CONFUSING SENTENCES At times, you find yourself confronted with a seemingly confusing situation.

Actually, what you have to do is pin down the subject and make the verb agree with it. 1. Inverted Sentence When the subject comes after the verb, find it and make the verb agree with it. In sentences beginning with here or there, the subject ordinarily follows the verb. a. Was any senator among the lawmakers involved in smuggling? b. Here come the big shots of the city. c. There goes the hard-earned money of our parents. 2. Phrase After Subject Dont be deceived by a phrase after the subject. Look for the subject and make the verb agree with it. Dont be misled by the interfering expression. a. Al l the dogs in the neighborhood were barking at him. b. The fruit tray laden with ripe mangoes and lanzones was set before guests. c. The mayor, surrounded by his bodyguards, was laughing. 3. Predicate Noun A verb agrees with its subject, not with the predicate noun. a. The boys major interest was basketball and chest. The verb was agrees with interest, the subject, not with basketball and chess, the predicate noun. b. Basketball and chess were the boys major interest. 4. Relative Pronouns who, which, that. To be sure of the verb to use with the relative pronouns who, which, and that used as a subject, find the antecedent of the pronoun and make the verb agree with it. (A relative pronoun is placed near its antecedent.) a. Is it the girls or Ben who is to blame? Note, however, that the subject of the sentence is it (singular) requires the singular verb, is. b. The NAT tests, which DepEd conducts every year, are not really tough. The antecedent tests of which is plural so a plural verb are is required. But the subject testsis plural, and, therefore, needs a plural verb, are. c. The author of the three books that deal with amorality is a priest. The antecedent books of that is plural and requires a plural verb, deal. Not the subject author and the singular verb is. Who refers chiefly to persons. It is also sometimes used to refer to an animal that is thought of as an intelligent being. Which usually refers to animals or things and to collective nouns referring to persons, when the group, not the individual is meant.

That refers to persons, animals or things. 5. Double Negative Avoid the double negative. Most negatives begin with N no, not, none, nobody, nothing, never. a. Nobody gets too much love no more. (wrong) b. Nobody gets too much love anymore. (right) 6. Useless Adverb The underlined words in those expressions are unnecessary; they are redundant: connect up open up join up continue on refer back return back polish up repeat again end up

Educated people do not want to be caught dead using these barbaric expressions. 7. Adjectives Misused as Adverbs Never use as an adjective to do the work of an adverb which is to modify a verb, an adjective or another adverb. Adverbs denote manner, location or time, in answer to questions of How? Where? and When? Adverbs of manner usually end in ly. a) Modifier of a Verb 1. She sings sweetly. (How) 2. She sings everywhere. (Where) 3. She sings now. (When) b) Modifier of an Adjective 1. naturally beautiful c) Modifier of an Adverb 1. very sweetly; too loudly 2. He plays bowling very well. Good is always an adjective never an adverb. Well may either be an adjective or an adverb. 8. Predicate Adjective Use a predicate adjective after be, become, grow, seem, appear, look, feel, taste, smell, and sound to describe the subject of the sentence. a. The egg pie tastes good. b. He looks angry. 9. Predicate Adverb Some verbs, however, may be taken either as a predicate adjective or adverb. c. He looks angrily at the error. 10. Expressions Often Used Wrongly The following expressions are often wrongly used:

Present Tense CARE for TAKE CARE of

Present Participle Caring for Taking care of

Past Tense Cared for Took care of

Past Participle Cared for Taken care of

Careless writers and speakers still make the horrible mistake of saying taken cared of which is atrocious. HANG (suspend) HANG (execute) Hanging Hanging Hung Hanged Hung Hanged

Clothes are hung on a line. Pictures are hung on a wall. The convicted criminal hung his head in shame. So, they hanged him. He was hanged for murder.