PARTS OF SPEECH nouns verbs adjectives adverbs pronouns conjunctions prepositions articles

Basic Sentence Structure Subject + Verb + Object John hit the ball. The ball went over the fence. A neighbor threw the ball back.

Subject/Verb Agreement The simple principle behind subject-verb agreement… A singular subject demands a singular verb. To make a verb singular…add an S, but the noun/subject will not end in an S The student sings. (He or she sings) The bird does migrate. (It does)

Subject/Verb Agreement The simple principle behind subject-verb agreement… A plural subject demands a plural verb. To make a verb plural…do not add an S to the verb, instead add an S to the noun/subject The birds sing. (They sing) Those birds do migrate. (They do)

Personal Pronouns Subject + Verb + Object I He She It You We They Who (singular) (singular or plural) (plural) (singular or plural) Me Him Her It You Us Them Whom

Sentence Structures Sentence additions = subordinates One-word additions: adjectives, adverbs Outfielder John hit the slow ball. Multiword additions: phrases The ball went over the fence in the bottom of the ninth inning. Multiword additions: clauses (dependent or independent) A neighbor threw the ball back, which was appreciated because it was the only ball either of the teams brought to the game.

Subject/Verb Agreement Where is my subject (the noun that goes with the verb/action)? Most likely, your verb will agree with the first noun to the left of the verb: judge decides The Supreme Court judge decides the appropriate penalty. members were The committee members were satisfied with the resolution.

Subject/Verb Agreement Where is my subject (the noun that goes with the verb/action)? You will not find the subject in a modifying phrase. The group of students is going on a field trip. The survey covering seven colleges reveals a growth in enrollment. The speaker whom you saw at the lecture is one of the state senators from Minnesota.

Subject/Verb Agreement What if I have TWO subjects (nouns)? If subjects are joined by and, they are considered plural. The quarterback and the coach are having a conference. The eggs and bacon cook on the stove.

Subject/Verb Agreement What if I have TWO subjects (nouns)? If subjects are joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the closer subject. Either the actors or the director is at fault. Either the director or the actors are at fault. The eggs or bacon cooks on the stove. The bacon or eggs cook on the stove.

Subject/Verb Agreement What if I have a subject related to a pronoun in the same sentence? The relative pronouns (who, whom, which, and that) are either singular or plural, depending on the words they refer to. The sales manager is a good researcher who spends a great amount of time surfing the Web for information. Sales managers are good researchers who spend a great amount of time surfing the Web for information.

Subject/Verb Agreement What if I have a pronoun in the sentence? Indefinite pronouns (someone, somebody, each, either one, everyone, or anyone) are considered singular and need singular verbs although they convey plural meaning. Anyone who wants to pursue higher education has to pass entrance exams. Everyone on the committee is welcome to express his or her ideas.

Subject/Verb Agreement What if I have a collective noun in the sentence? A few nouns may seem to be plural but are actually singular they mean a group of individuals. These words are rarely used as plurals in modern writing. The jury is sequestered. The committee will vote on the issue.

Subject/Verb Agreement A few subjects look plural but are really singular or vice versa. A few nouns may seem to be plural because they end in an S or have both singular and plural versions…but they are singular or plural depending on their origin. The news of the discovery is spreading. The data amaze everyone.