PARTS of SPEECH. [from www.englishclub.

com]
What is a Part of Speech?
A part of speech is one of the nine types of English words: VERB, NOUN,
ADJECTIVE, ADVERB, PRONOUN, PREPOSITION, DETERMINER,
CONJUNCTION, INTERJECTION

There are thousands of words but they don't all have the same job. For example:

● some words express action

● other words express things
● other words join one word to another word

These are the "building blocks" of the language. Think

of them like the parts of a house. When we want to build a house, we use concrete
to make the foundations or base. We use bricks to make the walls. We use window
frames to make the windows, and door frames to make the doorways. And we use
cement to join them all together. Each part of the house has its own job.

And when we want to build a sentence, we use the different types of word.

Each type of word has its own job.

There are 9 basic types of word, and they are called "parts of speech".

The most important parts of speech are the BIG FOUR, and the verb is the king of
these. Here they are, each with an example and its basic "job":

● verb (deliver - expresses action)

● noun (computer - expresses a thing)
● adjective (yellow - tells us more about a noun)
 ● adverb (quickly - tells us more about a verb)

The other parts of speech are mostly small words:

● pronoun (it - replaces a noun)

● preposition (on - links a noun to another word)
● determiner (the - limits a noun)
● conjunction (and - joins words)
● interjection (ouch! - expresses feeling)
Some people use the term word class instead of part of speech.

What is a Part of Speech?

We can categorize English words into 9 basic types called "parts of speech" or
"word classes". It's quite important to recognize parts of speech. This helps you to
analyze sentences and understand them. It also helps you to construct good
sentences.
● Parts of Speech Table
● Parts of Speech Examples
● Parts of Speech Quiz
Parts of Speech Table
This is a summary of the 9 parts of speech*. You can find more detail if you click
on each part of speech.

part of function or "job" example words example sentences

speech

Verb action or state (to) be, have, EnglishClub is a web site.

do, like, work, I like EnglishClub.
sing, can, must

Noun thing or person pen, dog, work, This is my dog. He lives in

music, town, my house. We live in London.
London,
teacher, John
 Adjective describes a noun good, big, red, My dogs are big. I like big dogs.
well,
interesting

Determiner limits or a/an, the, 2, I have two dogs

"determines" a some, many and some rabbits.
noun

Adverb describes a verb, quickly, My dog eats quickly. When he

adjective or silently, well, is very hungry, he
adverb badly, very, eats really quickly.
really

Pronoun replaces a noun I, you, he, she, Tara is Indian. She is beautiful.
some

Preposition links a noun to to, at, after, on, We went to school on Monday.
another word but

Conjunction joins clauses or and, but, when I like dogs and I like cats. I like
sentences or cats and dogs. I like dogs but I
words don't like cats.

Interjection short oh!, ouch!, hi!, Ouch! That hurts! Hi! How are
exclamation, well you? Well, I don't know.
sometimes
inserted into a
sentence

* Some grammar sources traditionally categorize English into 8 parts of speech.

Others say 10. At EnglishClub, we use the more recent categorization of 9 parts of
speech. Examples of other categorizations are:
● Verbs may be treated as two different parts of speech:
 o lexical Verbs (work, like, run)
o auxiliary Verbs (be, have, must)
● Determiners may be treated as adjectives, instead of being a separate part
of speech.
Parts of Speech Examples
Here are some examples of sentences made with different English parts of speech:

verb

Stop!

noun verb

John works.

noun verb verb

John is working.

pronoun verb noun

She loves animals.

noun verb noun adverb

 Tara speaks English well.

noun verb adjective noun

Tara speaks good English.

pronou verb preposition determiner noun adverb

n

She ran to the station quickly.

pron. ver adj. noun conjunction pron. verb pron.

b

She likes big snakes but I hate them.

Here is a sentence that contains every part of speech:

interjection pron conj det adj. noun verb prep noun adverb
. . . .

Well, she and my youn John wal to schoo slowly.

g k l

Words with More Than One Job

Many words in English can have more than one job, or be more than one part of
speech. For example, "work" can be a verb and a noun; "but" can be a conjunction
and a preposition; "well" can be an adjective, an adverb and an interjection. In
addition, many nouns can act as adjectives.
To analyze the part of speech, ask yourself: "What job is this word doing in this
sentence?"

