English I: MEL-CON/ SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT DAY. LET’S GO! 20 October 2015

Warm Up: Fix the subject-verb agreement errors! Write out the correct usage! 1. Annie and her brothers (is, are) at school. 2. Either my mother or my father (is, are) coming to the meeting. 3. The dog or the cats (is, are) outside. 4. The man with all the birds (live, lives) on my street. 5. The movie, including all the previews, (take, takes) about two hours to watch. 6. One of my sisters (is, are) going on a trip to France.

REMEMBER! The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a singular verb. Each of these hot dogs is juicy. Everybody knows Mr. Jones. Either is correct.

Possible Pitfalls Sometimes, several words come between the subject and the verb. The student, though she had lots of problems in other schools, finds/find (?) her new class easy. The student, though she had lots of problems in other schools, finds her new class easy. The student finds her new class easy.

Prepositional phrases The subject can never be part of a prepositional phrase. Example The students in my class study / studies hard. X

Warm up #2: Tell me if the green words support the red words and if the orange words reasonably explain that connection. Write 3 to 4 sentences “Today, we are too self-centered. Most families no longer sit down to eat together, preferring instead to eat on the go while rushing to the next appointment (Gleick 148). Everything is about what we want.”

This is a weak example of evidence because the evidence is not related to the claim. What does the claim about self-centeredness have to do with families eating together? The writer doesn’t explain the connection. The same evidence can be used to support the same claim, but only with the addition of a clear connection between claim and evidence, and some analysis of the evidence cited.

Today’s Task: The Basic version 1) Choose an article of your interest 2) Read and annotate it. READ FIRST! 3) Complete the “Analyzing main ideas graphic organizer.”

Main Idea M Supporting Details E My Analysis (what conclusion can we reach?) L Why is this important? CON In your own words, describe author’s central point. Main ideas DO NOT always show themselves in the beginning of an article. Be patient. Read thoughtfully! You must use a direct quote to support your interpretation of the author’s central point. Make sure the evidence is relevant to the point you intend to make. It is here where you must explain how the quote you selected justifies your interpretation of the author’s main idea. Here you must explain “the big picture.” Try to think of a response to someone who would say: “so what? Why does what your saying matter? What is the importance of your argument?”