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Writing Tip: Grammar Rodeo #4


This time for the grammar rodeo, I thought I'd keep our subject matter simple and maybe even fun! Yes, yes, I swear, grammar can be fun--at least when you're like me and find a wicked glee in rolling your eyes at the grammar fails around you!! First, though, let's take a look at a technical writing tip that seems simple, but catches up more people than you might think!

Grammar Rodeo #4


Getting It Write Err... Right!

 


Subject and Verb Agreement

 

No, I don't expect them to shake hands after coming to some sort of deal. And I'm not going to go on and on about all the different subject and verb combos, though these rules can work with verbs that aren't joined with "is" or "are", those two words are the particular angle of this grammar lesson. So how do you know which to use, "is" or "are"? Which one is appropriate depends on the subject of the sentence you're writing.

 

Have I lost you already?

 

The subject in a sentence is the who or what is doing the action. Sometimes the subject is singular and sometimes it becomes a compound subject if you link two subjects with the word 'and'. A subject can also be part of a noun phrase usually made up of a noun/pronoun, modifiers, determiners, and/or complements. That sounds complicated, but really, it's just the bit tacked on that shares a bit more about the subject.

 

Example:
Dave "is" driving me crazy. (Singular Subject)
Dave and Peter "are" driving me crazy. Compound Subject (Plural Subject)
The man seated in front of me "is" driving me crazy. Noun phrase subject (Singular Subject)
The men seated in front me "are" driving me crazy. Still a noun phrase subject, but now it's plural because I used 'men'. (Plural Subject)

 

The important part is to know what the subject of the sentence is and whether it's singular or plural. The easiest way to figure that out is to first look for the word "and" in the subject. If you use "and" typically your sentence has a plural subject so you should use the word "are". Sometimes, though, it can be a little tricky because you have to pick out which part of the phrase is the actual subject--and sometimes a sentence with a single subject can still be plural due to what the subject actually is.

 

Which is right?
1A The use of cellular phones and mp3 players is prohibited. or 1B The use of cellular phones and mp3 players are prohibited.

 

2A Beef and pork is good in moderation. or 2B Beef and pork are good in moderation.

 

3A Your assistance and cooperation is appreciated. or 3B Your assistance and cooperation are appreciated.

 

Grammar Fails

 

Speaking of "your"... the fun part of today's Grammar Rodeo! If you're a bit of an editing geek, like me, you see these on your travels and can't help but snicker. One day at the county fair I saw this shirt and couldn't help but take a picture! I'm sure many of you have seen pics like these shared online or have a story of one, or more, grammar fails you've seen. So share already!

 


Your%20v%20Youre_edited-1_zpsd06levzf.jpg

  • Like 3

20 Comments


Recommended Comments

MikeL

Posted

Good discussion, Cia.

 

Some writers, thinking perhaps it is a sign of intelligence, write very long sentences.  This makes it difficult at times to identify the subject from among the many suspects.

 

Homophones?  Such fun,  your  and you're being the most commonly misused. 

 

I suggest you take up who vs whom in a future post.

  • Like 2
Kitt

Posted

It's vs its also!  Some days the computer correction program can't even make up it's mind!

  • Like 3
Drew Espinosa

Posted

  On 5/27/2015 at 12:02 PM, Kitt said:

It's vs its also!  Some days the computer correction program can't even make up it's mind!

It's is a contraction for "it is" (that's a given) :)

 

Its is "possessive"

 

Examples: A) It's raining outside. ---> It is raining outside. B ) *Every dog has its day. ---> possessive

 

*Courtesy of "Weird Al" Yankovic. "Weird Al" Yankovic, Word Crimes (2014). RCA Records.

  • Like 2
  • Site Administrator
Cia

Posted

I covered who vs. whom in Grammar Rodeo #1. I also spoke briefly about possessive its in Grammar Rodeo #2. Drew is correct; the only time you use an apostrophe is when it's is short for it is. So if you read your sentence and it is can be substituted for for the its/it's, then you should be using the version with the apostrophe. If it is being given possession of something, you just add s. That makes NO sense, as every other time you give a someone or something a possession when writing in English, you use the apostrophe s... but no one has EVER said English makes a lot of sense. ;)

  • Like 2
MikeL

Posted

  On 5/27/2015 at 12:02 PM, Kitt said:

It's vs its also!  Some days the computer correction program can't even make up it's mind!

 

Spell checkers catch only misspelled words, not incorrectly used words.  Spell checker never met a homophone it didn't like.

