1. Grammar Bootcamp
Subjects and Verbs
ENGL 124 B03 Winter 2010

2. How to Disambiguate a Sentence
#1: Find all the verbs

3. How to Disambiguate a Sentence
#1: Find all the verbs
Be careful – don’t fall for any of these verbals:

4. How to Disambiguate a Sentence
#1: Find all the verbs
Be careful – don’t fall for any of these verbals:
• Infinitives
He’s learning to dance.
Verb: “learning” / Not-a-verb: “to dance”

5. How to Disambiguate a Sentence
#1: Find all the verbs
Be careful – don’t fall for any of these verbals:
• Infinitives
He’s learning to dance.
Verb: “learning” / Not-a-verb: “to dance”
• Gerunds
She loves jogging.
Verb: “loves” / Not-a-verb: “jogging”

6. How to Disambiguate a Sentence
#1: Find all the verbs
Be careful – don’t fall for any of these verbals:
• Infinitives
He’s learning to dance.
Verb: “learning” / Not-a-verb: “to dance”
• Gerunds
She loves jogging.
Verb: “loves” / Not-a-verb: “jogging”
• Other verbals
I own a swimming pool.
Verb: “own” / Not-a-verb: “swimming”
You drank boiled water.
Verb: “drank” / Not-a-verb: “boiled”

7. How to Disambiguate a Sentence
#1: Find all the verbs
#2: Connect each verb to its subject

8. How to Disambiguate a Sentence
#1: Find all the verbs
#2: Connect each verb to its subject
He is learning to dance.
She loves jogging.
I own a swimming pool.
You drank boiled water.

9. Know Your Subjects
• Simple
• Plural
• Compound
• Implied

10. Know Your Subjects • Simple • Plural • Compound • Implied
Refers to a single person or thing
He likes to swim
• Plural
• Compound
• Implied

11. Know Your Subjects • Simple • Plural • Compound • Implied
Refers to a single person or thing
He likes to swim
• Plural
Refers to a single group of people or things
Ducks like to swim
• Compound
• Implied

12. Know Your Subjects • Simple • Plural • Compound • Implied
Refers to a single person or thing
He likes to swim
• Plural
Refers to a single group of people or things
Ducks like to swim
• Compound
Refers to two or more people or things
Ducks, geese and other waterfowl like to swim
• Implied

13. Know Your Subjects • Simple • Plural • Compound • Implied
Refers to a single person or thing
He likes to swim
• Plural
Refers to a single group of people or things
Ducks like to swim
• Compound
Refers to two or more people or things
Ducks, geese and other waterfowl like to swim
• Implied
Refers to a subject not actually named
[you] Enjoy your swim!

14. Keep subjects and their verbs close to each other
As a general rule of thumb:
Keep subjects and their verbs close to each other