This document provides a review of subject-verb agreement rules. It discusses how to identify the subject and determine if it is singular or plural. Verbs must agree with their subject in number, with singular subjects taking singular verbs and plural subjects taking plural verbs. Exceptions covered include subjects separated from verbs by prepositional phrases, verbs appearing before subjects, indefinite pronoun subjects, and compound subjects. The key rules are that subjects and verbs must match in number, singular verbs end in -s, subjects are never in prepositional phrases, indefinite pronouns are singular, and compound subjects take plural verbs.

1. SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT
Brushup Chap 3

2. Review
•My parents work at two jobs.
• Find the subject and verb.
• Is the subject singular or plural?
My grandmother takes care of the children.
• Find the subject and verb.
• Is the subject singular or plural?

3. Verbs are either singular or plural.
•Verbs need to agree with
(match) their subject in
number.
•Singular
subject=singular verb
•Plural subject=plural
verb
• If a verb is singular, add an
“-s” or “-es” to the verb.
Singular Plural
I succeed We succeed
You succeed You succeed
He, she, it
They
succeeds
succeed

4. 1. Subject & Verb Separated by a
Prepositional Phrase
• In some sentences, the subject and verb are not next to
each other.
•The subject is never part of a prepositional phrase.
•Cross out all of the prepositional phrases to find the
subject.
•The instructions for downloading software from the
Internet are confusing for many people.

5. 2. Verb Before the Subject
•These are usually questions or they begin with a
prepositional phrase or “there are.”
•After you cross out the prepositional phrases, find the
verb first. Then ask “who?” or “what?”
•HINT! Reword the sentence to place the subject
first. If it makes sense, you’ve found the subject!
•What was the purpose of that assignment?

6. 3. Indefinite Pronoun Subjects
•Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that refer to one set
of unspecified being or things.
• Each, anyone, nothing, somebody, anything, etc.
•Indefinite pronouns are always singular and always take
a singular verb.
• Remember, singular verbs end in “-s”!
•Somebody was reading my mail.

7. 4. Compound Subjects
•A compound subject is made up of two or more
subjects connected to each other by “and” (“and” is not
part of the subject).
•A compound subject is plural and requires a plural verb.
•Rent and insurance were my biggest expenses for the
month.

8. Rules You Need to Remember
1. Subjects and verbs must match in number.
2. Add an –s to a 3rd person singular verb, but do not add
any endings to a plural verb.
3. Subjects are never part of a prepositional phrase.
4. Indefinite pronouns are always singular.
5. Compound subjects always take a plural noun.