1

Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.

RULES IN SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT 5. When one subject is used affirmatively and the other negatively, the
verb agrees with the subject which is used in the affirmative.
1. The verb must agree with the subject in person and in number . This
is the cornerstone rule that forms the background of the concept. In They, not I, are to be blamed.
these examples the subject is underlined and the verb is in italics
6. Nouns such as class, group, team, jury , etc. take a singular or plural
The dog growls when he is angry. The dogs growl when they verb depending on the meaning it denotes.
are angry.
Our class works hard for the program. (As a group)
2. The pronoun you whether singular or plural always takes a plural
Our class do not sing very well. (As individuals)
verb.
The herd is stampeding.
You are my best friend. You are my
friends.

3. Nouns used as subject which end in s but are singular in meaning 7. Intervening expressions like: together with, along with, with, as well

take singular verbs.
Economics is an important subject in school.
4. When two subjects are joined by either…or, neither…nor, the verb
agrees with the subject nearer it.
Either I or they are available.
Neither the members nor Myra is responsible.
as, have no effect whatsoever on the number of the verb. The verb
takes the number of the subject only.
The student regent, along with the other officers, signs the
petition.
8.When two subjects joined by “and “ express a single thought , a
singular verb is used; that is when they are closely related that they are
usually taken as one.

Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo. Spaghetti and cheese is my favourite merienda.

Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo. Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish

9. When two subjects are joined by and express more than one
thought, a plural verb is used.
The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.
10. Indefinite pronouns like: each, everybody,everything, everyone,
any,,anyone, anybody,anything,someone,somebody,something,no
one,nobody,nothing,either, neither, another and others, take singular
form of the verb.
Everybody wants to be loved.
11. * Except for the pronouns "few," "many," "several," "both," "all,"
and "some" that always take the plural form.
Few were left alive after the flood.
12.Some indefinite pronouns like: some, any , none, most, all, can
either take singular or plural verb depending on their meaning.
Some of the books were destroyed ( Number)
Some of the medicine was spoiled.( Quantity)
All of the chicken is gone.
All of the chickens are gone.
13. Words like none and enough can either take singular or plural
depending on the meaning they express.
2
None of the ships was destroyed. ( not one)
None of the ballots were missing. ( no ballots)
14. Nouns denoting an amount of money, a unit of measurement, or
space of time, require singular verb.
A million pesos is a lot of money.
Thirty six inches is equal to one yard.
15. When adjectives are used as nouns in the sentence, they require
plural verbs.
The rich have the most in life.
The young are the hope of the nation.
16. When the subject is a title, name of a book, a quotation or a group
of words expressing a single thought, the singular form of the verb is
used.
“ War and Peace: was written by Leo Tolstoy.
“All Mine to Give” is a very touching story of a family.
17. When fractions are used as subject, the verb form can either be
singular or plural depending on the number of the “of phrase”
One third of the mango was spoiled.
One third of the mangoes were spoiled.

18. Some examples for arithmetical expressions:
Two and nine are eleven.
Two plus nine is eleven.
19. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the
singular form of the verb; but, when they are linked by "and," they
take the plural form.
Standing in the water was a bad idea. Swimming in the ocean
and playing drums are my hobbies.
SENTENCE
Is a group of word with two main parts: subject and predicate.
SUBJECT- Is the noun, pronoun or group of words that identifies who
or what is being talked about.
PREDICATE- is the verb or verb phrase in the sentence that tells
something about the subject. These are action words.
EXAMPLE: Note: The underlined word/s is the complete subject, the
italicized words is the complete predicate.
1. My favourite hideout / is in the old acacia tree.
2. John and Paul / went scuba diving and sailing.
3
3. Dogs bark
4. The Dutch capitulation / was followed by the arrival of Germans.
Activity: Identifying complete subjects and complete predicate.
(1) Since you and I are going to be great friends, I will start by telling
you about myself. (2) My name is Anne Frank. (3)I am thirteen years
old.(4) I was born in Germany, the twelfth of June., nineteen twenty-
nine. (5) As my family is Jewish, we emigrated to Holland when Hitler
came to power. (6) My father started a business, importing spice and
herbs. (7) Things went well for us until nineteen –forty.(8) Then the
war came .(9) The Dutch capitulation was followed by the arrival of
the Germans.(10) the things got very bad for the jews.
Note: Some people find it hard to locate the subject, first locate the
noun or pronoun in the sentence. After determining the subject, ask
yourself “What did the subject do? “ This gives you the verb that
function as the predicate.
Another method to locate the subject and the predicate is ask yourself
“What is the action verb or linking verb in the sentence?“After that,
locate the subject in the sentence.
 4