  • Like 2
Kitt

Posted

Lol i regularly get the little squiggle saying it's is incorrect, but if I change to its I get the same result. I know and use Drew's test, but thought perhaps Cia could shed some light on why it's the only exception to the posessive rule.

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  • Site Administrator
Cia

Posted

When I researched it before, there was one view that it's as a contraction, it is, was the more common usage and so the apostrophe s was excluded from its for possession through history until that became the common usage. The other was that the word "it" is a pronoun and the apostrophe s isn't used for pronouns like hers, his, theirs, so not using the apostrophe s when its is being used as a pronoun is consistent with that practice. Of course, when one is used a pronoun and is possessive the use is one's... so like I said, I think mostly it's just that English is a language geared to have no consistency because someone, somewhere in time, was a total sadist. :P

  • Like 2
Lisa

Posted

Great post, Cia! :)

 

Totally LOVED the Obama shirt! Wondering if the error was with the company or with the individual who came up with the saying. lol Either way, it should have definitely been corrected before they made up hundreds of t-shirts! :P

 

I see typos, and incorrect word usage all the time on signs in stores, on billboards...I'll have to remember to take a picture next time. :)

  • Like 2
Andy78

Posted

th?id=JN.4TtlKmfl3MTF7c3qwWsimw&pid=15.1

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  • Site Administrator
Graeme

Posted

One compound subjects, I've had editors disagree on how to manage possessives.

 

A. We drove to Matt and Paul's house, or

B. We drove to Matt's and Paul's house.

 

I like the questionaire in the post, because the first example shows the complexity. I believe 1A is correct because it's "use" that's the subject, which is singular -- the types of objects being used is descriptive and for clarification and are not the subject. Am I right?

  • Like 3
Zombie

Posted

  On 5/27/2015 at 7:40 PM, Graeme said:

One compound subjects, I've had editors disagree on how to manage possessives.

 

A. We drove to Matt and Paul's house, or

B. We drove to Matt's and Paul's house.

 

The solution to this is simple - what would people actually say in real life?

  • Like 1
MikeL

Posted

  On 5/27/2015 at 7:40 PM, Graeme said:

I like the questionaire in the post, because the first example shows the complexity. I believe 1A is correct because it's "use" that's the subject, which is singular -- the types of objects being used is descriptive and for clarification and are not the subject. Am I right?

 

I would say you are right.  Use it is.

MikeL

Posted

  On 5/27/2015 at 8:42 PM, Zombie said:

The solution to this is simple - what would people actually say in real life?

 

Not so fast.  What people say is real life is only what people say in real life.

  • Like 2
  • Site Administrator
Cia

Posted

Graeme, you're correct. In that sentence, the "use" of the cellphones and mp3 players is the subject, so you'd use the singular version of "is".

 

 

The use of apostrophe s with compound possessives is a bit tricky, and in the end BOTH are right--depending on what/who is doing the possessing and what they're possessing. The rule is that if the nouns are closely linked that are doing the possessing, then you only use apostrophe s on the 2nd noun. If the nouns are not closely linked, you would use apostrophe s on both.

 

Your example, "We drove to Matt and Paul's house" would use the possessive apostrophe s only after the 2nd name because it is a singular thing they both own "together".

 

You can have a singular name for objects that are still owned separately like:

 

"I've used New York's and Baltimore's public transportation system."

 

Those are both distinctly different things (even if you call them the same name) being possessed by two separate cities, so you'd use the apostrophe s for both cities.

 

This is per Chicago Manual of Style 7.72, Joint vs. Separate Possession

  • Like 2
  • Site Administrator
Cia

Posted


18171682122_c180a517f2_q.jpg

 

Another good grammar fail!  :P The funny thing is, "you" can be singular or plural as a pronoun... but when used as the verb form it's always considered plural, and so "are" is correct instead of "is" even if the sentence only refers to one person.

 

You as a group:

 

"You are going to line up quietly," the teacher instructed her class.

 

You as a single person:

 

"You are going into the store in those?" she asked.

 

I grinned. "Sure, so what if my pajama pants have ducks on them?"

  • Like 1
Lisa

Posted

Thanks, Andy! I just sprayed iced tea (ice tea?) all over my keyboard! :D

  • Like 1
Mann Ramblings

Posted

Some punishments need to be harsh... :D

  • Like 3
  • Site Administrator
wildone

Posted

Well if you are prostituted, maybe you would have the money so you wouldn't need to shoplift ;)

 

Just saying 0:)

  • Like 1
Timothy M.

Posted

  On 5/27/2015 at 11:17 PM, Andy78 said:

 I think this punishment is a little harsh :P

 

but grammatically correct. :lol:

  • Like 1

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