Problems with Locating the Subject

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Lesson 2

• Problems with Locating the Subject

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Objective(What You Will Learn)

• To recognize and avoid common agreement problems
  in your sentences.

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Heres the Idea

• Some sentences can be tricky.
• Subjects in unusual order, predicate nouns, prep
  phrases.

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Subjects in Unusual Positions

• A subject can follow a verb or part of a verb
  phrase in a question, a sentence beginning with
  here or there, or a sentence in which an
  adjective, an adverb, or a phrase is placed
  first.

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Questions

• Does the puppy run down the street?

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Begins with a prep phrase

• From years of study come our ideas about children.

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Begins with here or there

• Here are some famous people with successful
  careers.

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Tips to find the subject

• (Is, Are) boys more rebellious than girls?

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Tips to find the subject

• 1. Turn the sentence around, putting the subject
  before the verb.

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Tips to find the subject

• Boys (is, are) more rebellious than girls.

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Tips to find the subject

• 2. Determine whether the subject is singular or
  plural.

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Tips to find the subject

• boys
• (plural)

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Tips to find the subject

• 3. Make sure the subject and verb agree.

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Tips to find the subject

• Boys are more rebellious than girls.

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Prepositional Phrases

• The subject of a verb is never found in a
  prepositional phrase.

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Prepositional Phrases

• Dont be fooled by words that come between a
  subject and a verb.

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Prepositional Phrases

• Mentally block out those words.
• Then it will be easy to tell whether the subject
  is singular or plural.

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Prepositional Phrases

• This book by two doctors describes health
  problems.

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Prepositional Phrases

• Some theories of personality development are
  complex.

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So What?

• Writers often use prep phrases to show location
  and paint a visual picture.

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So What?

• Make sure the verb agrees with the subject of the
  sentence, not the object of the preposition.

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• 1. Studies of animal behavior suggest differences
  in temperament.

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• 1. Correct

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• 2. There is many cats and dogs with distinctive
  traits.

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• 2. There are many cats and dogs with distinctive
  traits.

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• 3. Pit bulls for example is an aggressive breed
  of terrier.

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• 3. Pit bulls for example are an aggressive breed
  of terrier.

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• 4. A chihuahua on the other hand is a very timid
  dog.

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• 4. Correct

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• 5. There is some pets with serious behavioral
  problems.

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• 5. There are some pets with serious behavioral
  problems.

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1. Our hike in the mountains (was, were) fun.
2. The hands on my watch (glow, glows) in the dark.
3. The peaches from your garden (is, are) delicious.
4. (Was, were) the players tired?
5. (Has, Have) she opened her present yet?

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• 6. There (is, are) many plants to see on our
  hike.
• 7. Here (is, are) the jacket that I have been
  looking for all day.
• (Do, Does) your plants grow in the spring?
• Before the storm (arrive, arrives), we (need,
  needs) to take cover.

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• The beads on my necklace (has, have) fallen off.
• The clothes in the store (is, are) new.
• Cell phones with a charger (is, are) more
  expensive than other phones.
• There (is, are) many ways to recycle paper.

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1. (Do, Does) Molly and Jake like to hang out?

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Closure

• Today you learned to recognize and avoid common
  agreement problems in sentences.

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• Imagine if your mom or dad became the new teacher
  of your class? Describe what that would be like.
  Write at least a page.