In the table below you can see a few examples. Of course, there are more, even for some of
the words in the table. In fact, if you look in a good dictionary you will see that the word
"but" has six jobs to do:

● verb, noun, adverb, pronoun, preposition and conjunction!

word part of speech example

work noun My work is easy.

verb I work in London.

but conjunction John came but Mary didn't come.

preposition Everyone came but Mary.

well adjective Are you well?

adverb She speaks well.

interjection Well! That's expensive!

afternoo noun We ate in the afternoon.

n

noun acting as adjective We had afternoon tea.

____________@@@@@########_________############

[from www.learngrammar.net]

Sentence: Definition & Types

A sentence is the largest unit of any language. In English, it begins with a capital
letter and ends with a full-stop, or a question mark, or an exclamation mark.
The sentence is generally defined as a word or a group of words that expresses a
thorough idea by giving a statement/order, or asking a question, or exclaiming.
Example:

He is a good boy (statement), Is he a good boy? (question), What a nice weather!

(exclaiming).

Ideally, a sentence requires at least one subject and one verb. Sometimes the
subject of a sentence can be hidden, but the verb must be visible and present in
the sentence. Verb is called the heart of a sentence.

Example:

Do it. (In this sentence, a subject ‘you’ is hidden but verb ‘do’ is visible)

“[A sentence is] a group of words, usually containing a verb, that expresses a
thought in the form of a statement, question, instruction, or
exclamation and starts with a capital letter when written.” - (Cambridge Advanced
Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press.)
More Examples of Sentences
In other words, a complete English sentence must have three characteristics:
o First, in written form, a sentence begins with a capital letter and ends
with a period (i.e., a full stop) [.], a note of interrogation (i.e., a
question mark) [?], or a note of exclamation (i.e., an exclamation mark)
[!].
o Second, it must express a complete thought, not fragmented.
o Third, it must contain at least one subject (hidden/visible) and one verb
comprising an independent clause. (An independent clause contains an
independent subject and verb and expresses a complete thought.)

Types of Sentences
Structurally, sentences are of four types:
● Simple sentence
● Compound sentence
● Complex sentence, and
● Compound-complex sentence.

Simple sentence
A simple sentence must have a single clause (a single verb) which is independent,
and it cannot take another clause.
Example:

I always wanted to become a writer. (One clause – one verb)

Compound sentence
A compound sentence must have more than one independent clause with no
dependent clauses. Some specific conjunctions, punctuation, or both are used to
join together these clauses.
Example:
I always wanted to become a writer, and she wanted to become a doctor. (Two
independent clauses – two verbs)

Complex sentence
A complex sentence also has more than one clause but of one them must be an
independent clause and the other/others must be (a) dependent clause(es). There
are also some particular connectors for the clauses of a complex sentence to be
connected.
Example:
I know that you always wanted to be a writer. (Here, a dependent clause is
followed by a connector and an independent clause. The other way around is also
possible.)
Compound-complex sentence
A compound-complex sentence (or complex–compound sentence) is a mixture of
the features of compound and complex sentences in one sentence. So, it must
contain at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Example:
I know that you always wanted to become a writer, but I always wanted to become
a doctor. (Here, one dependent clause is followed by a complex connector and two
independent clauses with a compound conjunction between them.)

Functionally, sentences are of mainly four types:

● Declarative sentence
● Imperative sentence
● Interrogative sentence, and
● Exclamatory sentence

Declarative sentence:
An assertive sentence (declarative sentence) simply expresses an opinion/feeling,
or makes a statement, or describes things. In other words, it declares something.
This type of sentence ends with a period (i.e., a full-stop).
Examples:
o I want to be a good cricketer. (a statement)
o I am very happy today. (a feeling)
More Examples of Declarative Sentence

Imperative sentence:
We use an imperative sentence to make a request or to give a command.
Imperative sentences usually end with a period (i.e., a full stop), but under certain
circumstances, it can end with a note of exclamation (i.e., exclamation mark).
Examples:
o Please sit down.
o I need you to sit down now!
More Examples of Imperative Sentence

Interrogative sentence:
An interrogative sentence asks a question. Interrogative sentences must end with a
note of interrogation (i.e., question mark)
Examples:
o When are you going to submit your assignment?
o Do you know him?
More Examples of Interrogative Sentence
Exclamatory sentence.
An exclamatory sentence expresses overflow of emotions. These emotions can be
of happiness, wonder, sorrow, anger, etc.
Examples:
o What a day it was!
o I cannot believe he would do that!

