SubjectVerb Mismatches and Sentence Fragments

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Subject-Verb Mismatchesand Sentence Fragments

• Avoiding major grammar errors

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What is subject-verb agreement?

• Matching subjects to verbs means that
• Singular subjects use singular verbs.
• Mona writes great paragraphs.
• Plural subjects use plural verbs.
• Students write_ great paragraphs.

Is bad spelling worse than subject-verb mix ups?
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Why agree subject and verb?

• Well educated writers match subject to verb with
  little effort, at least most of the time.
• The undereducated, however, dont match subjects
  and verbs.
• Unmatched subjects and verbs make writing look
  poor!
• Or is it rather that unmatched subjects and
  verbs makes writing looks poor?

How differently do the poor live from the rich?
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When do subject-verb errors occur?

• Writers fail to match subjects to verbs when
• Subjects are separated from the verb.
• Made with the word or.
• Indefinite pronouns.
• Collective, group nouns.
• 5. With here, there, or it.
• 6. Singular but end in s.
• 7. In money or measures.
• 8. Plural-looking titles.

Do the guys clothes match the girls?
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1. Match distant subjects to verbs.

• Ignore words between the subject and verb.
• A good set of skis costs /cost hundreds of
  dollars.
• A good set of skis costs hundreds of dollars
• My boss, as well as her staff, leave/leaves early
  everyday.
• My boss, as well as her staff, leaves early
  everyday.

Can grammar check catch all subject-verb errors?
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2. Match subjects with and

• Most compound subjects with and are plural
• 1. Bert and Ernie is / are special friends.
• 2. Bread and butter is/ are pretty basic.
• But if words joined by and refer to a single
  thing, its singular
• 3. War and Peace is/ are a very thick book.
• 4. My friend and co-worker is/ are waiting to see
  you.

Who gets all the hard work?
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2. Match subjects with or

• When the subject uses or/nor, the verb agrees
  with the closest word to the verb
• 1. Neither the instructor nor the students has /
  have control of the number of 8 oclock classes.
• 2. Either two credit cards or a membership is /
  are needed before you can rent movies.

Does spelling count in resumes?
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3. Match indefinite pronouns

• Indefinite pronouns include every, everyone,
  each, neither, either, none, one, no one.
• Everyone has/have a/their student number.
• None of us admit/admits to sending the e-mail.
• Ignore prepositional phrases between the subject
  and the verb
• Each school in the United States is/are hiring
  new teachers.

Is the teachers grammar quite problematic?
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4. Match collective nouns

• Words like jury, committee, herd are singular
  when everyone in is acting together
• The jury is/are deciding the mans future.
• Collective nouns are plural when the members of
  the group are not acting together
• The jury is/are undecided on the guilt of the
  accused.

Should this jury be hung?
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5. Match here, there, and it.

• When the sentence begins with Here or There, the
  subject follows the verb and controls whether the
  verb is plural
• Here are my reasons for quitting (plural)
• There is no need to pay me next week (singular)
• It is always singular
• It was the long hours that bothered me (singular)

Is the dough considering quitting?
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6. Match words ending in s.

• Words such as economics, physics, and news are
  singular
• 1. Economics is/are fun and exciting.
• 2. The news is/are usually broadcast live.
• Words such as scissors and pants that name things
  with two parts are plural
• 3. My glasses was/were broken when I fell.
• 4. The scissors is/are dull.

Should the secretary consider quitting?
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7. Match money and measurements.

• Units of time, money, distance, and weight use
  singular verbs
• Twenty miles is/are a long way to drive to work.
• Eight dollars an hour is/are a high rate of pay.
• The expression the number is singular
• The number of failures is/are decreasing.
• The expression a number is plural
• A number of people are/are leaving.

Does the secretary have a case?
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8. Match titles to verbs.

• The title of a movie, book or magazine requires a
  singular verb, even when it looks plural
• 1. Lost Horizons is/are a book about a utopia.
• 2. The Simpsons is/are not the best TV show.

Does the student deserve his title?
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Can you match subjects to verbs?

• Select verbs in their correct forms
• The cracked windshield, in addition to the rusted
  body, has/have made the old Honda Civic difficult
  to sell.
• At McDonald's work/works friends who will stuff
  in extra Chicken McNuggets.
• Two cups of chocolate milk make/makes Henri feel
  pretty good.
• The pair of jeans hug/hugs the curves of your
  body like paper on a Tootsie Pop.
• Neither of those students has/have a clue about
  subject-verb agreement.

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Can you match subjects to verbs?

• Select verbs in their correct forms
• Although Juan has seen it ten times, Star Wars
  keep/keeps his interest.
• After considering evidence, the jury
  disagree/disagrees about the case.
• Physics give/gives Philip many headaches because
  he has to solve long word problems.
• Neither of the surfers see/sees the sharks that
  want to get them.
• Jim, together with his dog Pooh, walk/walks on
  the golf course everyday.
• Either history or statistics make/makes Julias
  head hurt the most.

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Can you match subjects to verbs?

