Reference:

Grammar and Composition in a Challenging World

By Anna May Axalan-Dalisay and Jonellie Reynes-Santos

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Recall that nouns and pronouns indicate numbers through their singular and plural forms. Verbs likewise
indicate numbers. The number of the verb depends on the number of its subject in the sentence.

A singular subject must have a singular verb. The singular verb usually has –s or –es or may use helping
verbs such as has, am, is or was.

A plural subject must have a plural verb. The plural verb may use helping verbs such as have, are or were.

SINGULAR SUBJECT PLURAL SUBJECT

I drive to work. We drive to work.
He drives to work. They drive to work.
Mario is driving to work. The boys are driving to work.

The presence of a phrase or clause in between the subject and the verb will not affect its agreement.

SINGULAR SUBJECT PLURAL SUBJECT

The cat is playing on the mat. The boys are playing in the field.
The cat that has been given to me is playing on the The boys who have finished their work early are
mat. playing in the field.

Compound Subjects have two or more subjects. They are usually joined by and or or.

RULE EXAMPLE
Singular subjects joined by or Singular verb is used if both parts Nick or Jay plans to wear a wig
or nor of the compound subject joined by during their recital.
or or nor are singular.

Two or more singular subjects Singular verb is used.

joined by or or nor

Plural subjects joined by or or Plural verb is used if both parts of Either the twins or the triplets
nor the compound subject connected get the role in the commercial.
by or or nor are plural.

Two or more plural subjects Plural verb is used.

joined by or or nor

Subjects of mixed number The verb agrees with the nearest Neither the teacher nor the
joined by or or nor subject if one part of the students have decided on their
compound subject is singular and community project.
the other part is plural.

Likewise, the verb agrees with the Neither the students nor the
nearest subject if one or more teacher has decided on their
singular subjects are joined by community project.
one or more plural subjects.

Subjects joined by and Plural verb is used. Both the mother and the father
are responsible for raising their
children.
A compound subject joined by
and
Confusing Subjects
CONFUSING SUBJECTS
Hard-to-find subjects
Subjects of linking verbs
Subjects with collective nouns
(Some examples of collective
nouns are troop, jury, committee,
faculty, band, and archipelago.)
Subjects with plural-looking nouns
Indefinite pronouns as subjects
Plural verb is used.
Singular verb is used if the parts
of the compound added up to one
thing.
Singular verb is used if the
compound subject is preceded by
the word each or every.
RULE
If the subject that comes after a
verb is singular, the verb should
be singular.
If the subject is plural, the verb is
also plural.
Here’s and There’s are
contractions of here is and there
is. Both have singular verbs so
they should not be used with
plural verbs.
The linking verb must agree with
its subject.
When the collective noun acts as
a single unit, the singular verb is
used.
When the collective noun acts
individually then the plural verb is
used.
Subjects with nouns that end in –s
but have a singular meaning such
as branches of knowledge take on
singular verbs.
Some nouns ending with –s
indicate characteristics and take
plural verbs.
Some nouns with plural forms but
singular in meaning take plural
verbs.
Singular indefinite pronouns take
Brothers and sisters need to
help their parents as well.
Ebony and ivory makes up the
piano keys.
Every man, woman, and child
deserves protection from the
state.
EXAMPLE
At the end of each chapter is a
summary.
There is a summary at the end of
each chapter.
At the end of each chapter are
several exercises.
There are several exercises at the
end of each chapter.
Here’s a toast for you.
Here are some toasts for you.
There’s a bug in the mug.
There are bugs in the mug.
His achievements are one of the
reasons for his victory.
One reason for his victory is his
long list of achievements.
The troop is advancing toward
enemy lines.
The band is going to play dance
music.
The committee have been
deliberating on their decision for
hour.
Mathematics is Daniel’s favorite
subject.
His politics are dubious.
The boy’s pants are old but glitzy.
Anybody in this school is qualified
 singular verbs.
Plural indefinite pronouns take
plural verbs.
Some indefinite pronouns like all,
any, more, most, none, and some
take singular or plural verbs
depending on their antecedents.
Titles as subjects A title of a book, movie, work of
art, etc. takes a singular verb even
if it looks plural.
Amounts and Measures as Nouns that indicate amounts or
subjects measures take singular verbs,
unless they refer to individual
units. In such cases, the plural
verb is used.
to join the contest.
Both are joining the team.
All the students have left.
All the water in the container is
gone.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles
Dickens is about friendship and
self-sacrifice.
Three-fourths of a cup was used
for the recipe.
Half a dozen oranges were used
for the recipe.
 PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT

