Hà Thị Thơm - THPT Dương Quảng Hàm: A CLOSER LOOK AT SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: REASON FOR CHOOSING THE TOPIC CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .4 2.1 Definition 2.2 Mother tongue influence on learning English as a foreign language 2.3 Steps in identifying the subject-verb agreement .6 2.4 Rules in identifying the subject-verb agreement CHAPTER 3: APPLICATION- PRACTICE EXERCISES 16 3.1 Practice exercises on subject-verb agreement 16 3.2 Answer keys for the practice exercises on subject-verb agreement 22 CHPATER 4: RESULTS AND CONCLUSION 27 4.1.Results 27 4.2 Conclusion .28 REFERENCES 29 Chapter 1: Reason for choosing the topic For a number of teachers in our profession, error (grammatical and mechanical correctness) is a complicated issue Some of us declare that it is the composition teachers that take full responsibility for the error correction while others refuse to count themselves as agents of the “grammar gestapo” and “punctuation police” In any case, the frequency and type of error that occur in students’ writing often determine whether or not they are defined as “basic writers.” (Cherenka 5) Since the 1970’s, research has claimed that formal classroom instruction in grammar has no impact on students’ writing improvement, and has discussed how to help students solve grammar problems Indeed, “the error analysis of basic writers has received sporadic attention since the appearance of the Journal of Basic Writing in 1975.” (Robinson 52) An error that students often make is subject-verb agreement Many composition instructors believe that students often make subject-verb errors in their writing, and therefore, plan time in their syllabus to teach students how to correct these errors Is subject-verb agreement important? Some say it is not because many languages lack the variations in form that make agreement necessary Actually, subject-verb agreement in English is a must, as stated by Hannah (2012), to communicate clearly in the English language, it is necessary for the learners to match a singular subject with a singular verb and a plural subject with a plural verb, as well as to determine what verb to use with a singular or plural subject, substitute “he” or “they” for the subject As far as using English is concerned, agreement might be compared to wearing matching socks Unmatched socks will cover the feet but they look silly; while disagreeing verbs and subjects maybe cover the meaning, they sound stupid In Vietnam, there have been various articles about the subject2 verb agreement, however, none of them have brought out a full understanding of the problem For teachers of English in general and for high school students in particular, they are still vague about the problems of subject-verb agreement Therefore, hopefully, this writing will bring home an overview of the problems to the teachers of English as a foreign language The purpose of this writing is to provide an overview of subject-verb agreement, to bring out certain major tips and particular rules with specific examples and to introduce some interesting practice tests as a solution to such problems Chapter 2: Literature review In this chapter I intend to review what some researchers and teachers write about subject-verb agreement errors 2.1 Definition Subject-verb agreement is a grammar rule that requires that the subject should agree in number and person with the verb So if the subject of a sentence is singular, the verb must be singular If the subject of a sentence is plural, the verb must be plural When a subject is with its correct verb, we call this subject-verb agreement (Rosa, Alfred and Paul, E., 2002) Subject-verb agreement is where the subject and the verb in the sentence go well with each other and the sentence makes sense For example: Sally kisses her daughter on her head every night The subject is Sally and the verb is kiss They agree with each other Subject-verb agreement is necessary for the sentence structure to be correct A complete sentence must have a subject and a verb The subject is the who or what that performs the action The verb is the action word or the feeling word 2.2 Mother tongue influence on learning English as a foreign language Before a detailed discussion on subject and verb agreement is given, it is beneficial to look at interlanguage because English is not the learners’ mother tongue, which is Vietnamese It is interlanguage that shows how far the interference of mother tongue language is evident in the learners’ writing product Dorn (2000) states that the sentences created by words and phrases are the essential blocks of meaning that allow us to communicate as well as express ideas and thoughts If these are not constructed carefully, they can make reading difficult He further states that major basic usage and grammar slips in written English are those associated with verbs Based on the fact that subject-verb agreement area is very important