4 Subject-Verb Agreement (with prepositional and participle phrases)
KEY CONCEPTS
A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun that is not the subject of the sentence.
Simple Example: Sonya worked in her office. She finished before noon.
Sonya (subject / noun) worked (verb) in her office (prepositional phrase).
She (subject / pronoun) finished (verb) before noon (prepositional phrase).
When a prepositional phrase is between the subject and verb, writers must be careful to make the verb agree with the subject.
Example: One group of researchers is studying local climate change.
One group (subject) of researchers (prepositional phrase) is studying (verb) local climate change.
Note: When a prepositional phrase is between the subject and verb, it may help to envision the sentence above without the prepositional phrase.
One group of researchers is studying local climate change.
(Use is instead of are so that the verb agrees with the singular subject group.)
Much like a prepositional phrase, a participle phrase adds informational value but does not serve as the main subject or verb in a sentence. A participle phrase describes a noun or pronoun and often starts with a verb form that ends in -ing.
Example: The researchers writing the final report have planned a weeklong summit.
The researchers (subject) writing the final report (participle phrase) have planned (verb) a weeklong summit.
Note: When a participle phrase is between the subject and verb, it may help to envision the sentence above without the participle phrase:
The researchers writing the final report have planned a weeklong summit.
(Use have instead of has so that the verb agrees with the plural subject researchers.)
Participle phrase or participial phrase? Some grammar tutorials use participial phrase instead of participle phrase. For our purposes, either one is correct, but this guidebook will use participle phrase.
An infinitive can function as a noun, adjective or adverb in a sentence. An infinitive is usually formed with the word to followed by the base form of a verb. If a noun follows the word to, it forms a prepositional phrase. If a verb follows the word to, it forms an infinitive.
She gave her food order to the server.
(To the server is a prepositional phrase with the word to followed by the noun server.)
To retreat would be a mistake.
(To retreat is an infinitive with the word to followed by the verb retreat. In this sentence, To retreat functions as the subject.)
In the previous chapter, you studied the basics of subject-verb agreement. Now we’ll go further by adding phrases between the subject and the verb. We’ll start with prepositional phrases.
At some point in your educational journey, you may have seen some simple examples of prepositional phrases such as these:
- over the meadow
- through the woods
- to Grandmother’s house
- under a table
- above the fold
- of the month
- in the desk
Prepositional phrases have a connecting word followed by a noun or pronoun that is not the subject of the sentence. This connecting word is called a preposition. For example, in the phrase over the meadow, the preposition over is followed by the noun meadow. Prepositional phrases often show a relationship to space (under a table) or time (of the month).
When a prepositional phrase is between the subject and a verb in a sentence, the writer must pay attention to the structure of the sentence. Here’s an example question.
Sometimes an extra phrase other than a prepositional phrase will separate a subject and the verb that goes with it. Here’s a question that will serve as an example.
A participle phrase will describe a noun or pronoun. A participle phrase often starts with an -ing participle that is not the main verb in the sentence and then ends with a noun or pronoun. In this chapter, we’re primarily concerned with participle phrases that appear in between the subject and the verb in a sentence. Here’s a simple example:
Geese flying south have filled the autumn sky.
The example above contains these two ideas:
1. Geese have filled the autumn sky.
2. Geese are flying south.
It’s more reader-friendly, however, to combine those two ideas by using a participle phrase:
Geese (subject) flying south (participle phrase) have filled (verb) the autumn sky.
To determine whether to use have or has in the sentence above, you should align the plural subject (geese) with the correct verb choice (have).
Let’s try one more question with a participle phrase.
I hope you understand those last two examples, because now I’ll give you the most difficult question in this chapter. In this instance, the phrase that comes between the subject and verb does not start with -ing.
In that flip card above, a better alternative might be to rearrange the order of items in the sentence. Here’s one possibility:
To reduce food waste, the city’s new guidelines ban restaurants from purchasing trash containers larger than 20 gallons each.
