Grammar Journalism –

Rules A verb should agree in number with its subject. –Singular subjects take singular verbs. Dominic writes an essay. –Plural subjects take plural verbs. The students write essays. The number of the subject usually is not determined by a word in a phrase of clause following the subject. –The apartments across the street do not have balconies.

More Rules Use a singular pronoun to refer to anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody someone, or something. Use plural pronouns to refer to both, few, many and several. The indefinite pronouns all, any, more, most, none and some may be singular or plural, depending on their meaning in a sentence. –All of the ice has melted. It is pooling in the valley. –All of the streams were full. They are rushing torrents.

Subject-Verb Agreement None of the students was/were on time for class. 2.According to news editors, there is/are not enough experienced reporters to cover the news. 3.Both of us intend/intends to play tennis before going to the party on Saturday night. 4.Alexa, along with her two best friends, is/are going to study in Rome next semester. 5.All of the steps in the registration process take/takes time.

Subject-Verb Agreement 2 1.Both the cha-cha and the rumba is/are Cuban dances. 2.Either nachos or celery was/were served with the guacamole. 3.Arturo or Beatrice always lead/leads our class discussions. 4.Red beans and rice is/are a popular Saturday night meal. 5. Pang and Jamyce probably have/has the directions.

Subject Verb Agreement 3 1.About three quarters of the book focus/focuses on modern artists from Latin America. 2.Harlem Shadows is/are considered one of Claude McKay’s most important works. 3.Sports was/were one of the topics of discussion at lunch yesterday. 4.The scissors is/are lying on the counter next to the sink. 5.“Strange Legacies” is/are a poem by Sterling A. Brown.