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Subjects and verbs must agree in number and person

Verb agreement is a matching relation between subject and verb, the main rule of agreement is:

singular subjects go with singular verb phrases

plural subjects go with plural verb phrases.

In present tense (3rd person) - if the noun is singular the verb must have an -s. If the noun is plural the verb doesn't have an -s.

The bench needs cleaning ( singular subject - bench, verb - need+s)

The benches need cleaning (plural subject - benches, verb - need)

The flower looks beautiful. The flowers look beautiful.

Verbs have singular and plural forms only in the present tense. In the past tense there is no agreement problem as the verb doesn't change.

The flower looked beautiful. The flowers looked beautiful.

Be verb has plural and singular forms.

Present

am - singular, with I as subject. I am ready.

are - plural, with we, you, they or plural subjects. We are ready. The cars are ready.

is - singular, with he,she,it or singular subjects. She is ready. The car is ready.

Past

was- singular, with I, he, she, it or singular subjects. He was ready. The car was ready.

were- plural, with we, you, they or plural subjects. We were ready. The cars were ready

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Related Questions

13 rules of subject-verb agreement with 5 example each?

rule 1:a singular subject requires a singular verb rule2:a plural subject requires a plural verb rule3:singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs rule4:plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs rule5:a collective noun takes a singular verb when the group it names acts as one single unit rule6:a collective noun takes a plural verb when the group it names acts individually rule7:compound subjects joined by"AND" take plural verbs.However ,when these compound subjects are considered one item or reffer to one person or thing, then it requires a singular verb rule8:compound subjects connected by or,nor,either...or and neither...nor,the verb agrees with the nearer subject. rule9:titles,amounts,and measurmaents take singular verbs rule10:plural nouns preceded by"a number of" take plural verbs rule11:plural nouns preceded by"the number of" take singular verbs


Will singular nouns tale only singular verbs or also plural verbs?

No, they won't. A singular noun takes a verb for singular.Examples:The boss is expected at ten.The bus is late.This dress is my favorite color.Santa Claus is coming to town.


Do most singular nouns that end with s take plural verbs?

Subjects and verbs must agree in number, so if the noun is singular (regardless of the ending letter) it would take the singular conjugation of a verb.Examples:A walrus has large tusks.My boss is on vacation.That dress fits perfectly!Some plural nouns do not end with an -s, but take the verb for a plural form.Examples:The man was riding a bicycle. The menwere riding bicycles.The child is waiting for lunch. The children are waiting for lunch.A deer was near the road. Three deerwere near the road.


Most singular nouns that end in s take plural verbs?

"The local news are a good source for community events."


Why do you need to study subject verb agreement?

Studying subject-verb agreement is important because it ensures that sentences are grammatically correct. Subject-verb agreement means that the verb in a sentence agrees with the subject in terms of number, which means singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs. Understanding subject-verb agreement helps to maintain clarity and proper sentence structure in writing and speaking.


Does either he or you take a singular or a plural verb?

The pronoun 'he' is the third person, singular form and takes a singular verb, for example:John is coming, he is expected at five.The pronoun 'you' is both the singular and the plural form; a second person singular and plural (noun or pronoun) takes the same verb form, for example:Jane, you are a good friend.Class, you are all dismissed.


Compound subjects linked by or and nor take what kind of verb?

a singular or plural verb, depending on the noun closest to the verb


Do compound subjects always take a plural verb?

No, compound subjects can take a singular verb if they are considered as a single entity or idea. For example, "Bread and butter is my favorite snack" uses a singular verb because bread and butter are seen as a single item.


What refers to whether or not a pronoun is singular or plural?

Pronouns are substitute words for nouns or noun phrases. Pronouns are classified into eight groups: personal, reflexive, reciprocal, possessive, demonstrative, indefinite, relative, and interrogative.


Is march singular or plural?

Present tense verbs take different forms to agree in number with their subject. Most verbs conjugate for the third person singular (which has an -s ending) and third person plural. First and second person (singular and plural) usuallytake third person plural conjugation.I march (first person singular)We march (first person plural)You march (second person singular and plural)He/she marches (third person singular)They march (third person plural)The noun march is the singular form; the plural form is marches, for example:They were exhausted but motivated on the march back to camp.After a few days, the marches took their toll on the men.Our vacation is scheduled for the month of March.For the last three Marches we've had a late snowfall.


Does the noun clothing take singular or plurar verbs?

The noun "clothing" is generally treated as a singular noun and takes singular verbs. For example, "The clothing is on sale" or "This clothing brand is popular." However, in certain contexts where "clothing" refers to individual items, plural verbs can be used. For example, "These clothing items are unique."


Is rocks singular or plural?

Plural because it has a "s." If you take off the "s'' it will become singular.