to express ideas, opinions especially in writing, where non-verbal communication is absent, the students really need to master this rule in order to write effectively As a result, they can convey their message clearly and effectively By writing a piece of work that is error free, it shows that learners have mastered the English grammar rules and it will give a good impression to others who read their work Subject-verb agreement is one of the structures that is introduced very early to the students (Nor Arfah, 1988) However, they still face problems in acquiring the correct form of the structure Vietnamese learners, who are learning English as a foreign language (EFL), face problems in subject-verb agreement because in their first language, there are no such rules regarding subject-verb agreement In Vietnamese all subjects either singular or plural require the same form of verb Consider the following examples: Mai cửa hàng Mai -singular subject Mai goes to the boutique (subject) ( verb) (expansion) Mai Tuan cửa hàng Mai and Tuan -plural subjects Mai and Tuan go to the boutique (subject) (verb) (expansion) Vietnamese learners have difficulty in the subject-verb agreement because Vietnamese does not differentiate between persons and verbs; therefore, it is not necessary for verbs to agree with the subject In English, however, this is a must for English speakers to use subject-verb agreement in the present tenses Because of this, it creates confusion among learners who tend to make errors in their writing Although the subject-verb agreement structure is introduced early to students i.e when they are in the primary level, they still face problems in acquiring the correct form of it Some examples from a high school level Vietnamese EFL learners are as follows: It really make me unhappy Fortunately, my family especially my father need my help with his business Recently, my father want to expand his business by selling LPG gas As the example shows, the learner failed to employ the correct rule of subject-verb agreement where a singular subject requires a singular verb The learner’s writing should be: It really makes me unhappy Fortunately, my family, especially my father needs my help with his business Recently, my father wants to expand his business by selling LPG gas In addition, the subject-verb agreement (especially the number agreement) appears to be the most problematic area faced by Vietnamese learners of English Some examples are: Their students is in good health Boarding schools is better than day schools As the examples show, the learner failed to employ the correct rule of subject-verb agreement The learner should always remember that a singular subject requires a singular form of the verb and a plural subject requires a plural verb Thus, the learner should write: The students are in good health Boarding schools are better than day schools 2.3 Steps in identifying the subject-verb agreement As mentioned above, subject and verb agreement is a problematic issue, to deal with these, some major steps should be followed Step one: Identify the subject It is believed this is the most important step because when the subject is identified wrongly, the verb will be put in wrong form In any sentence, the subject is the noun referring to the person or thing that performs an action Example: The disdainful badger eats spaghetti (“Badger” is the subject, because it is the one that performs the action of eating) Be careful not to confuse the subject with its compliment A compliment is a word that renames or describes the subject Example: My biggest fear is spiders (“Fear” is the subject, so the verb needs to be singular The word “spiders” is the compliment.) Sometimes the subject comes after the verb This situation is particularly common in sentences that start with ‘there is’ or ‘there are’; ‘there has been’ or ‘there have been’ Example: There is a nightingale on the window-sill In the case that subject and verb are not near each other, and between them there is a prepositional phrase This is called separated subject and verb Therefore, not be misled by the phrase that come between the subject and the verb The verb must agree with the main subject Example: The professor, as well as all of her students, is looking forward to the weekend (“Professor”, and not “students” is the subject in this sentence.) The study of languages is very confusing, but interesting (“study”, and not “languages” is the subject in this sentence.) Several useful theories on this subject have been proposed (“theories”, and not “subject” is the subject in this sentence.) Step two: Identify the subject’s person and number It is believed this is an important step because when the subject’s person and number are identified wrongly, the verb will also be put in wrong form First of all, determine the subject’s person First person- I am (also first person plural: We are), I was, we were, I have, we have, Second person – You