Download Page 3 Compound Subjects *Subjects joined by and take a plural

Page 3
Compound Subjects
*Subjects joined by and take a plural verb.
EXAMPLE: A horse and an elephant are mammals.
Hannah and Dot have been friends for years.
*Singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb.
EXAMPLE: A jacket or sweater is warm enough at night.
Neither the coach nor the trainer was sure of the starting
time.
*When a singular and a plural subject are joined by or or no, the verb agrees with
the nearer subject.
EXAMPLE: Either the singer or the musicians are off-key.
EXERCISE D: Number your paper 1-5. Read each of the following sentences. If
the verb aggress with its subject, write CORRECT. If the verb does not agree,
write the correct form of the verb.
1. One of the most precious resources in the nation is water.
2. The abundance and use of water vary greatly among the regions of the
United States.
3. The water supply for all the states come from either surface water or
underground water.
4. Unfortunately, neither overuse nor contamination of water supplies has
stopped completely.
5. Not one of the water sources are free from pollution.
*When the subject follows the verb, as in questions and in sentences beginning
with here and there, be careful to determine the subject and make sure that the
verb agrees with it.
EXAMPLE: How are Al and Roberta feeling?
There are seven vegetables in the salad.
*Collective nouns may be either singular or plural. A collective noun names a
group: crowd, committee, jury, class. It takes a plural verb when the speaker is
thinking of the individual members of the group; it takes a singular verb when the
speaker is thinking of the group as a unit.
EXAMPLE: The audience were entering the theater.
The audience was one of the best.
The team has won the semifinals.
The team have voted eighteen to three to buy new uniforms.
*Expressions stating amount (time, money, measurement, weight, volume,
fractions) are usually singular when the amount is considered as a unit.
EXAMPLE: Five years has been a long time to wait.
Twenty pounds seems a lot to gain in a month.
*However , when the amount is considered as a number of separate units, a plural
verb is used.
EXAMPLE: There are thirteen days left in the month.
The last six miles were the most scenic.
*A few nouns, such as mumps, measles, civics, economics, mathematics, physics,
although in plural form, take a singular verb.
EXAMPLE: The mumps usually lasts three days.
Nuclear physics is a controversial branch of science.
*Every or many a before a word or series of words is followed by a singular verb.
EXAMPLE: Every waitress, busboy, and cashier was pleased with the new
schedule.
Many a young runner finishes the grueling race in less than
five hours.
*Don’t and doesn’t must agree with their subject.
EXAMPLE: I don’t like her painting.
You don’t talk too much.
It [He, She, This] doesn’t work anymore.
They don’t agree.
*In formal English, verbs in clauses that follow one of those are almost always
plural.
EXAMPLE: This is one of those assignments that require research in the
library.
*The word number when followed by the word of is singular when preceded by
the; it is plural when preceded by a.
EXAMPLE: The number of volunteers is surprising.
A number of volunteers are signing up right now.
Complete Exercise #4-5