AboutDebra Duenas Expertise I can answer any questions on grammar and writing, creative writing, or literature. If you are doing it for your English or Language Arts class, I should be able to give you a hand. I can also help with poetry analysis.
Experience I have taught 8th, 9th, and 10th grade English and Literature, and Communications. And, oddly, 7th grade Math! I am presently a school librarian.
Education/Credentials BA in Secondary Education
BA in English
MFA in Creative Writing
Question I'm studying for the SAT, and my grammar is pretty decent.. However, I'm running into a little trouble with subject-verb agreement. Could you just give me the basic rules and maybe some examples for each rule?
I'm especially having difficulties with lists and other compound subjects.
In the following sentence...
Pancakes, eggs, and sausage is/are what Penelope prefers for breakfast.
Do you use is or are?
Thank you so much!
Answer Subject verb agreement has to do with their status as singular or plural...they must agree.
The dog is eating.
The dogs are eating.
Here you see the difference in helping verb usage between dog singular and dogs plural. Is is singular, are is plural.
If you use and then you use plural are...
Bob and John are going to the movies. Different from Bob is going to the movies which is singular. Bob and John together is plural, more than two people.
If you use commas, is or are should agree with the last thing on the list.
Sleeping bags, canned foods, and a cooler is what we are taking camping. Cooler is singular even though bags and cans are not so we use is.
A pen, a paper, and crayons are what we need for art class. Crayons are plural so we use are even though pen and paper are singular.
In your example sausage is singular so it "is" what Penelope prefers for breakfast.
