Guide on Subject Verb Agreement You Must Observe in Constructing Sentence
SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT – Here are two (2) important rules that you must observe to make sure that the grammar of your sentence is correct.
Undeniably, grammar is one of the most complex fields in teaching or learning English and one cannot perfect everything all the time. The very fact that “cough” is not read as the same as “though” proves how complex English can be. Meanwhile, there are rules that we must observe to make things easier.
Among these grammar rules are the rules in subject verb agreement. They are among those that must be applied in constructing any type of sentence for it to be grammatically correct.
There are two (2) main rules in the subject verb agreement. Below, you can check out these rules as well as detailed examples on how they are applied in sentences.
Singular Noun/Subject Takes Plural Verb
If the noun or subject in the sentence is singular or only one in number, use a plural verb to show its action. These verbs usually includes the letter “s” or are in another form.
For example:
1. Jinky likes eating ice cream that is either chocolate or mango in flavor.
- The subject in this sentence is Jinky, a singular person. The verb is “likes” which is in its plural form.
2. The doctor often states in his prescriptions a reminder to take a meal first before taking the medicines he recommends for better results.
- The main subject in the sentence is the doctor which is in singular form. The main verb is “states” which is in the plural form.
- Another subject or a pronoun in the sentence is “he” which is singular and used along with the verb “recommends” which is plural.
3. The apple ripens fast when it is exposed to the heat of the sun.
- The subject in the sentence is “apple” which is only one or in the singular form and the verb, ripens, is in a plural form.
Plural Noun/Subject Takes Singular Verb
Another main rule of the subject verb agreement is when the subject or the noun is plural or more than one, the verb should be in singular form.
For example:
1. Jinky and Adrian like eating ice cream that is either chocolate or mango in flavor.
- The subject in this sentence are Jinky and Adrian which are two people or plural. The verb is “like” which is in its singular form.
2. The doctors often state in their prescriptions a reminder to take a meal first before taking the medicines they recommend for better results.
- The main subject in the sentence are the doctors which are in plural form. The main verb is “state” which is in the singular form.
- Another subject or a pronoun in the sentence is “their” which is plural and used along with the verb “recommend” which is singular.
3. The apples ripen fast when it is exposed to the heat of the sun.
- The subject in the sentence is “apples” which are more than one or in plural form and the verb, ripen, is in a singular form.