Verbs: Form and Agreement

1. Verbs: Form and Agreement Chapter Twenty-Three A WRITER’S WORKSHOP Bob Brannan

2. Verb Tense There are three primary verb tenses: • PRESENT- “The lion roars.” • PAST- “The lionatethe zebra.” • FUTURE- “The lion will hunt again Friday.”

3. Verb Tense These three tenses are not the only ones verbs can take. • We also use: • The PERFECT Tense • The PROGRESSIVE Tense

4. Verb Tense When we need to discuss an action that has been finished earlier in time than another, we use the perfect tense. • Present Perfect: “The drought has caused many problems for farmers.” • Past Perfect: “Farmer Joe had hoped to pay off his debt this year.” • Future Perfect : “By next week, he will have spent twenty years working off his debts.”

5. Verb Tense When we need to discuss an action that is ongoing during the present, past, or future, we use the progressive tense. • Present Progressive: “He probably is celebrating right now, though.” • Past Progressive: “I was strolling in the woods when I saw him find a gold nugget.” • Future Progressive: “By next week, he will be sailing the Riviera.”

6. Subject-Verb Agreement • When subjects and verbs agree, they match in number and person. • In other words, singular subjects require singular verbs and plural subjects match plural verbs;third person subjects require the third person form of the verb. My brothers buy old bicycles to repair. My brother buys old bicycles to repair.

7. Subject/Verb Agreement • In English, regular verbs take the same form for singular and plural except for the third-person singular form of the verb. • The -s, or -es ending on a verb designates a singular verb. • In fact, nouns and verbs are the opposite where plural endings are concerned. The boy walks. The boys walk.

8. Subject-Verb Agreement • A subject agrees with its verb no matter how far apart the two are. Do not be distracted by nouns or pronouns placed between the subject and verb. • The ducks on the lake behind the school swim in large groups. • A list of required readings is mailed to entering freshmen.

9. Subject-Verb Agreement • A compound subject that is linked by the conjunction “and” requires a plural verb. • Both the college newspaper and the literary magazine fail to attract experienced staff.

10. Subject-Verb Agreement • A compound subject linked by the conjunction oror nor requires a singular verb. • Either the dean or his assistant addresses the freshmen class. • Neither geology nor astronomy is required for my major.

11. Subject-Verb Agreement • Indefinite pronouns refer to indefinite persons or things and usually require a singular verb. • Each of the volunteers tutors for at least three hours every week.

12. Subject-Verb Agreement • If a collective noun acts as a single unit, it takes a singular verb. • My entire family is coming for homecoming weekend.

13. Subject-Verb Agreement • When normal word order is inverted and the subject follows the verb, the subject and verb must agree. • Standing at the door with grins on their faces were the cheerleaders.

14. Subject-Verb Agreement • Note:Sentences that begin with thereor here have the subject follow the verb. • There are three branches of government: judicial, executive, and legislative.

15. Practice Exercises Incorrect Click to see answer…. Movies in today’s market makes a great deal of money.

16. Practice Exercises Revised Movies in today’s market make a great deal of money.

17. Practice Exercises Incorrect The American audiences pays for tickets at the theater and for cable at home.

18. Practice Exercises Revised The American audiences pay for tickets at the theater and for cable at home.

19. Practice Exercises Correct The international market, which includes dozens of countries, produces even more profit.

20. Practice Exercises Incorrect Films are very expensive to manufacture, so American studios creates far more films than other countries.

21. Practice Exercises Revised Films are very expensive to manufacture, so American studios create far more films than other countries.

22. Practice Exercises Incorrect There is many advantages to seeing a movie in the theater rather than watching a video at home.

23. Practice Exercises Revised There are many advantages to seeing a movie in the theater rather than watching a video at home.

24. Practice Exercises Correct The dark theater and the enormous screen take the movie viewer to another world.