Subject Verb Agreement | English Grammar Course (ESL Class)
TLDRThe video script is an in-depth exploration of subject-verb agreement in English, a topic often challenging for students due to numerous exceptions. The speaker begins by defining subjects and verbs and moves on to explain the basic rule of agreement, where a singular subject requires a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. Several examples are provided to illustrate this, such as 'Maria works hard' versus 'Maria and John work hard.' The script then delves into various exceptions, including the use of 'be' with different subjects, irregular plurals like 'mice', collective nouns treated as singular in American English, and indefinite pronouns like 'everyone' or 'someone' which are always singular. The speaker also addresses expressions of quantity, gerunds as subjects, and the unique structure when sentences begin with 'there' or 'here.' The summary underscores the importance of understanding these rules and exceptions to improve grammatical accuracy in both speaking and writing, emphasizing practice through reading, speaking, and listening as key to mastering subject-verb agreement.
Takeaways
- 📚 **Subject-Verb Agreement Basics**: Every sentence must have at least one subject and one verb that agree in number (singular or plural).
- 👥 **Identifying the Subject**: Determine the subject by asking who or what the sentence is about, ensuring to look past prepositional phrases that may interrupt the subject.
- 🔍 **Third-Person Singular Verbs**: In English, only the third-person singular requires a verb conjugation change (adding '-s' or '-es' to the verb).
- 🇺🇸 **American vs. British English**: American English often treats collective nouns as singular, while British English may treat them as plural.
- ⚠️ **Irregular Plurals**: Be cautious with irregular plurals that don't end with '-s' but are still plural (e.g., mice, feet, teeth).
- 🐝 **Subject-Verb Agreement with 'Be'**: The verb 'be' is an exception, having different forms for first-person singular ('I am'), second-person singular ('you are'), and third-person singular ('he/she/it is').
- 🌟 **Gerunds as Subjects**: Gerunds (verbs ending in '-ing' used as nouns) are treated as third-person singular for subject-verb agreement.
- 📈 **Quantities and Percentages**: When using expressions of quantity or percentages, the verb agrees with the noun after 'of' if plural, or remains singular if the expression represents a single quantity.
- 🏫 **Academic Writing**: In formal writing, maintain strict subject-verb agreement, even if spoken English may sometimes be more flexible.
- 🗣️ **Spoken English Variations**: Spoken English may sometimes use singular verbs with plural subjects (e.g., 'There's chickens outside') due to conversational shortcuts, but this is not recommended for written English.
- 🌐 **Global English Usage**: Be aware of how different English-speaking regions (like the U.S., U.K., etc.) may have variations in subject-verb agreement, especially with collective nouns and expressions of quantity.
Q & A
What is the basic rule of subject-verb agreement in English?
-The basic rule of subject-verb agreement in English is that the subject and the verb in a sentence must agree in number. If the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural as well.
What does the term 'third-person singular' refer to in the context of subject-verb agreement?
-In the context of subject-verb agreement, 'third-person singular' refers to the subject pronouns 'he', 'she', 'it', and to singular nouns representing a third-party entity. With these subjects, the verb typically takes an 's' or 'es' in the present tense.
How does the verb 'be' differ from other verbs in terms of subject-verb agreement in the present tense?
-The verb 'be' differs from other verbs in that it has different forms for each person in the present tense: 'am' for the first person singular, 'is' for the third person singular, and 'are' for the second person and plural subjects. Most other verbs only change form for the third-person singular.
What is an example of an irregular plural noun that can cause confusion in subject-verb agreement?
-An example of an irregular plural noun is 'mice'. While 'mouse' is singular and third-person, 'mice' is the plural form and does not take an 's' at the end. This can cause confusion because the plural form does not end with an 's', but the verb must agree with the plural subject, so it should not have an 's' as well (e.g., 'mice live' is correct).
How should the verb agree with a collective noun like 'team' in American English?
-In American English, collective nouns like 'team' are treated as singular for the purpose of subject-verb agreement. Even though a team consists of multiple individuals, the team as a whole is considered one entity. Therefore, the verb should be singular (e.g., 'the team is' rather than 'the team are').
What is an indefinite pronoun and how does it affect subject-verb agreement?
-An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that does not refer to a specific person or thing. Examples include 'everyone', 'someone', 'anyone', and 'no one'. These pronouns are always third-person singular, regardless of the number of people they refer to. Therefore, the verb must agree with them in the third-person singular form (e.g., 'everyone is', 'someone knows').
How should the verb agree with a subject when an adjective clause interrupts the sentence?
-When an adjective clause interrupts a sentence, the verb should agree with the noun that the adjective clause is describing, not the word that the clause itself contains. For example, in the sentence 'The bees that live in my tree do not bother me', the verb 'do not bother' agrees with the noun 'bees', not the word 'that' within the adjective clause.
What is the correct verb form to use with expressions of quantity like 'a lot of', 'some of', or '20% of' when they are followed by a singular noun?
-When expressions of quantity like 'a lot of', 'some of', or '20% of' are followed by a singular noun, the verb should be singular. For example, 'All of my water is gone' or '20% of my grade is high'.
How should you treat the subject and verb agreement when the subject is a nationality that ends with 'ch', 'sh', or 'es'?
