Subject/Verb Agreement Review and Final Practice

In our discussion of SUBJECT-VERB agreement, we have learned how to achieve agreement in the following cases:

 1. When we have compound subjects linked using the words and and or (nor).

 2. When the subject and the verb are widely separated.

 3. When the subject is formed using indefinite pronouns.

 4. When collective nouns form the subject.

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Exercise: Keeping the above rules in mind, correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following paragraph. Keep in mind that you may come across a case that we have not covered. Even so, using the knowledge you’ve gained, make an educated attempt to correct all agreement problems.

There’s many good reasons for staying fit. The loss of strength, flexibility, and endurance that result from lack of exercise are very compelling factors, but everyone who joins the many health clubs in this city have individual reasons as well. The people I talk with says appearance or weight loss are their big motivation for working out. No one among the two hundred patrons of a local health club were there for the social aspects of the place, according to my poll. Either daily aerobics or weightlifting was what they wanted from their club, and the intensity of the workouts were clear evidence that they were serious. The manager of the club, along with all the members of his staff, were very careful to point out that supervised exercise is essential for best results, but neither he nor his workers was in favour of fad diets or sweat programs.

Run on Sentences and Comma splices: Part Two

Now that you recognize RUN-ONS and COMMA SPLICES, it is important to know how to correct them.

There are three methods of correction.

METHOD 1: Connect two independent clauses with a comma plus one of these coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, yet, so.

eg.   faulty: Students write papers, professors correct them.

revised: Students write papers, and professors correct them.

faulty: The men cooked dinner, the women mixed the drinks.

revised: The men cooked dinner, so the women mixed the drinks.

EXERCISE:

Change each of the following into a complete and correct sentence by placing a comma plus a conjunction where necessary.

1. It was my mom’s birthday, I called her on the phone.

2. Going out to dinner is fun it is expensive.

3. She is my roommate we split all the bills.

4. We found some shells on the beach they were beautiful.

5. I’m not sure I understand it completely I like it.

METHOD 2: Separate two independent clauses with a semicolon or a period.

eg.   faulty: Students write papers, professors correct them.

revised: Students write papers; professors correct them.

faulty: The men cooked dinner, the women mixed the drinks.

revised: The men cooked dinner. The women mixed the drinks.

In addition, connecting words such as however, therefore, consequently, nevertheless, likewise, besides, also, then, furthermore should be used after the semicolon or period–but not a comma. Because these are strong words, they should be followed by a comma. The word then is an exception; it does not generally take a comma.

eg.   – Students write papers; then professors correct them.

- The men cooked dinner; therefore, the women mixed the drinks.

- The train stops here. However, it is always late.

- I hope the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup. Nevertheless,they have a way to go yet.

EXERCISE:

Correct each of the following by placing a semicolon or period between the independent clauses. Add commas where they are needed.

1. I received the most votes therefore I was elected.

2. I want to visit him however I am not feeling well.

3. The play was a comedy, it was very funny.

4. You want your freedom nevertheless you will have to get a

job.

5. She must be out of town otherwise she would be here.

6. First we eat dinner, then we have dessert.

METHOD 3. Change one of the independent clauses into a dependent clause.

This can be done using one of the CONDITIONAL WORDS we discussed earlier.

** Remember, when a dependent clause comes at the beginning of a sentence, it is followed by a comma.

eg.   faulty: Students write papers, professors correct them.

revised: When students write papers, professors correct them.

faulty: The train stops here, it is always late.

revised: The train stops here although it is always late.

EXERCISE

Each of the following contains two independent clauses. Correct the sentence by making one of them into a dependent clause.

1. We went to the museum, Bob went to the ball game.

2. You are my sister I love you.

3. I don’t like crowds, I enjoy going to the beach.

4. The temperature dropped it started to rain.

5. I get my change, I look for a penny.

6. You were gone the plumber came.

Subject-Verb Agreement Part Three

In our discussion of SUBJECT-VERB agreement, we have learned how to achieve agreement in the following cases:

1. When we have compound subjects linked using the words and and or (nor).

2. When the subject and the verb are widely separated.

3. When the subject is formed using indefinite pronouns.

4. When collective nouns form the subject.

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Exercise: Keeping the above rules in mind, correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following paragraph. Keep in mind that you may come across a case that we have not covered. Even so, using the knowledge you’ve gained, make an educated attempt to correct all agreement problems.