are, you were, you have, Third person – She/ He/ It (or anything other than “I” or “you”) is (also third person plural: They are): she/he/it is, she/he/it was, she/he/it has, Then, determine if the subject is singular or plural Singular: There is a hair in your soup Plural: There are two blonde hairs on his T-shirt collar Step three: Make the number and person of the verb match those of the subject Once the Subject has been identified and the Verb has been put, make sure that they agree in Number 2.4 Rules in identifying the subject-verb agreement Besides the steps, it is advisable for students to be introduced 11 following rules so that they will say goodbye to the “sore thumb of grammar” Rule The indefinite pronouns anyone, anybody, everyone, someone, no one, nobody, anything, something, everything, nothing, one are always singular and, therefore, require singular verbs • • • • Everyone needs to be loved Everyone has done his or her homework Somebody has left her purse No news is good news Some indefinite pronouns — such as all, some — are singular or plural depending on what they're referring to The noun is considered to be countable or uncountable Be careful when choosing a verb to accompany such pronouns • • Some of the beads are missing Some of the water is gone On the other hand, there is one indefinite pronoun, none, that can be either singular or plural; it often doesn't matter whether you use a singular or a plural verb — unless something else in the sentence determines its number Writers generally think of none as meaning not any and will choose a plural verb, as in "None of the engines are working," but when something else makes us regard none as meaning not one, we want a singular verb, as in "None of the food is fresh." None of you claims responsibility for this incident? • None of you claim responsibility for this incident? • None of the students have done their homework (In this last example, the word “their” precludes the use of the singular verb.) • Rule Some indefinite pronouns are particularly troublesome everyone and everybody (listed above, also) certainly feel like more than one person and, therefore, students are sometimes tempted to use a plural verb with them They are always singular, though each is often followed by a prepositional phrase ending in a plural word (Each of the cars), thus confuses the verb choice Each, too, is always singular and requires a singular verb Everyone has finished his or her homework You would always say, "Everybody is here." This means that the word is singular and nothing will change that Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work in the library Do never let the word "students" confuse you; the subject is each and each is always singular Each is responsible Rule Phrases such as together with, with, in, of, as well as, including, accompanied by, in addition to, along with, etc are not the same as and The phrase introduced by as well as or along with will modify the earlier word (mayor in this case), but it does not compound the subjects (as the word and would do).These expressions not change the number of the subject If the subject is singular, the verb is too • • • The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison The mayor and his brothers are going to jail The President, accompanied by his wife, is traveling to India • All of the books, including yours, are in that box Generally, compound subjects connected by “and” take the plural form of the verb However, when the compound subject refers only to one person, thing, or idea, the verb is singular Examples: • The secretary and treasurer of this class is absent • A bow and arrow makes for a primitive weapon Rule The pronouns neither and either are singular and require singular verbs even though they seem to be referring, in a sense, to two things • • • Neither of the two traffic lights is working Which shirt you want for Christmas? Either is fine with me In informal writing, neither and either sometimes take a plural verb when these pronouns are followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with of This is particularly true in interrogative constructions: "Have either of you two clowns read the assignment?" "Are either of you taking this seriously?", which is called "a clash between notional and actual agreement." Rule 10 Part II Directions- This group of sentences contains a mixture of correct and incorrect subject-verb combinations Read the sentence carefully If the subject and verb agree, write “correct” beside the sentence If the subject and verb not agree, correct the sentence Write the correction beside the sentence The volunteer group is teaching forestry in Ecuador, pipe repair in Pachanillay, and sewing in Puembo A prestigious club has contributed funds, materials, and ideas to Peace Corps volunteers The Peace Corps team members often gets together to talk over old times In the towns visited by the Peace Corps, the government repay the