PRACTICING SUBJECTVERB AGREEMENT

ENGLISH 0100

Do Now
The Scholarship Jacket- Review Answers
Parts of speech review

Label the parts of speech

I needed those shorts, and I was going to

be late.
I did not want to interrupt an argument
between my teachers.
The last words came out in an eager rush.
I waited, desperately hoping he would say I
could have the money.
Grandpa knew that I understood it was not
a matter of money.

Label the parts of speech

I- pronoun
Needed- verb
those- pronoun
shorts- noun
And- conjunction
I pronoun
Was- verb
going- verb
To- preposition
be- verb
late- adverb

Label the parts of speech

I pronoun
Did- verb
not- adverb
want- verb
To- preposition
interrupt- verb
An- adjective
argument- noun
Between- preposition
My- pronoun
Teachers- noun

Label the parts of speech

The- adjective
last adjective
Words- noun
came- verb
out- adverb
in- preposition
an- adjective
eager- adjective
rush- noun

Label the parts of speech

I pronoun
Waited- verb
desperately- adverb
Hoping- verb
he- pronoun
would- verb
Say- verb
I- pronoun
could- verb
have- verb
the- adjective
money- noun

Label the parts of speech

Grandpa- noun
knew- verb
that- pronoun
I pronoun
Understood- verb
it- pronoun
was- verb
not- adverb
a adjective
Matter- noun
of preposition
Money- noun

Objectives
Identify the subjects and verbs in a sentence.
Review Chapter 9- Subject-verb agreement errors
Master the four rules of subject-verb agreement errors.
Choose the correct verbs in sentences.
Properly follow the steps to master subject-verb

agreement

Steps to correct subject-verbs agreement

Step # 1- Cross out any confusing prepositional phrases.
Step # 2- Identify your subject/subjects in the sentence.
Step # 3 Identify your verbs
Step # 4- Label your subject- Is it singular or plural?
Step # 5- Choose the correct verb that agrees with your

subject.

Finding the subject and verb

The Subject: names a person, place, thing, or idea; it tells us
who or what the sentence is about.
The Verb: describes action or tells us what the subject does,
what the subject is, or what the subject receives.
TIP: Cross out any confusing prepositional phrases.
Remember, Prepositions: show the relationship of a noun or
pronoun to another part of the sentence. (on, to, for, at, in,
during, by.)
Practice- Pg. 107 practice 3

Practice: Identify the subject and verbs. Cross

out any confusing prepositional phrases.
I rarely eat this much seafood.
Maureen Duvalier was a pioneer in Junkanoo.
At BVTI, focus and drive are essential to success in your courses.
On Monday, classes begin promptly at 8am.
During the hours of 3pm to 4pm, Traffic is horrible.
Lets try it! Practice page 79

Subject-Verb Agreement
A verb should agree with its subject in person and number.
A singular (one) subject takes a singular form of a verb.
E.g. My brother writes short stories and poetry.
A plural (more than one) subject takes a plural form of a verb.
My friends volunteer at the senior citizens center.

Singular and Plural: S or no S?

Singular subjects usually do not end in s or es, but they often

take a verb that does end with s or es.
e.g. He runs two miles every morning.
Many plural subjects end in s or es; the verbs that go with a
plural subject usually do not end in s or es.
e.g. My cousins organize a scavenger hunt for every family
reunion.
Lets Practice! Page 117 Practice 14 and 15

Special Subject-Verb Agreement Rules # 1:

Focus on the subject of the sentence
Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses lend color and fragrance
to the room.
Correct: A bouquet of yellow roses lends . . . (bouquet lends,
not roses lend)
The nonverbal messages of a culture (is, are) well worth
learning.
Lets try it Page 120 Practice 17

Special Subject-Verb Agreement Rules # 2:

Spot Singular subjects
Either of the boys
Neither of the boys
Each of the boys
One of the boys
Every one of the boys

Lets Try it! Page 120 Practice 18

seems happy

Special Subject-Verb Agreement Rules # 2:

Each of the candidates (was, were) granted a one-hour
interview.
Neither of the employees (want, wants) to proceed with the
plan.
One of the boys (returns, return) the wallet to the owner.
Every one of the instructors (try, tries) different techniques

Special Subject-Verb Agreement Rules Rule # 3:

There is NEVER the subject of the sentence
There are many disadvantages to dropping out of school.
There is a reason for everything.
Lets try it! Practice 121 Practice 20

There is NEVER the subject of the sentence.

