Grammar Wired! 7th Grade Subject Verb Agreement Problems

Subject-verb agreement problems.

The usual order for a sentence is subject-predicate.

But, sometimes the subject is in a different order.

If the sentence is a question,

begins with 'here' or 'there,'

or starts with a phrase,

it helps to rearrange the sentence.

Let's look at a question.

Does the newspaper list all the cable stations?

If we turn it around,

the newspaper does list all the cable stations.

It's easy to see that newspaper is a subject,

does list is the verb.

So, in the first sentence,

We have newspaper

and 'does list,'

does the newspaper list all the cable stations?

Where are the Seven Wonders of the World?

The Seven Wonders of the World are where?

So, we have the Seven Wonders of the World as a subject

and Are is the verb.

When using Here and There,

Here is the cause of our problems.

The cause of our problems is here.

When you turn it around,

it's easy to see that Cause is the subject

and Is is the verb.

There are not enough volunteers at the shelter.

We turn it around,

we have not enough volunteers are there at the shelter.

Volunteers is the subject and Are

is the verb.

They're backwards in the

previous sentence.

Sometimes if there's a beginning phrase,

it's hard to figure out the subject in the verb.

Into the swamp,

slide the crocodiles.

We switch it around,

we have the crocodile slide into the swamp.

That makes it easier.

We can see crocodiles is the subject,

Slide is the verb.

Over the ridge ran the deer.

The deer ran over the ridge.

It's easy to see deer as the subject,

ran as the verb.

They're backwards in the original sense.

Predicate nouns can also cause trouble.

The verb must agree with the subject,

not the predicate noun.

A teenager's favorite food is hot dogs.

Food is the subject,

so we use Is.

If we rewrote the sentence and made hot dogs a subject,

then the verb would be Are.

Hot dogs are a teenager's favorite food.

Prepositional phrases also need to be watched.

The subject of a verb is never part of a prepositional phrase.

Ignore the phrase when deciding which verb to use.

The number of accidents on this road

has been increasing.

We have two prepositional phrases of accidents and on this road.

They are describing number.

Number is the subject.

So, use singular verb has been increasing.

Antique cars like the Model A cost thousands of dollars.

Like the Model A is a prepositional phrase describing cars.

Cars is a plural subject,

so we use plural verb, Cost.