___________#########___________###########_________

[from www.learnenglish.de]
SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION

BUILDING A SENTENCE

WHAT MAKES A COMPLETE SENTENCE?

SIMPLE SENTENCES

COMPOUND SENTENCES

COMPLEX SENTENCES

THE ANATOMY OF A SENTENCE

VERBS

SUBJECTS

PREDICATES

MORE ADVANCED TERMINOLOGY

OBJECTS

TRANSITIVE/INTRANSITIVE

ADVERBIALS

COMPLEMENTS

BUILDING A SENTENCE
A sentence is a group of words which starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop (.),
question mark (?) or exclamation mark (!). A sentence contains or implies a predicate and a
subject.

Sentences contain clauses.

Simple sentences have one clause.

Compound sentences and complex sentences have two or more clauses.

Sentences can contain subjects and objects.

The subject in a sentence is generally the person or thing carrying out an action. The object in a
sentence is involved in an action but does not carry it out, the object comes after the verb.

For example:

The boy climbed a tree.

If you want to say more about the subject (the boy) or the object (the tree), you can add an
adjective.

For example:

The young boy climbed a tall tree.

If you want to say more about how he climbed the tree you can use an adverb.

For example:

The young boy quickly climbed a tall tree.

The sentence becomes more interesting as it gives the reader or listener more information.

There are more things you can add to enrich your sentence.

Parts of a sentence Description

Adjective Describes things or people.
Adverb Alters the meaning of the verb slightly
a, an - indefinite articles
Article
the - definite articles
Conjunction Joins words or sentences together
Interjection A short word showing emotion or feeling
Noun Names things
Preposition Relates one thing to another
Pronoun used instead of a noun to avoid repetition
Proper noun (subject) The actual names of people or places etc.
Verb Action or doing word
For example:

WHAT MAKES A COMPLETE SENTENCE?

If it helps you, think about a sentence as if it were a skeleton, the skeleton contains various
bones and these bones are put together to form different parts of the body. So are sentences
formed by words, the words are the bones and they are put together in different ways to form
sentences.

But just because you put words together in the right order, it doesn't mean you will have a
sentence that makes sense.
Simple Sentences
A simple sentence contains a single subject and predicate. It describes only one thing, idea or
question, and has only one verb - it contains only an independent (main) clause.

Any independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb and
expresses a complete thought.

For example:

● Jill reads.

Even the addition of adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases to a simple sentence does
not change it into a complex sentence.

For example:

● The brown dog with the red collar always barks loudly.

Even if you join several nouns with a conjunction, or several verbs with a conjunction, it remains
a simple sentence.

For example:

● The dog barked and growled loudly.

Compound Sentences
Compound sentences are made up of two or more simple sentences combined using a
conjunction such as and, or or but. They are made up of more than one independent clause
joined together with a co-ordinating conjunction.

For example:

"The sun was setting in the west and the moon was just rising."
Each clause can stand alone as a sentence.

For example:

"The sun was setting in the west. The moon was just rising."
Every clause is like a sentence with a subject and a verb. A coordinating conjunction goes in the
middle of the sentence, it is the word that joins the two clauses together, the most common are
(and, or, but)

For example:

● I walked to the shops, but my husband drove.

● I might watch the film, or I might visit my friends.
 ● My friend enjoyed the film, but she didn't like the actor.

Complex Sentences
Complex sentences describe more than one thing or idea and have more than one verb in them.
They are made up of more than one clause, an independent clause (that can stand by itself) and
a dependent (subordinate) clause (which cannot stand by itself).

For example:

"My mother likes dogs that don't bark."

Dependent clauses can be nominal, adverbial or adjectival.

