Chapter 8: Agreement

1. Chapter 8: Agreement • Number • Agreement of Subject and Verb • Problems in Agreement • Phrases and Clauses Between Subjects and Verbs • Indefinite Pronouns • Compound Subjects • Other Problems in Agreement • Don’t, Doesn’t, and Collective nouns • Amount and form notes • Agreement of Pronoun and Antecedent

2. Number • The form a word takes to show whether it’s singular or plural is its number • One thing: singular • Two or more things: plural Agreement of Subject and Verb • Verbs must agree in number with their subjects

3. Agreement of Subject and Verb • Singular subjects take singular verbs: Ex: The studentraises her hand. Ex: The dogeats my homework • Plural subjects take plural verbs Ex: The studentsraise their hands Ex: The dogseat our homework. Notice anything about the letter s?

4. In verb phrases, the first helping verb must always agree with the subject in number. Ex: Iamteaching. Ex: Theyare talking again. Ex: Doesanyoneknow what they are talking about? Ex: Do any studentsknow the answer?

5. Exercise 3, p. 158 • Use your boards • Write the verb that agrees with the subject given Ex: The sport of basketball (enjoys, enjoy) great popularity worldwide A: enjoys #1: Successful basketball leagues (exist, exists)… A: exist

6. Distributed review: Simple, compound, complex, or compound complex. Classify the following exercises from today’s classwork: • Successful basketball leagues exist in many countries, but the NBA remains the world’s major league. • Around the world, children dream of one day playing in the NBA. • One such player is Emanuel Ginobili of Argentina.

7. Problems in Agreement Phrases and Clauses Between Subjects and Verbs • The number of a subject isn’t changed by a phrase or clause following the subject Ex: The students in our class learn about grammar. singular plural plural

8. WARNING: There is an exception to this rule! If the subject is an indefinite pronoun (like all, any, more, none, or some), its number can be affected by what comes after it Ex: All of the veggieswerepeeled. Ex: All of the saladwas eaten.

9. BEWARE prepositional phrases! Check this sentence: The conductor, as well as the musicians, __________ formal clothing at every performance. What should be in the blank? (wear/wears) Remember: prepositional phrases should be eliminated to avoid subject/verb agreement confusion. A: wears (as well as is a compound preposition)

10. Exercise 4, p. 159 • Use your boards • Identify the subject. • Choose the verb form that agrees with the subject Ex: The houses on my block (has, have) two stories. A: houses: have #1: The launch of the space shuttle (attracts, attract) the interest of people throughout the world. A: launch: attracts

11. Indefinite Pronouns Pronoun review: • Personal pronouns • Refer to specific people, places, things, or ideas • Indefinite pronouns • Do not refer to definite people, places, things, or ideas

12. Examples: Singular: Eitherof the answersis correct. Always plural: Bothof the applesare good. Context dependent: All of the roomhas been painted. All of the roomshave been painted.

13. Exercise 5, p. 161 • Use your boards • Identify the subject. • Choose the verb form that agrees with the subject Ex: Each of the marchers (was, were) carrying a sign protesting apartheid. A: Each: was #1: All of my friends (has, have) the chickenpox. A: All: have

14. Compound subjects Subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb. Ex: Superman and Batmanare famous comic heroes. Ex: Last year, the Joker, thePenguin, and Banewere teaming up to take over Gotham City.

15. If a compound subject refers to only one person or thing, use a singular verb. Ex: The winnerand new champion of the WWF is Hulk Hogan! Ex: Chickenanddumplingsis a favorite Southern dish.

16. Singular subjects joined by orornortake singular verbs. Plural subjects joined by orornortake plural verbs. Ex: A pen or a pencilis needed for this test. Ex: Neither Minnesota nor Buffalohas won a Super Bowl. Ex: Are the Lakers or the Clipperswinning the game?

17. When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by orornor, the verb agrees with the subject closest to the verb. Ex: Neither the manager nor the employeeswant to close the store early. Ex: Neither the employees nor the managerwants to close the store early. Singular Plural Plural Plural Singular Singular

18. Review B, p. 166 • Use your boards • Choose the verb form that agrees with the subject Ex: Pan dulceand other baked goods (sells, sell) well at the Mexican American bakery. A: sell (agrees with closest subject: goods) #1: The wonderful smells at the bakery (invites, invite) hungry customers. A: invite (agrees with plural subject: smells)

19. Other problems in agreement When a subject follows a verb, find the subject and make sure it agrees with the verb. This usually happens in questions or with sentences that begin with here or there. Ex: Here is my handle. There are our spouts. Where is my hairbrush? Dotheyknow them? Doesheknow them?