There’s many good reasons for staying fit. The loss of strength, flexibility, and endurance that

result from lack of exercise are very compelling factors, but everyone who joins the many

health clubs in this city have individual reasons as well. The people I talk with says appearance

or weight loss are their big motivation for working out. No one among the two hundred patrons

of a local health club were there for the social aspects of the place, according to my poll. Either

daily aerobics or weightlifting was what they wanted from their club, and the intensity of the

workouts were clear evidence that they were serious. The manager of the club, along with all the

members of his staff, were very careful to point out that supervised exercise is essential for best

results, but neither he nor his workers was in favour of fad diets or sweat programs.

Subject/Verb Agreement Part Three

C) WATCH OUT FOR INDEFINITE PRONOUNS:

Words such as each, neither, anyone, everyone, no one, none, everybody, nobody–each of these is (not are) singular in idea, even though each refers to someone or something singled out from a crowd. These words are ALWAYS singular. Give all of them singular verbs. For example:

- Everybody here wants to learn more about grammar.

- No one from England drives on the right side of the road. (we hope)

Note, however, that the following pronouns–all, some, most, any, more–may be singular or plural, depending on the meaning of the sentence. For example:

- Most of the players are injured. (plural)

- All of the hem is torn.          (singular)

D) COLLECTIVE NOUNS:

Collective nouns have a singular form and refer to a group of people or things. The following are examples of collective nouns:

audience, class, majority, committee, family, faculty, crew, team, jury.

i) Collective nouns take a singular verb when the noun refers to the group as a single unit.

My baseball team is still in contention for the playoffs.

ii) Collective nouns, however, take a plural verb when the noun refers to the members of the group functioning individually.

The team have agreed among themselves to go on strike.

If, however, you find this last example awkward, add an extra word to make things easier for yourself. For example:

The team members have agreed among themselves to go on strike.

Practice

1. All of the figure skaters (glide/glides) smoothly across the ice.

2. Everybody on the fourth and fifth floors (was/were) questioned by the police inspector.

3. Everyone, including the servants of the house, (believe/believes) the butler did it.

4. The nuclear family (is/are) the fundamental unit of society.

5. Your department (pride/prides) itself on a high degree of efficiency.

6. The budget committee (fight/fights) among themselves continually.

To be continued…

Rules of Subject Verb Agreement Part 2

B) SUBJECT AND VERB WIDELY SEPARATED

When there are words or phrases in between the subject and the verb, the reader can be fooled into believing the extra words change the verb. Look at the example.

- (Faulty)  The wall, as well as the floors, need repair.

- (Revised) The wall, as well as the floors, needs repair.

 

- (Faulty)  The attention of the students wander out the window.

- (Revised) The attention of the students wanders out the

window.

In such cases, you must watch out for the plural constructions that might fall between your singular subject and its verb. The words floors and students are plural, but are not subjects in the above sentences. These “in-between” words simply tell about or describe the subject.

Exercise, Part A and B): Circle the correct verb, and underline the subject of the sentence. Explain your choice.

1. Romantic prose and science Fiction (is/are) forms of creative writing.

 

2. Getting new blue jeans, sporty shirts, or a new binder (make/makes) you happy.

 

3. The construction company informed me that neither it nor its representative (is/are) responsible for the damage to your basement.

 

4. Alistair MacLeod, like many contemporary Canadian authors, (write/writes) stories with timeless themes.

 

5. The whole vacation package, including flight, hotel, and the rental car, (is/are) too expensive for me.

 

To be continued…

Rules of Subject/Verb Agreement Part 1

Subject-Verb AGREEMENT

Agreement means “correspondence.”  Your sentences will express harmony if there is a proper relationship between subjects and verbs.

Lack of Harmony between subject and verb:

Sarah read the newspaper at night.     or…

New York are huge cities.

Harmony between subject and verb:

Many people read the newspaper at night.   or…

New York and Chicago are huge cities.

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Rule for subject-verb agreement: a verb should always agree with its subject in number. That is, a singular subject requires a singular verb, and a plural subject requires a plural verb.

 Singular subject and verb: Green ink is often difficult to read.

Plural subject and verb: The desks are highly polished.

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There are, however, several cases when you must take special care to achieve agreement !

A) COMPOUND SUBJECTS

A compound subject is formed by two or more words, phrases, or clauses joined by and and or (nor).

i) If the parts of a compound subject are linked by and, the verb is plural.

