Subject Verb Agreement

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What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

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Subject-Verb Agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its verb.

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When should a singular verb be used?

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A singular verb should be used when the subject is singular, for example, 'The cat runs fast.'

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When should a plural verb be used?

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A plural verb should be used when the subject is plural, for example, 'The cats run fast.'

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What is the rule for compound subjects joined by 'and'?

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When two subjects are joined by 'and', they typically take a plural verb, e.g., 'The dog and the cat are friends.'

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What is the rule for compound subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor'?

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When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it, e.g., 'Either the teacher or the students are going to the event.'

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How does the presence of phrases like 'along with' or 'as well as' affect subject-verb agreement?

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Phrases like 'along with' or 'as well as' do not change the number of the subject; the verb should agree with the main subject, e.g., 'The teacher, along with the students, is excited.'

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What is the rule for collective nouns?

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Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on whether the group acts as a single unit or as individuals, e.g., 'The team is winning' (singular) vs. 'The team are arguing among themselves' (plural).

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What is the subject-verb agreement rule for uncountable nouns?

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Uncountable nouns are treated as singular, e.g., 'The information is useful.'

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How do you determine the correct verb form with indefinite pronouns?

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Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'someone', and 'nobody' are singular, so they take singular verbs, e.g., 'Everyone is here.'

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What is the subject-verb agreement rule for titles of books, movies, etc.?

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Titles of books, movies, and other works are treated as singular, e.g., 'The Great Gatsby is a classic novel.'