THE ANATOMY OF A SENTENCE

The Verb
The verb is the fundamental part of the sentence. The rest of the sentence, with the exception of
the subject, depends very much on the verb. It is important to have a good knowledge of the
forms used after each verb (verb patterns), for example: to tell [someone] TO DO [something]

Here we can see that the verb to tell is followed immediately by a person (the indirect object,
explained later), an infinitive with 'to', and, possibly, an object for the verb you substitute for DO.

Verbs also show a state of being. Such verbs, called BE VERBS or LINKING VERBS, include
words such as: am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being, became, seem, appear, and sometimes
verbs of the senses like tastes, feels, looks, hears, and smells.

For example:

● "Beer and wine are my favourite drinks." The verb "are" is a linking (be) verb.

Fortunately, there are only a limited number of different verb patterns. Verbs can descibe
the action (something the subject actually does) or state (something that is true of the subject) of
the subject.

For example:

● ACTION: I play football twice a week.

● STATE: I've got a car.

Some verbs can represent both actions and states, depending on the context.

For example work:

● ACTION: David's working in the bank.

● STATE: David works in a bank.
Finding the Verb
When you analyze a sentence, first identify the verb. The verb names and asserts the action or
state of the sentence.

For example:

● "Working at the computer all day made David's head ache."

The main verb of the sentence is "made", not working.

Verbs identify our activity or state.

For example:

● eat, sleep, run, jump, study, think, digest, shout, walk ....

The Subject
The subject is the person or thing the sentence is 'about'. Often (but not always) it will be the first
part of the sentence. The subject will usually be a noun phrase (a noun and the words, such as
adjectives, that modify it) followed by a verb.

Finding the Subject

Once you determine the verb, ask a wh...? question of the verb. This will locate the subject(s).

For example:

● David works hard.

o Who "works hard"?=David does=the subject.
● Beer and wine are my favourite drinks.
o What "are my favourite drinks"? Beer and wine are=the subjects.

The subject(s) of a sentence will answer the questions, "who or what."

The Predicate
Once you have identified the subject, the remainder of the sentence tells us what the subject
does or did. This part of the sentence is the predicate of the sentence.

The predicate always includes the verb and the words which come after the verb. For example:

● Michael Schumaker drove the race car.

o "Michael Schumaker" is the subject; "drove the race car" is the predicate.
MORE ADVANCED TERMINOLOGY

The Object
Some verbs have an object (always a noun or pronoun). The object is the person or thing
affected by the action described in the verb.

Objects come in two types, direct and indirect.

The direct object refers to a person or thing affected by the action of the verb.

For example:

● "He opened the door. "- here the door is the direct object as it is the thing being affected
by the verb to open.

The indirect object refers to a person or thing who receives the direct object.

For example:

● " I gave him the book." - here him (he)is the indirect object as he is the beneficiary of the
action.

Transitive / Intransitive verbs

Verbs which don't have an object are called intransitive. Some verbs can only be intransitive
(disagree). In addition they cannot be used in the Passive Voice e.g. smile, fall, come, go.

For example:

 David disagreed. - intransitive.

Verbs that have an object are called transitive verbs e.g. eat, drive, give.

For example:

● David gave her a present.

Some verbs can be transitive or intransitive e.g. sing

For example:

● Xavier Nadu sings. - intransitive.

● Xavier Nadu sings pop songs. - transitive.

You can read more about transitive and intransitive verbs here.
Adverbials
An 'adverbial' or 'adverbial phrase' is a word or expression in the sentence that does the same
job as an adverb; that is, it tells you something about how the action in the verb was done.

For example:

● I sometimes have trouble with adverbs.

● He spoke very quietly.
● I've read that book three times.
● She's gone to the bank.

The first tells us the frequency of the action (sometimes), the second how he carried out the
action (quietly), and the third how many times the action has happened (three).

The fourth is a little different, as in this case the adverbial (gone to the bank) is more or less
demanded by the verb (has).

To remember the form of such verbs use your notebooks to write down the different forms.

For example:

● to go [somewhere]
● to put [something][somewhere]

This information is also useful when deciding the order of adverbials in a sentence. Unlike the
previous parts of the sentence, a sentence can contain an indefinite number of adverbials,
although in practice it's a good idea to keep them few in number.

