English Unravelled: Navigating Common ESL Pitfalls – Part 2
Welcome back to our series, “English Unravelled: Navigating Common ESL Pitfalls.” In this second post, we’re going to tackle one of the most common grammatical hurdles for ESL learners: Subject-Verb Agreement Errors. This seemingly simple aspect of grammar can often be a source of confusion, but with some practice and understanding, it can be mastered with ease.
Understanding Subject-Verb Agreement At its core, subject-verb agreement is about ensuring that the subject of a sentence and its verb are harmoniously matched in number. This means singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. Sounds simple, right? Yet, this is where many learners stumble, particularly when dealing with irregular verbs or sentences with complex structures.
The Basics: Singular and Plural Agreement The rule of thumb is straightforward: a singular subject (like ‘she’ or ‘the cat’) takes a singular verb (like ‘is’ or ‘runs’), while a plural subject (like ‘they’ or ‘the cats’) takes a plural verb (like ‘are’ or ‘run’).
1. Singular Subjects with Singular Verbs Example: The dog barks loudly every night. Explanation: ‘The dog’ is a singular subject, so it takes the singular verb ‘barks.’
2. Plural Subjects with Plural Verbs Example: The dogs bark loudly every night. Explanation: ‘The dogs’ is a plural subject, so it takes the plural verb ‘bark.’
Tricky Cases in Subject-Verb Agreement Subject-verb agreement becomes more complex with indefinite pronouns, collective nouns, and sentences with additional clauses or phrases that can distract from the main subject.
1. Indefinite Pronouns Words like ‘everyone,’ ‘each,’ ‘neither,’ ‘someone,’ and ‘nobody’ are singular and take singular verbs, which often confuses learners.
2. Collective Nouns Words like ‘team,’ ‘group,’ ‘audience,’ ‘family,’ and ‘crew’ can be singular or plural based on context and the intent of the sentence.
3. Interrupting Phrases/Clauses Phrases or clauses that come between the subject and verb do not affect the agreement.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Subject-verb agreement can be a challenging aspect of English grammar. Let’s delve into some common mistakes and provide practical tips to avoid them.
1. Complex Subjects Complex subjects, particularly those with additional phrases, can obscure the main subject, leading to agreement errors.
Mistake Example: The list of items, which are on the table, were expensive. Correction: The list of items, which are on the table, was expensive. Tip: Identify the main subject (in this case, ‘The list’) and ignore intervening phrases when deciding on verb agreement.
2. Compound Subjects When two or more subjects are joined by ‘and,’ they typically require a plural verb. However, exceptions exist when the compound subject refers to a singular idea or entity.
Mistake Example: Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite sandwich. Correction: Peanut butter and jelly are my favorite sandwich components. Tip: Use a plural verb for compound subjects, unless they refer to a single entity or idea. Context is key.
3. Indefinite Pronouns Some indefinite pronouns (e.g., anyone, everyone, someone, none) are singular and thus require singular verbs, which can be counterintuitive.
Mistake Example: Everyone have finished their tasks. Correction: Everyone has finished their tasks. Tip: Remember that indefinite pronouns like ‘everyone,’ ‘someone,’ and ‘nobody’ are singular. Use singular verbs with them.
4. Collective Nouns Collective nouns (e.g., team, group, committee) can take either singular or plural verbs, depending on whether the group is acting as one unit or as individual members.
Mistake Example: The team are meeting to discuss their strategy. Correction: The team is meeting to discuss its strategy. Tip: Use a singular verb when the collective noun acts as a single unit and a plural verb when the members act individually.
5. Agreement with the Nearest Subject In sentences with subjects joined by ‘or’ or ‘nor,’ the verb should agree with the subject closest to it.
Mistake Example: Neither the coach nor the players was happy. Correction: Neither the coach nor the players were happy. Tip: The verb should agree with the nearest subject when they are connected by ‘or’ or ‘nor.’
6. Titles and Names Titles of single entities (like book titles or country names) and names of specific entities that are plural in form but singular in meaning take singular verbs.
Mistake Example: The Philippines are a beautiful country. Correction: The Philippines is a beautiful country. Tip: Treat titles and specific names that are singular in meaning but plural in form as singular for verb agreement.
Practice Makes Perfect We’ll include exercises and quizzes in this post to reinforce your understanding and help you practice subject-verb agreement in various contexts.
Mastering subject-verb agreement is a significant step towards achieving fluency in English. By understanding the rules and practicing regularly, you can avoid these common errors and communicate more effectively in English. Try the quiz below to double check your understanding..
Stay tuned for our next post, where we will delve into the intricacies of tense consistency and errors in English grammar.
Vocabulary List
- Harmoniously (adv) [ˌhɑːrməˈniəsli] – in a manner that is agreeable and free from conflict
- Irregular verb (n) [ɪˈrɛɡjʊlər vɜːrb] – a verb that does not follow standard rules of conjugation
- Indefinite pronoun (n) [ˌɪndɪˈfɪnɪt ˈprəʊnaʊn] – a pronoun that does not refer to any specific person, thing, or amount
- Collective noun (n) [kəˈlɛktɪv naʊn] – a noun that represents a group of individuals or things
- Compound subject (n) [ˈkɒmpaʊnd ˈsʌbdʒɪkt] – a subject made up of two or more nouns or pronouns joined by a conjunction
#1. Either the cooks or the waiter ____________ (to bring) the order.
#2. The team ____________ (to celebrate) their victory together.
#3. Someone ____________ (to need) to take responsibility.
#4. The cat, along with the dogs, ____________ (to run) around the house.
#5. Everybody ____________ (to enjoy) a good movie.
#6. A group of tourists ____________ (to be) visiting the museum.
#7. Each of the players ____________ (to have) a unique skill.
#8. The committee ____________ (to decide) on the issue today.
#9. The jury ____________ (to be) divided in their opinion.
#10. Neither the manager nor his assistants ____________ (to be) available.
Results