• Select verbs in their correct forms
• There is/are too many subject-verb errors in this
  essay for it to pass.
• That pair of pants has/have a big rip in the back
  that shows your shorts.
• One thousand pounds of jelly beans fill/fills the
  bottom of the red van.
• From the cafeteria come/comes the sweetest
  tomatoes that you will ever taste.
• The scissors is/are so dull that I'm not sure you
  could slice butter with them!
• All of the dryers take/takes six quarters before
  spinning wet clothes dry.

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What are sentence fragments?

• Fragments are incomplete thoughts.
• There are four types of fragments
• 1. Dependent-word fragments
• 2. Ing/to phrase fragments
• 3. Added-detail fragments
• 4. Missing-subject fragments

Can Oog go beyond fragments?
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What are dependent clause fragments?

• Never punctuate a dependent clause as a full
  sentence
• She doesnt like her sister. Because she wears
  her clothes.
• Marco didnt care about school. Until his dad
  died.
• Adri would have eaten another burrito. Except her
  stomach felt full.

Whats Oogs problem now?
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2. What are ing/to phrase fragments?

• Fragments often begin with ing and to verb
  phrases
• To finish college. A student needs dedication.
• Knowing that it was time. Karla starting taking
  the VISTA quiz.
• Any person has to work hard. To finish any
  serious task.

Is this how it all began?
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3.What are added-detail fragments?

• Some fragments add a detail to a prior thought
• A good nurse should have some good qualities.
  Such as being caring, careful and competent.
• No one understands how Alfredo fears the COMPASS
  test. Not even his instructor.
• Marta watched the cartoons all evening.
  Entertaining to her amusement.

How much do we learn?
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What are missing-subject fragments?

• Fragments may occur when theres no subject or
  verb
• Americans are wasteful because throw away food,
  clothes, and even cars.
• Is difficult for night people to attend early
  morning classes.
• While Marcelo got dressed, heard a crashing sound
  in the kitchen.

How much do we learn?
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Can you match fragment types?

• Identify fragment types
• Dependent-word, ing/to,
• added-detail, no subj/v
• Having enjoyed break.
• Feel very energized.
• I ready to do my work.
• Such as finishing my essays.
• When the work is due.
• Will turn in my work.
• Getting a good grade.

Does this explain it?
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Here are the fragment types

• Having enjoyed spring break.
• Feel very energized.
• I ready to do my school work.
• Such as finishing my essays and researching for
  my history class.
• When the assignments are due.
• Will turn in all my work on time.
• Getting a good grade.

• ING phrase
• Missing subject
• Missing verb
• Added detail
• Dependent marker
• Missing subject
• Missing verb

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How do we correct fragments?
I. Use a comma to connect the fragment
to the independent clause
Example 1
Because there was a mosquito in the room. I could
not fall asleep.
Because there was a mosquito in the room, I could
not fall asleep.
Rule When you start a sentence with because, put
a commanot a periodin the middle.
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Fragment example 2
Sitting quietly on the couch.The dog didnt look
as if hed eaten my sandwich.
Sitting quietly on the couch, the dog didnt look
as if hed eaten my sandwich.
Rule Connect ING phrases to the main clause
with a commanever a period!
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Fragment example 3

• Almost everyone loves ice cream. Especially
  vanilla.
• Almost everyone loves ice cream, especially
  chocolate and vanilla.

Rule Connect added-thought phrases to the main
clause with a commanever a period!
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How to correct fragments

• Always connect fragments to the main sentence by
  eliminating the overused period mark
• A mouses face popped out of a hole near the
  sink. Then disappeared quickly.
• A mouses face popped out of a hole near the
  sink. Then it disappeared quickly.

Should they stay closed?
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Can you identify fragments?

• 1. Martha Stewart not dining with us this
  Thanksgiving.
• 2. I'm telling you in advance.
• 3. Don't act surprised.
• 4. Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming.
• 5. We have made a just a very few small changes.

6. Our sidewalk will not be lined with stars. 7.
After a trial run. 8. Rows of lunch sacks do not
have the desired effect. 9. Our guests noting
that the entry is not decorated with the swags of
Indian corn . 10. The kids having fun in colorful
autumn leaves from the front yard.
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Can you identify fragments?

• 11. The mud was their bad idea.
• 12. The dining table not covered with expensive
  linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets.
• 13. However, since this is Easter.
• 14. We no using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate
  and the Santa napkins.
• 15. Was necessary to escape from the boring
  lecture.

16. Except for my favorite grandmother. 17. Along
with everyone else, knew that the car would not
run properly. 18. Joni in the shopping mall
looking at all of the passers by. 19. She almost
forgot to go to work on time. 20. Arriving late
at the office, asked her boss to forgive her.
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Can you identify fragments?

• 21. Although most of the class understood the
  question.
• 22. Mona didnt even know it was a question.
• 23. Looking blankly at the instructor.
• 24. She didnt answer at anything all.
• 25. The professor thought she was dumb, but hoped
  that she would wake up.

26. Without even looking up at the
instructor. 27. Mona called a friend on her cell
phone. 28. The professor very angry with
Mona. 29. Saying, What is your problem,
girl? 30. Then Mona, running from the class in
an emotional fit, looking back at her laughing
friends.