- The lioness and her cub share a close bond. (1+1 = 2)

ii) Singular subjects linked by or take a singular verb.

- Either  Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson was chosen the most

valuable player to his team. (Only one person can be MVP)

iii) However, plural subjects linked by or take a plural verb.

- Neither alligators nor crocodiles make good pets.

(Even if we’re talking only about the alligators, we still have more than one alligator to consider.)

* This is the special rule to remember because this is where most errors are made.

*iv) Finally, when a plural subject and a singular subject are joined by or (nor), the verb agrees with the nearer subject.

- The heat or predators pose a threat to newborn lion cubs.

(sing.)    (plur.)   (plur.)

- The predators or heat poses a threat to newborn lion cubs.

(plur.)               (sing.)  (sing.)

PRACTICE: Now you take and apply these rules to the brief exercise below.

If you are not sure you are correct, please contact me with your answers.

1. Canadian and British (is/are) types of great literature.

2. Bunches of red roses, tender heart felt letters and an unexpected phone call,  (make/makes) her cry.

3. The insurance company informed me that neither it nor its representative (is/are) responsible for the damage to my car.

4. Alistair MacLeod, like many contemporary Canadian authors, (write/writes) novels with intricate themes.

5. The whole vacation package, including air fare, hotel accommodations, and food, (is/are) too expensive for me.

We will stop here but continue with short practical lessons to help you improve your mechanical marks.

How to improve your grade on the next paper

You have received feed back from your first assignment. Maybe your mark wasn’t as high as you hoped it would be. There are comments on the paper but maybe you don’t really understand them. This is what you should do:

1. Make a list of all the errors indicated on your paper.

2. Use your Grammar handbook (Checkmate or The Little Brown Handbook from FAW 1 and 2) to look up the errors. You can also read ahead to lession 11 in the Course Guide and use the index at the back of the Student Writer for information.

You are welcome to use an excellent free resource from McGraw Hill called CATALYST.

It has several modules about writing, research, grammar and punctuation help etc.

Type in www,mhhe.com/tsw

You will see your textbook The Student Writer title on this page.

In the center of the page you will see the Catalyst Link.

Click on it.

There are 4 modules. The last one deals with grammar and punctuation.

I highly recommend that you take advantage of this resource. Also I would like feedback from any of you using this product Top of Form.

3. The good thing about CATAYLST is that there are practice exercises you can do to help you learn the proper use of grammar and punctuation. You can see your score and know where you need extra help.

4. If you have done all of the above and you do not understand how to correct the error – contact me or somebody at the Academic Writing Centre (University of Windsor) or Learning Commons (St. Clair College)

5.Give yourself a day or two extra before having to hand in the paper. Don’t wait until the last minute. Finish the paper and give yourself at least an hour before you proof read. It would be best to give yourself a day or two.

6. Do more than one proof reading of the paper. Proof read first for content. Do you have 3 solid points for your thesis? Does each point have 3 proofs?

7. Proofread for style. Do the sentences flow well? Do you use transitional words and phrases to guide the reader through the paper? Do you vary the sentence style?

8. Proof read for grammar and punctuation. Look at the list of errors you made last paper. Search the paper specifically looking for those same errors.

9. It is always a good idea to get a friend to proof read your paper. It would be good to give that friend a list of possible errors to be on the look out for – those errors you made on your last paper.

Take strategic steps to correct the errors you made on the first paper. Give it your best effort. We will look at specific common errors and how to avoid them in other sessions.

 

 

Aim for an A and obtain it!

For both my St. Clair College and University of Windsor students, this week launched a new semester. Some students have a really demanding schedule – going to school year round taking a full course load. Others are doing just one course so that it will lighten their load in the Fall semester.

Many students must balance school with work. Not many students are independently wealthy. Tuition and books are expensive. Some students are married and have children; even the single students would like to have some type of family and social life. Is it possible to juggle all these things together and be successful in all of them?

YES! You can aim for the high grades and achieve them. Here are some tips to doing your first assignment for me. Although the contexts are different, technical writing or essay writing, the steps are the same.

1. Read the question asked of you and highlight it. Analyze the wording of the question to see if there is more than one part. Understanding what you are doing is really important. If you  do not read all the words in the question, you will not answer completely.