-When the subject is a nationality that ends with 'ch', 'sh', or 'es', such as 'the French', 'the Spanish', or 'the Vietnamese', the subject is considered plural even though it looks singular. Therefore, the verb should be plural (e.g., 'the French have', 'the Vietnamese live').
What is the correct verb form to use with expressions of time when they represent a quantity, like 'two months' or 'five years'?
-With expressions of time that represent a quantity, such as 'two months' or 'five years', the verb should be singular if it represents one period or duration of time (e.g., 'Two months is a long time', 'Five years is not a long time to wait').
Can you give an example of when it is acceptable to use a singular verb with a plural subject in spoken English, even though it's not grammatically correct?
-In spoken English, it is common to use a singular verb with a plural subject when using words like 'here' or 'there' at the beginning of a sentence. For example, 'Here's my books' is often used in speech, even though the grammatically correct form would be 'Here are my books'.
Outlines
😀 Understanding Subject-Verb Agreement Basics
The paragraph introduces the concept of subject-verb agreement, emphasizing its importance due to common mistakes made by students. It explains the roles of subjects and verbs in a sentence, using examples to illustrate how they should agree in number. The paragraph also outlines the basic rule that a singular subject requires a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb.
📚 Subject-Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns and Irregular Plurals
This paragraph delves into the complexities of subject-verb agreement with collective nouns and irregular plurals. It highlights that collective nouns, such as 'team' or 'family,' are treated as singular in American English, thus taking a singular verb form. The paragraph also addresses irregular plurals, which don't end with an 's' but are still plural, requiring a plural verb.
🚫 Navigating Prepositional Phrases and Adjective Clauses
The focus here is on the challenges posed by prepositional phrases and adjective clauses in maintaining subject-verb agreement. The paragraph clarifies that the subject of a sentence is not the noun following a preposition but what the sentence is about. It also discusses how to correctly identify the subject when an adjective clause is present and the importance of verb agreement with the clause's subject.
🇺🇸 American English and Subject-Verb Agreement with Nationalities
This paragraph discusses the nuances of subject-verb agreement in American English, particularly with nationalities that end with 'ch', 'sh', or 'es'. It explains that terms like 'the French' or 'the Vietnamese', despite appearing singular, refer to a group of people and thus take a plural verb. The paragraph serves as a reminder to be aware of these exceptions when conjugating verbs.
📉 Subject-Verb Agreement with Expressions of Quantity
The paragraph addresses the use of expressions of quantity, such as 'some of', 'all of', 'none of', '20% of', and how they affect subject-verb agreement. It explains that when a phrase with 'of' follows a quantity like 'some' or 'none', the verb should be singular. However, when the noun after 'of' is plural, the verb should be plural. This rule is crucial for maintaining grammatical accuracy.
🏆 Advanced Agreement with Gerunds, 'There', 'Here', and Adjectives as Nouns
This paragraph covers advanced concepts in subject-verb agreement, including the use of gerunds as subjects, the placement of subjects when starting a sentence with 'there' or 'here', and the treatment of adjectives as plural nouns when they describe a group of people. It emphasizes that gerunds, representing activities, are third-person singular and take a singular verb unless pluralized. Additionally, it clarifies that 'there' and 'here' constructions require the subject to follow the verb, and that adjectives like 'the rich' or 'the poor' are plural when used as nouns.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Subject-Verb Agreement
💡Singular and Plural
💡Third-Person Singular
💡Irregular Plurals
💡Prepositional Phrases
💡Adjective Clauses
💡Collective Nouns
💡Indefinite Pronouns
💡Gerunds
💡Expressions of Quantity
💡Nationalities
Highlights
Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammar rule that can be straightforward but is often challenging due to numerous exceptions.
The subject of a sentence is the person or thing the sentence is about, and the verb describes what the subject is doing.
In English, subject and verb must agree in number; singular subjects require singular verbs, and plural subjects require plural verbs.
The verb 'to be' is an exception, with different forms for first person singular, third person singular, and plural subjects.
Irregular plurals like 'mice' and collective nouns like 'team' or 'family' can complicate subject-verb agreement.
Prepositional phrases and adjective clauses can interrupt the subject and verb, requiring careful identification of the true subject.
Expressions of quantity like 'a lot of' or 'some of' dictate that the verb agrees with the noun following the phrase, not the expression itself.
Gerunds, which are verbs ending in -ing functioning as nouns, are always third-person singular for subject-verb agreement.
When starting a sentence with 'there' or 'here', the true subject comes after the verb, and the verb must agree with the subject, not the word 'there' or 'here'.
Nouns that seem plural but represent a single entity, like 'the United States', take a singular verb form.
Nationalities ending in -ch, -sh, or -es (e.g., 'the French', 'the Spanish') are treated as plural subjects, even though they look singular.
When using adjectives as nouns (e.g., 'the rich', 'the poor'), the subject is considered plural, and the verb must be plural as well.
In American English, words like 'everyone', 'someone', 'anyone', and 'no one' are always third-person singular, despite their reference to multiple entities.
Expressions of time as a quantity, even when plural in form (e.g., 'two months'), take a singular verb due to representing a single duration.
In informal speech, it's common to hear grammatically incorrect subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'here's my books'), but this should be avoided in formal or academic writing.
Reading, speaking, and listening to English are crucial for understanding the nuances of subject-verb agreement and its exceptions.
Transcripts
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