BOOT CAMP- DAY 1 Subject/ Verb Agreement Shifts in Verb Tense Affect vs. Effect

BOOT CAMP- DAY 1BOOT CAMP- DAY 1GRAMMAR

Subject/ Verb AgreementShifts in Verb Tense

Affect vs. Effect

POINTS OF CONFUSIONInterruptions• Words or phrases (prepositional phrases, subordinating clauses, modifiers,

or appositives) may interrupt the subject/verb pattern• No matter what comes between the subject and verb- they still must

agree!1. The potted red geraniums that line the driveway blooms all summer long. 2. The basket of dried fruits, nuts, and carob chips were passed around the

patio table several times because all the guests relished the sweet and crunchy snack.

1. The potted red geraniums that line the driveway bloom all summer long. 2. The basket of dried fruits, nuts, and carob chips was passed around the patio table several times because all the guests relished the sweet and crunchy snack.

SUBJECT/ VERB AGREEMENT

SUBJECT/ VERB AGREEMENTPOINTS OF CONFUSION

Flip-Flopped or Inverted Order3. Around the bases of the baseball diamond runs the

soccer players, conditioned athletes whose speed and agility attest to their training.3. Around the bases of the baseball diamond run the

soccer players, conditioned athletes whose speed and agility attest to their training.


Compound Sentences- RULE # 1A compound subject that is joined by and or both…

AND is plural except when the joined words make a single unit or when they both refer to the same person or thing.SINGULAR: • Cheese and crackers is a favorite snack. (compound subject

as a single unit).• Her friend and mentor believes she will win the election.

(friend and mentor are the same person)PLURAL:The man and the woman are co-chairpersons.Both Ali and Eduardo enjoy soccer.


Compound Sentences- RULE # 2When a compound subject is joined by or,

either…or, nor, or neither… nor, the verb always agrees with the subject NEARER to the VERB.SINGULAR: • Either the coach or a player is commenting.• Neither the players nor the coach is commenting.PLURAL:Neither the coach nor the players are commenting.


Compound Sentences- RULE #3When many a, each, or every precedes a

compound subject, the subject is singular.SINGULAR: • Many a dog and cat has passed through the shelter• Each boy and girl has a locker.• Every worker and supervisor is united on the issue.

NOW # YOUR PAPERS 1-15 AND GET READY FOR SOME DRILLS!!!

IDENTIFY THE SUBJECT AND THEN GIVE THE CORRECT VERB TO COMPLETE THE SENTENCE.

1. One of my sisters (is, are) going on a trip to France.2. Inside the house (was, were) the object of my

affections.3. The Prime Minister, together with his wife, (greets,

greet) the press cordially.4. My brother or my sister (chose, chooses) the

menu tonight.5. Eight dollars (is, are) the price of a movie these

days.


6. The United States still (produces, produce) a majority of the world’s food supply.

7. Here (comes, come) one of the prettiest floats in the parade.

8. All of the CD’s, even the scratched one, (is, are) in this case.

9. One’s days work for a farmer today (equals, equal) about a week’s effort for our grandparents.

10.Many a man, woman and child (feel, feels) hunger every day.


11.The committee (debates, debate) these questions carefully.

12.The only product of many large companies (is, are) hybrid seeds.

13.Before the commencement, the chorus and the orchestra (perform, performs) the national anthem.

14.Every one of those books (is, are) fiction.15.On top of the car (was, were) perched three

pigeons.

SHIFTS IN VERB TENSEWHAT IS IT?

A verb tense shift is when the writer accidentally swaps between the present tense (for example) to the past tense.

IDENTIFY THE VERBS IN THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE:

Hamlet is a play about a young man who is the Prince of Denmark. But when he finds out that his father is a murder victim, he vows to get revenge. He pretended to be mad so as to fool the Court about his

intentions.

Hamlet is a play about a young man who is the Prince of Denmark. But when he finds out that his father is a murder victim, he vows to get revenge. He pretended to be mad so as to fool the Court about his

intentions.

SHIFTS IN VERB TENSEHow many of you really

noticed ? The hard part about this is that young writers often

shift… therefore they may struggle in recognizing

these errors.

WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW?

VERBS… VERBS… VERBS

AND their TENSES!

SHIFTS IN VERB TENSEDRILL

Are the following sentences CORRECT? If not, make corrections.

1. If the club limited its membership, it will have to raise its dues. 2. While Barbara puts in her contact lenses, the telephone rang.3. Thousands of people will see the art exhibit by the time it closes.4. By the time negotiations began, many pessimists have expressed

doubt about them.5. After Capt. James Cook visited Alaska on his third voyage, he is

killed by Hawaiian islanders in 1779.6. I was terribly disappointed with my grade because I studied very

hard.

SHIFTS IN VERB TENSEDRILL

IDENTIFY the verbs in each sentence… then DETERMINE whether they are correct… then EDIT if necessary.

7. The moderator asks for questions as soon as the speaker has finished.

8. Everyone hopes the plan would work.9. Harry wants to show his friends the photos he took last

summer.10.Scientists predict that the sun will die in the distant future.11.The boy insisted that he has paid for the candy bars.12.The doctor suggested bed rest for the patient, who suffers

from a bad cold.

AFFECT VS. EFFECTThe majority of the time you

use affect as a VERB and effect as a NOUN.

When Should You Use Affect?• Affect with an a means "to

influence.” • The arrows affected the Aardvark.• The rain affected Amy's hairdo. Affect can also mean, roughly, "to act in a way that you don't feel”.• She affected an air of superiority.

When Should You Use Effect?Effect has a lot of subtle meanings as a NOUN, but the meaning "a result" seems to be at the core of all the definitions. • The effect was eye-popping• The sound effects were amazing.• The rain had no effect on Amy's hairdo.

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BOOT CAMP- DAY 1 Subject/ Verb Agreement Shifts in Verb Tense Affect vs. Effect