English 1 (Accelerated)

  • Agreement
  •  Use of Verbs
  •  Pronouns
  •  Modifiers
  •  A Glossary of Usage

Chapter 5

Agreement

Rules:

  • 5a. When a word refers to one person or thing, it is singular in number. When a word refers to more than one, it is plural in number.

Agreement of Subject and Verb

  • 5b. A verb agrees with its subject in number.
    1. Singular subjects take singular verbs.
    2. Plural subjects take plural verbs.
  • 5c. The number of the subject is not changed by a phrase following the subject.
  • 5d. The following pronouns are singular: each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody.
  • 5e. The following pronouns are plural: several, few, both, many.
  • 5f. The pronouns some, all, most, any, and none may be either singular or plural.

The Compound Subject

  • 5g. Subjects joined by and take a plural verb.
  • 5h. Singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb.
  • 5i. When a singular subject and a plural subject are Joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer the verb.
  • 5j. Don't and doesn't must agree with their subjects.
  • 5k. Collective nouns may be either singular or plural.
  • 5l. A verb agrees with its subject, not its predicate nominative.
  • 5m. When the subject follows the verb as in sentences beginning with there and here and in questions, be careful to determine the subject and make sure that the verb agrees with it.
  • 5n. Words stating amount are usually singular.
  • 5o. The title of a work of art, literature, or music, even when plural in form, takes a singular verb.
  • 5p. Every or many a before a subject calls for a singular verb.
  • 5q. A few nouns, although plural in appearance, take a singular verb.
    • Examples: news, measles, physics, politics

Agreement of Pronoun and Antecedent

  • 5r. A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number and gender.
    1. Use a singular pronoun to refer to each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, or somebody.
    2. Two or more singular antecedents Joined by or or nor should be referred to by a singular pronoun.
    3. Two or more antecedents joined by and should be referred to by a plural pronoun.

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