Business Writing Tips - Subject-Verb Agreement (3)

We continue with our 12 essential subject-verb agreement rules:

4. With two or more subjects joined by and (a compound subject), use a plural
   verb.
   Example:
   The secretary and the treasurer are (plural) responsible for presenting the annual report.
   
   
   NOTE: When two parts of a compound subject refer to the same person or thing, use a singular verb. Example:
   My boss and mentor (one person) has always been (singular) helpful to me.
   
   
   
   Also, when the compound subject is preceded by each or every, use a singular verb.
   Example:
   Every file drawer and bookcase (singular) was (singular) searched.
   
    
5. With two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor, use a singular verb. If one of the subjects is plural and one is singular, make the verb agree with the subject closer to it.
   Examples:
   Neither the secretary (singular) nor the clerk (singular) has received (singular) her paycheck.
   
   Neither the secretary (singular) nor the two clerks (plural) have received (plural) their paychecks.
   
   Neither the two secretaries (plural) nor the clerk (singular) has received (singular) 
   her paycheck.

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Business Writing Tips - Sentence Structure: Subject-Verb Agreement (2)

Number three of our 12 essential subject-verb agreement rules:

3. If the subject of the sentence is a singular pronoun, use a singular verb.
   The 'e' pronouns and their negatives are always singular:
   
   each
   each one
   either, neither
   everybody, nobody
   everyone, no one
   everything, nothing
   
         Examples:                  
         Everybody (singular) in our department donates (singular) to United Way.
   
         Each (singular) of the executives wants (singular) his or her own office.

These pronouns are also always singular: one anyone anybody someone somebody

Example: Somebody (singular) in the audience is arguing (singular) with her husband.

These pronouns are singular or plural. Their number is determined by the key word in the prepositional phrase that follows the pronoun: all any most none some

Examples: All of the work is (singular) finished. None of the reports are (plural) finished.

NOTE: None, used alone, may also be singular or plural. When the sense is "no persons or things," the plural is used: The proofreaders checked for errors, but none were found (none = no errors). When the sense is "not one," the singular is used: Of all my reports, none was as well written as my latest (none = not one).

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This edition was adapted from our Business Grammar Program. Previous editions may be read at this location. To receive this free weekly e-mail, select the newsletter option at  www.uliveandlearn.com/userjoin.cfm.

Business Writing Tips - Sentence Structure

Which is correct, "A number of staff was available at all times" or "A number of staff were available at all times?"

When the article a is used with number, number is plural. Therefore, you should use were in that sentence: "A number of staff were available at all times."

Because of the complexity of the English language, as shown in the example above, lack of subject-verb agreement is one of the most common grammar errors in business documents.

This series will help you increase your knowledge of 12 essential subject-verb agreement rules. We'll start with the first two rules:

1. Make every verb agree in number with its subject. If the subject is singular, use a singular verb; if the subject is plural, use a plural verb.
   
   Examples:
   This computer (singular) is (singular) advanced.
   
   These computers (plural) are (plural) advanced.
2. Find the subject of the sentence, and make the verb agree with it. Do not be misled by words or phrases that come between the subject and the verb.
   NOTE: Often the phrases that come between the subject and the verb are prepositional phrases. Learn to recognize these common prepositions:
   
   

   about	above	across	after	along	among	around	at
   before	behind	below	beneath	beside	between	beyond	but (except)
   by	down	during	except	for	from	in	into
   like	of	off	on	over	past	since	through
   to	toward	under	until	unto	up	upon	with

   Those prepositions and the nouns that follow them (objects of the prepositions) are prepositional phrases. Objects of prepositions cannot be subjects.
   
   Examples:
   The letter (singular) to the editors is (singular to agree with letter) ready.
   
   The copiers (plural) in Operations are (plural to agree with copiers) better than those in our area.

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This edition was adapted from our Business Grammar Program. Previous editions may be read at this location. To receive this free weekly e-mail, select the newsletter option at www.uliveandlearn.com/userjoin.cfm.