<p>This is from silverturtle’s guide… this part contains what you need :-</p>
<p>The Verb: a word that expresses being or action. Examples: eat, give, increase, slip. There is a lot to talk about with verbs.</p>
<p>Subject-Verb Agreement</p>
<p>Subject-verb agreement appears consistently on the SAT.</p>
<p>Amounts are singular; numbers are plural. Recall our earlier discussion about deciding whether to use fewer or less. If fewer would be used to modify a noun, that noun takes a plural verb. If less would be used to modify a noun, that noun takes a singular verb. Using the verb to be, here are subject-predicate versions of the list of examples that I gave in discussing the issue of fewer versus less:</p>
<pre><code>(fewer) computers are
(less) computing is
(fewer) births are
(fewer) cups of coffee are
(less) coffee is
(less) beauty is
(fewer) beauties are
(less) hair is
(fewer) hairs are
(less than) ten minutes is
(less than) three miles is
(less than) five dollars is
</code></pre>
<p>Note that, as we discussed earlier, those final three examples represent amounts (time, distance, and money, respectively), not numbers.</p>
<p>The simple subject of a sentence is never in a prepositional phrase. And only the simple subject directly (this distinction will become important later) affects how a verb should be conjugated. Consider these examples, in which the intervening prepositional phrases are in brackets:</p>
<pre><code>The number [of people] is amazing.
That jar [of pencils] walks very nicely.
Those hawks [of honor] are honorable.
The house [with the three doors] is under water.
Bob [as well as three of his friends] is going to the mall to buy a hotel.
</code></pre>
<p>But… Although the previous topic heading is technically always correct, there are times when we will need to consider the plurality or singularity of the object of the intervening prepositional phrase. In order to decide whether to ignore or pay attention to the prepositional phrase, ask yourself What is this sentence trying to say? Consider these examples.</p>
<pre><code>A lot of cars is available for purchase.
</code></pre>
<p>The subject of this sentence is the singular lot—one full of cars. If, however, the sentence said this, it would clearly have a different meaning:</p>
<pre><code>A lot of cars are available for purchase.
</code></pre>
<p>While the simple subject of the sentence is still technically a lot, we must refer to the object of the prepositional phrase, the plural cars, because the sentence is trying to say that many cars are available. Consider this sentence, which I wrote earlier:</p>
<pre><code>The number of people is amazing.
</code></pre>
<p>The sentence is not trying to say that the people themselves are amazing, just that how many there are is amazing. Such an intention contrasts with that of this sentence:</p>
<pre><code>A number of people are amazing.
</code></pre>
<p>Here the people themselves are being directly referred to, and the agreement reflects this. Similarly, with a percent or fraction, we must refer to the object of the preposition and have our verb agree with that:</p>
<pre><code>Three-fourths of all pelicans belong to the minority.
Three-fourths of my pie is gone on leave.
Ninety percent of the town is gone.
Ninety percent of the town’s inhabitants are gone.
</code></pre>
<p>Collective nouns are flexible. Collective nouns can be singular or plural, depending on the intended meaning. For example (note how the pronouns correspond to the singularity or plurality of the subject):</p>
<pre><code>The group is working toward its goal.
The group are fighting among themselves.
The jury has decided its verdict.
The jury are fighting among themselves.
</code></pre>
<p>When we think of the idea represented by the collective noun as a set of distinct entities, we treat the noun as plural, with respect to both pronoun agreement and verb agreement.</p>
<p>Be careful with compound subjects. If and is used to connect the nouns in a compound subject, the subject is almost always plural, as in:</p>
<pre><code>Bob and I are leaving now.
</code></pre>
<p>The singular exception (get it?) occurs when the subject is a compound noun that is representing one idea, as in:</p>
<pre><code>Macaroni and cheese is good.
</code></pre>
<p>If or is used to connect the nouns in a compound subject, we must consider only the noun closest to the verb, as in:</p>
<pre><code>Bob or he is a rabbit.
The members or their leader is a rabbit.
The leader or their members are rabbits.
The rabbit or you are a rabbit.
Bob, she, or I am a rabbit.
</code></pre>
<p>As these last two sentences indicate, the verb must be conjugated not only to the singularity or plurality of the closest noun, but to its person. The second-person you took what is in this context a singular are, and the first-person I took am.</p>
<p>Don’t be tripped up by inverted verb structures. Occasionally, a verb’s subject will follow it. There are three common types of circumstances under which this inversion occurs. An inverted verb structure is often indicated by the expletive pronouns there and here. Make sure that the verb agrees with the true subject, which comes later in the sentence:</p>
<pre><code>There is a dog in the lawn.
