ADVANCED GRAMMAR

AND COMPOSITION
GARY FORLINI
RULES OF SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT SUBJECT VERB
1. A verb agrees with its subject in number
A singular subject demands a singular verb; a plural subject
demands a plural verb.
 Exercise 1. Identify the subject as well as note whether
the subject is singular or plural.

• Dan trains grasshoppers to jump over hurdles.

• The big oak tree in the front yard shades our front porch
most of the day.
• Duffy jumps out of his skin when he hears the door to his
room open at midnight.
2. The number of the subject is not changed by the words that come
between the subject and the verb.

• Remember that a verb agrees in number

with its subject, not with the object of a
preposition. The subject is never part of a
prepositional phrase.

Example:

One of the kites has caught in a tree.

The ring set with rubies was stolen from the jeweler’s window.
 Compound prepositions such as together with,
in addition to, and along with following the
subject do not affect the number of the subject.

Examples:

Mimi, together with her sisters, has been taking voice lessons.
Charles, along with Maria and Dan, was elected to the Student Council.
EXERCISE2: Identify the subject and the correct verb
Many facts in this textbook (is, are) important.

A knowledge of rules ( help, helps) you use English correctly.

Errors in verb usage (is, are ) particularly noticeable.

Correct spelling in addition to usage of verbs, (is, are) essential to good

writing.

People in the art world (look, looks) with admiration at the paintings of
Fernando Amorsolo.

A letter with many mistakes (do, does) not make a good impression.
 3. The following pronouns are singular: each,
either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one,
nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody.

Examples:

Each of these sounds causes drowsiness.

Neither of the girls is here.
Everyone in the class has read the novel.
Someone in the choir was whistling softly.
4. The following pronouns are plural: several, few, both, many.

Examples:

Few of the students have failed the test.

Several of these plants are poisonous.
Many in the group often ask questions.
5. The pronouns some, all, most, any, and none may be either singular
or plural.

These pronouns are singular when they refer to a singular word and
plural when they refer to a plural word.

Examples:
Some of the food was eaten.
Some of the apples were eaten.
All of the furniture looks comfortable.
All of the chairs look comfortable.
 6. Subjects joined by and takes a plural verb.

Examples:
Lucille Clifton and Leslie Johnson are writers.
Prose and poetry differ in form.

If a compound subject
names only one person or
thing, then the verb must
be singular

Examples:
The secretary and treasurer plans to resign.
Ham and eggs is a good breakfast dish.
 7. Singular subjects joined by OR or NOR take a singular verb

Examples:
Every Saturday, Gail or Ernie takes the wash to the
Laundromat.
Neither the customer nor the clerk is always right.

9. When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by OR or

NOR, the verb agrees with the subject nearer the verb.

Examples:
ACCEPTABLE Neither the singers nor the accompanist has memorized the music.
Neither the accompanist nor the singers have memorized the music.

BETTER The music has not been memorized by either the singers or
the accompanist.
 8. Collective nouns may be singular or plural, depending on their
use in the sentence

Collective nouns are singular in Examples:

form, but they name a group of Group
persons or things. Committee
Club
Family
Assembly
Class
The jury was ready to announce its Team
decision. ( Jury is thought of as a unit) Army
Herd
The jury were arguing among themselves. flock
( Jury is thought of as individuals)
9. Expressions of time, money, measurement, and weight are
usually singular when the amount is considered one unit.

Examples:

Five dollars is (not are) too much to ask.

Ten days is (not are) not nearly enough time.

On occasion, however these terms are used in the

plural sense:

There were thirty minutes to countdown.

10. Some nouns, while plural in form, are actually singular in
meaning.

Mathematics is (not are) an easy subject for some

people.
Physics is (not are) taught by Prof. Roa

mumps home economics social studies economics measles

calisthenics statistics civics physics gymnastics phonics news
acrobatics aesthetics thesis mathematics
11. Don’t and Doesn’t must agree with the subject. Use doesn’t
after he, she, it.

Examples:
Doesn’t he (not don’t) know how to sail?
They don’t (not doesn’t) make movies like
that anymore.
 Tense is a category that expresses time reference with
reference to the moment of speaking. It is usually manifested by
the use of specific forms of verbs, particularly in
their conjugation patterns.

Verb tenses are an attribute of

verbs that tells us about time.

Remember that verbs are

words that show actions or
state of being.
 SIX TENSES OF THE ENGLISH VERBS

SIMPLE TENSES PERFECT TENSES

Simple Present
present tense perfect tense
verbs verbs

Simple past Past perfect

tense verbs tense verbs

Future
Simple future
perfect tense
tense verbs
verbs

PROGRESSIVE/CONTINOUS FORMS
 SIMPLE TENSES

There are three basic times when verbs can

take place: past, present and future. These
Simple present tense verbs –show are the easy ones to remember. In fact, they
actions that happen regularly or are called simple sentences.
that are permanently happening.

Examples:
We play basketball in the backyard.
My nephew skips down the road.
PRINCIPAL PARTS OF THE VERB
 FORMING THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

1. Use the verb’s present form.

2. Add an “s” to the present form.
3. Add an “es” to the present form.

1. Use the present form of the verb- use this

for plural subjects and for singular pronouns I
and you

Example:
1.We play basketball in the backyard.
 FORMING THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

1. Use the verb’s present form.

2. Add an “s” to the present form.
3. Add an “es” to the present form.

2. Add an “s” to the present form- you will

only do this when your subject is singular.

Example:
1. He plays basketball in the backyard.
 FORMING THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

1. Use the verb’s present form.

2. Add an “s” to the present form.
3. Add an “es” to the present form.

3. Add an “es” to the present form- You will only

do this when your subject is singular and the
verb ends in s, z, x, sh, or ch

Example:
3. Ms. Tiu teaches first grade.
 SIMPLE TENSES

Simple past tense verbs –are verbs that show actions that took place
in the past.

Examples:
We played basketball in the backyard.
My nephew skipped down the road.
PRINCIPAL PARTS OF THE VERB
FORMING THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE

1. Regular past simple verbs are those that add either

a –d or –ed to the present form to create the past
tense form.
2. Irregular past simple verbs are those that don’t add
–d or –ed to the present form to create the past
tense form.

Examples:
1. We walked along the beach.
2. My sister drank all of the milk.
 SIMPLE TENSES

Simple future tense verbs –are verbs that show actions that have not
taken place yet, but that will take place in the future.

Examples:
We will play basketball in the backyard.
My nephew will skip down the road.
There are three (3) perfect tenses. All these three are
formed using the helping verbs have, has, had, will, and
shall along with the past participle of the verb.
 Present Perfect Tense is used to express an event that started in
the past and the impact of the event is now continuing (or a long-
running event that started in the past and is still going on). This
tense is used to express actions completed recent past. In this
tense, it is important whether the event occurred or not. ( or the
result of the event is important, not the time of the event )

The Present Perfect Tense is formed by putting “to have ( have or has )” before the
past participle of the verb.
Past Perfect Tense indicates a past action which is completed before
another past action.
Past Perfect Tense is formed with the helping verb had
 Future Perfect Tense is used to express an action, expected to be
completed before a certain time in the future. The formula for the future perfect
tense is pretty simple: will have +
[past participle]. It doesn’t matter
The Future Perfect Tense is formed by putting “will
if the subject of your sentence is
have” and the past participle of the verb.
singular or plural. The formula
doesn’t change.