CHAPTER 5

Agreement: Matching Sentence Parts

You should read this chapter if you need to review or learn about:

• ➜ The grammatical subject of “agreement”
• ➜ Making subjects and verbs agree
• ➜ Making pronouns and antecedents agree
• ➜ Crafting smooth, logical sentences

Like Peas in a Pod

Romeo and Juliet
Spaghetti and meatballs
Peanut butter and jelly
The birds and the bees

Some things just seem to go together well. We carry this concept over into grammar by matching all sentence parts. This matching of sentence elements is called agreement. It helps you create smooth and logical sentences.

The basic rule of sentence agreement is simple: A subject must agree with its verb in number. Number means singular or plural.

• A singular subject names one person, place, thing, or idea.
• A plural subject names more than one person, place, thing, or idea.

Here are some examples:

1. Singular and plural nouns

   In English, the plurals of most nouns are formed by adding -s or -es to the singular form.

   For example: bike → bikes; race → races; inch → inches. Some nouns have irregular plurals, such as mouse → mice; woman → women, goose → geese. You can find the plural forms of irregular nouns in a dictionary.

2. Singular and plural pronouns. Pronouns have singular and plural forms, too. Study the following chart.

3. Singular and plural verbs

   As with nouns and pronouns, verbs show singular and plural forms. There are two areas in which you may have difficulty identifying singular and plural forms of nouns: the basic present tense and tenses using the helping verb to be.

   As you study the following chart, notice that the form of the verb changes only in the third-person singular column, the middle column. Find the -s or -es added to the verb.

   That’s the tricky part:

   • Singular verbs end in -s or -es.
   • Plural nouns end in -s or -es.

   
   

   Here are some examples:

   First and Second Person	Singular Third Person	Plural First, Second, Third Person
   (I, you) begin	(he, she, it) begins	(we, you, they) begin
   (I, you) do	(he, she, it) does	(we, you, they) do

   As you can see from this chart, subject-verb agreement is most difficult to determine in the present tense.

4. Singular and plural forms of be

   The form of the helping verb be may also help you determine whether a verb is singular or plural. The following chart shows the forms of be that are different from singular to plural.

Be Used as a Helping Verb

A Singular Subject Must Have a Singular Verb

Now that you can recognize singular and plural nouns, pronouns, and verbs, you will be able to make all sentence parts agree in number. Remember the rule introduced in the beginning of this chapter: A subject must agree with its verb in number.

All the other rules follow from this one. The easiest rules are these two:

• A singular subject must have a singular verb.
• A plural subject must have a plural verb.

Let’s examine the first rule.

5. A singular subject must have a singular verb.
   She hesitates, at all intersections, making the other drivers angry.

   The singular subject she agrees with the singular verb hesitates.

   Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.

   The singular subject procrastination agrees with the singular verb is.

   I am ready for dinner now.

   The singular subject I requires the singular verb am.


6. Two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor must have a singular verb. This makes perfect sense: You are making a choice between two singular subjects. The or shows that you are only choosing one.
   Either the dog or the cat has to go.
   

   Only one pet will go—the dog or the cat. Therefore, you will only have one pet left. Two singular subjects—dog and cat—joined by or take the singular verb has.

   Neither Elvis Costello nor Elvis Presley is in the room.
   

   Each subject is being treated individually. Therefore, two singular subjects—Elvis Costello and Elvis Presley—joined by nor take the singular verb is.


7. Subjects that are singular in meaning but plural in form require a singular verb. These subjects include words such as measles, civics, social studies, mumps, molasses, news, economics, and mathematics.
   The news is on very night at 11:00 P.M.
   

   The singular subject news takes the singular verb is.


8. Plural subjects that function as a single unit take a singular verb.
   Spaghetti and meatballs is my favorite dish.
   

   The singular subject spaghetti and meatballs requires the singular verb is.

   Bacon and eggs makes a great late night snack.
   

   The singular subject bacon and eggs agrees with the singular verb makes.


