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 MAKING SUBJECTS AND VERBS AGREE
Subject-Verb Agreement rules must be applied whenever the following tenses are used. Study the table for the +s form used with third person singular nouns and pronouns (he, she, it) and the no-s form used with all other subject pronouns--I, you, we, they, and plural nouns). |
| Tense | Verb | +s form (use with 3rd person singular pronouns and singular nouns) | -s form ( use with all other personal pronouns and plural nouns) |
| Simple present | prevent | prevents | prevent |
| Present progressive | take | is taking | are taking |
| Present Perfect | leave | has left | have left |
| Present perfect progressive | study | has been studying | have been studying |
| Present passive | ignore | is ignored | am/are ignored |
| Present passive progressive | honor | is being honored | am/are being honored |
| Past passive | injure | was injured | were injured |
| Past passive | build | was being built | were being built |
| Subject-verb agreement errors with the above verb tenses can be easily avoided with two simple steps: • Identify the subject noun or pronoun as singular or plural. • Make the verb or auxiliary verb in a verb phrase agree in number with the subject. Problems arise with different types of nouns and pronouns and with specific elements of sentence grammar. Follow the links below for explanation, examples, and practice. |