Subject and Verb Agreement The subject of a sentence is the person or thing performing the action, while the verb expresses what the subject is doing. It is crucial that the subject and verb agree in number - singular subjects require singular verbs and plural subjects require plural verbs. Additionally, verbs like "is", "am", "are" change form depending on whether the subject is singular or plural. Maintaining subject-verb agreement is important for creating clear, understandable sentences.

2. Subject and Verb Agreement
Words in a sentence MUST work together to
give clarity and understanding. Thus, it is crucial
that BOTH the subject and verb agree (work
together).

3. A is a group of words with a
and a about one main idea.
The of the sentence is the who or what
the sentence is about. It is the noun or pronoun
that performs the action.

4. Who/What is the ?
• Sally likes cats. Who is this sentence about?
• I attend Rasmussen College.
Who?
Sally

5. Who/What is the ?
• The dog is hungry.
What is this sentence about?
-The
• Jack and Jill play volleyball.
-Who?

6. What is the ?
• The is the action in a sentence.
It is what the subject does.
• Sally likes cats.
What does Sally do? She cats.
• Jim drives a truck.
What does Jim do? He a truck.
• Children play games.
What do children do? They games.
I’m Jim. I
drive a
truck.

7. Non-action (linking )
Sometimes the verb in a sentence does not show action.
It can also show the state or relationship between the
subject and another part of the sentence.
• The dog hungry.
What is the dog? Hungry—hungry describes what
the dog IS. dog = hungry
• Susan and Sam my cousins.
Who are Susan and Sam? My cousins. Are is the
word that shows the relationship between Susan
and Sam and the word cousins.
Susan and Sam = my cousins.

8. Linking Verbs (non-action verbs)
• What is she?
• She ______smart.
– She is smart.
– She seems smart.
– She appears smart.
• Each of these linking verbs
links the subject SHE to the
adjective SMART. Linking
verbs do not show action, but
they show a relationship
between the subject and
another word in the sentence.
• She is smart. IS joins or links the
two words together .
A Few Examples of Linking Verbs
• is
• am
• was
• were
• seem
• become
• smell
• appear

9. Subject Verb Agreement
Person and Number
• Basic Principle: Singular subjects need singular
verbs; plural subjects need plural verbs.
• My one brother lives in CA.
• My two sisters live in Florida.
Singular verbs end in s–
lives agrees with the singular subject
brother
Plural verbs have no –s.
Live agrees with the plural subject
sisters.
Hint: Sometimes
when your
subject has an –s
ending, your verb
will not need
one.

10. More Basic Principle
Examples

11. More Examples
• The child does not like candy.
• The children do not like candy.
• The mouse has not eaten cheese.
• The mice have not eaten cheese.
• The woman does not love camping.
• The women do not love camping.

12. When writing sentences, it is important that the
subject and the verb agree.
Incorrect:
She don’t know the
answer.
We was waiting for
you.
I be waiting for you.
I is a student.
He ain’t comin.
Correct:
She doesn’t know the
answer.
We were waiting for
you.
I am waiting for you.
I am a student.
He is not coming.

13. Making the verb BE agree.
present tense: AM, IS and
ARE
• I am a student.
• You are a student.
• She is a student.
• He is a student.
• It is great to be a student.
• We are students.
• They are students.

14. Making the verb BE agree.
past tense: WAS and WERE
• I was a child.
• You were a child.
• She was a child.
• He was a child.
• It was great to be a child.
• We were children.
• They were children.

15. REVIEW
Take some time to read and review the chapters
in your e-textbook if you have additional
questions about subject/verb agreement.