work of the volunteers with gratitude 10 A new crew are now volunteering to join the modern Peace Corps Subject-Verb agreement- Exercise Part I Directions – Decide whether a singular or a plural verb is correct for each subject given In some cases, the rule given in this section will determine the answer immediately With –ics nouns, first determine the singular or plural meaning of the subject Choose the correct verb from each parenthesis Circle your answers 1.Students are excited that economics (is, are) being taught this semester Unfortunately, dishonest politics (was, were) used to win the election 3.Athletics (provides, provide) important opportunities for physical development Good news usually (travels, travel) fast Because of the mood in the Senate, statistics (was, were) compiled quickly for the report 21 Part II Directions- This group of sentences contains a mixture of correct and incorrect subject-verb combinations Read the sentence carefully If the subject and verb agree, write “correct” beside the sentence If the subject and verb not agree, correct the sentence Write the correction beside the sentence For some time now civics have been a required course in the curriculum Ceramics takes a great deal of practice for proficiency In this particular situation, the economics are hard to determine Because of constantly changing public opinion, politics offer a challenging career to both men and women 10 Indeed, mumps is a painful illness Subject-Verb agreement- Exercise Part I Directions – Each sentence below contains an indefinite pronoun subject Choose the correct verb from each parenthesis to agree with the subject Circle your answers Among the animals, turtles cling to their basic structural design, while many others (is, are) experimenting their way to extinction Turtles are unique; each (has, have) eight cervical vertebrae, compared with seven of most mammals Turtles are honored in many countries; in China, for example, everyone (worships, worship) the legendary turtle named Dwei who created the universe Turtles have specific characteristics; all (displays, display) two plated decks: the upper, called the carapace, and the lower, known as the plastron 22 Of the female turtles, some (has, have) been found to be twice the size of the males Part II Directions- This group of sentences contains a mixture of correct and incorrect subject-verb combinations Read the sentence carefully If the subject and verb agree, write “correct” beside the sentence If the subject and verb not agree, correct the sentence Write the correction beside the sentence Among the fascinating facts about turtles, another are their patterns of dots, splashes, and hieroglyphs Aquatic turtles are different from land turtles: most is unable to close their shells Everyone knows Ogden Nash’s celebrated poem about turtles No one is going to bother snappers, eaters of anything from snakes and wooden canoe chunks to baby alligators 10 However, of the early tribes, several uses turtles for food Subject-Verb agreement- Exercise Part I Directions – Each sentence below contains an indefinite pronoun subject Choose the correct verb from each parenthesis to agree with the subject Circle your answers 1.One of the many cultures studied by anthropologists (is, are) the Kwakiutl Indians 2.This group of Indians (lives, live) on the Canadian Coast Often the leader of the Kwakiutl dances, (foams, foam) at the mouth and (tosses, toss) burning ashes into the crowd Wealth, like cedar bark blankets, canoes, and large sculptured copper pieces, (is, are) important to the Kwakiult 23 To the Kwakiutl, one of the copper pieces (equals, equal) a thousand cedar bark blankets Part II Directions- This group of sentences contains a mixture of correct and incorrect subject-verb combinations Read the sentence carefully If the subject and verb agree, write “correct” beside the sentence If the subject and verb not agree, correct the sentence Write the correction beside the sentence Kwakiutl ceremonies for showing one’s wealth is called “potlatches” The host of a potlatch tries to shame his rival by displaying his wealth The host with all these goods sometimes even throw them into a giant bonfire The rival without equal amounts of riches feel greatly ashamed 10 In our culture, some behaviors of the Kwakiutl Indian is not acceptable Subject-Verb agreement- Exercise Part I Directions – Each sentence below contains a choice for correct subject-verb agreement Locate the subject of each sentence and choose the verb that agrees with the subject Circle your answers Quilting bees, which have always provided warmth and sociability for the women participating in them, (is, are) now becoming quite profitable as well American women, who were quite restricted during the Victorian Age, (has, have) always quilted as a means of keeping sane under such trying conditions The quilts that these women made of scraps of silk (was, were) called crazy quilts 24 The