Writeclub is in (checks watch) FIVE minutes! Follow @Frinightwrites to join in the fun. I always get a lot done during writeclub, thanks to the online support and upbeat choons pumping out my stereo. (I actually have a writeclub playlist on Spotify. It’s loud and cheesy and fabulous!)
Before writeclub, let’s chat about the verb to be.
IS and ARE can be tricky little blighters. The key thing to remember is the verb must agree with the subject.
IS – singular form of the verb to be
ARE – plural form
Find your verb first. Then to find the subject, ask yourself who or what is doing/being the verb.
The dog is outside. What is outside? The dog. As ‘the dog’ is singular, we use IS.
The dogs are outside.
Is the dog outside?
Are the dogs outside?
Easy enough. Things get a bit more complicated with multiple subjects. If the subjects are part of one unit, the verb is singular.
Beer and pizza is my favourite meal. What is my favourite meal? Beer and pizza.
However if the subjects are separate, the verb is plural.
Indian and Mexican restaurants are my favourite places to eat.
There
Reword to help identify the subject and verb.
There are twenty-five people in the room. Twenty-five people are in the room.
There is only one person in the room. One person is in the room.
Keep It Simple
There are millions of rules affecting subject-verb agreement and it’s easy to get bamboozled. I’ve linked some of the better articles below, but remember, only the subject affects the verb. Find the subject, find the verb, and forget everything else. If a sentence doesn’t sound right, it’s probably wrong. Trust your instinct :)
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/subject-verb-agreement/
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/20-rules-about-subject-verb-agreement/
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/subject-verb-agreement.aspx
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