2. Grammar
Subject/Verb Agreement
• In sentences the subject and the verb have to
agree in number.
Ok….well, what does that mean?
Let’s break it down. We’re going to talk about:
Subjects Number
Verbs Agreement

3. Subject
• The subject is what the sentence is about. It’s
the WHO that does something.
The cat ate some cheese.
My sister and I love to dance.
While riding my bike, I ran over an acorn.

4. Verb
• The verb is an action or state of being.
• The action verbs are the easiest to
find, because they are verbs of DOING.
The girl ate a hot dog.
My sister dances for hours.
• A state of being verb shows that something
EXISTS. (You just have to memorize these
verbs)
You are my friend. My sister was tired.

5. Agreement and Number
• When things agree they are the same.
• Number just means singular or plural.
So…
In order for your subject and verb to agree in
number…
…the must both be singular or both be plural.

6. Why it’s tricky..
Plural subjects often end in S (cats, sisters, houses)
Plural verbs do not (eat, dance, burn)
Singular subjects often don’t end in S (cat, sister, house)
Singular verbs do (eats, dances, burns)
Plus, there are those tricky “Be” verbs…you just kind of
have to learn those (the red ones are singular):
Am Is Are Was Were Can Could May Might Must Shall
Should Will Would Has Have Had Be Being Been Do Does
Did

7. How to Answer These Questions
Correctly
1. Figure out what the subject is (who/what is
doing the action) and then ask yourself, is
this one or more than one?
2. Figure out what the verb is (what is the
action, or what is the be verb?) and then
make sure it is the same number as the
subject.
3. Ask yourself if it SOUNDS right…usually if it
doesn’t, then it isn’t. 