Grammar: Subject-Verb Agreement for JSS 1

Subject-Verb Agreement

Performance Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define subject-verb agreement and identify the subject and verb in a sentence;
2. differentiate between singular and plural subjects and their corresponding verb forms;
3. explain the basic rules of subject-verb agreement;
4. write sentences that show correct subject-verb agreement.

What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule which states that the subject and the verb in a sentence must agree in number.

This means that if a subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. If a subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. In English grammar, this agreement is also referred to as concord.

Understanding Subjects and Verbs

To apply subject-verb agreement correctly, a writer must first be able to identify the subject and the verb in a sentence.

A subject is the person, place, thing or idea that performs the action or is being described in a sentence.

A verb is a word that expresses an action, an occurrence or a state of being in a sentence.

Examples of identifying subjects and verbs in sentences include:

1. The teacher (subject) writes (verb) on the board.
2. The children (subject) play (verb) football in the field.
3. Musa (subject) is (verb) a brilliant student.

In the first sentence, “The teacher” is a singular subject performing the action, and “writes” is the singular verb. In the second sentence, “The children” is a plural subject, and “play” is the plural verb.

Singular and Plural Subjects and Verbs

There is an important difference in how nouns and verbs form their singular and plural shapes. Understanding this difference helps to prevent common grammatical errors.

Most singular nouns become plural by adding “-s” or “-es” at the end. For example, “boy” becomes “boys”, and “class” becomes “classes”.

In contrast, present-tense verbs become singular by adding “-s” or “-es” at the end. Plural present-tense verbs do not have “-s” or “-es” at the end. For example, “runs” is a singular verb, while “run” is a plural verb.

The table below shows the contrast between singular and plural subjects and their corresponding verb forms:

Observe the diagram below to see how the addition of “-s” affects nouns and verbs differently.

Basic Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement

To write grammatically correct sentences, learners must master the basic rules of concord. The four most essential rules for JSS 1 are explained below.

Rule 1: The Basic Agreement Rule

A singular subject requires a singular verb, and a plural subject requires a plural verb.

Examples of the basic agreement rule include:

1. The farmer works on the farm. (Singular subject + singular verb)
2. The farmers work on the farm. (Plural subject + plural verb)
3. Amina speaks Hausa fluently. (Singular subject + singular verb)
4. Amina and Yetunde speak Hausa fluently. (Plural subject + plural verb)

Rule 2: Compound Subjects Joined by “And”

When two or more singular subjects are joined by the conjunction “and”, they form a compound subject. A compound subject is plural and must take a plural verb.

Examples of compound subjects include:

1. The ruler and the pencil lie on the desk.
2. Chidi and his brother walk to school every morning.
3. Bread and butter are available for breakfast.

Rule 3: Subjects Separated by Intervening Phrases

Sometimes, words or phrases come between the subject and the verb. These intervening phrases often contain nouns that are different in number from the subject. The verb must always agree with the actual subject of the sentence, not with the nouns inside the intervening phrase.

Common intervening phrases begin with words such as “of”, “with”, “along with”, “together with” or “as well as”.

Examples of subjects with intervening phrases include:

1. The bag of oranges is on the table. (The subject is the singular noun “bag”, not the plural noun “oranges”. Therefore, the singular verb “is” is correct.)
2. The players, along with the coach, are on the field. (The subject is the plural noun “players”, not the singular noun “coach”. Therefore, the plural verb “are” is correct.)
3. The captain of the ships sails tomorrow. (The subject is the singular noun “captain”, not the plural noun “ships”. Therefore, the singular verb “sails” is correct.)

Rule 4: Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects

Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that do not refer to any specific person, thing or amount. Indefinite pronouns such as “everyone”, “everybody”, “someone”, “somebody”, “anyone”, “anybody”, “no one”, “nobody”, “each” and “everyone” are grammatically singular. They must always take singular verbs.

Examples of indefinite pronouns as subjects include:

1. Everyone wants to pass the examination.
2. Nobody likes to be late for class.
3. Each of the students has a textbook.
4. Someone is knocking at the door.

Applying the Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement

To apply these rules successfully when writing, a systematic process should be followed.

The procedure for ensuring correct subject-verb agreement in writing involves the following steps:

1. Identify the main subject of the sentence by asking who or what is performing the action.
2. Determine if the identified subject is singular or plural. Ignore any words or phrases that come between the subject and the verb.
3. Choose the correct verb form that matches the number of the subject. Remember that singular present-tense verbs end in “-s” or “-es”, while plural present-tense verbs do not.
4. Read the complete sentence aloud to ensure it sounds grammatically correct.

Worked Examples of Error Correction

Below are examples of sentences with agreement errors, followed by the corrected versions and explanations.

Incorrect: The cost of these books are very high.

Correct: The cost of these books is very high.

Explanation: The subject is the singular noun “cost”, not the plural noun “books”. Therefore, the singular verb “is” must be used instead of the plural verb “are”.

Incorrect: Every student in the class like the new teacher.

Correct: Every student in the class likes the new teacher.

Explanation: “Every student” is a singular subject. Therefore, the singular verb “likes” must be used instead of the plural verb “like”.

Summary of Key Concord Rules

The main points to remember about subject-verb agreement are:

1. A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
2. Nouns add “-s” to become plural, but present-tense verbs add “-s” to become singular.
3. Subjects joined by “and” are plural and require plural verbs.
4. Phrases that come between the subject and the verb do not change the number of the subject.
5. Indefinite pronouns like “everyone”, “each” and “nobody” are singular and require singular verbs.

Review Exercises

Section A: Identification

Identify the subject and the correct verb form in the parentheses for each sentence below:

1. The basket of mangoes (look, looks) fresh.
2. Musa and his friends (goes, go) to the market on Saturdays.
3. Everybody (has, have) completed the assignment.
4. The teacher (teaches, teach) English Studies every Monday.
5. The windows of the classroom (is, are) dirty.

Section B: Sentence Construction

Write four original sentences demonstrating correct subject-verb agreement based on the instructions below:

1. Write one sentence using a singular subject and a singular verb.
2. Write one sentence using a compound subject joined by “and”.
3. Write one sentence that contains an intervening phrase between the subject and the verb.
4. Write one sentence using the indefinite pronoun “everyone” as the subject.