LESSON 1
SINGULAR/PLURAL
NEXT ISSUE
LETS PRACTICE!!
Singular or plural?
The ugly lawn gnome loves the lovely plastic elf. Gnome loves = singular The lovely plastic elf is pining after the ugly lawn gnome. Elf is pining = singular The weeds are a problem to this unhappy couple. Weeds are = plural The hedge clippers are their only hope!
Clippers are = plural
The subjects EITHER and NEITHER with no partner are ALWAYS SINGULAR.
Either of the two teams is good enough to win the championship.
Neither of the dogs has a collar. Youll be tempted to use teams and dogs and choose plural verbs. Resist the temptation!!
Lets Practice!!!
The sheriff along with two of her deputies (were, was) checking licenses at the North Road exit. WAS Some of the lots in our subdivision (was, were) not for sale. WERE Here (is, are) the transistors and diodes that you purchased for your repair shop. ARE Genetics (is, are) very difficult for beginning students to understand. IS
More Practice!!!
The number of girls in my football club (was, were) surprising. WAS A number of the swimmers (is, are) going to the state competition. ARE There (is, are) some error messages showing up in my program. ARE Neither Betty nor Jane (type, types) more than fifty words per minute. TYPES
LESSON 2
WORDS BETWEEN THE SUBJECT AND VERB
Dont let words between the subject and verb trip you up! These interrupters may include:
Prepositional phrases Appositive phrases
Prepositional phrases
Prepositional phrase = preposition+object of the preposition The files of any computer are vulnerable to electronic-age thieves. Ignore the prepositional phrase The subject = files (pl) The verb = are (pl)
Appositive phrases
Appositive phrases contain extra information and are set off from the sentence with commas. Computer thieves, people like the hacker Kevin Mitnick, steal government and industry secrets. Ignore the appositive phrase The subject = thieves The verb = steal
REMEMBER
IGNORE THE INTERRUPTERS. CROSS OUT (at least mentally) PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES AND APPOSITIVE PHRASES. FIND THE SUBJECT AND VERB IN THE BASIC SENTENCE.
**
The boy in the first row, along with all the other students in the class, are beleaguered by the worksheets. The boy in the first row, along with all the other students in the class, is beleaguered by the worksheets. boy is
**
The girl with the blue ribbons in her hair, but not the other girls in the class, throws spitballs at the teacher. Girl throws The girl with the blue ribbons in her hair, but not the other girls in the class, throw spitballs at the teacher.
The ugly lawn gnome with 10,000 eyes and only five toes love the lovely plastic elf. ** The ugly lawn gnome with 10,000 eyes and only five toes loves the lovely plastic elf.
gnome loves
The lovely plastic elf, fascinated with folktales, imagines herself as a beautiful princess in love with the ugly lawn gnome. The lovely plastic elf, fascinated with folktales, imagine herself as a beautiful princess in love with the ugly lawn gnome.
LESSON 3
INDEFINITE-PRONOUN SUBJECTS
Some indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural depending on how they are used.
Indefinite Pronouns
SINGULAR (The ones, things, bodies) So everybody is happy because no one has caused any trouble, and anything goes.
anyone, everyone, no one, someone, one, anything, everything, nothing, something anybody, everybody nobody, somebody another, either, neither, each
PLURAL Both, few, many, several Both authors horses are show jumpers. SINGULAR OR All, any, more, most, none, some PLURAL
Six indefinite pronouns take singular verbs when they refer to one thing. They take plural verbs when they refer to two or more people or things.
To decide whether the pronoun takes a singular or plural verb, find the noun in the prepositional phrase that follows the indefinite pronoun.
BY THE WAY.
REMEMBER
EACH mistaken subject and verb is a problem, and EVERY grammar rule and example is important.
Indefinite Pronouns
SINGULAR (The ones, things, bodies) So everybody is happy because no one has caused any trouble, and anything goes. PLURAL SINGULAR OR PLURAL
anyone, everyone, no one, someone, one, anything, everything, nothing, something anybody, everybody nobody, somebody another, either, neither, each
Both, few, many, several All, any, more, most, none, some
GIVE IT A TRY!!
1. Many of Arthur Conan Doyles fans enjoy reading about the real-life cases Doyle solved. Correct 2. One of these cases involve George Edalji, a young man from a small English village. involves 3. Someone among the villagers are viciously killing animals. is 4. Nearly all of the animals are killed at night in open fields. Correct 5. According to police, most of the evidence point to Edalji. points
6) Everyone on the jury find him guilty. finds 7) Someone writes Doyle, asking him to help Edalji. Correct 8) One of Doyles tests reveal Edaljis night blindness. reveals 9) No one with night blindness are able to chase and kill animals in the dark. is 10) After hearing Doles evidence, all of the commissioners pardons Edalji. pardon
IN AN INVERTED SENTENCE
The verb (or part of the verb) comes before the subject. Inverted sentences: may be questions DOES the bank WANT the robber punished? or may begin with there, here, where Here IS a book about dumb criminals or may begin with a phrase Right by the police SPEEDS the truck.
Is your coat in the closet? Your coat is in the closet. Were we surprised!
We were surprised!
Were we surprised!
we were
LESSON 5
Subject/Verb Agreement with collective nouns, nouns ending in s, titles, amounts, time
Collective nouns are plural when they refer to the individual members of the group.
The flock of birds were grooming themselves. (The flock are thought of as individual birds.) The jury argue about the case. (The individuals argue.)
The news is on at 6:00 Molasses is a very sweet syrup. Mumps is very dangerous so a vaccine was developed. Politics has a big effect on rural communities. Physics is my favorite class. Genetics determines hair color. Forensics is a popular science because of popular T.V. shows like CSI.
Another genuine Mona Lisa has been discovered. The Twelve Chairs is a comic mystery story. Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes, 100 Great Detectives is a very interesting book.
WORDS RELATING TO WEIGHTS, MEASURES, NUMBERS ARE USUALLY SINGULAR SUBJECTS SO REQUIRE SINGULAR VERBS.
Fifty thousand dollars has been raised to ransom the missing painting. Over two-thirds of the money comes from private donations. Eighty pounds of food has been donated to the food pantry. (Dont confuse these numbers with numbers used as adjectives before a noun. - ex. Nine players are on a team.)
Lets practice
Choose the correct verb and state the rule that determines your choice.
1. War and Peace (is, are)a novel by the Russian writer Tolstoy. is is 2. Physics (is, are) an exciting college major. 3. Susanna (dont, doesnt) believe in astrology. Doesnt 4. The jury (has, have) finally returned to the courtroom.has 5. There (are, is) usually two players on each side. are 6. Hard Times (are, is) my favorite novel by is Dickens.
7. The pride of lions (were, was) resting near a stream. was 8. (Do, Does) your soccer team play during the fall and spring of the season? Does 9. Ten dollars (is, are) too high a price for that. is 10. The majority of the students (prefers, prefer) take-home exams. prefers