Welcome Ms. Small's class to your very own wikispaces review site. This site is intended to provide opportunities for you to review some important grammar concepts, as your final is swiftly approaching. Included are supplemental materials to support the lessons you had in class throughout the year, although the primary focus is on subject-verb agreement and pronoun/antecedent agreement.
Making your own wikispaces site with a group of friends is a great way to review for all of your finals. This way you can all contribute to it and study together, even when you can't be in the same room.
It's Always Best to Agree...At least when it comes to grammar!
Subject-Verb Agreement
The most important word that you need to remember when thinking about subjects and verbs is agreement. The basic formula you need to keep in mind is that every subject needs to agree with every verb. Singular subjects (ex. Brooke) require singular verbs (ex. is) and plural subjects (ex. students) require plural verbs (ex. are).
Here are two simple sample sentences that comply with this rule:
Singular subject and singular verb: Brookeis a teacher and a mom.
Plural subject and plural verb: The studentsare reviewing for their English final.
Of course these sentences would sound horribly wrong if they were: Brooke are a teacher and a mom.
The students is reviewing for their English final.
These examples will help you remember the rule, but it is important to consider more complex subjects (like compound subjects or pronouns). The best online tool I've found to review this concept is the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
Another fun site to check out is Grammar Girl. This particular link connects to subject-verb agreement rules and reminders and Grammar Girl uses sarcasm to remind us how good grammar is always an indicator of intelligence! Well spoken individuals get our attention and respect. (Thank you, Ms. Drance, for recommending this site!)
Pronoun Antecedent Agreement
Much like the basic principal of subject-verb agreement, pronouns need to agree with their antecedents. The formula is the same, singular antecedents require singular pronouns and plural antecedents require plural pronouns. Once again Purdue Online Writing Lab (Pronouns) provides an excellent resource, but I have also included some simple examples to help you remember the rule.
Here are two simple sample sentences: Brooke will be happy if the students find her grammar tips helpful. The students will be thrilled when they are done with their finals.
Helpful Videos
The below video is a good companion to the Purdue Online Writing Lab's list of rules for subject-verb agreement, as it expands on the simple examples I provided above. This teacher also includes a link to a quiz below her video.
The below video is a bit longer, but provides an in-depth discussion of pronoun/ antecedent agreement issues. Although the speaker is directly referring to SAT review and that may seem far away, the examples he provides are right on target. He makes a great point, that we often make mistakes in pronoun antecedent agreement in spoken English, but we need to be mindful of these mistakes in our writing.
Thank you Ms. Small for allowing me to work with your students today and thank you, class, for willingly participating in the activities I planned. Good luck on all your finals!
Table of Contents
Welcome
Welcome Ms. Small's class to your very own wikispaces review site. This site is intended to provide opportunities for you to review some important grammar concepts, as your final is swiftly approaching. Included are supplemental materials to support the lessons you had in class throughout the year, although the primary focus is on subject-verb agreement and pronoun/antecedent agreement.Making your own wikispaces site with a group of friends is a great way to review for all of your finals. This way you can all contribute to it and study together, even when you can't be in the same room.
It's Always Best to Agree...At least when it comes to grammar!
Subject-Verb Agreement
The most important word that you need to remember when thinking about subjects and verbs is agreement. The basic formula you need to keep in mind is that every subject needs to agree with every verb. Singular subjects (ex. Brooke) require singular verbs (ex. is) and plural subjects (ex. students) require plural verbs (ex. are).Here are two simple sample sentences that comply with this rule:
Singular subject and singular verb: Brooke is a teacher and a mom.
Plural subject and plural verb: The students are reviewing for their English final.
Of course these sentences would sound horribly wrong if they were:
Brooke are a teacher and a mom.
The students is reviewing for their English final.
These examples will help you remember the rule, but it is important to consider more complex subjects (like compound subjects or pronouns). The best online tool I've found to review this concept is the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
Another fun site to check out is Grammar Girl. This particular link connects to subject-verb agreement rules and reminders and Grammar Girl uses sarcasm to remind us how good grammar is always an indicator of intelligence! Well spoken individuals get our attention and respect. (Thank you, Ms. Drance, for recommending this site!)
Pronoun Antecedent Agreement
Much like the basic principal of subject-verb agreement, pronouns need to agree with their antecedents. The formula is the same, singular antecedents require singular pronouns and plural antecedents require plural pronouns. Once again Purdue Online Writing Lab (Pronouns) provides an excellent resource, but I have also included some simple examples to help you remember the rule.Here are two simple sample sentences:
Brooke will be happy if the students find her grammar tips helpful.
The students will be thrilled when they are done with their finals.
Helpful Videos
The below video is a good companion to the Purdue Online Writing Lab's list of rules for subject-verb agreement, as it expands on the simple examples I provided above. This teacher also includes a link to a quiz below her video.The below video is a bit longer, but provides an in-depth discussion of pronoun/ antecedent agreement issues. Although the speaker is directly referring to SAT review and that may seem far away, the examples he provides are right on target. He makes a great point, that we often make mistakes in pronoun antecedent agreement in spoken English, but we need to be mindful of these mistakes in our writing.
Quiz Yourself
Here's a quick quiz to review pronouns.This site has three subject-verb agreement quizzes, as well as some for pronoun usage.
Mad Libs!
Mad Libs are a fun and creative way to review the parts of speech. I found this site, Mad Libs for Everyone. Enjoy!
Practice Exercises/Games
Here are a couple of grammar sites you may want to explore:Thank You!
Thank you Ms. Small for allowing me to work with your students today and thank you, class, for willingly participating in the activities I planned. Good luck on all your finals!All best,
Brooke Carey
brookecareyela@gmail.com