Download MBUPLOAD-6704-1-Agreement_Shifts_and_Predication

Agreement,
Shifts, & Predication
The subject and verb must agree in number: both must be singular, or both
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must be plural
• Problems occur in the present tense because one must
add an -s or -es at the end of the verb when the subjects
or the entity performing the action is a singular third
person: he, she, it, or words for which these pronouns
could substitute.
• Notice the difference between singular and plural forms
in the following examples:
• Singular
• Plural
• The student sings. (He or she sings)Your children sing.
(They sing)The bird does migrate. (It does) Those birds
do migrate. (They do)
You will not find the subject in a modifying phrase (MP), a phrase that starts with a preposition, or a
relative pronoun [and that modifies the meaning of the noun or subject under discussion].
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The group of students is going on a field trip.
Subject: the group
MP: of students
Verb: is
The survey covering seven colleges reveals a growth in enrollment.
Subject: the survey
MP: covering seven colleges
Verb: reveals
The speaker whom you saw at the lecture is one of the state
senators from Minnesota.
• Subject: the speaker
• MP: whom you saw at the lecture
• Verb: is
plural
• If subjects are joined by and, they are
considered plural.
• The quarterback and the coach are having
a conference.
• Subject: the quarterback and the coach
• Verb: are having
If subjects are joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the
closer subject.
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Either the actors or the director is at fault.
Subjects: actors, director
Verb: is
Either the director or the actors are at
fault.
• Subjects: director, actors
• Verb: are
Indefinite pronouns (someone, somebody, each, either one, everyone, or anyone) are considered singular and
need singular verbs although they convey plural meaning.
• Anyone who wants to pursue higher education
has to pass entrance exams.
• Subject: anyone
• Verbs: wants, has
• Everyone on the committee is welcome to
express his/her ideas.
• Subject: everyone
• Verb: is
A few nouns can be either plural or singular, depending on whether they mean a
group or separate individuals. These words are rarely used as plurals in modern
writing.
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The jury is sequestered.
Subject: jury
Verb: is
The jury are having an argument.
Subject: jury
Verb: are having
HOMEWORK
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STUDY
About
“COLLECTIVE NOUNS”
and
Agreement!
More at
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http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/subverag.html
Using Pronouns Clearly
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Using Pronouns Clearly
Because a pronoun REFERS BACK to a noun or TAKES THE PLACE OF that noun,
you have to use the correct pronoun so that your reader clearly understands which
noun your pronoun is referring to.
Therefore, pronouns should:
1. AGREE in NUMBER
If the pronoun takes the place of a singular noun, you have to use a singular pronoun.
If a student parks a car on campus, he or she has to buy a parking sticker.
(NOT: If a student parks a car on campus, they have to buy a parking sticker.)
REMEMBER: The words EVERYBODY, ANYBODY, ANYONE, EACH, NEITHER,
NOBODY, SOMEONE, A PERSON, etc. are singular and take singular pronouns.
Everybody ought to do his or her best. (NOT: their best)
Neither of the girls brought her umbrella. (NOT: their umbrellas)
NOTE: Many people find the construction "his or her" wordy, so if it is possible to use
a plural noun as your antecedent so that you can use "they" as your pronoun, it may
be wise to do so. If you do use a singular noun and the context makes the gender
clear, then it is permissible to use just "his" or "her" rather than "his or her." See our
handout on Non-sexist Language for more information.
Using pronouns clearly
continued
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2. AGREE in PERSON
If you are writing in the "first person" ( I), don't confuse your reader by switching to the
"second person" ( you) or "third person" (he, she, they, it, etc.). Similarly, if you are
using the "second person," don't switch to "first" or "third."
When a person comes to class, he or she should have his or her homework ready.
(NOT: When a person comes to class, you should have your homework ready.)
3. REFER CLEARLY to a specific noun.
Don't be vague or ambiguous.
NOT: Although the motorcycle hit the tree, it was not damaged. (Is "it" the motorcycle
or the tree?)
NOT: I don't think they should show violence on TV. (Who are "they"?)
NOT: Vacation is coming soon, which is nice. (What is nice, the vacation or the fact
that it is coming soon?)
NOT: George worked in a national forest last summer. This may be his life's work.
(What word does "this" refer to?)
NOT: If you put this sheet in your notebook, you can refer to it. (What does "it" refer
to, the sheet or your notebook?)
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/collectivenoun.htm
The Collective Noun
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Recognize a collective noun when you see one.
Nouns name people, places, and things. Collective nouns, a special class, name groups [things]
composed of members [usually people]. Check out the chart below:
army
audience
board
cabinet
class
committee
company
corporationcouncil
department
faculty
family
firm
group
jury
majorityminority
navy
public
school
senate
society
team
troupe
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/collectivenoun.htm
Use correct verbs and pronouns with collective nouns.