Bicentennial, which Americans celebrated in 1976, (has, have) inspired a revival in the art of quilting The quilting renaissance that has swept across the country (appear, appears) to have been encouraged by feminism’s pride in women’s art Part II Directions- This group of sentences contains a mixture of correct and incorrect subject-verb combinations, separated by who/that/which clauses Read each sentence carefully If the subject and verb agree, write “correct” beside the sentence If the subject and verb not agree, correct the sentence Write the correction beside the sentence The American International Quilt Association, which began with 45 members, now have 1,680 members David Pottinger, who collects quilts, runs a general store in Indiana so that he can live amongst the shy Amish and their quilts Quilts that contain boldly-colored geometric and abstract designs was celebrated in the 1970’s as precursors of abstract art The Whitney Museum of Art, which is located in New York, was the first to officially recognize the painterly qualities of quilts 10 The author of several articles on quilts that were published in Smithsonian magazine were for many years a roving editor for the Reader’s Digest in Europe Subject-Verb agreement- Exercise Part I Directions – In each sentence below, the verb comes before the subject Circle the best answer 1.There (is, are) two classes of pure matter: elements and compounds What (does, do) scientist know today about elements? 25 Occurring naturally (is, are) over 100 elements, or substances that cannot be separated into different kinds of matter There (is, are) however, numerous elements that are man-made as well There (continues, continue) to be much research to add new elements Part II Directions- These sentences contain a mixture of correct and incorrect subject-verb combinations, with the verb coming before the subject (inverted order) Read each sentence carefully If the subject and verb agree, write “correct” beside the sentence If the subject and verb not agree, correct the sentence Write the correction beside the sentence How does elements form compounds? There is a chemical combination of two or more elements: a compound For example, composed of the two elements, sodium and chlorine, are common table salt, a compound There are new characteristics taken on by the compound, different from those of its elements 10 How, for example, does one get table salt from a silvery, poisonous metal (sodium) and a greenish, poisonous gas (chlorine)? 3.2 Answer keys for the practice exercises on subject-verb agreement Exercise Part I: Subject: bears => correct verb: don’t have subject: factor => correct verb: throws subject: authorities => correct verb: should have kept subject: bears => correct verb: encounter 26 subject: parks => correct verb: hold Part II: subject: visitors => correct verb: have been mauled subject: cubs => correct verb: come subject: anything => correct verb: is The sentence is correct 10.subject: grizzlies => correct verb: mate Exercise Part I: Subject: Democrats and Republicans => correct verb: are electing Subject: threats nor hostile action => correct verb: scares Subject: actors and the director => correct verb: understand Subject: surfer or the swimmers => correct verb: are Subject: good diet and a realistic exercise plan => correct verb: combine Part II: Subject: sweet potatoes and some carrots => correct verb: provide This sentence is correct Subject: bleach or dyes => correct verb: help Subject: ripe tomatoes, leafy Brussels sprouts, and a handy orange => correct verb: are 10.This sentence is correct Exercise Part I: 27 Subject: group => correct verb: goes (as a single unit) Subject: family members => correct verb: learn (as individuals) Subject: U.S Senate => correct verb: has made (as a single unit) Subject: crowd => correct verb: listens Subject: tribe members => correct verb: are expressing (as individuals) Part II: This sentence is correct This sentence is correct Subject: team members => correct verb: get (as individuals) Subject: government => correct verb: repays (as a single unit) 10.Subject: crew => correct verb: is now volunteering (as a single unit) Exercise Part I: Subject: economics => correct verb: is Subject: politics => correct verb: were Subject: athletics => correct verb: provides Subject: news => correct verb: travels Subject: statistics => correct verb: were Part II: Subject: civics => correct verb: has This sentence is correct This sentence is correct 28 Subject: politics => correct verb: offers 10.This sentence is correct Exercise Part I: Subject: others => correct verb: are experimenting Subject: each => correct verb: has Subject: everyone => correct verb: worships Subject: all => correct verb: display Subject: some => correct verb: have been found Part II: Subject: another => correct verb: is Subject: most => correct verb: are This sentence is correct This sentence is correct 10.Subject: several => correct verb: