Subject-Verb Agreement in English Sentences

Subject-Verb Agreement Explained

Subject-verb agreement is an important grammar rule in English sentences. It means that the subject and verb of a sentence must agree in number. In other words, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural as well.

Let's analyze the sentences given:

Sentence 1:

Nobody but Dominic know the answer to the riddle my father told.

In this sentence, the subject "Nobody but Dominic" is singular, so the verb "know" should also be singular. However, in this case, the verb "know" is plural. Therefore, the subject and verb do not agree in number in this sentence.

Sentence 2:

Bears and monkeys, both mammals, share similar behaviors with humans.

In this sentence, the subject "Bears and monkeys" is plural, so the verb "share" is also plural. The subject and verb agree in number in this sentence.

Sentence 3:

The soccer team run laps around the field to warm up before a game.

In this sentence, the subject "The soccer team" is singular, so the verb "run" should be singular. However, in this case, the verb "run" is plural. Therefore, the subject and verb do not agree in number in this sentence.

Sentence 4:

Marlo, the oldest in the family, often reads to her little brother and sister.

In this sentence, the subject "Marlo" is singular, so the verb "reads" is also singular. The subject and verb agree in number in this sentence.

Conclusion

From the analysis above, we can see that Sentence 2 and Sentence 4 demonstrate subject-verb agreement, while Sentence 1 and Sentence 3 do not.