Verbs: Agreement & Phrasal Verbs 🎭
The Dance Partners of Grammar
The Big Idea
Imagine you’re at a dance party. Every dancer needs a partner who matches their moves. In grammar, subjects and verbs are dance partners. They must move together in perfect harmony!
When they match = Agreement ✓ When they don’t = Grammar chaos ✗
Part 1: Basic Agreement Rules 🎯
The Golden Rule
Singular subjects need singular verbs. Plural subjects need plural verbs.
Think of it like shoes:
- One foot = one shoe
- Two feet = two shoes
Examples:
| Subject | Verb | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| She (singular) | walks | She walks to school. |
| They (plural) | walk | They walk to school. |
| The dog | barks | The dog barks loudly. |
| The dogs | bark | The dogs bark loudly. |
The Tricky Part
Notice something weird? Singular verbs often end in -s (walks, runs, eats), but singular nouns usually DON’T end in -s (dog, cat, child).
It’s backwards from what you’d expect!
Memory trick: When the subject has NO -s, the verb GETS the -s.
The bird (no -s) → sings (-s)
The birds (-s) → sing (no -s)
Part 2: Compound Subject Agreement 🤝
What’s a Compound Subject?
Two or more subjects joined together. Like a team!
Rule 1: Subjects Joined by “AND”
When you use “and”, you’re adding partners together.
Tom and Jerry ARE friends.
Two people = plural = use plural verb
More examples:
- My mom and dad are coming.
- Pizza and ice cream are my favorites.
- The teacher and students were happy.
Rule 2: Subjects Joined by “OR” or “NOR”
Here’s where it gets interesting! Look at the subject closest to the verb.
Either the cat OR the dogs ARE hungry. (dogs is closer → use plural)
Either the dogs OR the cat IS hungry. (cat is closer → use singular)
The Rule: The verb agrees with the nearest subject.
Think of it like a spotlight—it shines on whoever is closest!
Part 3: Collective Noun Agreement 👨👩👧👦
What Are Collective Nouns?
Words that describe a GROUP of things as ONE unit:
- team
- family
- class
- audience
- herd
- flock
The Big Question: Singular or Plural?
It depends on how the group acts!
Acting as ONE unit → Singular verb
The team is winning. (The whole team, together, is winning)
The family goes on vacation. (The whole family travels together)
Acting as INDIVIDUALS → Plural verb
The team are arguing among themselves. (Individual members are disagreeing)
The family have different opinions. (Each person has their own view)
Visual Guide:
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 🏃♂️🏃♀️🏃🏃♂️ → Running together │
│ "The team IS running." │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 🏃♂️ ← 🏃♀️ → 🏃 ↑ → Acting apart │
│ "The team ARE going different ways"│
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
Part 4: Agreement Special Cases ⚡
Case 1: Words Between Subject and Verb
Don’t let extra words trick you!
The box of chocolates IS delicious.
“Box” is the subject (singular), not “chocolates.”
The students in my class ARE smart.
“Students” is the subject (plural).
Tip: Cross out the phrase in the middle. What’s left?
Case 2: “There” and “Here” Sentences
The subject comes AFTER the verb. Find it first!
There IS a book on the table. (book = singular)
There ARE three books on the table. (books = plural)
Case 3: Indefinite Pronouns
Always Singular:
- Everyone is invited
- Nobody wants to leave
- Each has a chance
- Somebody knows the answer
Always Plural:
- Few are chosen
- Many have tried
- Several were missing
Can Be Either:
- Some, any, none, all, most
Some of the cake is gone. (cake = singular) Some of the cookies are gone. (cookies = plural)
Part 5: Phrasal Verbs Introduction 🚀
A New Kind of Verb!
A phrasal verb = verb + little word(s) that changes everything.
It’s like a magic spell! Add a small word, and POOF—the meaning transforms!
Example: The word “look”
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| look up | search for information |
| look after | take care of |
| look forward to | anticipate with excitement |
| look down on | feel superior to |
Same verb. Totally different meanings!
Why Do We Use Them?
Phrasal verbs make English sound natural and friendly. They’re used ALL THE TIME in everyday speech.
Formal: I will investigate this matter. Natural: I’ll look into this.
Formal: Please continue. Natural: Please go on.
Part 6: Separable Phrasal Verbs ✂️
What Makes Them Separable?
You can put a word IN THE MIDDLE and it still works!
“Turn off” is separable:
Turn off the light. ✓ Turn the light off. ✓ Turn it off. ✓
The Pronoun Rule
When you use a pronoun (it, them, him, her), it MUST go in the middle!
Turn it off. ✓
Turn off it.✗
Common Separable Phrasal Verbs:
| Phrasal Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| pick up | Pick up your toys. / Pick them up. |
| put down | Put down the phone. / Put it down. |
| figure out | Figure out the answer. / Figure it out. |
| throw away | Throw away the trash. / Throw it away. |
| fill in | Fill in the form. / Fill it in. |
Memory Trick
Think of separable phrasal verbs like a sandwich:
- The verb and particle are the bread 🍞
- The object can be the filling 🥬
Turn 🍞 the light 🥬 off 🍞
Part 7: Inseparable Phrasal Verbs 🔗
These Stay Together!
Some phrasal verbs are best friends who NEVER separate.
“Look after” is inseparable:
Look after your sister. ✓
Look your sister after.✗
The Rule
The object ALWAYS comes after the whole phrasal verb.
Common Inseparable Phrasal Verbs:
| Phrasal Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| look after | She looks after the children. |
| get over | He got over his cold. |
| run into | I ran into my friend. |
| come across | We came across old photos. |
| go through | Let’s go through the plan. |
How to Remember
Inseparable phrasal verbs often describe movement or direction:
- get over (moving past something)
- run into (moving toward collision)
- come across (moving to find)
Part 8: Three-Word Phrasal Verbs 🎲
The Triple Combo!
Some phrasal verbs have THREE parts. They’re always inseparable.
Verb + Particle + Preposition
Examples in Action
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| look forward to | anticipate | I look forward to summer! |
| get along with | have good relations | Do you get along with her? |
| come up with | create/invent | She came up with a plan. |
| put up with | tolerate | I can’t put up with noise. |
| run out of | exhaust supply | We ran out of milk. |
| catch up with | reach same level | I need to catch up with work. |
| look down on | feel superior | Don’t look down on others. |
| look up to | admire | Kids look up to heroes. |
The Pattern
These three-word verbs follow a strict order:
SUBJECT + VERB + PARTICLE + PREPOSITION + OBJECT
I + look + forward + to + the party.
She + came + up + with + an idea.
Nothing goes in between!
Quick Summary 📝
graph TD A[Subject-Verb Agreement] --> B[Basic: Singular ↔ Singular] A --> C[Compound: AND = Plural] A --> D[Collective: Group = It Depends] A --> E[Special Cases: Find True Subject] F[Phrasal Verbs] --> G[Separable: Can Split] F --> H[Inseparable: Stay Together] F --> I[Three-Word: Always Together]
Your New Superpowers! 🦸
You now understand:
✅ How subjects and verbs dance together ✅ What happens when subjects team up with AND/OR ✅ When groups act as one vs. many ✅ How to spot the REAL subject ✅ How little words transform verb meanings ✅ Which phrasal verbs can split and which can’t ✅ How three-word phrasal verbs work
Remember: Grammar isn’t about memorizing rules. It’s about understanding patterns. And now you see the patterns!
Go forth and write with precision! 🎉