Basic Principle: A pronoun usually refers to something earlier in the text (its antecedent) and must agree in
number — singular/plural — with the thing to which it refers.

PRONOUNS

Pronouns are words that stand for nouns or for words that take the place of nouns.

ANTECEDENTS

Antecedents are nouns for which pronouns stand. Antecedents usually come before their pronoun, although
there may be instances when antecedents are found after their pronouns.

Example: Father was a jolly man as he was always laughing.

(The pronoun he refers to its antecedent noun, Father.)

PERSONAL, REFLEXIVE AND INTENSIVE PRONOUNS

Personal Pronouns refer to any of the following:

 The person speaking or the first person,
 The person spoken to or the second person,
 The person, place or thing spoken about or the third person

Personal Pronouns are used more often than any other type of pronoun. Below is the list of Personal
Pronouns:

PERSONAL PRONOUNS
SINGULAR PLURAL
First Person I, me, my, mine we, us, our, ours
Second Person you, your, yours you, your yours
Third Person he, him, his, she they, them, their, theirs

Reflexive pronouns end in –self or –selves and add information to a sentence by pointing back to a noun or
pronoun earlier in the sentence. It cannot be left out without changing the meaning.

Example: Maya cooked herself some breakfast.

Manual picked himself up when he fell.

Intensive pronouns also end in –self or –selves but simply add emphasis to a noun or pronoun in the same
sentence. It emphasizes its antecedent but does not add information to a sentence. If it is removed, the
meaning of the sentence will not change. Usually, an intensive pronoun follows its antecedent immediately.

Example: Father himself knocked on the rich man’s gate.

We fixed the broken fence ourselves.

REFLEXIVE AND INTENSIVE PRONOUNS

SINGULAR PLURAL
First Person myself ourselves
Second Person yourself yourselves
Third Person himself, herself, itself themselves

DEMONSTRATIVE, RELATIVE AND INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS

Other kinds of pronouns have special functions.

Demonstrative Pronouns point out and direct attention to specific people, places, or things.

DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
SINGULAR PLURAL
this these
that those

Relative Pronouns begin a subordinate clause and connect it to another idea in the sentence or to the
independent clause.
 that, which, who, whom, whose

Independent Clause Subordinate Clause

He cooked the fish that he had caught in the river.
The man wearing a smart suit is the man who lives in the big house.

Interrogative Pronouns are used to begin a question. They do not always have specific antecedents.
 what, which, who, whom, whose

Examples: What did you hear?

Which house is yours?
To whom did you send it?
Whose book is this?

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

Indefinite Pronouns refer to people, places, or things, often without specifying which ones, they may or may
not have antecedents. Here are some of the most frequently used indefinite pronouns:

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
SINGULAR PLURAL SINGULAR OR PLURAL
another much both all
anybody neither few any
anyone nobody many more
anything no one others most
each nothing several none
either one some
everybody other
everyone somebody
everything someone
little something
PRONOUN USAGE

CASES OF PRONOUNS

Pronoun have three cases. A case is a term used to describe different forms of nouns and pronouns.
This indicates its use in a sentence.

NOMINATIVE CASE OBJECTIVE CASE POSSESSIVE CASE

I me my, mine
you you your, yours
he, she, it him, her, it his, hers, its
we us our, ours
they them their, theirs

1. NOMINATIVE CASE

Pronouns in the nominative case are used as a subject or a predicate nominative in a sentence.

