Composing Inverted Sentences with Correct Subject and Verb Agreement
You have learned in a previous lesson that correct agreement between a subject and a verb requires that the two must be of the same number. This means that if the subject is singular, (only one or considered as one) then the verb must also be singular. If the subject is plural, (more than one) then the verb must also be plural
1. Alex likes / like watching cartoons on weekends.
(Alex is a singular noun, and likes is a singular verb. The subject and
the verb agree in number since they are both singular.)
2. Alex and Marian studies / study their lessons on weekdays.
(Since Alex and Marian consist of more than one person, they are plural.
Hence, they also need a plural verb which is study.)
These types of sentences are simple because you can easily identify the subject
and the verb, including their number (whether singular or plural). However, if the
sentence is written in another way, just like the one below, it might not be easy to
identify the subject and the verb, and consequently, whether they are singular or
plural. Consider this:
3. Inside the cave is / are prehistoric drawings showing horses and other
animals.
What is the subject of Sentence 3? Is it the cave or the prehistoric drawings?
What about its verb? Can you tell if the subject is singular or plural? What is the
correct verb that will match the subject?
Let’s get the hang of it by doing the activity.
