9. Subject-Verb Agreement

9. Achieve subject verb agreement:

The number of the subject determines whether the verb is singular or plural.

Cross out all prepositional phrases when determining the subject of a sentence.

-objects of prepositions cannot be the subject of a sentence.

Incorrect:

There are many who would say that the old tribal practice of paying blood-money to families of murder victims are more just than our modern system of trial and punishment.

Cross out the propositional phrases:

There are many who would say that the old tribal practice of paying blood-money to families of murder victims are more just than our modern system of trial and punishment.

Correct:

There are many who would say that the old tribal practice of paying blood money to families of murder victims is more just than our modern system of trial and punishment.

-“practice” is the subject. “paying blood money, families, and murder victims” cannot be the subject because they are the object of prepositions: of, to, of respectively.

-use a singular verb after “each, either, everyone, everybody, neither, nobody, someone”:

“Each is, Either is...”

-compound subjects use plural verbs:

“Lacrosse and soccer are”

-use a singular verb when a singular subject is compounded with other nouns by the phrases:

Principle: when two subjects are joined by “with, as well as, in addition to, together with, and no less than,” the subject closest to the verb determines the verb.

Correct: “His speech as well as his manner is objectionable.”

Correct: “The Headmaster as well as the faculty members believe the extended school year is necessary to improve student learning.