Grammar 101Spring 2012

National Taipei University

Instructor:Jully Yin

Meeting Room: Room 209

Office Hours

• Currently, the instructor does not have the office hours open on campus. However, the students of this workshop can still reach the instructor if there is any questions need to be answered.

• How to reach the instructor: jullyyin@gmail.com

Course Outline1.Parts of Speech (overview and works specifically on Noun, Verb, and Adj.)2.Parts of Speech (works specifically on Adv., Int.,Prep., Conj. and Pron.)3.Sentence Functions (Declarative , Exclamatory , Interrogative, and  Imperative )4.Sentence Structures (Simple, Compound, Complex and Compound-complex)5.PUNCTUATION & BASIC MECHANICS6.modal and Auxiliary7.subject-verb agreement8.Time and Tenses9. Time and Tenses10. Time and Tenses11. Vocabulary Bank (stem, prefix, infix, and suffix)12.common mistakes in English writing

Meeting Seven: Subject-Verb Agreement

Open discussion:What is Subject-Verb Agreement?Can you name 2 examples?

Is this ok?

I have two pen.Dad work hard every day.The news are surprising.

It is ok.

I have two pens.Dad works hard every day.The news is surprising.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Basic Principle: Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need plural verbs.

Indefinite Pronouns

The indefinite pronouns anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody are always singular and, therefore, require singular verbs.

All ,some

Some indefinite pronouns — such as all, some — are singular or plural depending on what they're referring to.

None is? Or None are?

None can be either singular or plural; it often doesn't matter whether you use a singular or a plural verb — unless something else in the sentence determines its number.

None

None of the engines ? working.None of the food ? fresh.

None

None of the engines are working.None of the food is fresh.

Everyone, Everybody, and Each

always singular requires a singular verb

Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work in the library.

together with, as well as, and along with

The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison. The mayor and his brothers are going to jail.

Neither and Either

always singular requires a singular verb

Neither of the two traffic lights is working. Either is fine with me.

There and Here

There are two reasons for this. There is no reason for this. Here are two apples.

Nor or Or

when nor or or is used the subject closer to the verb determines the number of the verb

Try It!

Either my father or my brothers ? going to sell the house. Neither my brothers nor my father ? going to sell the house. ? either my brothers or my father responsible? ? either my father or my brothers responsible?

Answer Key

Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house. Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house. Are either my brothers or my father responsible? Is either my father or my brothers responsible?

Collective Nouns

audiencebandclasscommitteecrowddozen

familyflockgroupheapherdjury

kindlot[the] numberpublicstaffteam

half of, a part of, a percentage of, and a

majority of

Fractional expressions such as half of, a part of, a percentage of, a majority of are sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending on the meaning.

all, any, more, most and some

are sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending on the meaning

Try It!

Some of the voters ? still angry. A large percentage of the older population ? voting against her. Two-fifths of the troops ? lost in the battle. Two-fifths of the vineyard ? destroyed by fire. Forty percent of the students ? in favor of changing the policy. Forty percent of the student body ? in favor of changing the policy. Two and two ? four. Four times four divided by two ? eight.

Some of the voters are still angry. A large percentage of the older population is voting against her. Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle. Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by fire. Forty percent of the students are in favor of changing the policy. Forty percent of the student body is in favor of changing the policy. Two and two is four. Four times four divided by two is eight.

Positive or Negative?

If your sentence compounds a positive and a negative subject and one is plural, the other singular, the verb should agree with the positive subject.

QUIZ

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/sv_agr_quiz.htm

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/svagr2.htm

Subject-Verb Agreement

Number agreementPronunciation of 3rd person [S]

/s/ after a voiceless sound, except /s/, /sh/, and /ch/. /z/ after a voiced sound, except /z/, /zh/, and /j/. /Is/ When a word ends in /s/, /∫/ , /t∫/ , /z/, /dƷ /

Try it!!

fix seekiss wash play blurstop hangwatch goram

learn clothreceive talkdamage memorizecalllaugh, robexercise

Let’s hear it!

fixes seeskisses

washes plays stops hangswatchesgoes

clothesreceives talksdamages callslaughs exercises

Answer Key

/z/ plays, sees, goes, robs, hangs, calls, rams, learns, blurs, clothes, receives /s/ laughs, talks, stops /ɪz/ fixes, kisses, washes, watches, damages, memorizes, exercises

Be

Copula Be verbsJully is a movie-lover.

AuxiliaryJully is lecturing in Taipei University.(Present Progressive Aspect)

Do you still remember?

Auxiliary is used in the following cases:To form Passive VoiceTo form Progressive AspectTo form Perfect AspectTo emphasize

Be

Copula (linguistics), a word used to link subject and predicate.

Formationsubject + linking verb + information about the subject

Copula Be vs. other verbs

Copula Be has its special forms.Copula Be may be followed by adjective phrases. (copular verbs, AKA linking verbs, will do the same.)Copula Be behaves like auxiliary in question formation, negation, and construction. Not all languages have Copula Be.

Distinctive FormsPresent Tense

Am (1st person)Is (3rd person)Are (everything else)

Past TenseWas (1st person & 3rd person)Were (everything else)

Summary

Copula be can be followed by:

Adjective phrasesNoun phrasesAdverbial prepositional phrases

Write your own examples!

Answer Key

I am beautiful.I am a student.I am in Disneyland.

Copular Verbs

BeLookFeelTaste Smell Sound

SeemAppear GetBecomeGrowStay Keep

TurnProveGoRemainResembleRunLie

Other Classification

Perception Copulas

State Copulas

Change-of-state copulas

Perception CopulasAppearSeemFeelLookSmellSoundTaste

State CopulasLieRemainReststand

Change-of-state copulas

BecomeComeFall Get

GoGrowRunturn

Verbs that can be both Action and Linking verbs

looksmellappearprovesoundfeelremaintastegrow

Verbs that are ALWAYS Linking verbs

to be (is, am, are, was, were, has been, have been, had been, is being, are being, was being, will have been, etc.) to become (become, becomes, became, has become, have become, had become, will become, will have become, etc.)to seem (seemed, seeming, seems, has seemed, have seemed, had seemed, is seeming, are seeming, was seeming, were seeming, will seem)

Action Verbs

http://www.quintcareers.com/action_alpha.html

Explode! Scream! Sneeze! Type! Kick!

What are these words doing? They are expressing action, something that a person, animal, force of nature, or thing can do.

Basic rule to define an Action Verb

Can a person or thing do this?

Ex:During biology class, Omesh napped at his desk.