Chapter 17A – Verbs Regular Verbs, Irregular Verbs, Problem Verbs, and Subject-Verb Agreement

1. Chapter 17A – VerbsRegular Verbs, Irregular Verbs, Problem Verbs, and Subject-Verb Agreement English 68 Professor Jean Garrett

2. Standard English is appropriate for the kind of writing and speaking you are likely to do in your college work and future career. Verbs

3. Regular Verbs • Regular verbs are predictable. To form the present tense add an –s or an –es to the base word.

4. Regular Verbs • Regular verbs are predictable and have an –ed ending for the past and past participle, and–ing for thepresent participle.

5. Irregular Verbs • Irregular verbs, as the term suggests, follow no definite pattern.

6. Irregular Verbs • Because irregular verbs, follow no definite pattern, they have to be memorized • A chart for irregular verbs can be found in two formats at the following link: • http://www.mtsac.edu/~jgarrett/eng68122.htm#irregular • Here you can link to a web version or PowerPoint version of an irregular verbs index for extra help.

7. Problem Verbs • The following pairs of verbs are especially troublesome and confusing: • lie, lay • sit, set • rise, raise

8. Lie vs. Lay • Liemeans to rest or recline. • Lieis an intransitive verb, so it takes no object and is often followed by a prepositional phrase. • She liesin the recliner to watch television. • What is she doing in the recliner? Resting or reclining. • Laymeans to put or place something or someone down. • Because layis a transitive verb, a direct object will come after it, so the direct object receives the action of the verb. • During the commercial, she laysher popcorn and drink on the coffee table. • She lays what on the coffee table? Her popcorn and drink.

9. Lie vs. Lay • Important note: The simple past form of lie is the same word as the simple present form of lay. This shared form accounts for much of the confusion between these two verbs. • Therefore,to choose the correct form, you must understand the uses of the simple present, simple past, and past participle forms.

10. Lie vs. Lay • Use the simple present forms when you mean an action which happens consistently or an action which is happening presently. • Although I called to her three times, Sara stills lies in her bed. (This action is happening presently.) • My husband always lays his car keys on the hook in the foyer. (This action happens consistently.) • Use the simple past forms when you mean an action completed in the past. • Sara lay in her bed, unaware that her mother was angrily ascending the stairs. (Lay = simple past tense of lie, to rest or recline.) • My husband always laid his car keys on the hook in the foyer. (Laid = simple past tense of lay, to put or to place something or someone down.)

11. Rise vs. Raise • Risemeans to go up. • Riseis an intransitive verb, so it takes no object and is often followed by a prepositional phrase. • The sun risesin the east each day. • Raisemeans to lift or to bring forth. • Because raiseis a transitive verb, a direct object will come after it, so the direct object receives the action of the verb. • He raisesthe flagto the top of flagpole in front of the school.

12. Sit vs. Set • Sitmeans to rest. • Sitis an intransitive verb, so it takes no object and is often followed by a prepositional phrase. • Nadia sitsby the window to watch the children. • Setmeans to place something. • Because setis a transitive verb, a direct object will come after it, so the direct object receives the action of the verb. • He setthe birthday presents on the table.

13. Simple Tense Present Past Future Perfect Tenses Present perfect Past perfect Future perfect English has twelve verb tenses: • Progressive Tense • Present progressive • Past progressive • Future progressive • Perfect Progressive Tenses • Present perfect progressive • Past perfect progressive • Future perfect progressive

14. Present (This is a current daily activity.) I drive to work. She drives to work. Past (This is a completed past action.) I drove to work yesterday. Future(This is an action that will take place in the future.) I will drive to work tomorrow. Simple Tenses

15. Present Perfect (The action is recently completed in the past; it may continue into the present.) I have driven to work. He has driven to work. Past Perfect(An event happens prior to a specific action in the past.) I had driven to work before moving to the city. Future Perfect(This action takes place in the future prior to a specific time in the future.) I will have driven to work six times by tomorrow. Perfect Tenses

16. Present Progressive (The action is in progress now.) I am driving to work. He is driving to work. We are driving to work. Past Progressive(The action is in progress in the past.) I was driving to work. Future Progressive(The action is in progress in the future.) I will be driving to work tomorrow. Progressive Tenses

17. Present Perfect Progressive (The action is in progress before now or up to now.) I have been driving to work. He has been driving to work. Past Perfect Progressive(The action is in progress before another event in the past.) I had been driving to work before I began taking the bus. Future Perfect(The action is in progress before another event in the future.) By May 1st, I will have been driving to work for six years. Perfect Progressive Tenses

18. Subject-Verb Agreement The basic principle of subject-verb agreement is: • If the subject of a sentence is singular, the verb should be singular. • The boywalks to school every day. • If the subject is plural, the verb should be plural. • The boyswalk to school every day.