PHRASE VS. CLAUSE 5. Because she was in a hurry, Kate walked quickly with a towel to
the beach.
PHRASE- does not consists of a subject and verb
S-Kate V- was, walked PP-in a hurry, with a towel, to
Example: on a table, under the tree, near the wall, on the roof, at the
the beach
door

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE- A phrase which usually starts with

preposition and ends with a noun or a pronoun , which is called the CLAUSE- consists of Subject and Verb.
object of the preposition.
Example: He( Subject) laughed ( verb)

 Independent Clause- a clause which contains a complete

Example: thought.
Example:
1. She wore on her finger a beautiful diamond ring.
1. After Amy sneezed all over the tuna salad, no one touches it
Subject- She Verb- wore PP- on her finger anymore.
2. The jar of popcorns tumbled from the shelf and shattered on the 2. The dancers bow after each performance.
floor. 3. The storm raged along the southern coastline.
 Subordinate Clause/ Dependent Clause- it has a subject and a
S- The jar Verb- tumbled and shattered
verb but cannot stand by itself as a complete sentence; it began
PP-from the shelf, of popcorns with a subordinate conjunction or a relative pronoun.

3. The room beside the kitchen is empty. Example:

1. After Amy sneezed all over the tuna salad
S-room V- is PP- beside the kitchen
SC-After
4. The bird at the top of that tree is chirping. Subject- Amy
Verb- sneezed
S- bird V- is PP-at the top of that tree
2. Once Adam smashed the spider.

SC- Once
Subject- Adam
Verb- smashed
Note: A subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence
because it does not provide a complete thought.The reader is
left wondering, “ so what happened?’’
A sentence that begins with a capital letter and ends with a
period must contain at least one main clause. Otherwise, you
had written a fragment, a major error.
In number 1 example, After Amy sneezed all over the tuna
salad. So, what happened next? Did they throw it ?
For communication to be clear and effective, our sentences
must have correct construction and punctuation.If a series of
words is capitalized and punctuated as if were a complete
sentence,the error in fragments is committed.
FRAGMENT- kind of sentence error which uses a phrase that
has no complete thought to function as a sentence.
- Does not have a subject or verb, or both.
Using fragments in a sentence:
Fragment: Flowed on and enjoyed itself.
Sentence: That river just flowed on and enjoyed itself
Fragment: The one seeking new opportunities.
5
Sentence: They praised the man seeking new opportunities
Activity 1: From the three sentences in each group, select the one that
is not a sentence fragment by checking the space before the
letter.Then, identify the two fragments.
1.
A.Growing up during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Kim
was inflamed with the patriotic desire to serve her country.
B.Now 60 years after the founding of the first orphanage
building of Ai Kwang Won.
C.If ever I had any doubts about how noble the job of a mother.
Fragment 1:_____________________________________
Fragment 2:_____________________________________
2.
A. To pursue brilliant careers, equal to any man’s , and
becoming something nobler than a trivial wife and mother.
B. As she systematically wipes the dishes and wraps up
leftovers from dinner.
C.I find myself speaking with the strength of her voice.
Fragment 1:________________________________________
Fragment 2:________________________________________
Activity 2: Combining fragment with independent clause.
1. Mr. Frank always helps and teaches Margot and Anne in
their studies. When the sisters asked him. Their mother saw
their grades and scolded them.
 6

