- Subject-Verb Agreement
- Subjects and verbs in sentences must agree with one another. Certain kinds of subjects go with certain verbs at certain times.
Singular subjects go with
singular verbs, and
plural subjects go with
plural verbs.
The subject of the sentence, "cow," is singular, so the singular verb, "chews," is used.
The cows chew the grass slowly.
The subject of the sentence, "cows," is plural, so the plural verb, "chew," is used.
Subjects and verbs agree differently in different times.
The verb,
is, is used with
singular subjects.
- The house down the street is blue.
- She is late to work.
The verb,
am, is used when the pronoun,
I, is the subject.
- I am ten years old this year.
- Today I am going to the beach.
The verb,
are, is used with
plural subjects and the pronoun,
you.
- The vampire bats are sleeping right now.
- You are the second person to win this game.
The verb,
was, is used with
singular subjects.
- The peacock was large and colorful.
- I was very cold without my jacket.
The verb,
were, is used with
plural subjects and the pronoun,
you.
- The tadpoles were all in the water.
- You were at the racetrack yesterday.