Click the button below to see similar posts for other categories

How does subject-verb agreement change with different subjects?

Subject-Verb Agreement in English Grammar

1. What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement means that the subject—the person or thing we talk about—needs to match the verb, which shows the action in the sentence. This is important for making sentences clear and correct.

Examples:

  • Singular Subject: The cat runs fast.
  • Plural Subject: The cats run fast.

2. Tenses and Subject-Verb Agreement

The verb can change depending on when the action happens: in the past, present, or future.

  • Present Tense:

    • Singular: She eats breakfast.
    • Plural: They eat breakfast.
  • Past Tense:

    • Singular: He played football.
    • Plural: They played football.
  • Future Tense:

    • Singular: I will sing tomorrow.
    • Plural: They will sing tomorrow.

3. Asking Questions

When we ask questions, the order of the subject and verb might switch around, but they still need to agree.

Examples:

  • Present: Does she like ice cream?
  • Past: Did they go to the party?

4. Making Negative Sentences

To say something is not true, we use "do not" or "does not" for present tense, and "did not" for past tense.

Examples:

  • Present: She does not play tennis.
  • Past: They did not watch the movie.

5. Using Articles

Articles help tell us more about nouns. In English, we use "a," "an," and "the." They also need to match with the noun.

  • Indefinite Article: A cat (singular), some cats (plural).
  • Definite Article: The cat (singular), the cats (plural).

Summary

Knowing about subject-verb agreement helps us make correct sentences in English. Always check that subjects and verbs match in number and tense. Don’t forget to keep an eye on how to ask questions and form negative sentences. Using articles correctly makes your writing clearer and easier to understand.

Related articles

Similar Categories
Basic Conversation for Year 7 EnglishGrammar and Vocabulary for Year 7 EnglishBasic Conversation for Year 8 EnglishGrammar and Vocabulary for Year 8 EnglishBasic Conversation for Year 9 EnglishGrammar and Vocabulary for Year 9 EnglishBasic Conversation for Gymnasium Year 1 EnglishGrammar and Vocabulary for Gymnasium Year 1 EnglishAdvanced Communication for Gymnasium Year 2 EnglishLiterature Analysis for Gymnasium Year 2 English
Click HERE to see similar posts for other categories

How does subject-verb agreement change with different subjects?

Subject-Verb Agreement in English Grammar

1. What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement means that the subject—the person or thing we talk about—needs to match the verb, which shows the action in the sentence. This is important for making sentences clear and correct.

Examples:

  • Singular Subject: The cat runs fast.
  • Plural Subject: The cats run fast.

2. Tenses and Subject-Verb Agreement

The verb can change depending on when the action happens: in the past, present, or future.

  • Present Tense:

    • Singular: She eats breakfast.
    • Plural: They eat breakfast.
  • Past Tense:

    • Singular: He played football.
    • Plural: They played football.
  • Future Tense:

    • Singular: I will sing tomorrow.
    • Plural: They will sing tomorrow.

3. Asking Questions

When we ask questions, the order of the subject and verb might switch around, but they still need to agree.

Examples:

  • Present: Does she like ice cream?
  • Past: Did they go to the party?

4. Making Negative Sentences

To say something is not true, we use "do not" or "does not" for present tense, and "did not" for past tense.

Examples:

  • Present: She does not play tennis.
  • Past: They did not watch the movie.

5. Using Articles

Articles help tell us more about nouns. In English, we use "a," "an," and "the." They also need to match with the noun.

  • Indefinite Article: A cat (singular), some cats (plural).
  • Definite Article: The cat (singular), the cats (plural).

Summary

Knowing about subject-verb agreement helps us make correct sentences in English. Always check that subjects and verbs match in number and tense. Don’t forget to keep an eye on how to ask questions and form negative sentences. Using articles correctly makes your writing clearer and easier to understand.

Related articles