NOMINATIVE PRONOUN
USE EXAMPLES
Subject She caught a bullfrog.
He dropped the oil lamp.
Predicate Nominative Our savior is He.
It has always been you.
It is I.

Nominative Pronouns in Compounds

A nominative pronoun may be part of a compound subject or compound predicate nominative. To distinguish
the two, try mentally removing the other subject. If the sentence still makes sense, then it must be a subject
nominative. To check if the pronoun is part of a compound predicate nominative, try mentally rewording the
sentence by using the pronouns as subjects.

Compound Subject: My sister and I played a prank on our parents.

(I played a prank on our parents.)
She and Maya made the bouquet.
(She made the bouquet.)

Compound Predicate: My brothers are Diego and he.

(Diego and he are my brothers.)

Nominative: The winners are Manny and she.

(She and Manny are the winners.)

Nominative Pronouns with Appositives

Appositive sometimes follow a pronoun in order to rename it or identify it. If a pronoun is used as a subject or
predicate, and the nominative is followed by an appositive, you still use the nominative case.

Subject: We Filipinos help each other in times of need.

Predicate Nominative: The ones who benefitted from the sacrifice of our heroes are us, the younger
generation.
 2. OBJECTIVE CASE

Pronoun in objective case are used as objects of verbs, prepositions and verbals. Below are examples of
objective pronouns and their uses:

OBJECTIVE PRONOUNS
USE EXAMPLES
Direct Object The old man gave his books to us.
Indirect Object My brother gave her the bundle.
He gave us all a fright.
Object of the Preposition Jose ate with us.
The farm was divided among them equally.
Object of the Participle The man coaching him is his father.
Beating her, my brother reached the finish line first.
Object of Gerund Guarding her was not an easy task.
Lolo enjoys teaching me how to catch shellfish in the rice paddies.
Object of Infinitive My father likes to tease me about my pigtails.
To reach it, she had to climb a ladder.

Objective Pronouns in Compounds

Objective pronouns may be a part of a compound. You may check if you have used the correct form by
removing the other part of the compound.

Example: Father called mother and her.

(Father called her.)

An objective pronoun is used after prepositions.

Incorrect: The rice cake should be divided between you and she.

Correct: This rice cake should be divided between you and her.

Objective Pronouns in Appositives

The objective pronoun is used when an appositive follows a pronoun used as an object.

Direct Object: The old man glared at them children.

Indirect Object: Father gave them children a bundle to carry.

Object of the Preposition: Look at them boys.

3. POSSESSIVE CASE

Pronouns in the possessive case show ownership. Pronouns in the possessive case appear before nouns to
show ownership or before gerunds. Other possessive pronouns are used by themselves.

Possessive pronouns show ownership before a noun, used before a gerund, or used by itself to indicate
ownership.

USE
Show ownership before a noun
Used before a gerund
OBJECTIVE PRONOUNS
EXAMPLES
Her painting was magnificent.
The author dedicated his novel to his children.
Her cooking is making us all gain weight.
Father trimmed its twisting branches.
Used by themselves to indicate This trash is theirs, not ours.
possession Will you borrow hers or mine?

GENDER-NEUTRAL LANGUAGE
Source: United Nations Gender-inclusive language

Gender-neutral language or gender-inclusive language means speaking and writing in a way that does not
discriminate against a particular sex, social gender or gender identity, and does not perpetuate gender
stereotypes.

Given the key role of language in shaping cultural and social attitudes, using gender-inclusive language is a
powerful way to promote gender equality and eradicate gender bias.

Gender in English

In English, there is a difference between “grammatical gender”, “gender as a social construct” (which refers to
the roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society at a certain time considers appropriate for
men or women) and “sex” as a biological characteristic of living beings.

