Grammar review: SYNTAX (subject-verb agreement, pronouns, articles,homonyms)

This week’s goal—learn to navigate word arrangement

Subject-verb agreement

Generally, a singular subject is matched with a singular verb, and a plural subject is matched with a plural verb.

But: You must be able to tell whether the subject is singular or plural, and you must be familiar with singular and plural verbs.

Hint: A simple way to determine which verb you should use—the singular or the plural—is match the verb with he or she or with they.

Use: read, reads To figure out which verb is the singular form, pick the word would you use with she. We write, “She reads.” Therefore, reads is singular. We write, "They read." Therefore, read is plural.

Singular subjects, singular verbs

Principle 1: Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb.

Use: My dog or cat is sleeping in the window.My dog or cat sleeps in the window.

Singular subjects, singular verbs

Principle 2.Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb (same as principle 1).

Use: Neither my boss nor your boss is working today.Either Wendy or Owen is celebrating a birthday

today.

Singular subjects, singular verbs

Principle 3: When I is one of the two subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor, put it second and follow it with the singular verb am.

Use: Neither she nor I am going out for the weekend. Either he or I am leaving the party.

Multiple tense subjects, plural verbs

Principle 4: When a singular subject is connected by or or nor to a plural subject, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.

Use:The balloon or the flowers go on that bench.The cheese or the vegetables go in the fridge.

Multiple subjects, plural verbs

Principle 6: Generally, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.

Use: The bus and trolley are good forms of public

transportation. A cat and dog are rarely friends.

Subjects, verbs, connecting words

Principle 7: When words such as besides, not, as well as or along with separate a subject and verb, ignore them. They do not influence whether to use a singular or plural verb.

Use:Anxiety, not selfishness, is the reason for her

strange behavior.The doctor, as well as the nurse, is on her way.

Pronouns, singular verbs

*Principle 8: The pronouns each, everyone, every one, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone and somebody are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be misled by what follows of.

Use: Each of the cats drinks milk.Everyone is going to the park.Every one of the reporters is writing a story.NOTE: Everyone, one word, means everybody. Every one, two

words, means each one.

Prepositions, subjects, verbsPrinciple 9: In order to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb with words

that indicate portions—for example, percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder—look at the noun in the of phrase (this is the object of the preposition). A singular verb should be used if the object of the preposition is singular. A plural verb should be used if the object of the preposition is plural.

Use:Thirty percent of the crowd has left the room. (Crowd is the object of the preposition)Thirty percent of the fans have left the room. (Fans are the object of the preposition)Two-fifths of the candy is gone.Two-fifths of the shoppers are hungry.Some of the cheese is moldy.Some of the cheeses were rotten.None of the fire was extinguished.None of the firefighters had her hose.

The number, a number

Principle 10: The expression the number is followed by a singular verb while the expression a number is followed by a plural verb.

Use: The number of students who need to take the test

again is 29.A number of students have complained about the

difficulty of the test.

Either, neither, singular verbs

Principle 11: When either and neither function as subjects, they always take singular verbs.

Use: Either of the teachers is going to recess.Neither of us is eating lunch.

Here, there, delayed subjects, verbs

Principle 12: When the words here or there begin the sentence, find the subject, which follows the verb, to determine the correct verb tense.

Use: There is a big bill waiting for me at home.There are many bills to pay. Here are my soda cans.Here is my water bottle.

Money, time, singular verbs

Principle 13: Amounts of money and time are accompanied with a singular verb. Note: when a number begins a sentence, it is spelled out regardless of the general AP rule to use numerals for 10 and above.

Use:Twenty dollars is a lot of money for a movie ticket.Seven years is the average length of time it takes to

earn a Ph.D.

Pronouns and verb tenses

Principle 14: The form (singular or plural) of the pronouns who, that, and which is determined by the noun they follow. When the noun is singular, a singular verb is appropriate. When the noun is plural, a plural verb is the correct choice.

Use:Michel is the doctor who acts/act like a clown. (refer to word in

front of who—doctor, which is singular—use singular verb)She is one of the women who does/do the laundry. (refer to

the word in front of who—women, which is plural—use the plural verb)

Collective nouns, verbs

Principle 15: Collective nouns such as team or staff may be either singular or plural depending on the way the words are used in a sentence.

Use:The team is going to win the championship. (singular

unit)The staff is working hard. (singular unit) The staff are in disagreement about the job. (individual

units)

Homonyms: it’s, its

It’s is a shortened form of the phrase it is. Use: It’s going to be a long day.It’s cold in the kitchen.

Its is the possessive form of it.Use:The cat knew winter was its least favorite season.The arm winds its way around the dial.

Homonyms: to, too, two

To is a preposition that conveys relationships between subjects, objects and verbs. To has many meanings, but it can generally be understood to suggest a connection.Use: It is good to go to grandma’s house.

Too is an adverb that generally means a lot or also.Use: Too many people went to grandma’s house.

Two is the number 2, spelled out.Use: Two cousins are better than one.