Collective nouns take a plural verb when the noun is referring to individuals in the group. This worksheet helps master this oftenelusive point. This rule means that if a subject is singular, the verb too must be similar. Subject verb agreement nova southeastern university. We often use singular nouns that refer to groups of people for example. The 24 rules of concord subject verb agreement online. Subject verb agreement is one of the first things you learn in english class. Below is a list of common subject verb agreement rules. This is because we often think of the group as people, doing things that people do eating, wanting, feeling etc. Does a singular collective noun take a singular or plural verb. Pdf changes in subjectverb agreement with collective nouns in.
Subjectverb agreement collective nouns grammatical. As to what verb they will take, theres a difference between british and american english. Subject verb agreement of collective nouns worksheets. Collective nouns collective nouns, s uch as family, majority, audience, and committee, are singular when they act in a collective fashion or represent one group. A collection of english esl subject and verb agreement worksheets for home learning, online practice, distance learning and english classes to teach about. Use a singular verb when the members of the group are acting together as a unit. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearer the verb. In the present tense, a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. Subject and verb agreement with collective nouns grammar. When a writer uses a singular noun, he must use a verb that is conjugated to match singular nouns.
After learning the basic fundamentals of subjectverb agreement, read and understand. Subject verb agreement means that the subject and the verb must agree in case and in number. However, if you dont trust your ear or you find simple sentence formations confusing. Thus, being able to find the right subject and verb is key to correct subject verb agreement. When a word refers to more than one, it is plural in number.
Complete the following sentences using a verb form that agrees with the. Aug 10, 2010 my emphasis in the blog subject and verb agreement with collective nouns is to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb depending on whether these nouns are acting as a unit or with individuality within the unit, regardless of any uk or american tendencies. December 18, 2014 the verb has to agree with the subject in number and person. Subject and verb agreement with collective nouns grammar blog. The choice of a singular or plural verb with a collective noun subject depends on the collective noun youve in a sentence.
The only time when the object of the preposition factors into the decision of plural or singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like. A quiz on subject verb agreement with collective nouns. The chess club compare, compares their strategies so as to win the tournament. In a sentence, a collective noun is singular when it names the group as a whole. Collective nouns in complex subjects collective nouns are those that give a name to a group of another noun, such as a board of directors. Unlike with nouns where an s ending signifies plurality, an s ending on a verb actually denotes a singular. We also then need to make sure that other words agree they. They are plural in number if they refer to more than one thing. While most other languages require the subject and verb to agree both in number and gender, english verbs arent conjugated in number, and so only the number matters here. When used as an antecedent, a collective noun can take either a singular or a plural pronoun, depending on how the antecedent is being used. Collective nouns are usually treated as singular and take singular verbs. Subject verb agreement can be a tricky part of sentence correction questions. Make the verb agree with its subject, not with the word in between high levels of pollution cause damage to the respiratory tract the subject is levels, not pollution 2. Occasionally, a collective noun is treated as plural to draw attention to.
Heres a new video talking about what verbs go with collective nouns like family, jury. Collective nouns take a singular verb if they refer to a groupunit as a whole. A verb is used to describe an action, state or occurrence. When a word refers to one person or thing, it is singular in number. The team and staff in your four sentences each appear to be acting as a. Collective nouns collective nouns are usually treated as singular and take singular verbs. Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies. Subject verb agreement collective nouns a collective noun is a noun that appears singular in formal shape but denotes a group of persons or objects. In most cases, americans tend to think of collective nouns in a singular sense, but sometimes these nouns can. If i want to say one person, one police officer, then of.
Test yourself by taking the challenging quiz below. Below is a list of common subjectverb agreement rules. A collective noun is a name for a group of people or things such as family, class, pack, bouquet, pair, and flock. Some nouns that always end in s are uncountable and take a singular verb. Collective nouns take a singular verb when they refer to the group as a unit. If you are looking for a quiz in subject verb agreement, here are two. Collective nouns and verb agreement practice lesson plan. If these nouns are acting as a unit, use a singular verb.
Subjectverb agreement collective nouns a collective noun is a noun that appears singular in formal shape but denotes a group of persons or objects. In american english, most collective nouns take a singular verb. You need to know all of the rules for subject verb agreement and check your sentences as you write and when you proofread your work. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or or nor, use a singular verb. Subject is the person, place, thing or idea about which we are talking about in the sentence. Subject verb agreement is simple, in principle, but it is not always easy to carry out in speaking and writing. After learning the basic fundamentals of subject verb agreement, read and understand these special rules and after some practice, forming correct sentences will be easy. Subjectverb agreement collective nouns free download as word doc.
Pdf on may 27, 2008, henri annala and others published changes in subjectverb agreement with collective nouns in british english from. That is, the verb must be singular if its subject is singular, and plural if its subject is plural. Most verbs except be which is a special case require agreement of the third person singular in the present tense. A collection of english esl worksheets for home learning, online practice, distance learning and english classes to teach about subject, verb, agreement, sub. When a collective noun, such as family, group, committee, or class, is the subject, the verb will end in s.
These can also make verb agreement tricky because the collective noun is singular and what it names is plural. A singular noun dennis, chair, bike, cat, wind, tree ex. Here are some examples of subject verb agreement the subject is bolded and the verb underlined. Subjectverb agreement what is subjectverb agreement. They are singular in number if they refer to one thing. Subjectverb agreement most native english speakers know the standard verb subject combinations by ear. English esl subject verb agreement worksheets most. Subjects and verbs must agree with one another in number singular or plural. Collective nouns verb agreement printable worksheets. Three verbs, in particular, often confuse students. Packet 6 subject verb agreement all nouns and pronouns have number. Subject verb agreement simply means the subject and verb must agree in number.