use Exercise Part I: Subject: one => correct verb: is Subject: group => correct verb: lives Subject: leader => correct verb: foams, tosses Subject: wealth => correct verb: is Subject: one => correct verb: equals Part II: Subject: ceremonies => correct verb: are This sentences is correct 29 Subject: host => correct verb: throws Subject: rival => correct verb: feels 10.Subject: behaviors => correct verb: are Exercise Part I: Subject: bees => correct verb: are Subject: women => correct verb: have Subject: quilts => correct verb: were Subject: Bicentennial => correct verb: has Subject: renaissance => correct verb: appears Part II: Subject: American International Quilt Associations => correct verb: has Subject: David Pottiger => correct verb: runs Subject: Quilt => correct verb: were Subject: Whitney Museum of Art => correct verb: was 10.Subject: author => correct verb: was Exercise Part I: Subject: classes => correct verb: are Subject: scientists => correct verb: (know) Subject: elements => correct verb: are (occurring) Subject: elements => correct verb: are Subject: research => correct verb: continues Part II: Subject: elements => correct verb: (form) Subject: combination => correct verb: is (original verb was correct) 30 Subject: salt => correct verb: is (compared) Subject: characteristics => correct verb: taken (original verb was correct) 10.Subject: one => correct verb: does (original verb was correct) Chapter 4: Results and Conclusion 4.1 Results Results of the first subject-verb agreement test at the beginning of the academic year: Class Number The 1st subject-verb agreement test of the 31 Ss 11CB3 45 Excellent % Good % Average % 0 20 44 Bad 21 % 47 At the end of the school year after one year of applying the mentioned above solutions, I gave the students a subject-verb agreement test And the findings are as follows: Number Class of the The subject-verb agreement test at the end of the academic year Ss 11CB3 45 Excellent % Good % Average % Bad 11 17 38 18 40 % 11 It can be seen from the tables that practical subject-verb agreement exercises have helped my students a lot Since there were no students being excellent and only % being good at doing subject-verb agreement, now nearly half of the students are excellent and good at subject-verb agreement (11 % and 38 %, correspondingly) There are now only 11 % of the students finding subject-verb agreement exercises difficult to master It is clear that my students’ subject-verb agreement skill has improved greatly 4.2 Conclusion It is clear that my students have not only enjoyed themselves, but more importantly, have made much progress thanks to practicing subjectverb agreement quizzes My first steps on the path of teaching subjectverb agreement gave me priceless professional lessons My students are 32 always my focus, and I tried to make the best of the conditions for them In my point of view, we should put ourselves into our students’ mind and understand what their interests and motivations in learning are – then look at those interests and motivations with a teacher’s eye and knowledge in order to adopt appropriate methods and approaches As teachers, we must learn to treat our students both as language learners and as human beings by taking into account not only language functions but also interests and motivations In conclusion, subject-verb agreement exercises can help students to use English correctly and fluently Language teachers should spare no effort to design and apply the subject-verb agreement exercises into full play in the hope that the “sore thumb of grammar” will never be seen in students’ writing again and they will achieve more in English grammar exercises It is hoped that the writing will be of interest for not only the concerned language teachers, but for any learners of English who are keen on improving their knowledge I will always appreciate my colleagues’ opinions to help me improve my teaching practice in the future 33 References Dorn, D (2000) Building Essays: A reader centered writing guide New Jersey: Prentice Hall Cherenka, Lynn “Error and the Basic Writer: Priority and Pedagogy” Perspectives and Practice in Developmental Education New York: New York College Learning Skills Association, 1992 5-6 Hanah, W (2012) Why is subject and verb agreement important? retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/facts_5877090_subject_verb- agreement-important_.html Nor Arfah Haji Ahmad (1988) The performance of Malay High School Students on Subject-verb agreement measured by Four Testing Methods Unpublished M.A Dissertation Colorado State University Robinson, William S "Towards a Theory of Error." Teaching English in the Two-Year College Vol 26, No.1 (1998): 50-59.n Rosa, Alfred and Paul Eschholz The Writer’s Brief Handbook 4th ed New York: Pearson Education, 2002 http://www.towson.edu/ows/moduleSVAGRex1.htm http://www.towson.edu/ows/moduleSVAGRex2.htm http://www.towson.edu/ows/moduleSVAGRex3.htm http://www.towson.edu/ows/moduleSVAGRex4.htm http://www.towson.edu/ows/moduleSVAGRex5.htm http://www.towson.edu/ows/moduleSVAGRex6.htm 34 http://www.towson.edu/ows/moduleSVAGRex7.htm http://www.towson.edu/ows/moduleSVAGRex8.htm 35 [...]