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Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns and Other Tricky Subjects

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Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns and Other Tricky Subjects LESSON STUDENT LESSON SUMMARY COPYMASTER 6 Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns and Other Tricky Subjects ACADEMIC VOCABULARY collective noun: names a group of people or things number: in grammar, whether a word refers to one (singular) or more than one (plural) agreement: the use of singular verbs for singular subjects and plural verbs for plural subjects HERE’S HOW Grammar 6 Step 1: Review collective nouns. A collective noun can be singular or plural depending on how it is used in a sentence. EXAMPLES army, audience, class, committee, council, family, group, nation, team Step 2: Use a singular verb when a collective noun refers to one unified action or whole. Use a plural verb when it refers to individuals. Sometimes a pronoun signals whether the noun refers to a unit or to individuals. EXAMPLES In 1911, a robbery team steals the Mona Lisa from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The museum staff considers its strategy to recover the painting. The police have identified their prime suspects. Step 3: Use a singular verb to agree with some nouns ending in -s or -ics, those which look plural but are actually singular. EXAMPLE WORDS: mumps, news, linguistics, physics, economics, molasses, mathematics Step 4: Use a singular verb to agree with the title of a work of art, literature, or music. Titles are singular, even when they consist of a plural noun. sion of Houghton Mifflin Company EXAMPLE TheTwelveChairsisa comic mystery story. Step 5: Use a singular verb to agree with most numerical expressions. Words and phrases that express measurement and number are treated as singular when they refer to an amount rather than to separate items. A fraction can be singular or plural too, depending on whether it refers to an amount or to separate parts. EXAMPLES Over two-thirds of the money comes from private donations. (singular) Three-fourths of the museum’s paintings are in storage. (plural) Step 6: Phrases or clauses used as subjects take singular verbs. Copyright by McDougal Littell, a divi EXAMPLES To win a competition is the goal of many ice dancers. (infinitive phrase) Learning ice dancing requires a commitment. (gerund phrase) What people don’t understand is the effort it takes to compete. (noun clause) Standards Lesson Files Book 5: Grammar 53 Grade 9 Name Date LESSON PRACTICE WORKSHEET A COPYMASTER 6 Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns and Other Tricky Subjects Directions: Rewrite each sentence in the space provided. Correct any errors in subject-verb agreement. If a sentence is already correct, write C. 1. On an August day in 1911, the usual crowd begin to gather at the Louvre Museum. 2. The Mona Lisa is not hanging on the wall. 3. The security staff are confident in its opinion that the painting is being photographed. 4. Sixty minutes are all the time that the robbery and escape took. Grammar 6 5. The robbery team consist of a mastermind, a forger, a carpenter, and two accomplices. 6. A million francs do not even come close to the amount represented by the loss. 7. News of the robbery breaks slowly. 8. Meeting hastily, a group of top officials are divided in their opinions about what to tell the press. sion of Houghton Mifflin Company 9. Forensics are used to help detect fake Mona Lisas. 10. Adventures in Artful Crimes are a nonfiction book about art robberies and investigations. Copyright by McDougal Littell, a divi 54 Book 5: Grammar Standards Lesson Files Grade 9 Name Date LESSON PRACTICE WORKSHEET B COPYMASTER 6 Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns and Other Tricky Subjects A: Directions: Rewrite each sentence in the space provided. Correct any errors in subject-verb agreement. If a sentence is already correct, write C. 1. “Art and Authenticity” are an article you might enjoy if you are interested in the subject of art forgery. 2. TheArtoftheFakeralso provides a wealth of information on this topic. 3. News of forgeries occasionally make headlines. Grammar 6 4. These days, thirty million dollars are not an unheard-of price for a painting by a famous artist. 5. Of course, the majority of art forgeries duplicates the most valuable works. B. Directions: On a separate sheet, rewrite the boxed paragraph, correcting any errors in subject-verb agreement. (HINT: There are five errors.) (6.) To fight forgery and theft, the staff of a modern museum spend much of its time, energy, and money on security. (7.) As much as two-thirds of a budget go toward security-related expenditures. (8.) “Famous Forgeries and Fabulous sion of Houghton Mifflin Company Fakes” is the title of a lecture series that one art museum is sponsoring. A team of speakers has prepared several talks, illustrated with slides. (9.) Forty minutes are the time limit for each lecture. (10.) While listening to these suspenseful tales, the audience often sits on the edge of their seats! Copyright by McDougal Littell, a divi Standards Lesson Files Book 5: Grammar 55 Grade 9.
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