Keep verbs close to the subject.
Andrew ran home.
When using intervening phrase and place verbs as close to subject.
Only one of the company executives is fully insured (Singular or Plural).Of the company executives, only one is fully insured.
intervening phrase is a prepositional phrase that comes between the subject and verb
Only one of the company executives is fully insured.
When you use an intervening phrase, your verb needs to agree with your subject, not with the nearest noun in the intervening phrase.
The range of skill requirements provides for upward growth potential growth.
Indefinite pronouns that are ALWAYS singular verb.
Anyone, Everything, Nothing, Anybody Every Many a Someone, Anything, Everyone, Somebody, Each , Everybody, Nobody, Either, Neither, & Something.
Indefinite Pronouns that Always Take a Plural Verb.
Bot, Few, Several, & Many
When using parallel connectives, the subject closer to the verb determines whether the verb is singular or plural.
Either the entrepreneur or her CFO is exaggerating.Neither the consultants nor the regulators are knowledgeable about the industry.
When using parallel connectives, If one subject is singular and the other is plural, place the plural subject nearer to the verb and make the verb plural.
Either the coach or the players are not working hard enough.
When using the construction "not only/but also", if one subject is singular and the other is plural, place the plural subject nearer to the verb and make the verb plural.
Not only the bill of shipping but also the invoices are inaccurate.
Indefinite Pronouns that Can be Singular or Plural
All, Most, Any, None, More, & Some
When using Indefinite Pronouns, If the quantity is countable, then the indefinite pronoun takes a plural verb; if you can't count it, then use the singular verb.
All of the divisions are presenting their reports tomorrow.All of the work is finished.
Present Perfect an action that has been occurring over a period of time up to and including the present.
He has been sick for three days.
Past Perfect an action that has been occurring over a period of time up to and including the present.
He had been to Hawaii twice before he saw the volcano.
Future Perfect a completed action that will take place before another action in the future.
She will have been in college for six years by the time she graduates.
Use the present tense to express a permanent truth or condition
Reactions to the merger appear on page 14A of last Tuesday's Wall Street Journal.
Avoid double conjugate pair of closely occurring verbs.
I would have liked to have seen the presentation in person.I would have liked to see the presentation in person
Active voice means that the subject is clearlydoing the action
Tamara won the salesperson-of-the-year award
In passive voice, the subject is either missing or included as an afterthought at the end of the sentence. The object becomes the subject of the sentence, and the verb becomes a form of "tobe" + a past participle of the original verb.
The salesperson-of-the-year award was won by Tamara.
The indicative is the most common mood
I love broccoli.
The imperative mood issues a command
Be kind.
The subjunctive mood indicates uncertainty.
If he were honest, he would admit that he needs to work harder. (Expresses a hypothetical.)I wish that the report were shorter. (Expresses a wish.)If I were you, I'd make her a counteroffer. (Again, a hypothetical.)
In hypothetical statements that use the subjunctive, the "if" condition is presumed to be untrue or unlikely to be true.
If I were king, I'd wear a crown.
In subjunctive mood, the correct form of the verb is "were
If I were king, I'd wear a crown.
In the Subjunctive mood when the implied command is directed toward a third person (i.e., he, she, or it), the verb is expressed differently than it would normally be expressed.
IMPLIED COMMAND USING SUBJUNCTIVE OF THE VERB "ARRIVE": The teacher recommended that the guest speaker arrive early for the presentation.INDICATIVE SENTENCE—NO SUBJUNCTIVE NEEDED: A seasoned guest speaker always arrivesearly for presentations.IMPLIED COMMAND USING SUBJUNCTIVE: The chairman of the board moved that the meetingbe adjourned.INDICATIVE SENTENCE—NO SUBJUNCTIVE NEEDED: The meeting is adjourned.