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Agreement
In the present tense, a verb must agree in number with its subject. That's the
basic principle of subject-verb agreement. It's a simple enough rule, but on
certain occasions even experienced writers can slip up on it.
1. making subject and verb agree when words come between them
1. making the verbs have, do, and be agree with their subjects
CASE #1: MAKING SUBJECT AND VERB AGREE WHEN WORDS COME BETWEEN
THEM
Remember to add an -s to the end of the verb in the present tense if the subject
is one of the indefinite pronouns listed below:
In the following sentences, each subject is an indefinite pronoun and each verb
ends in -s:
Nobody claims to be perfect.
Everybody plays the fool sometimes.
Each of the divers has an oxygen tank.
In that last sentence, note that has agrees with the subject each, not
with divers(the object of the preposition).
CASE #3: MAKING HAVE, DO, AND BE AGREE WITH THEIR SUBJECTS
Although all verbs follow the same principle of agreement, certain verbs seem
to be a little more troublesome than others. In particular, many agreement
errors result from the misuse of the common verbs have, do, and be.
We need to remember that the verb have appears as has if the subject is a
singular noun or a third-person singular pronoun (he, she, it):
Dana Barrett has ghosts in her bedroom.
If the subject is a plural noun or the pronoun I, you, we, or they, use have:
The Ghostbusters have a new client.
In a nutshell, "She has," but "They have."
Similarly, the verb do appears as does if the subject is a singular noun or, once
again, a third-person singular pronoun (he, she, it):
Gus does the housework.
If the subject is a plural noun or the pronoun I, you, we, or they, use do:
Gus and Martha do the chores together.
Are you beginning to see a pattern here? Then let's mix it up just a little bit.
The verb be has three forms in the present tense: is, am, are. Use is if the
subject is a singular noun or a third-person singular pronoun (he, she, it):
Dr. Venkman is unhappy.
Use am if the subject is the first-person singular pronoun (I):
I am not the person you think I am.
Finally, if the subject is a plural noun or the pronoun you, we, or they, use are:
The fans are in the stands, and we are ready to play.
Now, let's take one more look at these three verbs-but from a different angle.
Sometimes a subject may follow (rather than precede) a form of the verb have,
do,and be. As shown in the sentences below, this reversal of the usual order
occurs in questions that require a helping verb:
Where has Egon parked the car?
What do you do in your free time?
Are we having a test today?
In all of these sentences, the present forms of have, do, and be serve as helping
verbs" and appear in front of their subjects. Another case in which a form of
the verb be comes before the subject is in sentences beginning with the
words there orhere:
There is a unicorn in the garden.
Here are the photocopies.
Just keep in mind that no matter where a verb appears in a sentence, it must
still agree with its subject.