SUBJECTS MODIFIERS WHO OR WHAT A CLAUSE, PHRASE, OR SENTENCE IS ABOUT DEFINITIVE ELEMENTS NOUNS - PROPER NOUNS NaillI' a ~pecitic persoll, place, or object They begill with till IIpper case letter John Mercury California -COMMON NOUNS NaillI' a lIoll-~pecitic perSOIl, place, 01' object; tltey IIOt begill with all IIpper case letter l boy pland state PRONOUNS A singular verb requires a singular subject A plural verb requires a plural subject a When two singular subjects are joined by alld, the verb is plural Exception - when two singular sub­ jects are connected by and present a single idea, the verb may be singular b When two singular subjects are connected by or, either or, or IIeither llor, the verb is singular c When two plural subjects are connected by or, either or, or lIeither //or, the verb is plural d The verb agrees with the nearer subjecl of a com­ pound sentence which has both a singular and a plu­ ral word joined by or or IIor e When the subject and the subjective complement (predicate adjectives, predicate nominatives that fol­ low linking verbs and refer to the subject) are differ­ ent in number, the verb agrees with the subject Take the positioll tllldfilllctioll (ll/WIIIIS, bllt IIOt specifically lIallle I He fed the cat She fed the ~ at - The books Ihal I received were the most appreciated Every or mallY beforc a word or series of words is fol­ It got extremcly fat They wish they had fed it less When the subject comes after the verb, as in sentences NOMINATIVE ELEMENTS lowed by a singular verb - Every lIIan, WO/lwn, and child was asked to donate beginning with here is, there is, and where is, make sure that the verb agrees with the subject - There tire three cour.,es olactioll we call lake -VERBAL GERUNDS (-ing ti.mll ofthc verb) a Reat/illg travel books is my hobby b Travelillg by train is part of my daily routine INFINITIVES (to, plus the verb) a To read a travel book brings me pleasure b To trtll'el by traill can be fun -NOUN CLAUSES That 0111' lIeetls a clear goal is strcssed in college preparatory classes -VOICE I ACTIVE VOICE: Subjcct is acting GENERAL RULES 2.lmperative: expresses a command request, suggestion, entreaty, etc where subject (usually the pronoun you) is understood I All inflected forms must be in subjective case Gender is important with subject pronouns • Johll is proud of the school he attended Number is important for agreement of subject and verb a The wOlI/all was tall b The WOlllell were tall c The IIIUlI IIlId the WOlllall were tall SPECIFIC RULES I Some pronouns always take singular vcrbs - each, someone, either, neither, somebody, nobody, everybody, anyone, nothing Some pronollns always take plural verbs • both, few, several, many Collective nouns thought of as a single unit are sin­ gular Collective nouns with idcntified parts require a plural verb a The grall/l is going to the show b Th e lIIell are going to the show Generally, subjects appear before the verb and may be separated by modifiers or prepositional phrases To determine a subject, answer who or what about the construction being analyzed a Johll walks b The traill runs c Johll , who is late for the train, runs VERBS (PREDICATES) WHAT A SUBJECT IS DOING; WHAT IS BEING DONE TO IT; A STATE OF BEING THE FIVE PROPERTIES OF VERBS -PERSON A verb is in the same person as its subject I First person: aln hopillgj!,r rain Sccond person: You are /wpillg/!}/' rain Third person: He is /wpillgji,,' rain - Liffhtnill!: struck the bam PASSIVE VOICE: Subject is acted upon a The barn wus struck by lightning b.The passive form always consists of some form of the vcrb be plus the past participle -MOOD I Indicative: makes a statement or asks a question • It is 40 miles to Gaillesville, but we'll get there ill time - Stop! Please sigll the jimll before retllmillg it Subjunctive: equals the past tense in structure and is used after if' and wi.5h when the statement is contrary to reality a I wish I were a rich H'oman h III kllew her nllIllIJeI; I would call hel: -TENSE Made from the principal parts of verbs Three forms are: a Present tense or present infinitive: do, give, ring, ADJECTIVES & ADJECTIVAL ELEMENTS USED TO MODIFY NOUNS OR PRONOUNS Prepositional phrases verbal phrases, and adjec­ tive dependent clauses changc the image made by the noun or nominative element by itself Proper adjectives arc formed from a proper noun - Frellch, Democrat, etc Demonstrative adjectives answcr the question which one? - thi.~, tlrat, tlre.,e, those (also called pr(}/wlI/ls) Descriptive adjectives answer the qucstion what kind'! - big, small, red, etc Quantitative adjectives answer the question how many? -Oll/!, three, ,ome,jew, several (also called pronouns) Qualitative adjectives answ",r the question how much" - little, much, cOllsiderable In comparing the quality of nouns, adjectives change by degrees a The positive degree covers one itcm: big, good b Comparative degree cowrs two items: bigger, better c Superlative degree covers three or more: bigge.~t, hest A predicate adjective follows any linking or state of being verb: The 111('11 were sick FUIII elltillg the ral-\' (~vsfers ADVERBS OR ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS USED TO MODIFY VERBS, ADJECTIVES, OR OTHER ADVERBS I Prepositional phrases, verbal phrases, or adver­ bial dependent clauses add descriptive elements to a sentence Adverbs answer one or more of these qucstions: a How'! (by what manner'!) quickly, SIOH'(I',j'ast b When? (at what time?) IIOW, theil, lIever c Where" (at what location'!) here, there, dOH'II, lip d To what extent docs a thing havc some qualit~'" e To what extent docs the adverb express quantity') Adverbs follow the verb a John walked slowly b John walked jaster thall Peter Adverbs modifying adjectives and adverbs precede the word being modified - John ",alk"d surprisingly slm\'~\'.Ii!/' SOIllI'On/! so loll One-syllabic adverbs arc compared by adding -er or -est a John wlIlkeel slower Ihall I did b John wlllkeel slowest o(al/ Adverbs of two or more syllables add more or most a John walks more slowly th