Usage and Usage and AgreementAgreementUsage and Usage and AgreementAgreement

Subjects and VerbsSubjects and Verbs

NumberSingular subjects should have

singular verbs, plural should have plural verbs– Cindy is my favorite aunt. – Her children are about my age.

Tricky subjects• Indefinite pronouns

– Some are always singular, some are always plural

– Some, however, can be either- it then depends on the context of the sentence

Always singular indefinite pronouns

• Each everyone nobody• Either everybody nothing• Neither everything anyone• One no one anybody• Another much anything• Someone somebody something

No one except the nice students leaves early.

Always plural• Several• Few• Both• many

A few in the crowd are troublesome.

Either• Some• All• Any• More• Most• none

Most of the Nobel Prizes for literature have been awarded to men.

Most refers to prizes (plural) so verb is plural

Most of the money for the prizes comes from a fund established by Alfred Nobel.

Most refers to money (singular) so verb is singular

Compound Subjects• Two subjects joined by and are plural

– My mom and sisters are in Las Vegas.

• Two subjects joined by or/nor are singular– Verb should agree to subject closest

• My sisters or my mom is in Las Vegas.• My mom or my sisters are in Las Vegas.

Collective Nouns• The kind of noun that represents a

group. (family, team, crowd, jury)• Depend on rest of sentence • If all members create one action =

singular• If members do different actions = plural

– The family consists of 34 members (one unit- singular)

– The family have gone separate ways (different actions- plural)

Words stating amounts• Singular when the amount is thought of

as a whole– Ninety percent of the student body is here.– Fifty cents was the price.

• Plural when the amount indicates a collection of individual parts– Three quarters were in my pocket– Ninety percent of the students are present

today.

“Every” and “Many a”• Always singular

• Every mother, father, and grandparent is looking at their graduate with pride.

• Many a hopeful performer has gone to search for fame.