2. After Amy sneezed all over the tuna salad. Mrs . Victoria to boys is 3:2.
immediately remove it from the dining table. Because Amy has A comma is used to separate She bought milk,
comma ,
phrases or items in a list. eggs, and bread.
colds and cough.
The dash is also
Answers: A dash is used to separate known as an "em
1._________________________________________________ parts of a sentence. dash" because it is
Em dash — to indicate added emphasis, the length of a
2._________________________________________________ an interruption or an printed letter m —
immediate change of thought it is longer than a
hyphen.
PUNCTUATION MARKS The gremlin was
around 50–60
Punctuation years old, we
Symbol Definition Examples
Mark could tell this
An apostrophe is used as a from the state of
substitute for a missing letter
his teeth.
or letters in a word (as in The en dash is used to
the contraction cannot =
I can't see the cat's En Dash (–) express a range of values or The Timbuktu–
can't), to show the possessive a distance Bolton flight was
tail.
case (Jane's room), and in the delayed by 6
apostrophe ' Dot your i's and
plural of letters, some hours and we
cross your t's.
numbers and abbreviations. missed the World
100's of years.
Note: groups of years no
Twister
longer require an apostrophe
(for example, the 1950s or Championships.
the 90s).
A colon is used before a list There are many An ellipsis (three dots)
or quote. punctuation indicates that part of the text
ellipsis ... 0, 2, 4, ... , 100
marks: period, has been intentionally been
A colon is used to separate comma, colon, left out.
colon : hours and minutes. and others. An exclamation point is used
exclamation
! to show excitement or It is cold!
point
A colon is used to separate The time is 2:15. emphasis.
elements of a mathematical A hyphen is used between The sixteen-year-
hyphen -
ratio. The ratio of girls parts of a compound word or old girl is a full-
 7

name. It is also used to split time student.

a word by syllables to fit on English Capitalization Rules:
a line of text.
Parentheses are curved lines
used to separate explanations This sentence 1 Capitalize the First Word of a Sentence.
or qualifying statements (like others on
within a sentence (each one this page) The cat is sleeping.
parentheses ()
of the curved lines is called a contains a
parenthesis). The part in the parenthetical Where did I put that book?
parentheses is called a remark.
parenthetical remark. Hey! It’s great to see you! How have you been?
A period is used to note the
period . end of a declarative I see the house. 2 Capitalize Names and Other Proper Nouns
sentence.
question A question mark is used at When are we My favorite author is Jane Austen.
?
mark the end of a question. going?
We experienced some beautiful Southern California weather last fall
Quotation marks are used at
the beginning and end of a when we attended a Catholic wedding in San Diego.
quotation phrase to show that it is She said, "Let's
"
mark being written exactly as it eat." You should also capitalize words like mom and grandpa when they are
was originally said or
written. used as a form of address.
Class was
canceled today; Just wait until Mom sees this!
A semicolon separates two
Mr. Smith was
independent clauses in a
home sick. But
compound sentence.
semicolon ; Relatives at the My mom is not going to like this.
A semicolon is also used to
reunion included
separate items in a series
my older brother,
(where commas are already
Bob; my cousin, 3 Don’t Capitalize After a Colon (Usually)
in use).
Art; and my great-
aunt, Mattie. In most cases, you don’t need to capitalize after a colon.

CAPITALIZATION RULES I have one true passion: wombat racing.


There are a couple of common exceptions. One is when the word
following the colon is a proper noun.
There is only one place I want to visit: New York City.
The other exception is when the words following the colon form one
or more complete sentences.
Maggie wears a brimmed cap at all times for these two reasons: Strong
light often gives her a headache. She also likes the way it looks.
4 Capitalize the First Word of a Quote (Sometimes)
Capitalize the first word of a quote when the quote is a complete
sentence.
Mario asked, “What is everyone doing this weekend?”
Stacy answered, “My sister and I are going to the water park.”
Don’t capitalize the first word of partial quotes.
Gretchen said she was “way too busy” to join the gym.
Mr. Thompson described the rules as “extremely difficult to
understand if you don’t have a law degree.”
5 Capitalize Days, Months, and Holidays, But Not Seasons
8
The names of days, months, and holidays are proper nouns, so you
should capitalize them.
I hate Mondays!
Tom’s birthday is in June.
Oh no! I forgot about Valentine’s Day!
The names of seasons, however, are not proper nouns, so there’s no
need to capitalize them.
I hate winter!
Having a summer birthday is the best.
6 Capitalize Most Words in Titles
The capitalization rules for titles of books, movies, and other works
vary a little between style guides. In general, you should capitalize the
first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives,
and all proper nouns. That means you should lowercase articles,
conjunctions, and prepositions—however, some style guides say to
capitalize conjunctions and prepositions that are longer than five
letters.
Sense and Sensibility is better than Pride and Prejudice.
The first movie of the series is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
 9

7 Capitalize Cities, Countries, Nationalities, and Languages

Sentence Structure
The names of cities, countries, nationalities, and languages are proper
Pattern 1: Simple Sentence
nouns, so you should capitalize them.
One independent clause (SV.)
English is made up of many languages, including Latin, German, and
French. Mr. Potato Head eats monkeys.
I refuse.
My mother is British, and my father is Dutch.
Pattern 2: Compound Sentence
The capital of Botswana is Gaborone.
Two or more independent clauses. They can be arranged in these
8 Capitalize Time Periods and Events (Sometimes) ways: (SV, and SV.) or (SV; however, SV.)

