GEPURPCO - 1st Semester (Midterm) The students bring their experiment
equipment at the science lab.
The 3 Main Types off Verbs
2. Indefinite pronouns each, everyone, no
Action Verbs
one, someone, nobody, and every takes
Tells what action something or someone singular verb.
is performing.
Examples:
Linking Verbs
Everyone is expected to join the English
Connects a noun or a pronoun with a competition.
word that identifies or describe it. No one seems to like him.
Helping Verbs
Added before another verb to make it a 3. Collective nouns take singular verbs if
verb phrase. they are taken as a single unit.
Examples:
Linking Verb Examples The class spends its free time in the
library.
Examples formed from the verb BE: The committee decides on the case
about drug addiction.
be were may be
was am have been
will be are is
4. Collective nouns take plural verbs if they
act individually.
Other linking verbs:
Example:
appear seem taste
smell sound stay The crew disagree on the decision of the
manager.
turn feel
Subject-Verb Agreement 5. Compound subjects joined by either-or
and neither-nor, the verb agrees with the
You need to realize that in the English Language,
nearest subject. If the subject near the
the subject and verb must agree in person and in
verb is singular, it takes singular verb. It
number.
takes plural verb if the subject near the
1. Singular subjects take singular verbs; verb is plural.
plural subjects take plural verbs.
Examples:
Examples:
Neither mother nor her daughter watches
An obstinate man does not hold the children play.
opinions. Either the coach or the player comes on
time.
Neither the principal nor the teachers Three meters of cloth is enough for the
arrive late at the assembly. table.
Either the president or the secretaries Twenty pesos is what I need.
move in the right direction.
10. Compound subject connected by and
6. Intervening words do not affect the takes a plural verb.
number of the verb.
Examples:
Example:
Meriam and Joyce visit me in my house.
The staff, together with its member, The teacher and the researcher discuss
stands firm to impose the rule. the weak points of the demonstrator.
7. Nouns that are plural in form but singular 11. Compound subject connected by and
in meaning agree with singular verbs. takes a singular verb if the subject
means the same thing or person.
Examples:
Examples:
Physics is a difficult subject.
The news brings joy or sadness to a My cousin and friend travels to the US
person. for study tour.
The secretary and treasurer is
trustworthy.
8. The expression a number takes plural
verb; the expression the number takes
singular verb. 12. A title is singular and must have a
singular verb.
Examples:
Examples:
A number of people die in the Pakistan
earthquake. “Trees” is a popular poem written by
A number of children were affected by Joyce Kilmer.
the economic crises. Mona Liza is a beautiful artwork of Da
The number of absentees was reduced Vinci.
during the second quarter.
The number of enrollees has increased
this school year.
13. In a compound subject, one negative,
one positive, the verb agrees with the
positive subject.
9. An amount of money, space of time, or
unit of measurement even in plural form Examples:
takes singular verb.
The students, not the teacher perform on
Examples: stage.
The teacher, not the students teaches
the lesson.
14. Two nouns thought of together take a
singular verb.
Examples:
Rice and fish is what I have for breakfast.
Coffee and milk is a good blend.
15. Few, several and many take plural verbs
when used as pronouns.
Examples:
Few are willing to leave the country.
Several have consented to migrate.
16. Fractions take singular verbs. But, if the
fraction is followed by an of- phrase the
number of the verb depends on whether
the noun in the of- phrase is singular or
plural.
Examples:
Three-fourths of the melon is enough.
Three-fourths of the apples are green.
17. All takes plural verb when it refers to
concrete nouns; all takes singular verb
when it refers to abstract nouns.
Examples:
All of the students are loyal to her.
All she had was hope.