20. Exercise 9, p. 167 • Use your boards • Choose the word or word group that correctly completes the sentence. Ex: (Here’s, Here are) the jazz CDs I borrowed. A: Here are (agrees with subject: CDs) #1: According to this map, (there’s, there are) seven countries in Central America. A: there are (agrees with plural subject: countries)

21. The contractions don’tand doesn’tshould agree with their subjects. Don’t: All plural subjects and the pronouns I and youDoesn’t: All singular subjects (except Iand you) Ex: These glovesdon’t fit. (plural) Idon’t want to be late. (I) Itdoesn’t matter. (singular) Doesn’tshe like cold weather? (singular)

22. A collective noun may be either singular or plural, depending on its meaning in the sentence. • A collective noun is: • Singular when it talks about the whole group as a unit • Plural when it talks about individual members of the group

23. Ex: Tomorrow, the science classis taking a field trip to the planetarium. (the class as a unit is taking a trip) Ex: The science classare working on their projects at their own pace. (members are working on various projects) Ex: The familyhas moved to Canada. (all together as one!) Ex: The familyhave been unable to agree upon where to spend their next vacation. (they all have different opinions)

24. Ex: The science classareworking on their projects at their own pace. • Ex: The familyhave been unable to agree upon where to spend their next vacation. Correct, but sometimes strange sounding! Sometimes it’s best to use clearer phrasing. The members of the class are working at their own pace. The members of the family have been unable…

25. Review C, p. 169 • Use your boards • If the sentence has an agreement error, write the correct form of the verb • If the sentence is correct as is, your answer will be “C”. There are two C answers. Ex: There is a man and a woman here to see you. A: are (subjects joined by and = plural verb) #1: Leilani and Yoshi doesn’t know how to swim. A: don’t (as above!)

26. An expression of an amount may be singular or plural depending on how it is used. • Consider an amount singular when it is thought of as a unit • Consider it plural when you think of it as separate units Ex: Three yearsseems like a long time. (singular) Ex: Two years in particular were tough for us. (plural)

27. Fractions and percents • Consider these singular when they refer to singular words • Consider them plural when they refer to plural words Ex: Two thirds of the populationwas there. Ex: Eighty percent of the studentswere there. singular singular plural plural

28. Some nouns in plural form take singular verbs • news • physics • summons • civics • economics • electronics • genetics • gymnastics • linguistics • mathematics • molasses Ex: Economicsis my favorite subject. Ex: The evening newsbegins at 6:00.

29. Some plural form nouns that name singular objects take plural verbs • binoculars • eyeglasses • Olympics • pants • pliers • scissors • shears • shorts • slacks Ex: Your binocularshave huge lenses Ex: The slacksare torn in two different spots. Ex: The pliersbelong in the toolbox!

30. Titles and names of countries, cities, and businesses take singular verbs even when they are in the plural form. Ex: Blue Lines is an early painting by Georgia O’Keefe. Ex: “Greensleeves” is an old English folk song. Ex: The Netherlandshas thousands of canals. Ex: Cedar Rapids is a manufacturing center in the Midwest.

31. A verb agrees with its subjects but not necessarily with a predicate nominative. Ex: The best time to visit is weekday mornings. (time and is have to agree; the word mornings doesn’t matter) Ex: Weekday morningsare the best time to visit. (mornings and are have to agree; the word time doesn’t matter)

32. Review E, p. 173 • Use your boards • Choose the verb that agrees with the subject Ex: There (is, are) many new students this year. A: are (students is the subject (see p. 167)) #1: The audience (loves, love) the mime performance. A: loves (both will actually work because audience is collective and the meaning of the sentence is not totally clear) Each remaining exercise has only one correct answer!

33. Agreement of Pronoun and Antecedent Antecedent: that to which a pronoun refers • pronouns must agree in both number and gender w/their antecedents Be careful when the antecedent is another pronoun: Each of the men put on (his/their) hat. A: his Neither of those women got what (they/she) wanted. A: she

34. Gender ambiguous pronouns Some pronouns may be masculine or feminine. When referring to these, use both forms. Did someone in this line lose their ticket? Did someone in this line lose his or her ticket? Everybody in the class wanted to know their grade. Everybody in the class wanted to know his or her grade.

35. Use singular pronouns when you join two or more singular antecedents with orornor Bob or Fred will bring their football. Correct: Bob or Fred will bring hisfootball. Neither Jane nor Wanda had forgotten their batting helmet. Correct: Neither Jane nor Wanda had forgotten herbatting helmet.

36. Use plural pronouns when you join two or more antecedents with and My mother and father send her and his regards. Correct: My mother and father send their regards. My dog and cat never share its food. Correct: My dog and cat never share their food.

37. Indefinite pronouns • Some are plural, some are singular, and some can be either. • Copy these lists: Singular: Anybody/anyone/anything Each Either Everybody/everyone/everything Neither/nobody/no one Nothing One Somebody/someone/something

38. Context-dependent: • All • Any • More • Most • None • Some Plural: • Both • Few • Many • Several

39. Let’s try it • Provide the pronoun that matches up with the given antecedent. Ex: Anyone who has finished ( ? ) sketch should now show it to me. A: his or her

40. Were both of the concerts canceled, or were (?) just rescheduled? A: they Some of the test is hard, isn’t (?) ?. A: it Several of the ice sculptures are melting. How can we save (?)? A: them

41. Was any of the music original, or had you heard (?) all before? A: it Some of the questions are easy. I’ll do (?) first. A: them

42. Exercise 12, p. 176 • Use your boards • Complete the sentences with pronouns that agree with their antecedents. • Identify each antecedent. Ex: Ann Marie and Margaret wore (?) cheerleader uniforms. A: their: Ann Marie and Margaret #1: The trees lost several of (?) branches. A: their: trees