Identifying Subjects and Verbs

Step One: Cross out all prepositional phrases

1. The new student from France entered the classroom.

2. The children from the school caught a snake.

3. A flock of geese perched on the fence.

4. The scarf around her neck is beautiful.

5. The interest in the letter about the proposal amazed me.

6. Sarah’s reflection on her school experiences entertained everyone.

7. The exciting life of the student interested all of us.

8. The bushes along the path were breathtakingly beautiful.

9. The time for dinner has been set.

10. The chairs between the two tables have been reserved.

Indefinite Pronoun Subjects

Pronouns CAN be the subject of sentences.

The following pronouns are SINGULAR:

• each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody

The following pronouns are PLURAL

• several, few, both, many

The following pronouns may be either SINGULAR or PLURAL:

• Some, all, most, any, none

Examples

1. Each of the athletes runs effortlessly. [each one runs]2. Neither of the women is ready to start. [neither one is]3. Everyone in my family has enjoyed the games.4. Someone in the audience was waving a large flag.

Examples

5. Few of the athletes have qualified.6. Several of the runners are exercising.7. Many on the team practice daily.

Examples of EITHER

• These pronouns are singular when they refer to a singular word and plural when they refer to a plural word.

1. Some of the show is funny. [Some refers to singular show.]2. Some of the entertainers are funny. [Some refers to plural entertainers.]3. All of the cast looks young. [It looks.]4. All of the performers look young. [They look.]