19. Ten Guidelines for Subject-Verb Agreement • Do not let words that come between the subject and verb confuse agreement. Prepositional phrases • Numerous stylesof clothingwere purchased for the new store. • The printingon those posters for the events is too small. • The teacher, as well as her students, was enjoying the fieldtrip. Relative clauses • Jessica, who is the class’s best writer, is entering the contest. Negative phrase follows a positive subject • Ignacio, not the other students, is the one with the correct answer.

20. Ten Guidelines for Subject-Verb Agreement • Do not let reverse order sentences (verb before subject, not the normal order) confuse subject-verb agreement. Put the sentence in its normal order to find the subject and verb. Questions • AreEduardoandAnnacoming with us? [question form] • EduardoandAnnaare coming with us.[normal order] Sentences beginning with “Here” or “There” • There are over fifty new members in the club. [sentence filler] • Over fifty new membersare in the club. [normal order] Sentences beginning with prepositional phrases • Over the fence and into the sky flew the frightened bird. [reverse order] • The frightened birdflew over the fence and into the sky. [normal order]

21. Ten Guidelines for Subject-Verb Agreement • A singular verb agrees with a singular indefinite pronoun that is the subject of a sentence. Most indefinite pronouns are singular. • Eachof the membersis doing the job which was assigned. • Neither of the children is willing to admit his or her guilt. • One of the men was late for inspection. The indefinite pronouns all, any, none, and some do not clearly express either a singular or plural number. Agreement, therefore, depends on the meaning of the sentence. • Allof the piewastasty. • Allof the pieswereready to be eaten. • Noneof the cakewasmoist. • Noneof the cakesaredecorated.

22. Ten Guidelines for Subject-Verb Agreement • Two or more subjects joined by andusually take a plural verb. • The mother and her daughterswere glad to be on vacation. • The dogs and catsneed to be fed. If the parts of a compound subject mean one and the same person or thing, the verb is singular; if the parts mean more than one, the verb is plural. • The secretary and treasureris not present. [one] • The secretary and the treasurerare not present. [more than one]. When “each” or “every” modifies singular subjects joined by “and,” the verb is singular. • Eachboy and each girlchooses a topic for the report. • Everystudent and teacherhas wondered about the dean’s motives.

23. Ten Guidelines for Subject-Verb Agreement • Alternative subjects - that is, subjects joined by or, nor, either/or, neither/nor, not only/but also - should be handled in the following manner: If the subjects are both singular, the verb is singular. • TomasorMaryis picking you up at the airport. If the subjects are plural, the verb is plural. • Neither the studentsnor the teacherswere impressed by his comments. However, if one of the subjects is singular and the other subject is plural, the verb agrees with the nearer subject. • Either her sons or their motherfeeds the dog each day. • Either their motheror her sonsfeed the dog each day.

24. Ten Guidelines for Subject-Verb Agreement • Collective nouns - team, family, group, crew, gang, class, faculty, and the like - take a singular verb if the noun is considered a unit, but they take a plural verb if the group is considered as a number of individuals. • The teamis playing well tonight. • The teamare getting dressed. [In this sentence, the individuals are acting not as a unit but separately.] If you don't like the way the sentence sounds, rewrite it. • The members of the team are getting dressed.

25. Ten Guidelines for Subject-Verb Agreement • Titles of books, essays, short stories, and plays; a word spoken of as a word; and the names of businesses take a singular verb. • The Canterbury Taleswas written by Geoffrey Chaucer. • Jamesis my best friend. • Stapleshas a sale this week.

26. Ten Guidelines for Subject-Verb Agreement • Sums of money, distances, and measurements are followed by a singular verb when a unit is meant. They are followed by a plural verb when the individual elements are considered separately. • Three dollarswas the price. [unit] • Three dollarswere lying there. [individual] • Five yearsis a long time. [unit] • The first five yearswere difficult ones. [individual].

27. Ten Guidelines for Subject-Verb Agreement • Be careful of agreement with nouns ending in -s. Several nouns ending in -s take a singular verb - for example, aeronautics, civics, economics, ethics, measles, mumps. • Mumpsis an unpleasant disease. • Economicsis my major field of study. • Mathematicshas always been my least favorite class.

28. Ten Guidelines for Subject-Verb Agreement • Some nouns have only a plural form and so take only a plural verb - for example, clothes, fireworks, scissors, trousers. • His trousersare badly wrinkled. • Marv's clotheswere stylish and expensive.

29. Goodbye!!