px;">
 * What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?** (As adapted from the Purdue Owl.)