Complement
A complement is used with verbs like be, seem, look etc. Complements give more information
about the subject or, in some structures, about the object.

There are various definitions of 'complement', which range from the very general (anything in the
predicate except the verb, including the direct object and adverbs) to the much more restrictive
one used here.

A complement is the part of the sentence that gives you more information about the subject (a
subject complement) or the object (an object complement) of the sentence.

The complement to be used, if any, is dependent on the verb used in the sentence. Subject
complements normally follow certain verbs.

For example:

● He is Spanish.
 ● She became an engineer.
● That man looks like John.

Object complements follow the direct object of the verb-

For example.

● They painted the house red.

● She called him an idiot!
● I saw her standing there.

The complement often consists of an adjective or noun phrase, but can also be a participle
phrase, as in the last example. It is often not very clear whether a phrase is a complement or an
adverbial.

________________############______________################________________

Subject – Verb Agreement:

[from www.grammarbook.com]

Being able to find the right subject and verb will help you correct errors of subject-
verb agreement.
Basic Rule. A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes,
shines), whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Example: The list of items is/are on the desk.

If you know that list is the subject, then you will choose is for the verb.

Rule 1. A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of. This is a key rule
for understanding subjects. The word of is the culprit in many, perhaps most,
subject-verb mistakes.

Hasty writers, speakers, readers, and listeners might miss the all-too-common
mistake in the following sentence:

Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses lend color and fragrance to the room.

Correct: A bouquet of yellow roses lends . . . (bouquet lends, not roses lend)

Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a

singular verb.

Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.

Rule 3. The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun
or pronoun closest to it.

Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.

This rule can lead to bumps in the road. For example, if I is one of two (or more)
subjects, it could lead to this odd sentence:

Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I am going to the festival.

If possible, it's best to reword such grammatically correct but awkward sentences.

Better:
Neither she, I, nor my friends are going to the festival.
OR
She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.
Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they
are connected by and.

Example: A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

But note these exceptions:

Exceptions:
Breaking and entering is against the law.
The bed and breakfast was charming.

In those sentences, breaking and entering and bed and breakfast are compound
nouns.

Rule 5a. Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along
with, as well as, besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not part of the
subject. Ignore them and use a singular verb when the subject is singular.

Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Rule 5b. Parentheses are not part of the subject.

Example: Joe (and his trusty mutt) was always welcome.

If this seems awkward, try rewriting the sentence.

Rule 6. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.

Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Here are the keys.

NOTE:

The word there's, a contraction of there is, leads to bad habits in informal
sentences like There's a lot of people here today, because it's easier to say "there's"
than "there are." Take care never to use there's with a plural subject.
Rule 7. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc.,
when considered as a unit.

Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
BUT
Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills) were scattered on the floor.

Rule 8. With words that indicate portions—e.g., a lot, a majority, some, all—Rule
1 given earlier in this section is reversed, and we are guided by the noun after of. If
the noun after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:
A lot of the pie has disappeared.
A lot of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.

NOTE

In recent years, the SAT testing service has considered none to be strictly singular.
However, according to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage:
"Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. The
notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have
arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a
singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable
beyond serious criticism." When none is clearly intended to mean "not one," it is
followed by a singular verb.

Rule 9. With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population,
the verb might be singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent.

Examples:
All of my family has arrived OR have arrived.
Most of the jury is here OR are here.
A third of the population was opposed OR were opposed to the bill.
 NOTE

Anyone who uses a plural verb with a collective noun must take care to be accurate
—and also consistent. It must not be done carelessly. The following is the sort of
flawed sentence one sees and hears a lot these days:

The staff is deciding how they want to vote.

Careful speakers and writers would avoid assigning the singular is and the
plural they to staff in the same sentence.

Consistent: The staff are deciding how they want to vote.

Rewriting such sentences is recommended whenever possible. The preceding

sentence would read even better as:

The staff members are deciding how they want to vote.

Rule 10. The word were replaces was in sentences that express a wish or are
contrary to fact:

Example: If Joe were here, you'd be sorry.