There (is, are) at least fifty applicants for each position.
There (was, were) a misunderstanding about the time set

aside to complete the evaluation forms.

There (is, are) an office procedures manual.
There (is, are) several computer sessions available on Friday

afternoon.

Special Subject-Verb Agreement Rules # 4:

When or is used to combine a subject, a singular verb is used if
the subject nearest the verb is singular and vice versa.
The dancers, the drummers, or the coach was to lead the
parade.
Pasta or pizzas are available at Marcos Pizza.
108 Basic

Special Subject-Verb Agreement Rules # 4:

Coffee or water (is, are) placed on the table for the
interviewee.
An online portfolio or hard copies of documents (is, are)
acceptable.

Lets Practice! Page 117 practice 16

Follow the steps- Cross out all prepositional phrases.
Underline your subject.
Underline your verb
Identify if the subject is singular or plural and adjust

accordingly.

Lets Practice! Page 117 practice 16 17 verbs

(1) At a rink in Chicagos inner city, two-year-old Shani Davis

put on his first pair of roller skates. (2) Before long, he skated
so fast that the rink guards chased him and warned him to
slow down. (3) Then, at 6, Davis discovered ice skating, and
the future star took off. (4) His mother recognized her sons
gifts, moving the family to be near a speed skating rink.

Lets Practice! Page 117 practice 16

(5) With his huge talent and grueling work ethic, Davis soon
became the first U.S. junior to make both the short-track and longtrack national teams. (7) He not only flew across frozen finish lines
winning medals, but he was the first African American to join the
U.S. Olympic speed-skating team. (8) Fans around the world
praised his fine technique and form. (9) Taller than other U.S.
skaters, he bent low and held his upper body very still.

Lets Practice! Page 117 practice 16

(10) At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Davis
scored a gold medal in the 1000-meter and a silver in the
1500. (11) At the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, he earned
gold again in the 1000-meter. (12) In addition to his
achievements on ice, Shani Davis was a founder of Inner
City Excellence, a skating program for urban children, and
he found time to attend Northern Michigan University.

Graded Class Assignment- Paragraph Writing

What is your dream? What obstacles might you encounter
while working to make your dream come true?
Write a paragraph of 150 words- 8-12 sentences on the
topic above.

Prewrite
Goal- educational leader
Obstacles- procrastination
- Time management
- Money
- Lack of resources
- Fear of failure
- Fear of success
- Family and church obligations
- Balance- personal time?
- Lack of support
- Fear of lack of support
- Gender
- Color
- Lack of experience

Plan
Topic Sentence: My aspiration is to become a leader in
education; however, the biggest obstacle that I must
overcome is myself.
Point # 1: Procrastination
Point # 2: Time management
Point # 3: How to overcome: Keep moving forward

What is your dream? What obstacles might you encounter while working to make your
dream come true?

My aspiration is to become a leader in education; however,

the biggest obstacle that I must overcome is myself. There are
times when procrastination is my biggest enemy. I desperately want
to succeed, but the desire to put things off to another day often
overrides that desire. Furthermore, time management is extremely
difficult. Work, church, and family obligations all demand my time.
Often times, I feel like a ragdoll being pulled from too many
directions. In spite of these obstacles, I must remember to put one
foot in front of the other and keep moving. Since I am aware of my
weaknesses, I make a huge effort to overcome them. Sometimes I
win, and sometimes I lose. But no matter what, I always remember
the significance of the women that went before me to prepare the
way. They drive me to overcome my obstacles and keep striving on
my journey towards success.
150 words- 10 sentences

First Draft- Paragraph checklist

Paragraph basics
Topic sentence
2-3 points with support/examples
Clincher- closing sentence

Homework
Study for your quiz on 25/26 Jan. Parts of speech,

synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, vocabulary. Use

crossword puzzle to help you study vocabulary words.
Continue to work on your paragraph at home. We will be
editing for subject-verb agreement errors next class. Your
edited paragraph will be a graded class assignment.
Read Learning to Read

Class # 2 - Editing for Subject-Verb Agreement

Errors
Do Now:
Page 124 Practice 25

Graded Class Assignment # 1- Editing your paragraph

- Check your paragraph for word choice
- Check your paragraph for subject-verb agreement errors
- Check for spelling errors