Summary
Highlights
Sentences starting with 'here' or 'there' can be confusing because these words are not the true subjects. The actual subject follows the verb. For example, in 'There blank candies in the drawer,' 'candies' is the plural subject, so the correct verb is 'are'.
The video introduces Subject-Verb Agreement as a challenging topic for many, especially non-native English speakers. It highlights the difference between Philippine languages, where verbs don't change much with singular or plural subjects, and English, where the verb must agree with the subject in number. The core rule is introduced: singular subjects often take verbs ending in 's', while plural subjects do not.
The speaker explains 'Tanggal Phrases' (removable phrases) as parts of a sentence that cause confusion. If a phrase is enclosed by commas, it can often be removed to reveal the true subject. An example highlights how 'one of the crew sisters' can distract from the singular subject 'Lucy', leading to the correct verb 'runs'.
Prepositional phrases, which indicate position, can also obscure the subject. The video advises mentally or physically removing these phrases during the exam to correctly identify the subject. For instance, in 'The airplanes in the hangar blank scheduled for repair,' 'in the hangar' should be removed to see that 'airplanes' (plural) is the subject, requiring a plural verb.
Words like 'each,' 'every,' and 'no' always indicate a singular subject, regardless of the accompanying noun. An example, 'Every child in this world blank a good home,' demonstrates that 'every child' is singular, requiring the verb 'deserves'.
When multiple subjects are joined by 'and', they form a plural subject. The example 'Reading, writing, and drawing blank my hobbies' illustrates that these three activities collectively are plural, hence requiring the verb 'are'.
Indefinite pronouns such as 'everyone' are treated as singular subjects. The sentence 'Everyone in her class blank that she isn't adjusting well' shows that 'everyone' is the singular subject, necessitating the verb 'knows'.
For 'either/or' and 'neither/nor' constructions, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. An example using 'Neither the cash nor the Phantom blank aware of that fact' clarifies that 'Phantom' is closest and singular, so the verb 'is' is used.
Proper nouns that end in 's' but refer to a single entity (like a band name) are treated as singular. For instance, 'The Beatles blank a perfect example of a timeless band' uses 'is' because 'The Beatles' refers to one band, despite the 's'.
When dealing with parts (fractions or percentages), the verb's agreement depends on the noun that the part refers to. If 'half' refers to a singular noun like 'city', the verb is singular. If '80%' refers to a plural noun like 'citizens', the verb is plural. The crucial point is to identify 'part of what'.