Pupils learn how to make the verb of a sentence agree with the collective noun by reading sentences and, given a choice of a plural and a singular verb. Do you use a singular or plural verb to match a collective noun such as team or staff. Subject verb agreement a subject is a noun or pronoun. A singular subject requires a singular verb form, while a plural subject requires a plural verb form. Break down subject and verb agreement with this exercise. If it refers to the individuals in the group or the parts that make up the group, then the verb should be plural.
Hudson 1999 investigates subjectverb agreement in english and. Complete the following sentences using a verb form that agrees with the subject. The answers follow our pdf worksheet below, which you can download and print for your students. Subject verb agreement subjects and verbs must agree with one another in number. Agreement of subject and verb verbs can change form in tense, person, and number. In present tenses, nouns and verbs form plurals in opposite ways. When a collective noun denotes a single group of something whether persons, places or things all acting in unison, it is called a singular collective noun, and its associated verb takes a singular form.
In english, the countability of a noun is integral to the form of the verb, and some nouns are collective, meaning that they refer to a group of individuals e. Once you identify the subject and the verb, you can then determine such agreement of the subject and the verb. Subject verb agreement includes matching the subject with the correct form of a verb. Jan 27, 2014 its important for your subject and your verb to agree, even when a collective noun is used. My emphasis in the blog subject and verb agreement with collective nouns is to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb depending on whether these nouns are acting as a unit or with individuality within the unit, regardless of any uk or american tendencies. The subjects and verbs that follow are in agreement. The 20 rules of subject verb agreement in standard english. It is plural when it refers to individual members of a group. Subjectverb agreement collective nouns grammatical number. The collective nouns are descriptive words such as pride, fleet, gaggle, covey, cluster, pack, mischief and many more.
Collective nouns like herd, senate, class, crowd, etc. Circle the correct verb in the following sentences. English esl subject and verb agreement worksheets most. Pdf on may 27, 2008, henri annala and others published changes in subject verb agreement with collective nouns in british english from. The family takes, take a trip to jakarta, indonesia. If the collective noun refers to the group as a unit, then it takes a singular verb. In these sentences, the object of the preposition determines the form of the verb. The other persons first, second, and third plural all take the simple form of the verb in the present tense. Unlike nouns, the plural form of a verb is not made by adding an s or es to the ending. Circle the correct verb in each of the sentences below. Matching subjects with verbs verbs must agree with subjects in number and in person 1st2nd3rd. B if a relative pronoun refers to a plural noun, use a plural verb. Definition and examples of pronoun agreement in grammar.
We will use the standard of underlining subjects once and verbs twice. Worksheets are subject verb agreement, packet 6 subject verb agreement, subject verb agreement work, subject verb agreement, the 20 rules of subject verb agreement in standard english, agreement of subject and verb, wc grammar subject verb agreement, unit 16 subject. Subject verb agreement and special subjects a collective noun names a group see lesson 1, pp. This activity only deals with present tense verbs and collective nouns. However, they may take a plural verb when we are talking about the individual members within the group. Displaying all worksheets related to subject verb agreement of collective nouns. Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. Verb to use with a collective noun grammar lessons.
In this english lesson, youre going to learn a few more advanced cases of subject verb agreement that confuse many learners. Pdf agreement with collective nouns in english magnus. Subject verb agreement practice mark the appropriate verb choice for each of the following sentences. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence they take the singular verb form of the verb, but when they are linked by and they take the plural form. Dec 18, 2014 the verb has to agree with the subject in number and person. Examples of these combinations are he talks, not he talk and she has, not she have. This means both need to be singular or both need to be plural. The gregg reference manual provides excellent explanations of subject verb agreement section 10. Collective nouns some nouns are singular in form but plural in meaning. Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular. But it can sometimes be difficult to decide if your collective noun is singular or plural. A collective noun is a noun that is singular in form but represents a group of persons or a collection of objects usually considered as a unit. Showing top 8 worksheets in the category collective nouns verb agreement.
The subject and verb of every clause independent or dependent, however, must agree in person and number. A singular subject she, bill, car takes a singular verb is, goes, shines, whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb. The verb has to agree with the subject in number and person. Collective nouns may be either singular or plural, depending on their use in the sentence. In british english, most collective nouns can have a singular or plural verb.
Two or more subjects joined by and are considered plural and require a verb form without an s. Grammar checkers will try to help you with subject verb agreement, but it is a hitormiss hint i. Being able to find the right subject and verb will help you correct errors of subjectverb agreement. Apr 10, 2020 when it comes to forming a sentence and you are using verbs, there must be a relationship with the subject. Some of the worksheets displayed are subject verb agreement, subject verb agreement, agreement of subject and verb, subject verb agreement, subject verb agreement work, packet 6 subject verb agreement, the collective noun, collective nouns are words used to describe a group of. In the following sentences, decide whether the collective noun requires the singular or plural verb. Subjectverb agreement a subject is a noun or pronoun. A verb should be consistent with the subject in all its characteristics, which is subject verb agreement. However, they may take a plural verb when we are talking about. Collective nouns usually take a singular verb, because they are singular in construction, but they sometimes take a plural verb. Pronoun agreement with collective nouns a collective noun refers to a group of people, things, or animals.
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