9. Titles are always singular. It doesn’t matter how long the title is, what it names, or whether or not it sounds plural— a title always takes a singular verb.
   For Whom the Bell Tolls is a story about the Spanish Civil War.
   

   The singular title For Whom the Bell Tolls requires the singular verb is.

   Stranger in a Strange Land was written by Robert Heinlein.
   

   The singular title Stranger in a Strange Land requires the singular verb was.

Most measurements are singular—even though they look plural. For example: “Half a dollar is more than enough” (not “are more than enough”)

A Plural Subject Must Have a Plural Verb

Just as a singular subject requires a singular verb, so a plural subject requires a plural verb.

Here are some examples:

1. A plural subject must have a plural verb.
   Men are from Earth. Women are from Earth. Deal with it.
   The plural subject men requires the plural verb are. The plural subject women requires the plural verb are.
   
   On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.
   The plural subject people requires the plural verb fear (not the singular verb fears). The plural subject they requires the plural verb do (not the singular verb does).
   
   Students at U.S. colleges read about 60,000 pages in four years.
   The plural subject students requires the plural verb read (not the singular verb reads).
   
   Facetious and abstemious contain all the vowels in the correct order, as does arsenious, meaning “containing arsenic.”
   The plural subject facetious and abstemious requires the plural verb contain (not the singular verb contains.) Think of the conjunction and as a plus sign. Whether the parts of the
   subject joined by and are singular or plural (or both), they all add up to a plural subject and so require a plural verb.


2. Two or more plural subjects joined by or or nor must have a plural verb. This is the logical extension of the rule you learned earlier about two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor taking a singular verb. Here, since both subjects are plural, the verb must be plural as well.
   Either the children or the adults are clearing the table.
   Since both subjects are plural, one of them alone is still plural. Therefore, two plural subjects—children and adults—joined by or take the plural verb are.
   
   Neither my relatives nor my friends are leaving any time soon.
   Since both subjects are plural, one of them alone is still plural. Therefore, two plural subjects—relatives and friends—joined by nor take the plural verb are.
   


3. A compound subject joined by and is plural and must have a plural verb. The conjunction and acts like a plus (+) sign, showing that 1 + 1 = 2 (or 1 + 1 + 1 = 3, etc.).
   Brownies and ice cream are a spectacular dessert.
   Brownies and ice cream = two desserts. 1 + 1 = 2. Therefore, the verb must be plural: are.
   
   Nina and Christopher have donated money to charity.
   Nina and Christopher = two people. 1 + 1 = 2. Therefore, the verb must be plural: have.
   


4. If two or more singular and plural subjects are joined by or or nor, the subject closest to the verb determines agreement. This is basically an exception made for the sake of sound: It sounds better to match the verb to the closer subject.
   Margery or the twins are coming on the trip to Seattle.
   Since the plural subject twins is closest to the verb, the verb is plural: are.
   
   The twins or Margery is coming on the trip to Seattle.
   Since the singular subject Margery is closest to the verb, the verb is singular: is.
   

Collective Nouns and Indefinite Pronouns

A collective noun names a group of people or things. Collective nouns include the words class, committee, flock, herd, team, audience, assembly, team, and club. Collective nouns can be singular or plural, depending on how they are used in a sentence. Here are the basic guidelines:

• A collective noun is considered singular when it functions as a single unit. Collective nouns used as one unit take a singular verb.
• A collective noun is considered plural when the group it identifies is considered to be individuals. Collective nouns that indicate many units take a plural verb. Here are some examples:
  The team has practiced for tonight’s big game for months.
  The singular subject team agrees with the singular verb has practiced because in this instance, the team functions as one (singular) group.
  The team have practiced for tonight’s big game for months.
  The subject team becomes plural because each member of the group is now being considered as an individual.

Indefinite pronouns, like collective nouns, can be singular or plural, depending on how they are used in a sentence. Indefinite pronouns refer to people, places, objects, or things without pointing to a specific one. Indefinite pronouns include words such as everyone, someone, all, and more.

