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    Sva 12 Rules - The Basics

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    mark joseph delima
    This document outlines 12 rules for subject-verb agreement in English sentences. The key points are that subjects and verbs must agree in number - singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs. There are exceptions for compound subjects, subjects joined by "or/nor", and collective nouns which can be singular even when referring to multiple individuals. The document provides examples to illustrate each rule of subject-verb agreement.

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    Sva 12 Rules - The Basics

    Uploaded by

    mark joseph delima
    50 views15 pages
    This document outlines 12 rules for subject-verb agreement in English sentences. The key points are that subjects and verbs must agree in number - singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs. There are exceptions for compound subjects, subjects joined by "or/nor", and collective nouns which can be singular even when referring to multiple individuals. The document provides examples to illustrate each rule of subject-verb agreement.

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    ENGLISH GRAMMAR

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    This document outlines 12 rules for subject-verb agreement in English sentences. The key points are that subjects and verbs must agree in number - singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs. There are exceptions for compound subjects, subjects joined by "or/nor", and collective nouns which can be singular even when referring to multiple individuals. The document provides examples to illustrate each rule of subject-verb agreement.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    50 views15 pages

    Sva 12 Rules - The Basics

    Uploaded by

    mark joseph delima
    This document outlines 12 rules for subject-verb agreement in English sentences. The key points are that subjects and verbs must agree in number - singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs. There are exceptions for compound subjects, subjects joined by "or/nor", and collective nouns which can be singular even when referring to multiple individuals. The document provides examples to illustrate each rule of subject-verb agreement.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 15

    Subject–Verb

    Agreement Rules
    Key Concept:
    Subjects and
    verbs must agree
    in number.
    1. If the subject is
    singular, the verb
    must be singular too.
    Example: 
    She writes every day.
    2. If the subject is
    plural, the verb must
    also be plural.
    Example: 
    They write every day.
    3. When the subject of the
    sentence is composed of two
    or more nouns or pronouns
    connected by and, use a
    plural verb.
    Example: 
    The doctoral student and the
    committee members write every day.
    4. When there is one subject and
    more than one verb, the verbs
    throughout the sentence must
    agree with the subject.
    Example: 
    Interviews are one way to collect data
    and allow researchers to gain an in-
    depth understanding of participants.
    5. When a phrase comes between
    the subject and the verb,
    remember that the verb still agrees
    with the subject, not the noun or
    pronoun in the phrase following
    the subject of the sentence.
    Example: 
    The student, as well as the
    committee members, is excited.
    6. When two or more singular
    nouns or pronouns are
    connected by "or" or "nor," use a
    singular verb.
    Example: 
    The chairperson or the
    CEO approves the proposal before
    proceeding.
    7. 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 closest to the verb.
    This is also called the rule of
    proximity.
    Example: 
    The student or the committee
    members write every day.
    8. The words and phrases "each,"
    "each one," "either," "neither,"
    "everyone," "everybody," "anyone,"
    "anybody," "nobody," "somebody,"
    "someone," and "no one" are
    singular and require a singular verb.
    Example: 
    Each of the participants was willing to
    be recorded.
    9. Noncount nouns take a
    singular verb.
    Example: 
    Education is the key to
    success.
    Diabetes affects many people
    around the world.
    10. Some countable nouns in
    English such as earnings, goods, odds,
    surroundings, proceeds,
    contents, and valuables only have a
    plural form and take a plural verb.
    Example:
    The earnings for this
    quarter exceed expectations.
    The proceeds from the sale go to support
    the homeless population in the city.
    11. 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 the verb.
    Example: 
    There is little administrative support.
    There are many factors affecting
    teacher retention.
    12. Collective nouns are words that
    imply more than one person but are
    considered singular and take a
    singular verb. Some examples are
    "group," "team," "committee," "family,"
    and "class."
    Example: 
    The group meets every week.
    The committee agrees on the quality of
    the writing.
    However, the plural verb is used
    if the focus is on the individuals in
    the group. This is much less
    common.
    Example: 
    The committee participate in
    various volunteer activities in their
    private lives.

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