Subject-Verb Agreement (Grammar #5) and Group Discussions of the Persuasive Essay You need one printout of your first draft for class today! If you don’t have one, run to YBOR 303b and print one!
TONIGHT’S HOMEWORK Submit working outline for RP on Canvas, consider reviewers' comments and begin revising persuasive essay (submit SECOND draft online by Tuesday, Feb. 28), begin Grammar #5 (subject-verb agreement) on Canvas, due Tuesday, Feb. 28, complete 10 more (total 25) note cards for RP by our conference time, AND use the Canvas calendar to schedule an appointment for a conference time!
Subjects and Verbs The SUBJECT tells WHO OR WHAT is DOING THE ACTION of the sentence.
Subjects and Verbs The VERB: tells the ACTION of the sentence OR Subject-Verb Agreement (Grammar #5) and Group Discussions of the Persuasive Essay Subjects and Verbs The VERB: tells the ACTION of the sentence OR connects the subject to a word that renames or describes it (LINKING VERB).
Basic Rule of S-V Agreement: s no s (Also, no s s)
Either the subject OR the verb ends in -s, but not both! Basic Rule: s no s In other words, plural NOUNS add -s. Plural VERBS do not add -s. The boy asks for help. The students ask for help. A student asks for help. People ask for help. Either the subject OR the verb ends in -s, but not both!
RED FLAG #1: PHRASES that come between the subject and the verb (Hint: Cross out prepositional phrases!) Each of the basketball players is excited about tonight’s game.
Commas separate things that aren’t important! Subject-Verb Agreement (Grammar #5) and Group Discussions of the Persuasive Essay RED FLAG #2: INTERRUPTERS are not part of the subject. (Cross them out!) Examples: together with, in addition to, along with, and as well as The carpet in our room, as well as the rugs in the hall, was soaked. 2. My major problem, in addition to bad test scores, was tardiness. Commas separate things that aren’t important!
RED FLAG #3: 1. The team always wins when I do not watch the game. COLLECTIVE NOUNS are singular. (Remember, there’s no “I” in “team.”) 1. The team always wins when I do not watch the game. 2. The jury in the murder case has a tough decision to make.
the workers but not the salt. RED FLAG #4: All, more/most, and some can be singular OR plural. (Hint: Look at the object of the preposition that follows.) Some of the workers on the building have left for the day. Some of the salt (no -s) was spilled on the floor. You could count the workers but not the salt.
RED FLAG #5: Indefinite pronouns like everyone and everybody are always singular. -one -body -thing 1. Everyone who worked on the science project is a winner. 2. Someone has to answer the phone.
Singular indefinite pronouns someone anyone no one everyone somebody anybody nobody everybody something anything nothing everything each either neither none one both few many several Plural indefinite pronouns
GROUP DISCUSSIONS (PEER REVISING) OF PERSUASIVE ESSAY Break into groups of three, read one group member’s essay out loud and discuss it using the handout. Repeat with the other essays.
CONFERENCE #1 (MANDATORY) Subject-Verb Agreement (Grammar #5) and Group Discussions of the Persuasive Essay CONFERENCE #1 (MANDATORY) Class will not meet Tuesday, October 11, because of conferences. BE SURE YOU HAVE RESERVED A TIME with the “Scheduler” in the “Calendar” section of Canvas! The 15-minute conferences will take place in YADM 108 unless I specifically tell you otherwise. PLEASE BE ON TIME. You must bring 1. your thesis statement for the research paper, 2. your working outline for the research paper (if you have trouble with it, we can discuss that), and 3. your (total) 4 source and 25 note cards for the RP.