Download Free PDF. Mohammad Ahmad. A short summary of this paper. Singular subjects take singular verbs: The car stays in the garage.
The flower smells good. Remember this when you match subjects and verbs. You might guess that stays and smells are plural verbs because they end in s. Both stays and smells are singular verbs. RULE 2 — The number of the subject singular or plural is not changed by words that come between the subject and the verb.
One of the eggs is broken. Of the eggs is a prepositional phrase. The subject one and the verb is are both singular. Mentally omit the prepositional phrase to make the subject verb-agreement easier to make. Check your answers on the following page. Your friend talk-talks too much. The man with the roses look-looks like your brother.
The women in the pool swim-swims well. Bill drive-drives a cab. The football players run-runs five miles every day. That red-haired lady in the fur hat live-lives across the street. He cook-cooks dinner for his family. The boys walk-walks to school every day. The weather on the coast appear-appears to be good this weekend. The center on the basketball team bounce-bounces the ball too high. These subjects always take singular verbs: each someone either anyone neither nobody one somebody no one anybody everyone everybody Someone in the game was not were hurt.
Neither of the men is not are working. Most of the news is good. Check your answers on the bottom of this page. Each of the girls look-looks good on skis. Everybody was-were asked to remain quiet. Neither of the men is-are here yet. Is-Are each of the girls ready to leave? Several of the sheep is-are sick. Some members of the faculty is-are present. Nobody in the class has-have the answer.
Each of the girls observe-observes all the regulations. All of the milk is-are gone. Most of the seats was-were taken.
Subjects joined by or or Nor take a verb that agrees with the last subject. Bob and George are leaving. Neither Bob nor George is leaving. Neither Bob nor his friends are leaving. RULE 6 — There and here are never subjects. In sentences that begin with these words, the subject is usually found later on in the sentence. Incorrect- Hari and Ram is here. Correct- Hari and Ram are here.
If two Singular Nouns refer to the same person or thing, the Verb must be Singular. Incorrect- The Secretary and Principal are coming. Correct- The Secretary and Principal is coming. Here the same person is. Secretary as well as Principal. If the Singular Subjects are preceded by each or every, the Verb is usually Singular.
Incorrect- Every boy and girl were ready. Correct- Every boy and girl was ready. Two or more Singular Subjects connected by or, nor, either ….. Incorrect- Neither he nor I were there. Correct- Neither he nor I was there. Correct- Neither the Headmaster nor the Assistant Masters were. When the Subjects joined by or, nor are of different persons, the Verb agrees in person with the one nearest to it. Incorrect- Either he or I is mistaken.
Correct- Either he or I, am mistaken. A Collective Noun takes a Singular Verb when the collection is thought of as a whole, a Plural Verb when the individuals of which it is composed are thought of. Correct- The Council has chosen the President. Correct- The military were called out. Some Nouns which are singular in form but plural in meaning, take a Plural Verb. Incorrect- Mathematics are a branch of study in every school. Correct- Mathematics is a branch of study in every school.
Words joined to a Singular Subject by with, together with, in addition to, or, as well as, etc. Incorrect- The Chief, with all his men, were massacred. When the Subject of the Verb is a Relative Pronoun care should be taken to see that the Verb agrees in Number and Person with the Antecedent of the relative. Incorrect- I, who is your friend,.
Correct- I, who am your friend will guard your interests. Incorrect- He advised to do it by me. Correct- He advised me to do it. Correct- She was permitted to go with him.
Incorrect- I know to write a letter. Correct- I know how to write a letter. After let, bid, behold, watch, see, feel, make etc. Incorrect- I heard him to speak on several subjects. Correct- I heard him speak on several subjects. Bare Infinitive is used after Modal Auxiliaries can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, dare not, need not. Incorrect- You need not to work hard. Correct- You need not work hard. Had better, had rather,had as soon … as … , had sooner etc. Incorrect- He had better to go now.
Correct- He had better go now. Incorrect- He had better read than to write. Correct- He had better read than write. When but is used as a Preposition and preceded by any form of the Verb do, then but is followed with Bare Infinitive. Incorrect- He did nothing but to wander. Correct- He did nothing but wander. Every Participile must have a Subject of Reference.
Incorrect- Being a rainy day Vijay decided to stay at home. Correct- It being a rainy day Vijay decided to stay at home. After should not be used in such a sentence. Incorrect- After the leader having been killed, the followers ran away. Correct- The leader having been killed, the followers ran away.
Participles like considering, judging, referring, concerning, regarding, viewing, broadly speaking etc. Correct — Considering the case, I took the decision. Here I is not a Subject of Reference of considering. When there are two Subjects in a sentence and they are not in the same Number, then we must have to use separate Auxiliaries is, are, am, was, were, have, has for both of them. Incorrect- Three- killed and one were injured.