• Singular indefinite pronouns take a singular verb.
• Plural indefinite pronouns take a plural verb.

The following chart shows singular and plural indefinite pronouns. The chart also shows pronouns that can be either singular or plural, depending on how they are used in a sentence.

Look back at the chart. You will see that the following patterns emerge:

1. Indefinite pronouns that end in -body are always singular. These words include anybody, somebody, nobody.
2. Indefinite pronouns that end in -one are always singular. These words include anyone, everyone, someone, and one.
3. The indefinite pronouns both, few, many, others, and several are always plural.
4. The indefinite pronouns all, any, more, most, none, and some can be singular or plural, depending on how they are used.

Here are some examples:

One of the gerbils is missing.
The singular subject one requires the singular verb is.

Both of the gerbils are missing.
The plural subject both requires the plural verb are.

All of the beef stew was devoured.
In this instance, all is being used to indicate one unit. As a result, it requires the singular verb was.

Many of the guests are sick of Tedious Ted’s endless chatter.
The plural subject many requires the plural verb are.

Special Problems in Agreement

The rules for agreement are straightforward, but some thorny problems do arise. Here are the two most challenging issues: hard-to-find subjects and intervening phrases

1. Identify hard-to-find subjects. Some subjects can be harder to find than others. Subjects that come before the verb are especially tricky. However, a subject must still agree in number with its verb, as the following examples show:
   In the bottom of the lake are two old cars.
   The plural subject cars agrees with the plural verb are.
   
   There were still half a dozen tires in the lake, too.
   The plural subject tires requires the plural verb were.
   


2. Ignore intervening phrases. Disregard words or phrases that come between the subject and the verb. A phrase or clause that comes between a subject and its verb does not affect subject-verb agreement.
   The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
   The singular subject muscle agrees with the singular verb is. Ignore the intervening prepositional phrase “in the body.”
   
   The captain of the guards stands at the door of Buckingham Palace.
   The singular subject captain agrees with the singular verb stands. Ignore the intervening prepositional phrase “of the guards.”
   

Agreement of Pronouns and Antecedents

Like subjects and verbs, pronouns and antecedents (the words to which they refer) must agree. Follow these rules to make sure that your pronouns and antecedents match.

1. A pronoun agrees (or matches) with its antecedent in number, person, and gender.
   Hortense gave half her cupcake to Shirley.
   Both the antecedent Hortense and the pronoun her are singular in number, in the third person, and feminine in gender.
   Errors often occur when there are incorrect shifts in person and gender.
   Error: Hortense will eat her bran flakes and tofu, which you need to stay healthy.
   Correct: Hortense will eat her bran flakes and tofu, which she needs to stay healthy.
   
   
   
2. Use a singular personal pronoun with a singular indefinite pronoun.
   If anyone questions the edict, refer him or her to the boss.
   The singular pronouns him or her refer to the singular pronoun anyone.
   


3. Use a plural pronoun when the antecedents are joined by and. This is true even if the antecedents are singular.
   The dog and cat maintain their friendship by staying out of each other’s way.
   Since the two singular antecedents dog and cat are joined by and, use the plural pronoun their. This is a case of 1 + 1 = 2 (one dog + one cat = two pets).
   


4. Antecedents joined by or, nor, or correlative conjunctions such as either . . . or, neither . . . nor agree with the antecedent closer to the pronoun.
   Neither my baby sister or the twins sleep in their bed.
   Use the plural pronoun their to agree with the plural antecedent cats. Neither the twins nor my baby sister sleeps in her bed.
   Use the singular pronoun her to agree with the singular antecedent sister.
   


5. Be sure that the pronoun refers directly to the noun.
   Confusion occurs when the pronoun can refer to more than one antecedent. If you end up with a confusing sentence, rewrite the sentence.
   Confusing: Norman saw a coupon in last year’s newspaper, but he can’t find it.
   What is it that Norman can’t find: the coupon or the newspaper?
   Correct: Norman can’t find the coupon he saw in last year’s newspaper.