C H A P T E R 4

Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

Follow these two rules when you check your writing for subject/verb
agreement.

1. Use singular verbs, which end in -s, with indefinite
    pronouns. Indefinite pronouns are words such as anybody,
    anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, neither, no
    one, nobody, none, one, someone, somebody.

Not: Anything go around here.

But: Anything goes around here.

Not: Something were wrong with that picture.

But: Something was wrong with that picture.

Not: We want to see two movies; each last an hour.

But: We want to see two movies; each lasts an hour.

2. Make verbs in subordinate clauses agree with the nouns
those clauses modify. Subordinate clauses can begin with
pronouns such as that, which, who, whom, and whose.

Not: Our minister, who have volunteered for the Peace
&nbs p; Corps, leaves for Sri Lanka next week.

But: Our minister, who has volunteered for the Peace
&nbs p; Corps, leaves for Sri Lanka next week.

Not: The Tigris-Euphrates Valley, which were the site of
&nbs p; several ancient civilizations, is in southwest Asia.

But: The Tigris-Euphrates Valley, which was the site of
&nbs p; several ancient civilizations, is in southwest Asia.

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