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Subjects separated from verbs
Introduction
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When the subject of a sentence is separated from the verb by other words, these intervening words can cause an agreement error. Take the following steps to identify and avoid such agreement errors.
Identify the main noun within the subject of the sentence. (Sometimes this main noun is called the simple subject.) In the following sentence, the entire subject is italicized; the main noun within the subject is underlined.
A speaker from Family Services _____ giving a presentation next week.
In this sentence, speaker is the main noun and therefore determines the form of the verb. The phrase from Family Services modifies the main noun, but does not determine the form of the verb.
Identify the verb that agrees with the main noun. In example (a), speaker is singular; therefore, the singular verb is must be used. This is true even though the plural noun Services is closer to the verb.
Correct: A speaker from Family Services is giving a presentation next week.
Remember: The verb must agree with the main noun within the subject of the sentence, not necessarily with the noun that is closest to the verb.
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