EXCEPTIONS
In a few sentence constructions, the object of the preposition determines a correct verb form. These exceptions often involve a proportional value representing one item (singular) or many items (plural).
Here are some examples.
- Most of the street is under repair.
The subject refers to one street, so use is instead of are. - Most of the computers are offline.
The subject refers to many computers, so use are instead of is. - All of the building has been rewired.
The subject refers to one building, so use has instead of have. - All of the stories have been published.
The subject refers to many stories, so use have instead of has. - Two-thirds of the city was destroyed.
The subject refers to one city, so use was instead of were. - Two-thirds of the downtown businesses were closed.
The subject refers to many businesses, so use were instead of was. - Is any of the pizza left?
The subject refers to one pizza, so use is instead of are. - Are any of the original documents available to the public?
The subject refers to many documents, so use are instead of is.
Occasionally, the preposition of is implied rather than stated.
- Half the pie is gone.
Half (of) the pie is gone. - Half the apples are gone.
Half (of) the apples are gone.
CLOSING CONCEPT: INFINITIVES
In the previous chapter, you learned about gerunds, which are one category of verbs that can function as nouns in a sentence.
In this chapter, we’ll take a brief look at infinitives, which can function as nouns, adjectives or adverbs. An infinitive is usually formed with the word to followed by the base form of a verb. The tricky part is that an infinitive often resembles a prepositional phrase.
Here’s an example of an infinitive used as the subject of a sentence.
To complain would waste our time.
(The word To is followed by the base verb form complain. In this sentence, To complain is the subject, and would waste is the accompanying verb phrase.)
Remember, however, that the word to often introduces a prepositional phrase instead of an infinitive.
I will complain to the manager.
(The word to is followed by the noun manager, so to the manager functions as a prepositional phrase.)
Here are similar examples to help you compare prepositional phrases and infinitives.
For most coaches, to succeed requires lots of victories.
(The infinitive to succeed functions as the subject of this sentence with requires as the accompanying verb.)
Good coaches listen closely to feedback from players.
(The word feedback is a noun, so to feedback is a prepositional phrase in this sentence.)
To quit the team is not an option.
(In this sentence, To quit the team is an infinitive phrase that functions as a singular subject with is as the accompanying verb.)
The players gave the trophy to their coach.
(The word coach is a noun, so to their coach is a prepositional phrase in this sentence.)
We’ll look at infinitives again in future chapters, including how infinitives are used for other functions beside the subject of a sentence.
MORE PRACTICE FOR PROFICIENCY
Below are additional usage questions based on this chapter. These questions may help you study for course assignments or a proficiency exam.
Advance through the following set of practice questions by using the forward button or clicking on sections of the control bar. To enlarge any interactive presentation in this guidebook, click on the lower-right full-screen option (arrows):
(NOTE – The automated grading on the exercise above may seem different than a standard right/wrong format. It will still display your correct and incorrect responses, though. Don’t worry about your calculated score. Just focus on learning.)
WRITING EXERCISE
1. Compose your own sentence that contains at least three prepositional phrases that were not used as examples in this chapter. Underline the preposition and use bold text for the prepositional phrase.
2. Compose your own sentence that has a prepositional phrase between the subject and the verb. Underline the subject and use bold text for the verb. Do not use examples from this chapter.
3. Compose your own sentence that contains an infinitive as the subject of the sentence.
4. In two sentences, explain whether the following sentence has correct subject/verb agreement:
Half of the children was playing outside during the assembly.
5. As part of this lesson, you studied the following example:
After the storm, many tourists staying at the county’s only hotel were stranded.
Using the sentence above as a template, compose your own sentence that starts with a prepositional phrase and also contains a participle phrase between the subject and the verb. Underline the subject and use bold text for the verb.
6. In two tightly constructed sentences, explain your key takeaway from this chapter. Do not use any first-person pronouns (such as I, me, my or mine) in your writing.