Specific periods, eras, and historical events that have proper names
should be capitalized.
Most of the World War I veterans are now deceased.
In the Middle Ages, poor hygiene was partly responsible for the
spreading of bubonic plague.
Middle school studentts often enjoy studying the social changes that
took place during the Roaring Twenties.
However, centuries—and the numbers before them—are not
Connectors with a comma, the FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or,
yet, so (See our handout on commas for more info.)
Connectors with a semicolon and comma: however, moreover,
nevertheless, nonetheless, therefore
Example compound sentences:
Mr. Potato Head eats them for breakfast every day, but I
don’t see the attraction.
Eating them makes him happy; however, he can’t persuade
me.

capitalized. Pattern 3: Complex Sentence

One independent clause PLUS one or more dependent clauses. They

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, England blossomed into an
can be arranged in these ways: (SV because SV.) or (Because SV, SV.)
empire. or (S, because SV, V.)
 10

Connectors are always at the beginning of the dependent clause. They

show how the dependent clause is related to the independent
clause. This list shows different types of relationships along with
the connectors that indicate those relationships:
 Cause/Effect: because, since, so that
 Comparison/Contrast: although, even though, though,
whereas, while
 Place/Manner: where, wherever, how, however
 Possibility/Conditions: if, whether, unless
 Relation: that, which, who, whom
 Time: after, as, before, since, when, whenever, while, until
Examples of complex sentences:
He recommends them highly because they taste like chicken
when they are hot.
Although chicken always appeals to me, I still feel skeptical
about monkey.
Mrs. Potato Head, because she loves us so much, has offered
to make her special monkey souffle for us.
She can cook it however she wants.
Although I am curious, I am still skeptical.
SENTENCE PATTERNS
Key Terms
• Subject (S) – the topic being discussed in a sentence
• Transitive Verb (TV) – verb that requires a direct object
• Intransitive Verb (IV) – verb that does not require a direct
object
• Direct Object (DO) – noun or pronoun where the action
of the verb is directed.
• Indirect Object (IO) – a noun or pronoun receiving the
direct object.
• Linking Verb (LV) – verb that links the subject and
its complement
• Subjective Complement (SC) – an adjective or noun that
describes the subject
• Objective Complement (OC) – an adjective or noun that
describes the direct object

Pattern 4: Compound-Complex Sentence

Two or more independent clauses PLUS one or more dependent

clauses. They can be arranged in these ways: (SV, and SV because
SV.) or (Because SV, SV, but SV.)

Connectors: Connectors listed under Patterns 2 & 3 are used here.

Find the connectors, then find the verbs and subjects that are part of
each clause.
 11

Pattern 1. S – TV – DO
S TV DO
Example: The teacher teaches English.

Pattern 2. S – TV - DO – IO
.
S TV DO IO
Example: Brandon gave this book to Daniel.

Pattern 3. S – TV – IO – DO

S TV IO DO

Example: The customer paid me this bill

Pattern 4. S – IV
S IV
Example: Steven went to the market.

Pattern 5. S – LV – SC

S LV SC
Example: The building is very tall.

Pattern 6. S – TV – DO – OC

S TV DO OC
Example: Koreans call their mother umma
 12

Activity: Identifying complete subjects and complete predicate. PHRASE VS. CLAUSE

(1) Since you and I are going to be great friends, I will start by telling you PHRASE- does not consists of a subject and verb
about myself.
Example: on a table, under the tree, near the wall, on the roof, at the door
(2) My name is Anne Frank.
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE- A phrase which usually starts with preposition
(3)I am thirteen years old. and ends with a noun or a pronoun , which is called the object of the
preposition.
(4) I was born in Germany, the twelfth of June., nineteen twenty-nine.
Example: 1. She wore on her finger a beautiful diamond ring.
(5) As my family is Jewish, we emigrated to Holland when Hitler came to
power. Subject- She

(6) My father started a business, importing spice and herbs. Verb- wore

(7) Things went well for us until nineteen –forty. PP- on her finger

(8) Then the war came . 2. The jar of popcorns tumbled from the shelf and shattered on the floor.

