SubjectVerb Mismatches and Sentence Fragments

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Subject-Verb Mismatchesand Sentence Fragments

• The other two major errors
• that ruin sentences

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What is a Subject-Verb Misfit?

• English, like most other European languages,
  emphasizes the difference between the singular
  and the plural.
• Therefore, subjects that equal he, she, or it
  match with verbs that end with s.
• Thus, singular subjects use singular verbs.
• A student_ like Kendra who knows all the rules
  writes great essays.
• Plural subjects, on the other hand, match verbs
  that dont include the final -s.
• Of course, students who dont know the rules
  write_ essays with lots of grammar mistakes.

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Why match the subject to the verb?

• Educated writers match subject to verb with
  little effort.
• The undereducated, however, typically mismatch
  subjects and verbs.
• Ex. Bo n me gets bord bout writing stuf.
• Therefore, mismatched subjects and verbs make any
  college-level essay look less than intelligent!

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When do subject-verb errors occur?

• SV misfits occur when the subjects are
• Separated far from the verb.
• Made with the words and/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.

How well matched are they?
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Do distant subjects and verbs match?

• Ignore words between the subject and verb.
• Reduce sentences to their simplest form.
• A good pair of sunglasses costs /cost fifteen
  dollars.
• The president, as well as his staff, leave/
  leaves on weekends.
• Xena and Hercules is/ are action heroes.

Are the surgeons remarks fitting?
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Do we match subjects with and?

• Most of the time, compound subjects with and are
  treated as plural
• Jose and Rigo is/ are close friends.
• However, when words joined by and refer to a
  single thing, the subject is also singular
• The Quick and the Dead is/ are a Western movie,
  starring Clint Eastwood.

How well matched are they?
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How do we match subjects with or?

• When the subject uses or, the verb agrees with
  the closest word
• Neither the instructor nor the students has/ have
  control over the time of early classes.
• Either credit cards or a membership is/are needed
  to rent movies.

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Do we match indefinite pronouns?

• Indefinite pronouns such as every, each, either
  and one, feel plural, but act singular
• Everyone has/ have a student number.
• None of us admit/admits to sending it.
• 3. Each school is/are hiring new instructors.

Hows it going there?
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Do we match collective nouns?

• Group terms such as jury, committee, and team are
  singularwhen all are cooperating
• The jury is/are deciding the mans future.
• However, when the group disagrees, use the
  plural
• The jury is/are arguing about the persons guilt.

Is he innocent or guilty?
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How do we match here and there?

• 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)

Hows it going there?
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What about words ending in s?

• Individual words such as economics, AIDS, physics
  and news are singular
• Economics is fun and exciting
• The news is usually broadcast live
• Words such as scissors, eyeglasses and pants that
  name things with two parts are plural
• My glasses were broken when I did a face plant

How does the news end?
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How do we match measurements?

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

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How do we match titles to verbs?

• Even when it looks plural, a work title is still
  singular
• About Face is/are Col. Hackworths view of US
  military mistakes in Korea and Vietnam.
• Smallville is/are a TV series with Clark Kent as
  a young Superman.

Do titles matter?
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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 dependent fragments?

• Never punctuate a dependent clause as a full
  sentence
• Candice doesnt like her sister. Because she
  borrows her clothes.
• Amber didnt care about school. Until her dad
  didnt pay the bills.
• Sonya would have eaten another burrito. Except
  her stomach felt full.

Does it matter?
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What are phrasal fragments?

• Which one is a fragment?
• To finish college.
• It takes effort.
• Knowing it was time.
• Marina started taking the Vista quiz.
• Anyone has to work hard.
• To finish serious tasks.
• Ruchika was on the phone for hours.
• Talking with her cousin from India.

Does it matter?
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What are added-detail fragments?

• Which ones are fragments?
• A good nurse such as Katie plans to become should
  have certain admirable qualities.
• Such as being caring, careful and competent.
• No one sees how Brenda fears the COMPASS test.
• Not even her instructor.
• In the evening, Abir turned on his computer.
• For information searching.

Does it matter?
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What are no subject fragments?

• Use it, he, they
• 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.

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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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Can you avoid fragments?

• Which form of punctuation should fill the blank?
• Sitting quietly on the couch_ the dog didnt look
  as if hed eaten my sandwich.
• Only much later_ did the poor dog realize that in
  mint condition doesnt mean edible.

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Can you spot the fragment?

• Which one is fragmented?
• 1. Almost everyone loves ice cream. Especially
  vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
• 2. Almost everyone loves ice cream, especially
  vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.

Rule Connect added-thought phrases to the main
clauses with commasnever periods!
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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.

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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.