English has a very few gender markers: the pronouns and possessives (he, she, her and his); and some
nouns and forms of address. Most English nouns do not have grammatical gender forms (teacher, president),
whereas a few nouns are specifically masculine or feminine (actor/actress, waiter/waitress). Some nouns that
once ended in – man now have neutral equivalents that are used to include both genders (police officer for
policeman/policewoman, spokesperson for spokesman, chair/chairperson for chairman).

A challenge for gender-inclusive communication in English is the use of the masculine form by default. For
example, “Every Permanent Representative must submit his credentials to Protocol.”

These Guidelines include a number of strategies that may be applied to any type of communication, whether it
is oral or written, formal or informal, or addressed to an internal or external audience.

Best practices/strategies

1. Use non-discriminatory language

1.1. Forms of Address

There should be a consistency in the way women and men are referred to: if one of them is addressed
by their name, last name, courtesy title, or profession, the other one should be as well.

Example:

Less inclusive: “Professor Smith and Madeline will attend the luncheon”
(surname and title for a man and first name for a woman)

More inclusive: “Professor Smith and Professor Jones will attend the luncheon”
(surname and title for both)

1.2. Avoid gender-biased expressions or expressions that reinforce gender stereotypes

Discriminatory examples: “She fights like a girl.”

“In a manly way”
“Oh, that’s women’s work”
“Men just don’t understand”

Example:

Less inclusive: “Guests are cordially invited to attend with their wives.”

More inclusive: “Guests are cordially invited to attend with their partners.”
2. Make gender visible when it is relevant for communication

2.1. Using feminine and masculine pronouns

“Pairing” is the use of both feminine and masculine forms (he or she; her or his). It is a strategy that
may be used when the author/speaker wants to explicitly make both women and men visible.

Example: “When a staff member accepts an offer of employment, he or she must be able
to assume that the offer is duly authorized.

However, it is advisable not to overuse this strategy or use this with caution as:

a. It may be distracting to the reader, in particular in narrative texts;

b. It may also create inconsistencies or render the text less accurate – for example, in legal texts.

2.2. Using two different words

In cases in which highlighting gender would make the sentence more inclusive, two separate words
can be used. This strategy should be used only when popular beliefs or preconceptions may obscure
the presence or action of either gender.

Example:

All of the soldiers, both men and women, responded negatively to question 5 in the survey.

3. Do not make gender visible when it is not relevant for communication

3.1. Use gender-neutral words

Less inclusive Mankind

More inclusive Humanity, humankind, human race

3.2. Using plural pronouns/adjectives

In informal writing, such as emails, plural pronouns may be used as a shortcut to ensure gender
inclusiveness. Such strategies are not recommended in formal writing.

Example:

Before submitting your document, send it to the focal point for their review; they will return it to you
with comments.

3.3. Use the pronoun one

Less inclusive A staff member in Antarctica earns less than he would in New York.

More inclusive A staff member in Antarctica earns less than one would in New York.

3.4. Use the relative pronoun who

Less inclusive If a complainant is not satisfied with the court’s decision, he can file for an
appeal.

More inclusive A complainant who is not satisfied with the court’s decision can file for an
appeal.

3.5. Use a plural antecedent

When referring to generic subjects, plural antecedents may be used in order to avoid gendered
pronouns.
 Less inclusive A substitute judge must certify that he has familiarized himself with the
record of the proceedings.

More inclusive Substitute judge must certify that they have familiarized themselves with
the record of the proceedings.

3.6. Omit the gendered word

Less inclusive A person must reside continuously in the Territory for 20 years before he
may apply for permanent residence.

More inclusive A person must reside continuously in the Territory for 20 years before
applying for permanent residence.

3.7. Use of passive voice

The passive voice is not an appropriate option for all sentences in English, as employing the passive
voice often changes the emphasis of the sentence. However, it does offer an option for avoiding
gendered constructions.

Less inclusive The author of a communication must have direct and reliable evidence of
the situation he is describing.

More inclusive The author of a communication must have direct and reliable evidence of
the situation being described.