Correct- Three were killed and one was injured. A single Verb should be made to serve two Subjects, only when the form of Verb is same for both the subjects. Incorrect- I am seventeen years old and my sister fourteen.
Correct- I am seventeen years old and my sister is fourteen. Two auxiliaries can be used with one principal Verb, only when the form of the principal Verb is appropriate to both the auxiliaries. Incorrect- He never has, and never will take such strong measures. Correct- He never has taken, and never will take such strong measures. When there is only one auxiliary to two principal Verbs it should be correctly associated with the both. Incorrect- Ten candidates have passed one failed.
Correct- Ten candidates have passed, one has failed. A Past Tense in the main clause should be followed by a Past Tense in the subordinate clause. Incorrect- He succeeded because he works hard. Correct- He succeeded because he worked hard. A Past Tense in main clause may be followed by a Present Tense. Incorrect- Our teacher said that the earth moved round the sun. Correct- Our teacher said that the earth moves round the sun. Incorrect- We start early lest we shall miss the train. Correct- We start early lest we should miss the train.
This is called the split infinitive. Incorrect- I hoped to immediately reply to your letter:. Correct- I hoped to reply immediately to your letter. Incorrect- I should have liked to have gone-there. Correct- I should have liked to go there. Gerund if preceded by a Pr-o-noun, that Pronoun must be in Possessive case. Incorrect — He emphasised me going there. Correct- He emphasised my go-ing there.
The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used for an action that began in the past time and still. Correct- How long have you been working in this office? A Verb when preceded by a Preposition must be the Gerund. Incorrect- They were punished for come late.
Correct- They were punished for, coming late. The Future Indefinite Tense is not used in the clauses of time, place and condition.
Incorrect- I shall wait for you till you will finish your work. Correct- I shall wait for you, till you finish your work. The Present Perfect Tense is not used with the Adverbs of past time like yesterday, in etc.
Here Past Indefinite Tense is used. Correct-I bought a cycle yesterday. The Past Perfect Tense is used to represent the earlier of the two past actions. Incorrect- When I reached the station, the train already left. Correct- When I reached the station, the train had already left. Modal Auxiliaries are not used together. But two Auxiliaries can be connected by a Conjunction.
Incorrect-He should must do it. Correct- He should and must do. When need or dare is fol-lowed by not, it turns into modal auxiliary. Incorrect- He needs not do it. Correct- He need not do it. Adjectives of quantity show how much of a thing is meant. Adjectives of quantity some; much, little, enough, all, no, any, great, half, sufficient, whole are used for Uncountable Nuns only. Incorrect-I ate a few rice. Correct- I ate some rice. Numeral Adjectives are used for Countable Noun only and they show how many persons or things are meant or in what order a person or thing stands,.
Incorrect- I have taught you little things. Correct- I have taught you a few things. When cardinal and ordinal are used together ordinal preceds the cardinal. Incorrect- The four first boys will be given the chance. Correct- The first four boys will be given the chance. Later, latest refer to time, latter and last refer to position. Incorrect- I reached at 10 am. But he was latter than I expected. Correct- I reached at 10 am.
But he was later than I expected,. Farther means more distant or advanced; further means additional. Incorrect- He insisted on farther improvement. Correct- He insisted on further improvement. Each is used in speaking of two or more things, every is used only in speaking of more than two. Incorrect- Every of the two boys will get a prize. Correct- Each of the two boys will get a prize. To express quantity or degree some is used in affirmative sentences, any in negative or interrogative sentences.
Incorrect- Have you bought some mangoes? Correct- Have you bought any mangoes? In comparing two things, the Comparative should be used, The Superlativ should not be used. Incorrect- Which is the best of the two? Correct- Which is the better of the two? When two qualities of the same person or thing are compared,the Comparative in-er is not used.
Incorrect- He is wiser than brave. Correct- He is more wise than brave. Incorrect- He is cleverer than any boy in the class. Correct- He is cleverer than any other boy in the class. When comparison is made by means of a superlative, the thing com-pared should include the class of things with which it is compared.
Incorrect- He is the strongest of all other men. Correct- He is the strongest of all men.. When two persons or things are compared, it is important that the same parts of things should be compared. Incorrect- The population of Bombay is greater than Delhi. Correct- The population of Bombay is greater than that of Delhi.
Double comparatives and superlatives should not be used. Incorrect- He is the most cleverest boy in the class. Correct- He is the cleverest boy in the class. Incorrect- He is more wiser than his brother.
The comparative Adjectives superior inferior, senior, junior, prior, anterior, posterior prefer, etc. Incorrect- He is senior than me. Incorrect- It is the most unique thing. Correct- It is a unique thing. All the Adjectives which refer to the same Noun should be in the same degree of comparison. Incorrect- He is the wisest and honest worker in the office.
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