4. More Subject-Verb Agreement to Remember

1. When two nouns or pronouns are joined together by and, the verb should be in the plural. The lion and the tiger are carnivorous animals. (NOT: is) John and I were close colleagues. (NOT: was)                         2. When two nouns refer to the same person or thing, the verb is in the singular. My uncle and handyman is very useful. (NOT: are) The owner and manager of the store is very friendly. (NOT: are) 3. When two nouns refer to the same person, the article the is used only once and the verb is in the singular. The owner and occupant of the house was never seen again. (NOT: were) The nurse and sister of the patient was very caring. (NOT: were) 4. If two different persons are referred to, the article is repeated and the verb is in the plural. The owner and the occupant of the house are very good friends. (NOT: is) The teacher and the father of the student are talking about him. (NOT: is) 5. If two nouns are treated as one entity, the verb must be in the singular. Time and tide waits for no man. (NOT: wait) Milk and fruit is a good diet. (NOT: are) 6. Words joined to a singular subject by with, as well as, together with, etc. do not mean the same as and and the verb is therefore in the singular. The woman, with her daughter, is selling flowers. (NOT: are) Bob, as well as his brother, is chosen to play in the football team. (NOT: are) The girl, together with her parents, goes climbing every summer. (NOT: go) 7. Two nouns qualified by each and every even though they are joined by and, take a verb in the singular. Each and every participant has to undergo a medical examination. (NOT: have) Every girl and every boy wants to participate. (NOT: want) 8. When a quantity or an amount is treated as a whole, the verb is singular. Two hundred dollars nowadays is not a big sum. She said seventy kilograms is her weight. Ten kilometers is a long distance to walk. The $100.00 you lent me was not enough. How many cents is equal to one dollar? a) THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE He/she/it The girl A man Everybody Nobody Somebody One of them wants some.    I/They/We/You The girls All the men Two of them Those boys These people Many of you want some. b) NEGATIVE STATEMETS I/We/You/They He/She/It do not does not live here live here c) QUESTIONS Do Does I/we/you/they he/she/it live here? live here?