Grammar and Usage!Agreement Tips!

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What is Agreement?

In English there are two basic Agreement problems:

Subject- Verb Agreement Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement

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What is Subject- Verb Agreement?

Subjects should agree in number with their related verbs.

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Tip 1Singular subjects take

singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs!

I receives the information I requested. X I receive the information I requested.

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Tip 2Treat all company names

as singular!

Ben and Barklys have paid for their order. X Ben and Barklys has paid for its order.

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Tip 3In sentences where the true

subject follows the verb, known as expletives, use is or are as

appropriate

There is no reason for Brad to marry Angelina. There are many reasons for Brad to marry Angelina!

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Tip 4Disregard any words that come between the subject

and its verb.

Only one of the machines sends sms’s. The texts the bank sends about my balance adds LOL at the end.

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Tip 5‘As long as’ and ‘as well as’ ‘together with’ ‘rather than’ ‘accompanied by’

‘in addition to’ do not make singular subjects plural.

The wife, as well as the husband, is fully aware that marriage is the only war in which one lives with the enemy.

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Pronoun and Antecedent A singular pronoun should take a

singular verb and a plural pronoun should take a plural verb.

Pronoun antecedents should refer to nouns that precede them and should

agree in number.

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Tip 1Indefinite pronouns anybody, each, either, everybody, everyone, each, neither, no one, nobody, and

one are always singular and take singular verbs.

Neither of the models is doing her job well.

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Tip 2Indefinite pronouns all, any,

more, most, none, and some may be singular and plural.

None of the work is finished. None of the workers are finished.

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Tip 3Choose a verb that agrees

with the nearest of two subjects joined by either/or, neither/nor, not only/but also.

Either Jennifer or my sister is at her best. Neither Mr. Brown nor the workers have to drink their wine so fast.

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Exception!Only in the subjunctive

mood, the singular subject takes the plural verb were.

I wish my husband were Brad Pitt. If I were you, I would not mention the matter.

Thanks for watching!Agreement Tips!

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