20 Rules About Subject-Verb Agreement

20 Rules About Subject-Verb Agreement 20 Rules About Subject-Verb Agreement 20 Rules About Subject-Verb Agreement By Mark Nichol Is, or are? Go, or goes? Whether a verb is singular or plural depends on any one of a complicated set of factors. Here is a roster of rules for subject-verb agreement (or â€Å"Here are some rules . . .†): 1. Use verbs that agree with a subject, not with a noun that is part of a modifying phrase or clause between verb and subject: â€Å"The pot of eggs is boiling on the stove.† 2. Use singular or plural verbs that agree with the subject, not with the complement of the subject: â€Å"My favorite type of movie is comedies,† but â€Å"Comedies are my favorite type of movie.† 3. Use singular verbs with singular indefinite pronouns each, the â€Å"-bodies,† â€Å"-ones,† and â€Å"-things† (anybody, everyone, nothing), and the like: â€Å"Neither is correct.† (And, just as in rule number 1, the presence of a modifier is irrelevant: â€Å"Neither of them is correct.†) 4. Use plural verbs with plural indefinite pronouns: â€Å"Many outcomes are possible.† 5. Use singular verbs with uncountable nouns that follow an indefinite pronoun: â€Å"All the paint is dried up.† 6. Use plural verbs with countable nouns that follow an indefinite pronoun: â€Å"All the nails are spilled on the floor.† 7. Use plural verbs with compound subjects that include and: â€Å"The dog and the cat are outside.† 8. Use plural verbs or singular verbs, depending on the form of the noun nearest the verb, with compound subjects that include nor or or: â€Å"Either the dog or the cats are responsible for the mess.† (â€Å"Either the cats or the dog is responsible for the mess† is also technically correct but is awkward.) 9. Use singular verbs with inverted subjects that include singular nouns: â€Å"Why is my hat outside in the rain?† 10. Use plural verbs with inverted subjects (those beginning with the expletive there rather than the actual subject) that include plural nouns: â€Å"There are several hats outside in the rain.† 11. Use singular or plural verbs with collective nouns depending on meaning: â€Å"His staff is assembled,† but â€Å"Staff are asked to go to the conference room immediately.† (In the first sentence, the emphasis is on the body of employees; in the second sentence, the focus is on compliance by each individual in the body of employees.) 12. Use singular verbs for designations of entities, such as nations or organizations, or compositions, such as books or films: â€Å"The United Nations is headquartered in New York.† 13. Use singular verbs for subjects plural in form but singular in meaning: â€Å"Physics is my favorite subject.† 14. Use singular or plural verbs for subjects plural in form but plural or singular in meaning depending on the context: â€Å"The economics of the situation are complicated,† but â€Å"Economics is a complicated topic.† 15. Use plural verbs for subjects plural in form and meaning: â€Å"The tweezers are in the cupboard.† 16. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form â€Å"one of those (blank) who . . .†: â€Å"I am one of those eccentrics who do not tweet.† 17. Use singular verbs in constructions of the form â€Å"the only one of those (blank) who . . .†: â€Å"I am the only one of my friends who does not tweet.† 18. Use singular verbs in constructions of the form â€Å"the number of (blank) . . .†: â€Å"The number of people here boggles the mind.† 19. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form â€Å"a number of (blank) . . .†: â€Å"A number of people here disagree.† 20. Use singular verbs in construction of the forms â€Å"every (blank) . . .† and â€Å"many a (blank) . . .†: â€Å"Every good boy does fine†; â€Å"Many a true word is spoken in jest.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"Social vs. Societal35 Synonyms for Rain and Snow

Free Essays on Special Education

Special education began in 1965. The involvement of the federal government in education started in 1965 with the movement of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This act set the stage for reserving federal funds for the education of children in the U.S. public elementary and secondary schools. One year after the passing of the ESEA it was amended to the explicitly provide federal support for educating children with disabilities. The ESEA’s Title VI amendment authorized the use of federal funds to assist states in the start, enlargement and improvement of programs to educate children with disabilities. The Civil Rights Movement and the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark decision in Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954 set the extension of legal rights to an education for children with disabilities and their parents. There are two more important cases that helped produce a strong legal and political support for expanding federal oversight of the education of children with disabilities and they are the Pennsylvania for Retarded Children (PARC) vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1968 and Mills vs. Board of Education of the District of Columbia in 1968. The PARC vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania case was because mentally challenged children were being excluded from public schools; the ruling in this case stopped that. The Mills vs. Board of Education of the District of Columbia case was to let children with less severe disabilities enter public schools as well it was an extension of the PARC vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) was signed into law on November 29, 1975 by President Ford. The law was passed by Congress for these three reasons 1. It ensures that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education. 2. It protects the rights students and their parents. 3. It helps states and localities in their efforts to provide such services. The EAH... Free Essays on Special Education Free Essays on Special Education Special education began in 1965. The involvement of the federal government in education started in 1965 with the movement of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This act set the stage for reserving federal funds for the education of children in the U.S. public elementary and secondary schools. One year after the passing of the ESEA it was amended to the explicitly provide federal support for educating children with disabilities. The ESEA’s Title VI amendment authorized the use of federal funds to assist states in the start, enlargement and improvement of programs to educate children with disabilities. The Civil Rights Movement and the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark decision in Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954 set the extension of legal rights to an education for children with disabilities and their parents. There are two more important cases that helped produce a strong legal and political support for expanding federal oversight of the education of children with disabilities and they are the Pennsylvania for Retarded Children (PARC) vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1968 and Mills vs. Board of Education of the District of Columbia in 1968. The PARC vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania case was because mentally challenged children were being excluded from public schools; the ruling in this case stopped that. The Mills vs. Board of Education of the District of Columbia case was to let children with less severe disabilities enter public schools as well it was an extension of the PARC vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) was signed into law on November 29, 1975 by President Ford. The law was passed by Congress for these three reasons 1. It ensures that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education. 2. It protects the rights students and their parents. 3. It helps states and localities in their efforts to provide such services. The EAH...