• COLLECTIVE NOUNS are nouns designating a class or group
of individual persons or things, all of them members of that
class or group (such as class, flock, group, herd, team,
committee, bunch, and cluster).
• These nouns are distinctive as subjects because they can take
either singular or plural verbs and subsequent pronouns:
• The committee votes on its procedures tomorrow or The
committee vote on their procedures tomorrow.
• These collectives are interesting too in that they can also be
inflected for the plural to designate more than one such group
of similar individuals or things; then they always take plural
verbs.
Consistency of
Tense and Pronoun
Reference
• Verb Tense Consistency
• Study
• At
• http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/consistency.htm
• TO STUDY
• Error #10
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http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/everyday_writer3e/20errors/10.html
• And
• Please review the
• MOST COMMON ERRORS at
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http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/everyday_writer3e/20errors/2.html
Predication
• A subject (hupokeimenon)
• is what a statement is about.
• A predicate (katêgoroumenon)
• is what a statement says about its subject.
Predication
• Faulty predication occurs when a sentence’s
subject and predicate do not make sense
together, and this problem can certainly create
headaches and confusion for readers. In other
words, the sentence’s subject cannot carry out
the activity that the sentence’s verb describes, or
the subject can’t be described by the verb.
Here’s an example of faulty predication:
• The purpose of the book persuades readers to
get involved in community service.
The purpose of the book persuades readers to get involved
in community service.
• In the sentence above, the subject is
“purpose.” However, the purpose itself
cannot “persuade,” as the verb in this
sentence states. In other words, a
purpose is not capable of the perceptive
act of persuading. This faulty predication
can be easily revised so that the subject
and verb are relevant to each other:
revision
• The author of the book persuades readers
to get involved in community service.
• In the revised sentence, the subject is
“author,” and the verb is “persuades.” An
author can certainly attempt to persuade
his or her readers.
Here’s another demonstration of faulty predication:
• The organization believes that more grant
proposals must be written as soon as
possible.
The organization believes that more grant proposals must be written as
soon as possible.
• This sentence indicates that the
organization believes, but an organization
cannot do such a thing—only people can
believe. A revised version of this sentence
may look similar to this one:
• The organization’s board members believe
that more grant proposals must be written
as soon as possible.
The revised sentence shows that the board members, who
are indeed people, believe.
Also among faulty predication errors are
those involving the use of is where and is
when. Here are some examples of these
phrases used incorrectly:
A vacation is where people get away from
school and/or work to relax.
faulty use of “is where”
• A vacation is where people get away from school and/or
work to relax.
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• A simile is when a comparison includes the words “like”
or “as.”
• The first example contains a faulty use of is where.
Vacation is not technically a specific place. The second
example illustrates incorrect use of is when. A simile is
not a time. Like other types of faulty predication, these
errors can be corrected painlessly:
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• A vacation is a break people take to get away from
school and/or work.
simile
• A simile is a comparison that includes the words
“like” or “as.”
• Another member of the bothersome faulty
predication family is the erroneous use of the
reason is because. Take a look at the following
case in point:
• The reason the team lost the game is because
they were missing their key players.
because
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The reason the team lost the game is because they were missing their key players.
The sentence above demonstrates the redundancy of the use of the reason is because. The
reason and is because essentially mean the same thing—both phrases describe the cause.
The reason is because is also incorrect because the subject “reason” is a noun, and the verb “is”
requires another noun or an adjective in order to complete the predicate (the part of the sentence
that discusses the subject). Basically, “reason” needs a subject complement. Here’s where the
additional noun or the adjective can come into play.
The reason is ______________. (Insert a noun or adjective here.)
The reason is a lack of talented players. (“Lack of talented players” is a noun phrase).
The reason is obvious. (“Obvious” is an adjective.)
“Because” is a subordinating conjunction, not a noun or an adjective; therefore, it cannot be
the subject complement that “is” requires.
Fortunately, this problem, like the preceding ones, can be fixed quite easily:
Fortunately, this problem, like the preceding ones, can be fixed quite easily:
• The reason the team lost the game is that they were missing their
key players.
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• The team lost the game because they were missing their key
players.
• As seen in the sentences above, there is more than one way to
eliminate the unnecessary repetition found in the reason is because.
Note that most other types of faulty predication can also be
remedied in more than one way—there is no one correct solution for
these issues.
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You can test your understanding of this handout by completing Academic Center exercises available here.
Sentence Patterns
&
Predication
• Subject+ Verb (transitive)+ Direct Object (noun)
• Subject+ Linking Verb (intransitive)+ Complement (adjective or noun)
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INCORRECT
The reason is because …
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CORRECT:
The reason is that …
See your text
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For elaboration on
AGREEMENT
SHIFTS in REFERENCE & NUMBER
And
FAULTY PREDICATION
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