2. Look at the template shown to you. Did you follow it exactly? If it says single space – then single space. If it says double space then double space. Do you have a proper introductory sentence in your cover letter or memo ? Do you have a proper good will close: give thanks (to your proof reader or to your instructor) and give your school email and phone number. If you leave any of this out – you will lose marks.

Put your initials. Are there any enclosures? Remember to copy to file – copy: file

my page would look like this:

CL

Enclosure:1

Copy: file

3. Do NOT wait until the last minute to hand in your assignment. Get it done early so you can have a chance to proof read it. Leave some time between proof reading and editing. The experts recommend about 3 days – Ms. Legebow realizes that this may not be possible with your schedule – and even 1 hour would make a difference.

4. Get a peer proof read for you. Someone else might catch the errors you do not.

5. Be sure your name and student number is clear on the assignment as well as the course code. If there is a title page for the assignment – follow the template exactly as shown.

Doing these things will give you a good start to aiming for your higher grades and achieving them. Give it your best! Aim for an A and achieve it!

Near The Ending of Another Semester: Inventory

The ending of a semester means many things to teachers and students. To students it means, looking for a job, or planning on working more hours or having more free time. To teachers it means we need to either mark more assignments or mark final tests or exams. In my writing classes, we don’t have exams – so nearing the end of the semester means marking of final assignments and calculating final grades. This is a routine process and brings familiar thoughts and emotions.

THE GRADES YOU HAVE EARNED

Some students have done excellently and achieved their goals of the A range. Some have tried their hardest and achieved B’s or C’s. If they gave it their best effort, I am glad they were able to achieve their personal best.

The student who gets an F is usually someone who did not attend class and did not submit assignments. Rarely does someone try his/her best and achieve an F. If the teacher did not believe you could pass the course, he/she would have recommended that you drop the course. If you stayed but were recommended to drop, you did not choose wisely. The teacher would only recommend that you drop, if he/she knew the work was not at appropriate level.

STUDENTS THAT FAIL

There are a number of students that simply stop attending classes and/or stop submitting assignments. As I record their marks, sometimes I try to remember what they look like. Did they ever attend classes? Or the distance education students – did they ever email me and ask for help or use our discussion board or the chat? Sure enough, there are some who attended class once or twice and stopped coming after that. Did they ever tell me why they stopped attending? What, if anything, could I have done to reach out to them?

THE NO RECORD STUDENTS

There are some students who have never attended a single class or handed in a single assignment. Perhaps they did not know they had to fill out an add/drop form. They will have a permanent F on their grades unless they actually take the class again and pass it.

TAKE INVENTORY

Where are you at with the courses you have taken? Have you given your best effort? Have you achieved the grades that you have wanted to earn? Did you achieve your goals? What could you or should you have done?What can you do to improve for the next semester. I mean actually write a couple of things down. It would be wise to keep a journal of your lives – but especially of your goals. Experts say that about only 10% of the people actually write down their goals – but listen – of those people who write down their goals over 90% achieve them. Writing your goals helps you to focus and to aim for something.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Now that the term is ending, what important parts of the courses should you keep? I mean what textbooks can help you in future studies? Handbooks in English usually will help you not only now but in your future. You will have to do some form of writing in your life and it would be wise to have a professional library of important books that can help you. What assignments or notes should you keep? I mean literally keep copies of some assignments in digital form – no not to reuse the – that would be plagiarism. The purpose would be, just in case you have to write that type of paper or report in the future, you will have a good copy to follow. You will have an example.

Did the professor know your name? Did he/she give you a good mark? Perhaps you should ask if you could use him/her as a reference. An A in English means that teacher can say some pretty complimentary things about you. Excellence in English and Business or Technical Communications is highly regarded by any employer.

ONE LAST THING

The semester is almost over. If you haven’t yet given your best effort – try it now. Turn in those last assignments and start writing goals and targets for your future studies. All the best to you!

A New Semester Begins

It is the start of a new year. For most of us, that means the start of a new semester and further study. We start brand new. We have a chance to aim for and attain the highest grades. Here are some tips to get you started on the right track.

1. Buy your textbooks. You can not get by without them. Even if you have to borrow money for the books or share a book with a friend, buy the book. The lessons and assignments depend on them. Examples of excellent writing are in those books.

2. If a computer program comes with the book, use it. Get logged into the account within the first week of school. There are examples, exercises, rules and tips in these computer programs. Use them to their maximum advantage.

