SKILL 18 MAKE VERBS AGREE AFTER PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
Sometimes
prepositional phrases can come between the subject and the verb. If the object
of the preposition is singular and the subject is plural, or if the object of
the preposition is plural and the subject is singular, there can be confusion
in making the subject and verb agree.
The
key (to the doors) are* in the drawer.
SINGULAR PLURAL
The
keys (to the door) is* in the drawer.
PLURAL SINGULAR
(*
indicates an error)
In
the first example you might think that doors is the subject because it
comes directly in front of the verb are. However, doors is not
the subject because it is the object of the preposition to. The subject
of the sentence is key, so the verb should be is. In the second
example you might think that door is the subject because it comes
directly in front of the verb is. You should recognize in this example
that door is not the subject because it is the object of the preposition to.
Because the subject of the sentence is keys, the verb should be are.
The
following chart outlines the key information that you should understand about
subject/verb agreement with prepositional phrases:
SUBJECT / VERB AGREEMENT AFTER
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
(prepositional phrase)
S V
When
a prepositional phrase come between the subject, and the verb),
be sure that the verb agrees with subject
SKILL 19 MAKE
VERBS AGREE AFTER EXPRESSIONS OF
QUANTITY
A
particular agreement problem occurs when the subject is an expression of
quantity, such as all, most, or some, followed by the preposition
of. In this situation, the subject (all most, or some) can
be singular or plural, depending on what follows the preposition of.
All
(of the book) was interesting.
SINGULAR
All
(of the books) were interesting.
PLURAL
All
(of the information) was interesting.
UNCOUNTABLE
In
the first example the subject all refers to the singular noun book,
so the correct verb is therefore the singular verb was. In the second
example the subject all refers to the plural noun books, so the
correct verb is the plural verb were. In the third example the subject all
refers to the uncountable noun information, so the correct verb is
therefore the singular verb was.
The
following chart outlines the key information that you should understand about
subject/verb agreement after expressions of quantity:
SUBJECT / VERB AGREEMENT
AFTER EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY
all
|
|||||
most
|
|||||
some
|
OF THE (OBJECT)
|
V
|
|||
half
|
|||||
When an expression of
quantity is the subject, the verb agrees with the object
TOEFL
EXERCISE Choose the letter of the
word or group of words that best completes the sentence.
____
|
1.
|
The contracts signed by the company has been
voided because some stipulations
|
were not met.
|
||
____
|
2.
|
Ten miles beyond the river was the farmlands that they had purchased
with
|
their life savings.
|
||
____
|
3.
|
Each package that is not properly wrapped have to
be returned to the sender.
|
____
|
4.
|
She would not have to enter the house through the
bedroom window were the
|
keys where they were supposed to be.
|
||
____
|
5.
|
The proposal brought so much new work to the
partnership that there was not
|
1.
Among
bees____a highly elaborate form of communication.
(A)
occur
(B)
occurs
(C)
it occurs
(D)
they occur
2.
________
heated by solar energy have special collectors on the roofs to trap sunlight.
(A)
A home is
(B)
Homes are
(C)
A home
(D)
Homes
Choose the letter of the underlined word or group
of words that is not correct.
____
|
3.
|
Each number in a binary system are formed from only two symbols.
|
|||||
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
||||
____
|
4.
|
Scientists
at the medical center is trying
|
to determine if there is a relationship
|
||||
A
|
B
|
C
|
|||||
between
saccharine and cancer.
|
|||||||
D
|
|||||||
____
|
5.
|
On the rim of the Kilauea volcano in the Hawaiian Islands
are a hotel called the
|
|||||
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
||||
Volcano
Hotel.
sumber: johan h.f, anne juwita. 2009. smart way to toefl. jakarta : generasi cerdas