There are three dogs building a lawn.
There seems to be a house.
There seem to be houses.
Here is a monkey.
Here are the monkeys that knew the other monkey.
</code></pre>
<p>(Don’t forget that there’s is a contraction for there is, so one cannot grammatically say, for example, “There’s two owls plotting to arrest me.”)</p>
<p>Special rules do arise, however, with respect to those expletive pronouns when the subject is compound. Follow these guidelines for the verbs that follow those expletive pronouns, which differ slightly from those explained under the previous heading:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>If or is used to connect the nouns in a compound subject, the verb should match the closest noun:</p>
<p>There are wells or a wall.</p>
<p>There is a well or wells.</p></li>
<li><p>If and is used to connect the nouns in a compound subject and the noun closest to the verb is plural, the verb must be plural:</p>
<p>There are hats, a muffin, and an artist in the locker.</p></li>
<li><p>If and is used to connect the nouns in a compound subject and the noun closest to the verb is singular, the verb may be either singular or plural:</p>
<p>There is a muffin, hats, and an artist in the locker. or</p>
<p>There are a muffin, hats, and an artist in the locker.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Note that this final rule is unique to inverted verb structures in which expletive pronouns appear.</p>
<p>Another common situation in which an inversion occurs is when we have an introductory prepositional phrase. Make sure that you check the plurality or singularity of the subject:</p>
<pre><code>Under the desk are pencils.
Behind the soda machine is a dollar.
Behind the soda machine are sand-dollars.
</code></pre>
<p>Inverted structures also commonly appear in questions:</p>
<pre><code>Why are Bob and Sally working together? not
Why is Bob and Sally working together?
</code></pre>
<p>Learn the rules for correlative conjunctions. These are the primary correlative conjunctions as well as the only ones that are relevant to subject-verb agreement:</p>
<pre><code>both [noun] and [noun]
either [noun] or [noun]
neither [noun] nor [noun]
</code></pre>
<p>For the correlative conjunction involving both, the verb is always plural:</p>
<pre><code>Both the water bottles and Bob are going to Canada for the winter.
</code></pre>
<p>For the correlative conjunctions involving either and neither, the verb agrees with the closer noun (in both number and person). Consider these examples of the proper use of either…or:</p>
<pre><code>Either the shoe or arm is fine.
Either the shoes or arm is fine.
Either the shoe or arms are fine.
Either she or I am fine.
Either I or she is fine.
There are either people or a dog in the cabin.
There is either a dog or people in the cabin.
</code></pre>
<p>neither…nor follows the same rules.</p>
<p>Learn the rules for using indefinite pronouns.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>When used as indefinite pronouns, each, either, neither, much, anyone, someone, somebody, anybody, anything, and something are always singular. Intervening prepositional phrases are completely irrelevant—there are no exceptions. Consider these examples (note how any predicate nominatives must agree in number with the corresponding indefinite pronouns):</p>
<p>Each of the brothers is a male.</p>
<p>Either of you guys is a salamander.</p>
<p>Neither of the options is viable.</p>
<p>Much of the number of the patrons is attributable to marketing.</p>
<p>Anything is fine.</p>
<p>Each of us is ready.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>(Note that each can be used adverbially as well; in such cases, it is irrelevant to subject-verb agreement, as in They each are eating hot dogs. Note the logically necessary plurality of the object dogs. Had each been used as a pronoun, we would have had to change the clause to Each of them is eating a hot dog.)</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Some indefinite pronouns are always plural; the intervening prepositional phrases are again irrelevant. These are few, others, many, both, and several. For example:</p>
<p>Few of us are ready.</p>
<p>Others are arriving shortly to prop you up.</p>
<p>Many of the errors are acceptable. </p></li>
<li><p>Some indefinite pronouns’ singularity or plurality depends on that of the intervening prepositional phrase. As I indicated earlier, the subject is never in such a phrase, but this is one of those circumstances under which we nonetheless need to refer to the object of the preposition. These pronouns are some, any, all, most, and none. For example:</p>
<p>Some of you are coming tonight.</p>
<p>Some of the pie is nice.</p>
<p>Any of them are able to excavate.</p>
<p>None of it is enough.</p>
<p>None of those colors are happy.</p></li>
</ul>