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2.2 Subject-
Learning Objectives
1.Define subject-
2.Identify common errors in subject-
In the workplace, you want to present a professional image. Your outfit or suit says something about you when meeting face-
Agreement
AgreementRefers to the proper grammatical match between words and phrases. in speech and in writing refers to the proper grammatical match between words and phrases. Parts of sentences must agreeTo match parts of speech in number, case, gender or person., or correspond with other parts, in number, person, case, and gender.
•Number. All parts must match in singular or plural forms.
•Person. All parts must match in first person (I), second person (you), or third person (he, she, it, they) forms.
•Case. All parts must match in subjective (I, you, he, she, it, they, we), objective (me, her, him, them, us), or possessive (my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, their, theirs, our, ours) forms. For more information on pronoun case agreement, see Section 2.5.1 "Pronoun Agreement".
•Gender. All parts must match in male or female forms.
Subject-
Because subjects and verbs are either singular or plural, the subject of a sentence and the verb of a sentence must agree with each other in number. That is, a singular subject belongs with a singular verb form, and a plural subject belongs with a plural verb form. For more information on subjects and verbs, see Section 2.1 "Sentence Writing".
Regular Verbs
Regular verbsVerbs that follow a predictable pattern when shifting tenses, such as from the present to the past tense. follow a predictable pattern. For example, in the third person singular, regular verbs always end in -
Singular Form
Plural Form
First Person I live. We live.
Second Person You live. You live.
Third Person He/She/It lives. They live.
Tip
Add an -
In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the first person singular and the first person plural.
In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the second person singular and the second person plural. In the singular form, the pronoun you refers to one person. In the plural form, the pronoun you refers to a group of people, such as a team.
In this sentence, the subject is mother. Because the sentence only refers to one mother, the subject is singular. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person singular form.
In this sentence, the subject is friends. Because this subject refers to more than one person, the subject is plural. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person plural form.
Tip
Many singular subjects can be made plural by adding an -
Exercise 1
On your own sheet of paper, write the correct verb form for each of the following sentences.
1.I (brush/brushes) my teeth twice a day.
2.You (wear/wears) the same shoes every time we go out.
3.He (kick/kicks) the soccer ball into the goal.
4.She (watch/watches) foreign films.
5.Catherine (hide/hides) behind the door.
6.We (want/wants) to have dinner with you.
7.You (work/works) together to finish the project.
8.They (need/needs) to score another point to win the game.
9.It (eat/eats) four times a day.
10.David (fix/fixes) his own motorcycle.
Irregular Verbs
Not all verbs follow a predictable pattern. These verbs are called irregular verbsVerbs that do not follow a predictable pattern when shifting tenses, such as from the present to the past tense.. Some of the most common irregular verbs are be, have, and do. Learn the forms of these verbs in the present tense to avoid errors in subject-
Be
Study the different forms of the verb to be in the present tense.
Singular Form
Plural Form
First Person I am. We are.
Second Person You are. You are.
Third Person He/She/It is. They are.
Have
Study the different forms of the verb to have in the present tense.
Singular Form
Plural Form
First Person I have. We have.
Second Person You have. You have.
Third Person He/She/It has. They have.
Do
Study the different forms of the verb to do in the present tense.
Singular Form
Plural Form
First Person I do. We do.
Second Person You do. You do.
Third person He/She/It does. They do.
Exercise 2
Complete the following sentences by writing the correct present tense form of be, have, or do. Use your own sheet of paper to complete this exercise.
1.I ________ sure that you will succeed.
2.They ________ front-
3.He ________ a great Elvis impersonation.
4.We ________ so excited to meet you in person!
5.She ________ a fever and a sore throat.
6.You ________ not know what you are talking about.
7.You ________ all going to pass this class.
8.She ________ not going to like that.
9.It ________ appear to be the right size.
10.They ________ ready to take this job seriously.
Errors in Subject-
Errors in subject-
•a sentence contains a compound subject;
•the subject of the sentence is separate from the verb;
•the subject of the sentence is an indefinite pronoun, such as anyone or everyone;
•the subject of the sentence is a collective noun, such as team or organization;
•the subject appears after the verb.
Recognizing the sources of common errors in subject-
Compound Subjects
A compound subjectA subject that is formed when two or more nouns are linked by the coordinating conjunctions and, or, or nor. is formed by two or more nouns and the coordinating conjunctions and, or, or nor. A compound subject can be made of singular subjects, plural subjects, or a combination of singular and plural subjects.
Compound subjects combined with and take a plural verb form.
Compound subjects combined with or and nor are treated separately. The verb must agree with the subject that is nearest to the verb.
Tip
If you can substitute the word they for the compound subject, then the sentence takes the third person plural verb form.
Separation of Subjects and Verbs
As you read or write, you may come across a sentence that contains a phrase or clause that separates the subject from the verb. Often, prepositional phrases or dependent clauses add more information to the sentence and appear between the subject and the verb. However, the subject and the verb must still agree.
