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SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
- SOME IRREGULARITIES
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Red: I receive the information you’ve send me about the paintings.
Sheena: Good. Just send me the paintings so we can check it.
Red: Okay. But why do you love paintings?
Sheena: Because painting is a fun hobby of mine.
Red: That’s great. I like painting too. I want abstract and creative paintings.
Sheena: Like the paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci?
Red: Yeah. I really like the painting of monalisa and the last supper.
Sheena: By the way we have a meeting tomorrow for the upcoming exhibit.
Red: Thanks for reminding me.
Sheena. You’re welcome, but don’t forget to bring the paintings because we
will discuss it to the board of directors.
Red: I won’t forget that.
Sheena: lastly, please check your e-mail. Mr. Jacob send a photographs of the
paintings in Italy.
Red: okay. See you later.
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Listen to the dialogue for the last time then answer the following
questions below.
Main Idea Questions:
• What are the things you see in a painting?
• What are the reasons of someone in making
painting as a hobby?
• Do you think art is an important part of our school
curriculum? Why or why not?
Detailed Questions:
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Detailed Questions:
Who received the information about the paintings?
Who is the sender of the important files about the paintings?
Who is the painter mentioned in the dialogue?
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Concept Check:
Paintings
Hobby
Exhibit
E-mail
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Highlighting:
Subject-Verb Agreement: Some Irregularities
SINGULAR VERB
EXPLANATION
[a] The United States is big.
[b] The Philippines consists of more than
7,000 islands.
[c] The United Nations has its
headquarters in New York City.
[d] Sears is a department store.
Sometimes a proper noun that ends in -s
is singular. In the examples, if the noun is
changed to a pronoun, the singular
pronoun it is used [ not the plural
pronoun they ] because the noun is
singular. In [a] The United States = it [ not
they ]
[e] The news is interesting.
News is singular.
[f] Mathematics is easy for her. Physics is
easy for her too.
Fields of study that end in -ics require
singular verbs.
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SINGULAR VERB
[g] Diabetes is an illness.
EXPLANATION
Certain illnesses that end in -s are
singular: diabetes, measles, mumps,
rabies, rickets, shingles.
[h] Eight hours of sleep is enough.
Expressions of time, money, and distance
[i] Ten dollars is too much to pay.
usually require a singular verb.
[j] Five thousand miles is too far to travel.
[k] Two and two is four. Two and two
equals four. Two plus two is/equals four.
[l] Five times five is twenty-five.
Arithmetic expressions require singular
verbs.
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PLURAL VERB
EXPLANATION
[m] Those people are from Canada.
[n] The police have been called.
[o] Cattle are domestic animals.
SINGULAR VERB
[p] English is spoken in many
countries.
[r] Chinese is his native language.
People,* police, and cattle do not end in s, but are plural nouns and require plural
verbs.
PLURAL VERB
[q] The English drink tea. [s] The
Chinese have and interesting history.
EXPLANATION
In [p]: English = language. In [q]: The
English = people from England. Some
nouns of nationality that end in -sh, ese, and -ch can mean either language
or people. ex. English, Spanish,
Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese,
Portuguese, French.
A few adjectives can be preceded by
[t] The poor have many problems.
the and used as a plural noun [without
[u] The rich get richer.
final -s] to refer to people who have
that quality. Other examples: the
young, the elderly, the living, the
dead, the blind, the deaf, the disabled.
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CONTROLLED ACTIVITY:
Choose the correct answer in parentheses.
1. The United States [ has / have ] a population of around 250 million.
2.The news about Mr. Hogan [ is / are ] surprising.
3. Massachusetts [ is / are ] a state in the northeastern part of the United States.
4. Physics [ seek / seeks ] to understand the mysteries of the physical world.
5.Statistics [ is / are ] a branch of mathematics.
6. The statistics in that report on oil production [ is / are ] incorrect.
7. Fifty minutes [ is / are ] the maximum length of time allowed for the exam.
8. Twenty dollars [ is / are ] an unreasonable price for the necklace.
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Semi – Controlled Activity:
SEMI- CONTROLLED ACTIVITY:
Directions:
CHOOSE THE CORRECT VERB AGREEMENT.
1) Mark out the prepositional phrases.
2) Determine
whether
subject
is singular
or plural.
1. Sears
(is,the
are)
the store
where we
bought our fridge.
3) Write the
verb
form(begins,
on the line
provided.
2. correct
The local
news
begin)
at eleven.
3. Economics (was, were) her most difficult subject..
4. Measles (was, were) once a common disease.50.
5. Fifty miles (is, are) too far to travel for a daily
commute.
6. One hundred minus twenty-five (is, are) seventy-five.
7. The police (has arrived, have arrived) at the scene of
the crime.
8. Brazilian Portuguese (is, are) her native dialect.
9. Many Japanese (is, are) fascinated by American.
popular culture.
10.The young (has, have) their whole lives ahead of them.
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FACILITATION ACTIVITY
Share an experience where you see different kinds of arts.
Then answer the following question.
What do you think of art?
In your own opinion. is it really a hobby?
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