AGREEMENT OF PRONOUNS AND ANTECEDENTS

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT:SINGULAR & PLURAL SUBJECTS

INDEFINITE PRONOUNSCOMPOUND SUBJECTS

PAGES 58, 69-71ENGLISH WRITING & SKILLS:

COMPLETE COURSE

Parallelism

AGREEMENT OF PRONOUNS & ANTECEDENTS (58)

RULE 1:

Most indefinite pronouns are singular and should be referred to with a singular pronoun Everybody Anyone Either Neither Each Someone No one

AGREEMENT OF PRONOUNS & ANTECEDENTS (58)

RULE 2:

Only FIVE indefinite pronouns are always plural Both Few Many Others Several

AGREEMENT OF PRONOUNS & ANTECEDENTS (58)

RULE 3:

Some indefinite pronouns may be singular or plural, depending on how they are used in a sentence All Any Some None

AGREEMENT OF PRONOUNS & ANTECEDENTS

1. Everyone who saw the rocket liftoff said it was one of the most spectacular sights (he, he or she) had ever seen.

2. Each of the women worked on (her, their) physics problems.

3. Neither of those trees has lost (their, its) leaves yet.

4. Everybody must complete (their, his or her) assignment by Friday.

5. Each of the girls in the dormitory has (her, their) own room.

AGREEMENT OF PRONOUNS & ANTECEDENTS (58)

6. No one on the women’s swim team has brought (her, their) student ID card.

7. Neither of the boys has (his, their) report finished yet.

8. Many of the members thought the new rule was in (their, his) best interest.

9. All of the stores in the downtown area have completed (its, their) remodeling.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: SINGULAR & PLURAL SUBJECTS (69)

Rule: Often a group of words (i.e., prepositional phrase) separates the subject from its verb. Remember that the subject of the sentence never occurs within a prepositional phrase.

On your paper, mark through the prepositional phrase(s) to determine the subject.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: SINGULAR & PLURAL SUBJECTS (69)

1. This new strain of oats (has, have) proven resistant to disease.

4. Even a whole bankful of pennies (isn’t, aren’t) worth a great deal nowadays.

5. This book of jokes, riddles, and limericks (was, were) very corny.

8. Which kind of running shoes (is, are) best?

10. The package of books and magazines (was, were) lost in the mail.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: INDEFINITE PRONOUNS (70)

RULE:

Combine the rules of the previous two lessons to determine subject-verb agreement of indefinite pronouns.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: INDEFINITE PRONOUNS (70)

2. Anyone in any of those classes (know, knows) Mr. Malcolm is a fair teacher.

3. Both of the Swanson brothers (is, are) blond and blue-eyed.

4. Neither of the plumbers (was, were) available when we called.

7. Either of those backpacks (is, are) a good buy.

10. Someone on the girls’ tennis team (has, have) left behind a racquet.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: COMPOUND SUBJECTS (71)

RULES:

AND rule:

A compound subject joined by the word and takes a plural form of the verb.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: COMPOUND SUBJECTS (71)

RULES:

OR rules:

Two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor take the singular form of the verb.

Two or more plural subjects joined by or or nor take the plural form of the verb.

If one part of the subject is singular and one plural and the subjects are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: COMPOUND SUBJECTS (71)

1. Mold or blight (seem, seems) to be damaging the garden.

2. Rosie’s sister or her parents (is, are) using the cabin this weekend.

3. The geese and the peacock (attacks, attack) the dog.

4. The cat or the dogs (has, have) caught a squirrel.

5. My parents or I (am, are) going to meet Aunt Opal at the airport.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: COMPOUND SUBJECTS (71)

6. Neither Lauren nor Wendy (has, have) made any plans for Saturday night.

7. Either Jesse or his friends (is, are) responsible for cleaning up this mess.

8. (Is, Are) she or you in charge of advance ticket sales?

10. The president of the company or one of the top assistants (is, are) expected to address the employees this morning.