Lecture 5

Subject-Verb Agreement
&
Preposition

Mahardhika Zifana, S.Pd., M.Hum.

• Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown
• He is the man whom we all respect
• The time when the boat leaves is not yet fixed
• The reason why I did it is obvious
• When you have finished your work you may go
home.
• I will do it when I think fit.
• I have put it where I can find it again.
• We eat so that we may live.
• I did it because I wanted to.
• Romans built in such a way that their walls are
intact.
Adjective
• Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown
• He is the man whom we all respect
• The time when the boat leaves is not yet fixed
• The reason why I did it is obvious
Adverb
• When you have finished your work you may go home.
• I will do it when I think fit.
• I have put it where I can find it again.
• We eat so that we may live.
• I did it because I wanted to.
• Romans built in such a way that their walls are intact.
Subject-Verb Agreement
 Basic Rule
• Singular subjects need
singular verbs.
• Plural subjects need plural
verbs.
 These create problems:
• Pronouns such as everyone and everybody
seem plural, but they are always singular —
so they need a singular verb.

1. Everyone who worked on the

science project is a winner.

2. Someone has to answer the

phone.
 These create problems:
• Phrases that come between the subject
pronoun and its verb —may contain plural
words and confuse.

Each of the basketball players is

excited about tonight’s game.
 These create problems:
• Verbs that accompany pronouns such as all
and some will be determined by whether the
pronoun is referring to something that is
COUNTABLE or not.

1. Some of the workers on the

building have left for the day.
You could count
the workers.
 These create problems:
• Verbs that accompany pronouns such as all
and some will be determined by whether the
pronoun is referring to something that is
COUNTABLE or not.

1. Some of the salt was spilled

on the floor.
Salt is considered
one lump item.
 These create problems:
• None is usually regarded as singular, but it
can be used as a plural pronoun.

None of the boys has helped at the game.

OR Either is correct!

None of the boys have helped at the

game.
 These create problems:
Phrases such as together with, along with, and as
well as seem to combine subjects, but they do not
.
Some of the tile in our room, as well as
the hall, was soaked.
The major problem we had, together with
that of our teacher, was tardiness.
Don’t be fooled
by extra phrases!
 These create problems:
When either and neither appear as a subject
alone (without the words or and nor), they
are singular.
1. Either of those answers seems to be
right.
2. You can have the bed by the window
or the one by the door. Either is okay
with me. Seems like plural
things!
 These create problems:
The words there and here are never
subjects.
1.Here are the papers you gave me.
2.Here is my answer.
Here is not
the subject.
 These create problems:
Verbs in the present tense for third-person, singular
subjects (he, she, it and anything those words can stand
for) have s-endings. Other verbs do not add s-endings.

1.He asks for help.

Tricky subject
2.She asks for help. pronouns

3.They ask for help.

PREPOSITIONS
 A word that shows a relationship
between a noun or pronoun and
some other word in the
sentence.
The baseball player in the white
shirt
hit a homerun.
 A word that shows a relationship
between a noun or pronoun and some
other word in the sentence.
on her boat before noon
in a house during class
near the goat about a goon
under a mouse without a pass
OBJECT OF THE
PREPOSITION
The noun or pronoun that ends a
prepositional phrase.

The baseball player in the white

shirt
hit a homerun.
OBJECT OF THE
PREPOSITION
The noun or pronoun that ends a
prepositional phrase.
on her boat before noon
in a house during class
near the goat about a goon
under a mouse without a pass
 Always begins with a
preposition and ends with a
noun or pronoun.
Write sentences for these prepositional phrases:
I have a litle brother that is
like a chipmunk.

The man after the campfire

is sleeping .
Modifies a noun or pronoun
It answers the same questions an adjective would:
Which one? What kind? How many?

The puppy in the shop window

jumped up.
• The puppy jumped up.
• Which.
puppy?
• The puppy that is in the
shop window.
Modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb
It answers the same questions an adverb would:
Where? When? How?

The puppy jumped to the food.

You MUST memorize the
prepositions!
If there is no object of the
preposition (if the preposition
is not part of a phrase), then it
is not a preposition—it is an
adverb.
The gecko climbed up the
wall.
The gecko climbed up.
The gecko climbed up on the
wall.
Identify the prepositional phrases and the
objects of the preposition:

1. The paper with the blue border is

floating through the air.
2. Jordan’s eyes sparkle like a sunny
day.
3. With great ease, Michael jumped up
on the table.
1. The paper with the blue border isv
floating through the air.
2. Jordan’s eyes sparkle like a sunny
day.
3. With great ease, Michael jumped up
on the table.
1. The tadpoles are below the surface of
the pond.
2. I jumped up and Amy jumped
down.
3. Is Taylor near?
4. Erin looked across the bus to the
purple-haired boy.