Subject and verb, Pronoun and Antecedent
Uploaded by kalyserb on Nov 23, 2005
Subject and verb, Pronoun and Antecedent
~When a word refers to one person or thing, it is singular in number. When a word refers to more than one, it is plural in number.
Singular Plural
student students
child children
it they
berry berries
Example: As a child, the girl in the photograph was sure she was not very good at anything.
photograph=singular
A verb should ALWAYS agree with it’s subject in number.
1) Singular subjects take singular verbs.
Examples :
He washes the dishes. ( The singular verb washes agrees with the singular subject he. )
A girl in my neighborhood playsin the school band. ( The singular subject girl takes the singular verb plays. )
2) Plural subjects take plural verbs.
Examples:
They wash the dishes.
Several girls in my neighborhood play in the school band.
In the examples above, the main verbs agree in number with their subjects. Like single-word verbs, verb phrases agree with their subjects.
However, in a verb phrase, only the first helping verb changes its form to agree with a singular or plural subject.
Examples:
A girl in my neighborhood was playing in the school band.
Several girls in my neighorborhood were playing in the school band.
He has been washing the dishes.
They have been washing the dishes.
GENERALLY, NOUNS ENDING IN –S ARE PLURAL (friends, girls), BUT VERBS ENDING IN –S ARE SINGULAR (sees, hears)
The number of the subject is not changed by a phrase following the subject.
Remember that a verb agrees in number with its subject. A subject is never part of a prepositional phrase.
Examples:
The sign near the glass doors explains the theme of the exhibit.
Several painitings by Emilio Sanchez were hanging in the galley.
Compound prepositions such as together with, in addition, as well as, and along with following the subject do not affect the number of the subject.
Examples:
Anne, together with her cousins, is backpacking in Nevada this summer.
Robert, along with Kimberely and Ervin, has been nominated for class president.
The following pronouns are singular : each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, noone, nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody.
Examples
Each of the athletes runs effortlessly. ( Each one runs. )
Neither of the women is ready to start. ( Neither one is ready. )
The following pronouns are plural: several, few, both, many.
Examples:
Several of the runners are exercising.
Few of the athletes have qualified.
Were both of the games postponed?
Many on the team practice daily.
The pronouns some, all most, any, and none, may...