If you have trouble finding the subject and verb, cross out or ignore the phrases and clauses that begin with prepositions or dependent words. The subject of a sentence will never be in a prepositional phrase or dependent clause.
The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a prepositional phrase:
The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a dependent clause:
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronounsA pronoun that refers to an unspecified person, thing, or number. refer to an unspecified person, thing, or number. When an indefinite pronoun serves as the subject of a sentence, you will often use a singular verb form.
However, keep in mind that exceptions arise. Some indefinite pronouns may require a plural verb form. To determine whether to use a singular or plural verb with an indefinite pronoun, consider the noun that the pronoun would refer to. If the noun is plural, then use a plural verb with the indefinite pronoun. View the chart to see a list of common indefinite pronouns and the verb forms they agree with.
Indefinite Pronouns That Always Take a Singular Verb
Indefinite Pronouns That Can Take a Singular or Plural Verb
anybody, anyone, anything All
each Any
everybody, everyone, everything None
much Some
many
nobody, no one, nothing
somebody, someone, something
The indefinite pronoun everybody takes a singular verb form because everybody refers to a group performing the same action as a single unit.
The indefinite pronoun all takes a plural verb form because all refers to the plural noun people. Because people is plural, all is plural.
In this sentence, the indefinite pronoun all takes a singular verb form because all refers to the singular noun cake. Because cake is singular, all is singular.
Collective Nouns
A collective nounA noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and treats those people, places, or things as a singular unit. is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and considers those people, places, or things one singular unit. Because collective nouns are counted as one, they are singular and require a singular verb. Some commonly used collective nouns are group, team, army, flock, family, and class.
In this sentence, class is a collective noun. Although the class consists of many students, the class is treated as a singular unit and requires a singular verb form.
The Subject Follows the Verb
You may encounter sentences in which the subject comes after the verb instead of before the verb. In other words, the subject of the sentence may not appear where you expect it to appear. To ensure proper subject-
Here or There
In sentences that begin with here or there, the subject follows the verb.
If you have trouble identifying the subject and the verb in sentences that start with here or there; it may help to reverse the order of the sentence so the subject comes first.
Questions
When you ask questions, a question word (who, what, where, when, why, or how) appears first. The verb and then the subject follow.
Tip
If you have trouble finding the subject and the verb in questions, try answering the question being asked.
Exercise 3
Correct the errors in subject-
1.
My dog and cats chases each other all the time.
________________________________________________________________
2.
The books that are in my library is the best I have ever read.
________________________________________________________________
3.
Everyone are going to the concert except me.
________________________________________________________________
4.
My family are moving to California.
________________________________________________________________
5.
Here is the lake I told you about.
________________________________________________________________
6.
There is the newspapers I was supposed to deliver.
________________________________________________________________
7.
Which room is bigger?
________________________________________________________________
8.
When are the movie going to start?
________________________________________________________________
9.
My sister and brother cleans up after themselves.
________________________________________________________________
10.
Some of the clothes is packed away in the attic.
________________________________________________________________
Exercise 4
Correct the errors in subject-
Dear Hiring Manager,
I feels that I am the ideal candidate for the receptionist position at your company. I has three years of experience as a receptionist in a company that is similar to yours. My phone skills and written communication is excellent. These skills, and others that I have learned on the job, helps me understand that every person in a company helps make the business a success. At my current job, the team always say that I am very helpful. Everyone appreciate when I go the extra mile to get the job done right. My current employer and coworkers feels that I am an asset to the team. I is efficient and organized. Is there any other details about me that you would like to know? If so, please contact me. Here are my résumé. You can reach me by e-
Thanks,
Felicia Fellini
Writing at Work
Figure 2.5 Advertisement
Imagine that you are a prospective client and that you saw this ad online. Would you call Terra Services to handle your next project? Probably not! Mistakes in subject-
Key Takeaways
•Parts of sentences must agree in number, person, case, and gender.
•A verb must always agree with its subject in number. A singular subject requires a singular verb; a plural subject requires a plural verb.
•Irregular verbs do not follow a predictable pattern in their singular and plural forms. Common irregular verbs are to be, to have, and to do.
•A compound subject is formed when two or more nouns are joined by the words and, or, or nor.
•In some sentences, the subject and verb may be separated by a phrase or clause, but the verb must still agree with the subject.
•Indefinite pronouns, such as anyone, each, everyone, many, no one, and something, refer to unspecified people or objects. Most indefinite pronouns are singular.
•A collective noun is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and treats those people, places, or things one singular unit. Collective nouns require singular verbs.
•In sentences that begin with here and there, the subject follows the verb.
•In questions, the subject follows the verb.
Writing Application
Use your knowledge of subject-
1.An advertisement for a potential company
2.A memo to all employees of a particular company
3.A cover letter describing your qualifications to a potential employer
Be sure to include at least the following:
•One collective noun
•One irregular verb
•One question
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