by Donna | Apr 20, 2013
Intervening Material–Material that is surrounded
by commas (or followed by a comma if used as an
opener) and can be “plucked out” of a sentence
without harming the “realness” of the sentence.
How can you determine subject-verb agreement when “intervening material” is present. First of all, you have to determine if the info is really “intervening material” or is absolutely needed for the sentence. I tell my students that if it is surrounded by commas (or should be!), it usually means that it is “dropped into the sentence” and can be “plucked out” without harming the “realness” of the sentence.
Thus, place mental parenthesis around this intervening material (especially prepositional phrases) and match your verb with the remaining subject (ignoring the intervening material).
1. She, along with others, was coming for dinner.
1. SHE, (along with others), WAS coming for dinner.
2. They, with their dog, are going to be here at ten.
2. THEY, (with their dog), ARE going to be here at ten.
3. One person, out of all ten, seems to care.
3. ONE PERSON, (out of all ten), SEEMS to care.
This is hard to do–and at times the sentence will sound incorrect. However, it is the proper way to reconcile subject-verb agreement with intervening material.
Have a “good grammar” day! 🙂
by Donna | Mar 8, 2011
You have been learning the characteristics of a subject and a verb. There are unique subjects, however, as well as unique verbs.
You have already learned that the sentence’s main subject has the following characteristics:
- It is usually in the first part of the
sentence (the subject part of the sentence as opposed to the predicate part).
- It is usually a noun or pronoun.
- It is the word that the whole sentence is about.
- It is the word that tells who or what did the verb.
However, what do you do if a sentence does not appear to contain a subject?
For example, what is the subject in this “sentence”:
Learn your subjects well.
In the sentence that you examined above, it looks like there is no subject!
In this sentence, the subject is you! The sentence is really saying You learn your subjects well.
Sometimes sentences that are direct commands or parts of conversations do not have a subject written down, but the writer intends for the subject to be an understood you.
This is called the understood subject.
Sentences with understood subjects have the following characteristics:
1. They do not have the subject
written. Examples:
1) Do not forget to write to Grandma.
a) Who should not forget?
b) You
2) Try to be a light in your home.
a) Who should try to be a light?
b) You!
2. They are often commands of some type. For
example: Get off the furniture!
3. They usually begin with the verb of the
sentence: Water the plants.
4. Sometimes they can begin with adverbs:
Carefully water the plants.
by Donna | Mar 6, 2011
You have been learning the characteristics of a subject and a verb. There are unique subjects, however, as well as unique verbs.
You have already learned that the sentence’s main subject has the following characteristics:
- It is usually in the first part of the
sentence (the subject part of the sentence as opposed to the predicate part).
- It is usually a noun or pronoun.
- It is the word that the whole sentence is about.
- It is the word that tells who or what did the verb.
However, what do you do if a sentence does not appear to contain a subject?
For example, what is the subject in this “sentence”:
Learn your subjects well.
In the sentence that you examined above, it looks like there is no subject!
In this sentence, the subject is you! The sentence is really saying You learn your subjects well.
Sometimes sentences that are direct commands or parts of conversations do not have a subject written down, but the writer intends for the subject to be an understood you.
This is called the understood subject.
Sentences with understood subjects have the following characteristics:
1. They do not have the subject
written. Examples:
1) Do not forget to write to Grandma.
a) Who should not forget?
b) You
2) Try to be a light in your home.
a) Who should try to be a light?
b) You!
2. They are often commands of some type. For
example: Get off the furniture!
3. They usually begin with the verb of the
sentence: Water the plants.
4. Sometimes they can begin with adverbs:
Carefully water the plants.
by Donna | Mar 3, 2011
Find the action verbs (those that are infinitives—to plus a verb and those that are action verbs without to. Remember—a sentence can have many action verbs throughout it.
- Joshua and Jonathan drove to the church early, opened the doors, and began shooting hoops.
- Ray went to work early since he wanted to be home in time to go to basketball practice with Jacob that evening.
- Since the regular coach attended a meeting that day, Josiah coached the kids with enthusiasm.
- Kayla went to work right away, meeting people and helping where ever she was needed.
- Donna loved to write, edit, and teach.
- Kids tend to laugh loudly, play rough, and jump around when the weather starts dumping rain too many days in a row.
- She was going to cook the meal, clean the dining room, and pay bills, but her novel was calling her name.
- They did not want to be late arriving since they were about to perform a very important piece.
by Donna | Mar 3, 2011
Are you ready to see how good you are at finding action verbs? Time for another pop quiz!
Find the action verbs (those that are infinitives—to plus a verb and those that are action verbs without to. Remember—a sentence can have many action verbs throughout it.
- Joshua and Jonathan drove to the church early, opened the doors, and began shooting hoops.
- Ray went to work early since he wanted to be home in time to go to basketball practice with Jacob that evening.
- Since the regular coach attended a meeting that day, Josiah coached the kids with enthusiasm.
- Kayla went to work right away, meeting people and helping where ever she was needed.
- Donna loved to write, edit, and teach.
- Kids tend to laugh loudly, play rough, and jump around when the weather starts dumping rain too many days in a row.
- She was going to cook the meal, clean the dining room, and pay bills, but her novel was calling her name.
- They did not want to be late arriving since they were about to perform a very important piece.
