Subject-Verb Agreement (related rules) Flashcards
What is the rule for subject-verb agreement with collective nouns?
A collective noun takes a singular verb if the group is acting as one, but a plural verb if the members are acting individually.
What is the rule when the subject is joined by ‘and’?
Subjects joined by ‘and’ are usually plural and require a plural verb.
What is the rule when the subject is joined by ‘or’ or ‘nor’?
When two subjects are joined by ‘or’ or ‘nor’, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.
How do you treat compound subjects with ‘either…or’ or ‘neither…nor’?
The verb agrees with the subject closest to it, similar to ‘or’ or ‘nor’.
What happens when a sentence has an indefinite subject?
Indefinite subjects (everyone, anybody, each, etc.) take a singular verb.
How does the subject-verb agreement rule apply to ‘none’?
‘None’ can be singular or plural depending on the context.
How do you treat subjects that refer to amounts or quantities?
When a subject refers to an amount or quantity, use a singular verb if the amount is considered as a whole.
What is the rule for subjects with ‘each’ or ‘every’?
Subjects with ‘each’ or ‘every’ take a singular verb.
What happens when the subject and verb are separated by a phrase or clause?
Ignore the phrase or clause between the subject and verb when determining agreement.
How do you treat subjects with ‘there’ or ‘here’?
The verb agrees with the subject that follows ‘there’ or ‘here’, not with ‘there’ or ‘here’.
What is the rule when a sentence contains a subject with a singular and plural part?
If a sentence contains both a singular and a plural subject, the verb agrees with the closest subject.
What happens with subjects that are preceded by ‘some’ or ‘most’?
The verb can be singular or plural depending on the object that follows ‘some’ or ‘most’.
What happens with subjects that refer to amounts or quantities of time or money?
These are generally treated as singular subjects, even if they refer to multiple units.
How does subject-verb agreement apply to titles of works of art
books