Shouldn't Joe be followed by was, not were, given that Joe is singular? But Joe
isn't actually here, so we say were, not was. The sentence demonstrates
the subjunctive mood, which is used to express things that are hypothetical,
wishful, imaginary, or factually contradictory. The subjunctive mood pairs singular
subjects with what we usually think of as plural verbs.

Examples:
I wish it were Friday.
She requested that he raise his hand.

In the first example, a wishful statement, not a fact, is being expressed;

therefore, were, which we usually think of as a plural verb, is used with the
singular it. (Technically, it is the singular subject of the object clause in the
subjunctive mood: it were Friday.)

Normally, he raise would sound terrible to us. However, in the second example,
where a request is being expressed, the subjunctive mood is correct.

Note: The subjunctive mood is losing ground in spoken English but should still be
used in formal speech and writing.
______________________############_________________####################

SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT
[from www.guidetogrammar.org]

Basic Principle: Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need
plural verbs. My brother is a nutritionist. My sisters are mathematicians.

See the section on Plurals for additional help with subject-verb agreement.

The indefinite pronouns anyone, everyone, someone, no one,

nobody are always singular and, therefore, require singular verbs.

● Everyone has done his or her homework.

● Somebody has left her purse.

Some indefinite pronouns — such as all, some — are singular or plural depending
on what they're referring to. (Is the thing referred to countable or not?) Be careful
choosing a verb to accompany such pronouns.

● Some of the beads are missing.

● Some of the water is gone.

On the other hand, there is one indefinite pronoun, none, that can be either singular
or plural; it often doesn't matter whether you use a singular or a plural verb —
unless something else in the sentence determines its number. (Writers generally
think of none as meaning not any and will choose a plural verb, as in "None of the
engines are working," but when something else makes us regard none as
meaning not one, we want a singular verb, as in "None of the food is fresh.")

● None of you claims responsibility for this incident?

● None of you claim responsibility for this incident?
● None of the students have done their homework. (In this last example, the
word their precludes the use of the singular verb.
Some indefinite pronouns are particularly
troublesome Everyone and everybody (listed above, also) certainly feel like more
than one person and, therefore, students are sometimes tempted to use a plural verb
with them. They are always singular, though. Each is often followed by a
prepositional phrase ending in a plural word (Each of the cars), thus confusing the
verb choice. Each, too, is always singular and requires a singular verb.

Everyone has finished his or her homework.

You would always say, "Everybody is here." This means that the word is singular
and nothing will change that.

Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work in the library.

Don't let the word "students" confuse you; the subject is each and each is always
singular — Each is responsible.

Phrases such as together with, as well as, and along with are not the
same as and. The phrase introduced by as well as or along with will
modify the earlier word (mayor in this case), but it does
not compound the subjects (as the word and would do).

● The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison.

● The mayor and his brothers are going to jail.

The pronouns neither and either are singular and require singular
verbs even though they seem to be referring, in a sense, to two things.

● Neither of the two traffic lights is working.

● Which shirt do you want for Christmas?
Either is fine with me.

In informal writing, neither and either sometimes take a plural verb when these
pronouns are followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with of. This is
particularly true of interrogative constructions: "Have either of you two clowns
read the assignment?" "Are either of you taking this seriously?" Burchfield calls
this "a clash between notional and actual agreement."*

The conjunction or does not conjoin (as and does): when nor or or is
used the subject closer to the verb determines the number of the verb.
Whether the subject comes before or after the verb doesn't matter; the
proximity determines the number.

● Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house.

 ● Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house.
● Are either my brothers or my father responsible?
● Is either my father or my brothers responsible?

Because a sentence like "Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the
house" sounds peculiar, it is probably a good idea to put the plural subject closer to
the verb whenever that is possible.

The words there and here are never subjects.

● There are two reasons [plural subject] for this.

● There is no reason for this.
● Here are two apples.

With these constructions (called expletive constructions), the subject follows the
verb but still determines the number of the verb.

Verbs in the present tense for third-person, singular subjects (he, she,
it and anything those words can stand for) have s-endings. Other verbs
do not add s-endings.

He loves and she loves and they love_ and . . . .

