📚 Topic Summary
Subject-verb agreement means that the verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its subject. This can become complicated when intervening phrases—groups of words that come between the subject and the verb—appear in the sentence. These phrases, often prepositional phrases, appositive phrases, or clauses, can distract you from the actual subject. To ensure correct agreement, identify the subject, ignore the intervening phrase, and then choose the verb form that agrees with the subject.
For example, in the sentence "The box of chocolates is missing," the subject is "box" (singular), not "chocolates" (plural). Therefore, the verb should be "is" (singular) rather than "are" (plural).
🔑 Part A: Vocabulary
Match the following terms with their definitions:
| Term |
Definition |
| 1. Subject |
A. A group of related words that contains a subject and a verb. |
| 2. Verb |
B. A word or group of words that expresses an action or state of being. |
| 3. Phrase |
C. The part of a sentence that performs the action or is described. |
| 4. Clause |
D. A group of related words that does not contain a subject and a verb. |
| 5. Agreement |
E. Correspondence in number and person between subject and verb. |
Answer Key
- 1-C
- 2-B
- 3-D
- 4-A
- 5-E
✍️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the paragraph below using the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.
The team, including the coach and several players, ________ (is/are) eager to start the season. Each member of the group ________ (has/have) worked hard to prepare. The overall feeling among the fans ________ (is/are) one of excitement and anticipation. All the practices, along with the scrimmages, ________ (has/have) been beneficial. The success of the team, according to many, ________ (depend/depends) on their teamwork.
Answer Key
- is
- has
- is
- have
- depends
🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking
Explain in your own words why intervening phrases can make subject-verb agreement difficult and what strategies you can use to overcome this challenge.