Identify and correct errors with subject-verb agreement

Learning Objectives Define subject-verb agreement and explain its importance for clear communication. Identify the simple subject and main verb in complex sentences, including those with intervening phrases. Apply agreement rules for singular, plural, and compound subjects joined by 'and,' 'or,' or 'nor.' Correctly use verbs with singular and plural indefinite pronouns (e.g., 'each,' 'everyone,' 'both,' 'few'). Identify and correct subject-verb agreement errors in provided sentences. Revise their own analytical and thesis-driven writing to ensure consistent subject-verb agreement. Have you ever read a sentence that just sounds 'off,' but you can't quite figure out why? It's often a tiny...

TermDefinitionExample SubjectThe noun or pronoun that performs the action of the verb or is the main focus of the sentence. To find it, ask 'Who or what is doing the action?'In 'The author argues a compelling point,' the subject is 'author'. VerbA word that expresses an action (e.g., 'analyzes,' 'writes') or a state of being (e.g., 'is,' 'are,' 'seems').In 'The characters face many challenges,' the verb is 'face'. AgreementThe grammatical principle that the subject and verb in a sentence must match in number. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.Correct: 'The student writes.' (singular subject, singular verb). Inc...

The Basic Rule of Agreement Singular subjects take singular verbs. Plural subjects take plural verbs. This is the foundational principle. Remember that singular verbs in the present tense often end in -s (he writes, she analyzes), while plural verbs do not (they write, they analyze). The 'And' vs. 'Or/Nor' Rule for Compound Subjects Subjects joined by 'and' are typically plural. For subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Use this rule to handle sentences with more than one subject. The conjunction is the key. 'And' combines them into a plural unit, while 'or/nor' presents choices, so proximity matters. The Intervening Phrase Rule The verb agrees with the sub...