... earnings have gone up dramatically Our thanks go to the workers who supported the union Rule 11 Fractional expressions such as half of, a part of, a percentage of, a majority of, a large percentage of, etc are sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending on the meaning (The same is true, of course, when all, any, more, most and some act as subjects.) Sums and products of mathematical processes are... have learned the rules for subject- verb agreement, have them do the exercises below Subject- Verb agreement- Exercise 1 Part I Directions – Each sentence below contains a choice for correct subject- verb agreement Circle your answers 1 At Yellowstone Park grizzly bears (doesn’t, don’t) have names; they have numbers 2 In the meeting between human and bear, a wild-card factor (throws, throw) all calculations... some behaviors of the Kwakiutl Indian is not acceptable Subject- Verb agreement- Exercise 7 Part I Directions – Each sentence below contains a choice for correct subject- verb agreement Locate the subject of each sentence and choose the verb that agrees with the subject Circle your answers 1 Quilting bees, which have always provided warmth and sociability for the women participating in them, (is, are) now... 10 .Subject: behaviors => correct verb: are Exercise 7 Part I: 1 Subject: bees => correct verb: are 2 Subject: women => correct verb: have 3 Subject: quilts => correct verb: were 4 Subject: Bicentennial => correct verb: has 5 Subject: renaissance => correct verb: appears Part II: 6 Subject: American International Quilt Associations => correct verb: has 7 Subject: David Pottiger => correct verb: runs 8 Subject: ... organizations, or companies: the Philippines, Honduras, the Himalayas, the Visayas (an island in the United States), the United States, the Manila Times (a Philippines newspaper) , the Saigon Times (a Vietnam newspaper), Wales, the United Nations, Delta Motors, etc * Field of study or knowledge: There are many words ending in “-ics” that may be either singular or plural such as physics, ethics, aeronautics,... The American International Quilt Association, which began with 45 members, now have 1,680 members 7 David Pottinger, who collects quilts, runs a general store in Indiana so that he can live amongst the shy Amish and their quilts 8 Quilts that contain boldly-colored geometric and abstract designs was celebrated in the 1970’s as precursors of abstract art 9 The Whitney Museum of Art, which is located... correct verb: mate Exercise 2 Part I: 1 Subject: Democrats and Republicans => correct verb: are electing 2 Subject: threats nor hostile action => correct verb: scares 3 Subject: actors and the director => correct verb: understand 4 Subject: surfer or the swimmers => correct verb: are 5 Subject: good diet and a realistic exercise plan => correct verb: combine Part II: 6 Subject: sweet potatoes and some carrots... (singular) His politics are well-known (plural) Mathematics is a challenging subject The teacher told James that his mathematics were well below the standard (his understanding of mathematics or his results) On the other hand, some words ending in -s refer to a single thing but are nonetheless plural and require a plural verb • • • My assets were wiped out in the depression The average worker's earnings... Prentice Hall Cherenka, Lynn “Error and the Basic Writer: Priority and Pedagogy” Perspectives and Practice in Developmental Education New York: New York College Learning Skills Association, 1992 5-6 Hanah, W (2012) Why is subject and verb agreement important? retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/facts_5877090 _subject_ verb- agreement- important_.html Nor Arfah Haji Ahmad (1988) The performance of Malay High... 7 Subject: combination => correct verb: is (original verb was correct) 30 8 Subject: salt => correct verb: is (compared) 9 Subject: characteristics => correct verb: taken (original verb was correct) 10 .Subject: one => correct verb: does (original verb was correct) Chapter 4: Results and Conclusion 4.1 Results Results of the first subject- verb agreement test at the beginning of the academic year: Class ... form that make agreement necessary Actually, subject-verb agreement in English is a must, as stated by Hannah (2012), to communicate clearly in the English language, it is necessary for the learners... mind and understand what their interests and motivations in learning are – then look at those interests and motivations with a teacher’s eye and knowledge in order to adopt appropriate methods and... series, darts, etc Billiards is a game which connects mathematics and football * Countries, organizations, or companies: the Philippines, Honduras, the Himalayas, the Visayas (an island in the