Grammar

1. Grammar Subjects Verbs Subject-Verb Agreement

2. Subjects / Verbs - REVIEW • Subject • Who or what the sentence is about • Could be a noun or pronoun • Performs the action of the verb • Verb/ Predicate • Action of the sentence • Ex.) He ran around the block. • Subject • Who or what is the sentence about? – He (pronoun) • Verb • What is the action of the sentence? - ran

3. Simple vs. Complete • Simple Subjects and Predicates (Verbs) vs. Complete Subjects and Predicates (Verbs): • Complete: includes words that modify the subject/verb (I.e. – adjectives) • Simple: essential words only - that can’t be left out • Ex.) Simple vs. Complete Subject • Complete Subject: The angry man ran down the street. • Simple Subject: The angry man ran down the street. • Complete Predicate: The angry man ran down the street. • Simple Predicate: The angry man ran down the street.

4. Subject-Verb AgreementBasic Principle… • Singular subjects require singular verbs • Plural subjects require plural verbs • There’s always exceptions to the rules, and there are tons with the above rules– but we’re going to start basic, and then move forward. • All of the following examples deal with rules in the present tense!

5. Present Tense rules… • Correcting errors with subject-verb agreement: basic solution #1 (when in the present tense) • Add an “s” to the verb if its subject is singular • Don’t add an “s” to the verb if its subject is plural • Example: Jamiesings in the car on the way to work. (Jamie = singular subject / sings = verb = added an “s”) • Example: My sisters sing in the car on the way to work. (sisters = plural subject / sing = verb = didn’t add an “s”)

6. Other present tense rules… • Add an “s” to the verb if the subject is any one of the third-person singular pronouns (he, she, it, this, that) • Hedrives a minivan.Shefollows a different drummer.Itlooks like rain.This confuses me.Thattakes the cake.

7. Other present tense rules… • Do NOT add an “s” to the verb if the subject is the pronoun: I, you, we, or they. • Imake my own rules.You drive a hard bargain.Wetake pride in our work.Theysing out of key.

8. Other present tense rules… • Do NOT add an “s” to the verb if two subjects are joined by and. • Jack and Sawyer often argue with each other.Charlie and Hurleyenjoy music.

9. Subject-Verb AgreementPractice Exercise • For each pair of sentences below, write out the correct form of the verb in parentheses. Keep it in the present tense, and use the rules I just gave to you. • This convenience store closes at midnight. The other stores(close)at 11. • Kyle complains about everything. He even(complain)about the color of the sky. • My sisters play musical instruments. My brother and his friend would rather(play)with their iPods. • I care about her very much. She(care)about no one but herself.

10. Practice cont. • This coffee tastes horrible. You (taste) it and tell me what you think. • Our refrigerator leaks. Water (leak) onto the floor everyday, leaving a huge mess. • Every afternoon, they hurry down to the station to meet their mother. She (hurry) home from work. • Sally carries a leather bag filled with change. We don’t (carry) as much as she does. • We grow corn and potatoes on our farm. My brother (run) our farm market every Saturday. • Mary criticizes everyone she works with. She never (criticize) herself.

11. Check your answers! • close 7. hurries • complains 8. carry • play 9. runs • cares 10. criticizes • taste • leaks

12. That was the easy part! • Now…there are cases when this can get tricky… 1. Making subjects and verbs agree when words come between them 2. Finding agreement when the subject is an indefinite pronoun and/or your dealing with compound subjects 3. Making irregular verbs have, go, do, and be agree with their subjects

13. Problem 1… words in between your subject and verb • Compare these two sentences: • This box belongs in the attic. • This box of ornaments belongs in the attic. • In both cases, the verb is belongs • In both cases, the subject is box • Prepositional phrases (like the one above), adjective clauses, appositive, and participle phrases can all come between your subjects and verbs. • You need to mentally cross out interruptions like these, to ensure you are creating agreement between a subject and its verb – and NOT a subject and a clause or phrase.

14. Practice for problem #1 • One of my sisters friends is a pilot. Verb = Subject = • The people who survived the explosion are in a shelter. Verb = Subject = Answers: #1 – is / one #2 – are / people

15. Problem 2 – indefinite pronouns / compound subjects • Indefinite pronouns are words which replace nouns without specifying which noun they replace. • Singular: another, anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, little, much, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, other, somebody, someone, something • Plural: both, few, many, others, several • Singular or Plural: all, any, more, most, none, some

16. Indefinite Pronouns cont. • Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs. • Correct: Each of the members has one vote. (The subject, each, is singular. Use has.) • Plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs. • Correct: A few of the justices were voicing their opposition. (Few is plural, so are were and their.)

17. Indefinite Pronouns cont. • For indefinite pronouns that can be singular or plural, it depends on what the indefinite pronoun refers to. • Correct: All of the people clapped their hands. (All refers to people, which is plural. Use their.) • Correct: All of the newspaper was soaked. (Here all refers to newspaper, which is singular. Use was.)

18. Problem 2 cont. – compound subjects • Every verb in a sentence must have at least one subject. But that doesn't mean that a verb can have only one subject. • When a verb has two or more subjects, you can say that the verb has a compound subject.

19. Compound subjects cont. • When two or more subjects are compounded with and, they agree with a plural verb. • A pencil and eraser make writing easier. • pencil + eraser = plural • make = plural

20. Compound Subjects cont. • When subjects are compounded with either, or, neither, or nor, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. • Neither the director nor the actors are following the lines closely. • 1st Subject – director – singular • 2nd Subject – actors – plural • Verb – are – plural (closer to actors)

21. Problem 3 – Irregular Verbs • Not all verbs work in a regular way. • Some of the most common verbs are irregular.e.g. be, go, do, have • Verbs and subjects must still agree, but you have to learn and remember the way the irregular ones work.

22. Irregular Verbs cont. • to do = I do - he / she / it does (NOT do) • She does karate on Thursdays. • They dolots of karate during the week. • to have = I have- he / she / it has(NOT have) • It has soft fur. • They have soft hands. • to go = I go - he / she / it goes (NOT go) • She goes sailing every month. • I go every week. • They ______ every week.