(9) The Dutch capitulation was followed by the arrival of the Germans. S- The jar

(10) the things got very bad for the jews. Verb- tumbled and shattered

Note: Some people find it hard to locate the subject, first locate the noun or PP-from the shelf, of popcorns
pronoun in the sentence. After determining the subject, ask yourself “What
3. The room beside the kitchen is empty.
did the subject do? “ This gives you the verb that function as the predicate.
S-room
Another method to locate the subject and the predicate is ask yourself
“What is the action verb or linking verb in the sentence?“After that, locate V- is
the subject in the sentence.
PP- beside the kitchen

4. The bird at the top of that tree is chirping.

S- bird

V- is

PP-at the top of that tree

5. Because she was in a hurry, Kate walked quickly with a towel to the
beach.
 13

S-Kate with a period must contain at least one main clause. Otherwise, you had
written a fragment, a major error. In number 1 example, After Amy
V- was, walked
sneezed all over the tuna salad. So, what happened next? Did they throw
PP-in a hurry, with a towel, to the beach it ? For communication to be clear and effective, our sentences must have
correct construction and punctuation. If a series of words is capitalized
CLAUSE- consists of Subject and Verb. and punctuated as if were a complete sentence, the error in fragments is
Example: He( Subject) laughed ( verb) committed.

Independent Clause- a clause which contains a complete thought.
Example:
1. After Amy sneezed all over the tuna salad, no one touches it anymore.
2. The dancers bow after each performance.
3. The storm raged along the southern coastline.
Subordinate Clause/ Dependent Clause- it has a subject and a verb but
cannot stand by itself as a complete sentence; it began with a subordinate
conjunction or a relative pronoun.
FRAGMENT- kind of sentence error which uses a phrase that has no
complete thought to function as a sentence. - Does not have a subject or
verb, or both.
Using fragments in a sentence:
Fragment: Flowed on and enjoyed itself.
Sentence: That river just flowed on and enjoyed itself
Fragment: The one seeking new opportunities.
Sentence: They praised the man seeking new opportunities

Example: 1. After Amy sneezed all over the tuna salad Activity 1: From the three sentences in each group, select the one that is not
a sentence fragment by checking the space before the letter. Then, identify
SC-After the two fragments.
Subject- Amy 1. A.Growing up during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Kim was
Verb- sneezed inflamed with the patriotic desire to serve her country.

2. Once Adam smashed the spider. B.Now 60 years after the founding of the first orphanage building of Ai
Kwang Won.
SC- Once
C.If ever I had any doubts about how noble the job of a mother.
Subject- Adam
Fragment 1:_____________________________________
Verb- smashed
Fragment 2:_____________________________________
Note: A subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence because it
does not provide a complete thought.The reader is left wondering, “ so
what happened?’’ A sentence that begins with a capital letter and ends

2. A. To pursue brilliant careers, equal to any man’s , and becoming
something nobler than a trivial wife and mother.
B. As she systematically wipes the dishes and wraps up leftovers from
dinner.
C.I find myself speaking with the strength of her voice.
Fragment 1:________________________________________
Fragment 2:________________________________________
Activity 2: Combining fragment with independent clause.
1. Mr. Frank always helps and teaches Margot and Anne in their studies.
When the sisters asked him. Their mother saw their grades and scolded
them.
2. After Amy sneezed all over the tuna salad. Mrs . Victoria immediately
remove it from the dining table. Because Amy has colds and cough.
Answers:
1._________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________
Key Terms
• Subject (S) – the topic being discussed in a sentence
• Transitive Verb (TV) – verb that requires a direct object
• Intransitive Verb (IV) – verb that does not require a direct object
• Direct Object (DO) – noun or pronoun where the action of the verb is
directed.
14
• Indirect Object (IO) – a noun or pronoun receiving the direct object.
• Linking Verb (LV) – verb that links the subject and its complement •
Subjective Complement (SC) – an adjective or noun that describes the
subject
• Objective Complement (OC) – an adjective or noun that describes the
direct object SENTENCE PATTERNS
Pattern 1. S – TV – DO S TV DO
Example: The teacher teaches English.
Pattern 2. S – TV - DO – IO S TV DO IO
Example: Brandon gave this book to Daniel.
Pattern 3. S – TV – IO – DO S TV IO DO
Example: The customer paid me this bill
Pattern 4. S – IV S IV
Example: Steven went to the market. Pattern
5. S – LV – SC S LV SC Example: The building is very tall.
Pattern 6. S – TV – DO – OC S TV DO OC Example: Koreans call their
mother umm