[Grammar] Article 3 Sentence Construction

[TalonRider]

Verbs

Verbs are the action of the sentence and tell us what is happening or taking place. You often will find more than one verb in a sentence because several different actions are taking place.

 

Verbs generally show action, possession, and being.

• Action:To write, to sing, to walk, to think, to run, to know.
  

• John will walk in the annual charity walk-a-thon.
  
• Mary knows every punctuation rule.
  

• Possession: To have.
  

• The office has new carpeting.
  
• Bill and Ellen have a home they are remodeling.
  

• Being To be has many common forms, am, is, are, was, were, will be, has been, had been, have been, is being, will have been. It is often called a "linking verb" because it connects a subject to other nouns or adjectives that describe it. Nouns describing a subject are called "predicate nominatives," and adjectives describing a subject are called "predicate adjectives."
  

• Bill is nice. (nice is a predicate adjective.)
  
• Arthur will be the fourth president to receive the Leadership Award. (President is a predicate nominative.)
  

Subject and verb agreement:

Since subjects and verbs together provide the main idea or content of a sentence, they must have the right relationship, which is called "agreement." Singular subjects require singular verbs, and plural subjects require plural verbs.

• One person out of several hundred applicants is to be awarded the prize.
  
• Several people out of 300 applicants are to be awarded the prizes.
  

If two subjects both identify the same person or thing, the verb is singular.

• The winner and new "Customer Service Representative of the Year" is Ms. Trisha Carlson.
  
• Macaroni and cheese is a low-cost and healthy dinner choice.
  

Several words are always singular:

anyone .......... each .......... anybody ................ every

everyone ....... either ......... everybody ............. neither

someone ........ none .......... somebody ............. another

one ................ nobody

• Caution: Two subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb.
  

• Incorrect: Either the tenant or the owner must present their grievances.
  
• Correct: Either the tenant or the owner must present his grievances.
  

Accuracy tips for agreement:

Mentally omit prepositional phrases (starting with: in, of, for, with, by, from, to) immediately following the subject and preceding the verb.

• Each (of the programmers) has 10 or more years of experience.
  
• Either (of the supervisors) is able to answer you question.
  

Ignore expressions beginning with as well as, in addition too, accompanied by, and other explanatory phrases. They always follow the subject and precede the verb.

• The paper, as well as the pens and pencils, has been counted.
  

Look to the meaning rather than the spelling to decide where the subject is singular or plural.

• The World Series is almost over.
  
• Economics is a required subject.
  

Collective nouns:

A collective noun is a singular word that refers to a number of people or things acting as a unit. While they may occasionally be plural when indicating separate actions, most collectives are singular.

• The class of new supervisors is scheduled to begin training on hiring and firing practices soon.
  
• The committee hopes to meet at 1 p.m.
  

Completers:

Completers finish the thoughts of subjects and verbs. An adjective or a noun may "complete" the thought begun by the subject and verb.

• Objects: Objects tell your reader what the verb is doing. They answer the questions "what or whom?" and are always nouns or pronouns.
  

• Linda gave the report to the Purchasing Department. (Linda gave. . . .what?)
  
• John saw Mary at the meeting. (John saw . . . whom?)
  

...S ....... V ..................... C

Ellen completed the reports before her deadline.

 

Predicate adjectives and nominatives:

An adjective completing the subject and verb is called a "predicate adjective" and a noun completing the subject and verb is called a "predicate nominative." They both always follow some form of the verb to be, often called a "linking verb" because it links the subject to the completed thought. Verbs such as looks, seems, and feels are also linking verbs when they could be replaced by is.

 

...S . V ........... C

Ellen is very tall. (Tall is a predicate adjective.)

 

..S ... V ........ C

John is the winner of the "employee-of-the-month" contest. (Winner is a predicate nominative.)

 

 

 

Exercise - Subjects and Verbs

Choose the correct word(s) to finish each of the following sentences. As before, you can post your answers here or you can pm or email me.

 

1. Maggie, along with Jack and Jose, __________________(is, are) meeting Bob and Hilda at the restaurant.

 

2. Everyone ____________(know, knows) the outcome of the vote.

 

3. That dog is __________(your's, yours).

 

4. Either of the two choices _________(is, are) fine.

 

5. If I _________________________ (was, were) to go, I would need to pack my laptop.

 

6. Sara, as well as several other employees, _____________________(is, are) familiar with the policy.

 

7. I ___________________ (shall, will) call Mrs. King tomorrow.

 

8. _____________________ (Its, It's) good vendor management to hold the supplier accountable.

 

9. The reasons for the problem __________________________ (was, were) too numerous.

 

10. The group ______________________ (have, has) left the conference room.

Edited August 30, 2011 by TalonRider
To clean up coding problem.

[TalonRider]

Exercise