SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
The subject- verb agreement refers to matching the subject and verb of a
sentence in tense. It can get confusing, because talking in the first-person
singular (“I climb the fence”) uses the same verb format as talking in the
first-person plural (“We climb the fence”).
third-person singular
use the standard form in present tense
The dogs roll in the mud.
I need to catch my breath.
You look like a celebrity!
However, if the subject is third-person singular, you must use the singular
form of the verb.
The dog rollsin the mud.
She needsto catch her breath.
He lookslike a celebrity!
the simple past and simple future don’t change based on the number or
person of the subject. Both singular and plural subjects use the same form
for those tenses.
They will behere tomorrow.
He will behere tomorrow.
Thepotatoes grewovernight.
Thepotato grewovernight!
The verb BE changed if we are talking SIMPLE PAST, we can use WAS / WERE
it depends on the subject.
Iwasyoung once.
Wewereyoung once.
The PERFECT TENSE changes their auxiliary verb depending on the number of
the subjects.
They havenot seen the movie yet, so no spoilers.
She hasnot seen the movie yet, so no spoilers.
IMPORTANT!
- if the subject is singular,
the verb must be singular;
if the subject is plural, the
verb must be plural.