Sometimes modifiers will get betwen a subject and its verb, but these
modifiers must not confuse the agreement between the subject and its
verb.

The mayor, who has been convicted along with his four brothers on four
counts of various crimes but who also seems, like a cat, to have several
political lives, is finally going to jail.

Sometimes nouns take weird forms and can fool us into thinking
they're plural when they're really singular and vice-versa. Consult the
section on the Plural Forms of Nouns and the section on Collective
Nouns for additional help. Words such as glasses, pants, pliers, and
scissors are regarded as plural (and require plural verbs) unless they're preceded
the phrase pair of (in which case the word pair becomes the subject).

● My glasses were on the bed.

● My pants were torn.
● A pair of plaid trousers is in the closet.
 Some words end in -s and appear to be plural but are really singular
and require singular verbs.

● The news from the front is bad.

● Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women.

On the other hand, some words ending in -s refer to a single thing but are
nonetheless plural and require a plural verb.

● My assets were wiped out in the depression.

● The average worker's earnings have gone up dramatically.
● Our thanks go to the workers who supported the union.

The names of sports teams that do not end in "s" will take a plural verb: the Miami
Heat have been looking … , The Connecticut Sun are hoping that new talent … .
See the section on plurals for help with this problem.

Fractional expressions such as half of, a part of, a percentage of, a

majority of are sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending
on the meaning. (The same is true, of course, when all, any, more,
most and some act as subjects.) Sums and products of mathematical
processes are expressed as singular and require singular verbs. The
expression "more than one" (oddly enough) takes a singular verb: "More than one
student has tried this."

● Some of the voters are still angry.

● A large percentage of the older population is voting against her.
● Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle.
● Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by fire.
● Forty percent of the students are in favor of changing the policy.
● Forty percent of the student body is in favor of changing the policy.
● Two and two is four.
● Four times four divided by two is eight.

If your sentence compounds a positive and a negative subject and one

is plural, the other singular, the verb should agree with the positive
subject.

● The department members but not the chair have decided not to
teach on Valentine's Day.
● It is not the faculty members but the president who decides this issue.
 ● It was the speaker, not his ideas, that has provoked the students to riot.

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[from www.owl.purdue.edu]
Making Subjects and Verbs Agree
This handout gives you several guidelines to help your subjects and verbs agree.
1. When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns
connected by and, use a plural verb.
She and her friends are at the fair.
2. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or or nor, use a
singular verb.
The book or the pen is in the drawer.
3. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun
joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearer
the verb.
The boy or his friends run every day.
His friends or the boy runs every day.
4. Doesn't is a contraction of does not and should be used only with a singular
subject. Don't is a contraction of do not and should be used only with a plural
subject. The exception to this rule appears in the case of the first person and second
person pronouns I and you. With these pronouns, the contraction don't should be
used.
He doesn't like it.
They don't like it.
5. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb. The
verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.
One of the boxes is open
The people who listen to that music are few.
The team captain, as well as his players, is anxious.
The book, including all the chapters in the first section, is boring.
The woman with all the dogs walks down my street.
6. The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody,
anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a
singular verb.
Each of these hot dogs is juicy.
Everybody knows Mr. Jones.
Either is correct.
7. Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require singular
verbs.
The news is on at six.
Note: The word dollars is a special case. When talking about an amount of money, it
requires a singular verb, but when referring to the dollars themselves, a plural verb is
required.
Five dollars is a lot of money.
Dollars are often used instead of rubles in Russia.
8. Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs.
(There are two parts to these things.)
These scissors are dull.
Those trousers are made of wool.
9. In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there are," the subject follows the verb.
Since "there" is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows.
There are many questions.
There is a question.
10. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but that are
considered singular and take a singular verb, such as group, team, committee, class,
and family.
The team runs during practice.
The committee decides how to proceed.
The family has a long history.
My family has never been able to agree.
The crew is preparing to dock the ship.
This sentence is referring to the individual efforts of each crew member. The Gregg
Reference Manual provides excellent explanations of subject-verb agreement
(section 10: 1001).
11. Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition
to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the
verb is too.
The President, accompanied by his wife, is traveling to India.
All of the books, including yours, are in that box.

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