IMPROVING YOUR GRAMMAR
By brushing up on a few of the basic grammar rules you
may have forgotten, you can remove from your writing
those errors that distract and frustrate the reader.
A. SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
A verb should always agree with its subject.
1. Subject and verb agree even when words come between
them. e.g.,
The teacher, as well as her students, was pleased with the
results of the test.
The design with its intricate patterns is especially clever.
The group of students is meeting now to discuss the tuition
increase.
2. Two or more subjects joined by and take a plural verb.
e.g.,
The teacher and the students were pleased with the results
of the test.
3. Singular subjects joined by or or nor take singular
verbs; plural subjects joined by or or nor take plural
verbs. e.g.,
Neither the professor nor her spouse was happy with the
salary adjustment.
Neither the students nor their friends were pleased with
the tuition increase.
4. When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined
by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject closer to
it. e.g.,
Neither the professor nor the students were happy with
the results.
Neither the students nor the professor was happy with the
results.
5. Words ending in one, thing, or body (such as everyone,
anyone, anything, nobody, somebody, etc.) and words such
as each, either, and neither take singular verbs. e.g.,
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Everyone involved in implementing the company’s new
policies and procedures is here.
6. The agreement of pronouns such as any, most, all,
many, more, some, who, that, and which depends on the
countable nature of the word or phrase to which the
pronoun refers. e.g.,
Most of the sugar is in the cup. (uncountable noun)
Most of the apples are ripe. (countable noun)
7. Collective nouns can take singular or plural verbs,
depending on whether the sentence is referring to the
group as a unit or as individuals. e.g.,
The jury is announcing its verdict. (as a unit)
The faculty were in disagreement over their options. (as
individuals)
8. When a sentence begins with there or here, or when
the sentence is in inverted word order, the verb still
agrees with the subject, which follows the verb in these
arrangements. e.g.,
There are several answers to the problem.
There is one reason for his anger.
Driving along the highway were several tanker trucks.
B. PRONOUN-NOUN AGREEMENT
1. A pronoun must agree in person (I, he, it, they, etc.)
and number (singular or plural) with the noun to
which it refers. Remember that who and whom are
used to refer to people, and that and which refer to
everything else. e.g.,
Mr. Smith took his work home with him.
Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones worked hard on their projects.
Neither John nor his parents enjoyed their afternoon. (The
pronoun agrees with the subject closest to it – as with
subject-verb agreement with or and nor [see A.4. in this
handout].)
The woman who voted for an increase in pay looked happy.
The women who voted for an increase in pay looked happy.
Each apple was chosen for its rosy appearance.
Everyone must finish his or her work by Friday.
NOTE: Since frequent use of his or her could sound awk-
ward, as in the previous example, it may be preferable to
substitute plurals. e.g.,
Students must finish their work by Friday.
2. All pronouns must clearly refer to the noun they
replace. e.g.,
NO:
Our patients are enjoying the warm days while they last.
(does they refer to patients or days?)
YES:
While the warm days last, our patients are enjoying them.
3. Do not mix “persons” (i.e., second person “you” with
third person “he/she/it”) unless meaning requires it. e.g.,
NO:
To improve one’s stroke, you have to learn the basics.
YES:
To improve one’s stroke, one has to learn the basics.
YES:
To improve your stroke, you have to learn the basics.
C. PLACEMENT OF MODIFIERS
Always place modifiers as close as possible
to the words they modify.
Confusing:
The supervisor told me they needed someone who could
type badly.
Better:
The supervisor told me they badly needed someone who
could type.
Confusing:
The fish was found by a fisherman floating in the river.
(who was floating?)
Better:
The fish was found floating in the river by a fisherman.
Or:
A fisherman found the fish floating in the river.
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Confusing:
Wearing high boots, the snake failed to injure the supervisor.
(the snake is wearing high boots)
Better:
Wearing high boots, the supervisor was protected from the
snake.
Or:
Because the supervisor was wearing high boots, the snake
did not injure him.
D. USE OF APOSTROPHES
The apostrophe is used to indicate either
a contraction or possession.
1. When two words are shortened into one, the apostro-
phe replaces the missing letter. The rule for using an
apostrophe with a contraction always holds. (e.g., it
is or it has = it’s; who is or who has = who’s; they are =
they’re; will not = won’t [note change in spelling]; is not
= isn’t, etc.)
2. When showing possession, add ’s to the owner word.
Then, if the word ends in a double or triple s, erase the
one after the apostrophe and leave the apostrophe in
place. e.g.,
one table’s leg OR several tables’ legs
one student’s name OR several students’ names
one day’s work OR several days’ work
one woman’s job OR several women’s jobs (note the plural
form women does not use an s)
one boss’ house OR several bosses’ houses
NOTE: Some grammar textbooks recommend keeping
the -s’s or -ss’s ending for words such as the Jones’s party,
boss’s house, class’s work, congress’s motion, and Jesus’s life for
easier pronunciation.
3. The exception to the possessive rule is that pronouns
show possession without the use of ’s (e.g., my, mine,
your, yours, his, her, hers, our, ours, their, theirs, its,
whose, etc.). Compare the use of apostrophes here:
That is my book. That book is mine. (no apostrophe for the
possessive pronoun mine)
That is Bob’s book. That book is Bob’s. (apostrophe for the
possessive noun Bob’s)
2.
Compare contractions versus possessive pronouns here:
They’re hoping to increase their budget.
You’re having trouble with your car.
NOTE: To test whether to use it’s or its in a sentence, read
your sentence replacing it’s with it is. If it is doesn’t fit, the
word you need is its. Note that there is no such word as its’
with an apostrophe following the s. e.g.,
It’s almost time to give the cat its medication.
4. Don’t use an apostrophe for plurals of regular nouns.
NOT:
Several students’ went to the meeting.
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The Smith’s are on vacation.
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5. Use an apostrophe for plurals of numerals, letters, and
words being named. e.g.,
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All she heard were no’s in response to her proposal. details.
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