Subject – verb agreementSubject – verb agreement

“Why can’t we all just get along?” - Rodney King.

SUBJECT VERB

Subject-verb agreementSubject-verb agreement

Subject is the noun – the person, place, or thing performing the verb

Verb is the action – it is what the subject is doing . (If the verb is a linking verb, the subject is the person or thing being discussed.)

•The SUBJECT and VERB must agree in number.

•Plural SUBJECTS need a PLURAL verb.

•Singular SUBJECTS need a SINGULAR verb.

Subject-verb agreementSubject-verb agreement

SINGULAR verbs end in an “s”SINGULAR verbs end in an “s” Mark walks, Susan drives, John is, Sally Mark walks, Susan drives, John is, Sally

doesdoes

PLURAL verbs don’t …PLURAL verbs don’t … Mark and Susan walk; John and Sally areMark and Susan walk; John and Sally are

You and I must have PLURAL verbsYou and I must have PLURAL verbs You are smart; I am happy; You are smart; I am happy;

Make the necessary corrections.

Everyone is taking their entrance examination.

Nobody in the group have the answer to question five.

Bob and Sue are going to the store. One of the glasses were broken. Each of the animals are in a cage. Neither the boy nor his sister were at home. Everyone are invited to the dance this

weekend

SINGULAR PLURAL PLURAL OR SINGULAR

EITHER

I

MOSTSOME

ALL

ANY

EITHER

NEITHER…NOR…

FEW

SEVERAL

NONE

NOTHING

YOU

EVERYBODY

SOMEONE

YES (it is correct) !!

NO (it is incorrect) !!

The crowd of students are loud.

The group , in the next room, are also loud.

That group is the loudest of all !

The committee meet every Wednesday to discuss important issues.

Is everyone happy with their seat?

The instructors or Melanie are unhappy with the result.

Everyone, except for the instructors, love to work on grammar rules.

Parallel StructureParallel Structure

Parallel StructureParallel Structure

All related words or phrases within a All related words or phrases within a sentence should be in similar form. sentence should be in similar form. When a series of verbs, nouns, When a series of verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs or phrases is adjectives, adverbs or phrases is joined with a linking word, put all the joined with a linking word, put all the items in parallel formitems in parallel form

Now you can try some!Now you can try some!

The car is sleek, sturdy, and has a lot of The car is sleek, sturdy, and has a lot of room.room.

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The Bill of Rights guarantees our freedom The Bill of Rights guarantees our freedom of speech, our right to assemble of speech, our right to assemble peacefully and we have the right to bear peacefully and we have the right to bear arms.arms.

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Click on the part of the sentence that needs to be changed

Dangling & Misplaced Dangling & Misplaced ModifiersModifiers

Standing nervously on the platform, a barrage of tomatoes

suddenly pelted the Chairman.

Dangling ModifiersDangling Modifiers A modifying phrase just seems to be hanging there; it doesn’t A modifying phrase just seems to be hanging there; it doesn’t

modify any word in the sentencemodify any word in the sentence

Hurrying past the window, nothing could be seen Hurrying past the window, nothing could be seen insideinside..

Who or what was hurrying past the window? No one? Nothing?Who or what was hurrying past the window? No one? Nothing? The introductory phrase “hurrying past the window” doesn’t The introductory phrase “hurrying past the window” doesn’t

seem to modify ANYTHINGseem to modify ANYTHING You can easily correct a dangling modifier by rewriting the You can easily correct a dangling modifier by rewriting the

sentence to include a word that can be modifiedsentence to include a word that can be modified

Rewritten: Rewritten: Hurrying past the window, I could see nothing Hurrying past the window, I could see nothing insideinside..

Try this one:Try this one: Sliding downhill on the toboggan, his wrist was broken.Sliding downhill on the toboggan, his wrist was broken. Click on the modifying PHRASE.Click on the modifying PHRASE. What needs to be changed? See if you are correct. What needs to be changed? See if you are correct. Rewrite this sentence so that it makes sense !!Rewrite this sentence so that it makes sense !!

Misplaced ModifiersMisplaced Modifiers

Writers will use descriptive words or phrases to Writers will use descriptive words or phrases to help the reader understand an idea or visualize a help the reader understand an idea or visualize a scene more easily.scene more easily.

However, if the modifier (the descriptive word) is However, if the modifier (the descriptive word) is placed in the wrong section, it can lead to confusionplaced in the wrong section, it can lead to confusion

Example:Example: A boy saw a cat riding a blue bicycle.A boy saw a cat riding a blue bicycle. What? Was the cat riding the bicycle??What? Was the cat riding the bicycle?? You need to put the phrase “riding the bicycle” next to the You need to put the phrase “riding the bicycle” next to the

word it modifies – the boyword it modifies – the boy Rewritten: A boy, riding a blue bicycle, saw a cat. Rewritten: A boy, riding a blue bicycle, saw a cat.

Avoid confusion by placing the modifier as closely Avoid confusion by placing the modifier as closely as possible to the word being modifiedas possible to the word being modified

Try these Misplaced Try these Misplaced ModifiersModifiers

The children showed off for Grandma The children showed off for Grandma jumping on the trampoline.jumping on the trampoline.

Who was jumping on the trampoline?Who was jumping on the trampoline?

Which sentence is rewritten Which sentence is rewritten correctly?correctly?

children Grandma

Grandma, jumping on the trampoline,showed off for the children.

The children, jumping on thetrampoline, showed off

for Grandma.

Yes, you’ve got it!!Yes, you’ve got it!!

No, you’ll have to try No, you’ll have to try something elsesomething else