3. Sit in a spot in your class room so that you will not be distracted. To some this means sitting in the front row. If it is a distance class, look up your professor’s on line office hours and put this information in a prominent place so you can ask questions and get help throughout the semester.

4. Get the teacher to know your name. In large classes, this is somewhat more challenging. In distance education classes this comes through on line participation. Ask questions if you are unsure and make comments appropriately. The questions you have and might be afraid to ask are probably the same questions that many other people have. Participate.

5. Go to the lectures and the labs. Use your time wisely. Skipping a 3 hour class, puts you way behind. It is hard to catch up. Go to class with paper and pens or computer. Expect to learn something new each class. Use your lab time starting the assignments and completing the work required of you. If it is a distance class, do the readings and the exercises as is suggested in the overall plan. If you fail to do the reading, you will not be able to do the assignments properly. The exercises help you understand what you are learning and help measure your success.

6. Use an agenda. Most schools give you an agenda in September or at the start of a semester. Write all the due dates for all your major projects and your test dates into the agenda. Many of you can use the calender feature on your phone to do the same thing. This will help you so that you do not over commit at work or to friends and family. Follow your agenda.

7. Use time in between classes wisely. Use it to study or read the chapters or do your homework. Social life is really important, but you are attending post secondary education to help launch your career. School should be your first priority. If you are in distance education, use your time between assignments wisely. Do the readings and reread past papers and comments on them to help you improve.

These are just some ideas to get you started. The sky is the limit. No matter how you did in your classes last semester, you have a new chance to excel. Go for excellence and perhaps it just might land you a scholarship next year!

It is Mid Semester: Are you on track?

This message is for my St. Clair College and University of Windsor students and any other students who are reading. It is mid semester.  Are you track for doing well in your studies? Are you succeeding or merely passing or worse?

There are many students who are 100% on track with their writing assignments and exercises and studies for my classes and all their other classes. To you I say “Bravo. Keep up the good work. Press on and do your best until you receive your A.”

There are others of you who are merely passing or worse are failing. Some of you have let things get away from you. You are learning time management because you are juggling work, school, a family and social life.  Settle it in your mind that you want to pass and achieve the highest grade possible. Set up a schedule for homework and assignments. You may have to reschedule your work life so that you have more time to do school assignments.

Are you behind in your studies? Have you scored poorly on one or more writing assignments? It is not too late. You should not give up. Now is your chance to get back on track. Speak with your professor and explain your situation. Tell the truth. If you are honest, chances are the professor will give you a chance to hand in assignments and pass. If you put it off, it could mean your failure.

Unless you have handed in nothing and/ or failed everything thus far, you have a chance of passing. Plan a schedule of how you will catch up your assignments. Present your plan to your teacher. This shows you are serious about putting forth your best effort.

Writing Aids

To improve in mechanics, do the following:

Make a list of your errors as indicated on your assignment, such as comma splice, spelling, pronoun agreement etc.

Use your computer program or the internet search engines to look up the rules for these errors and how to eliminate them. Do the exercises recommended in your computer program. Ask your professor if you do not understand how to make the correction.

 

CATALYST is an excellent program covering all aspects of writing. I especially recommend it for help with grammar and punctuation. The link is here:

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/classware/infoCenter.do?isbn=0073259381

All the best to you in your studies!

 

 

Writers Wanted: St. Clair College and University of Windsor Students and/or Alumni

Do you have a collection of poems or song lyrics that you want to share?

Are you a writer of short stories or prose?

Do you have an excellent essay, report or article that you have written?

October 20, 2010 is National Writing Day and the National Council of Teachers of English is hosting a writing gallery.

I have opened a gallery to showcase excellent work by my University of Windsor and St. Clair College students.

Don’t be bashful. Submit your work. Do it in one upload. The only restrictions is that it must be family rated. That is no vulgarity, explicit sex or prejudice. You can hand in more than one piece – but they have to be grouped together into one document.
The unique URL (web address) for your local gallery is: http://galleryofwriting.org/galleries/2349543

Gallery Title: St. Clair College and University of Windsor

Gallery Description: Writing from St Clair College and University of Windsor Students and Alumni:Business Writing samples; Technical Writing Samples; Essays; Poetry, Prose; Song Lyrics; Poetry; Proverbs – all types of writing are wanted! This is the place to showcase your best writing!