Practical Grammar and Composition Part 17

9. If he _be is_ there, ask him to pay the bill.

10. If he _be is_ there, he makes no sign of his presence.

11. If this _be is_ wrong, then all love of country is wrong.

12. If it _rains rain_, I stay at school.

13. Take care lest you _are be_ deceived by appearances.

14. Would that I _was were_ a bird.

15. If it _snow snows_, I can't come.

16. If your father _comes come_, bring him to dinner.

17. If your father _was were_ here, you would act differently.

18. Though he _were was_ king over all the earth I should despise him.

19. If he _come comes_, he will find me at home.

20. _Was were_ it necessary, I should jump.

21. If to-morrow _be is_ pleasant, we shall go driving.

22. If my mother _was were_ here, she would say I might go.

23. If she _was were_ at home, I did not hear of it.

24. If that _is be_ his motive, he is unworthy.

25. Though this _seem seems_ improbable, it is true.

26. If a speech _is be_ praised by none but literary men, it is bad.

27. If the father _pays pay_ the debt, he will be released.

28. Though Mary _be is_ young, she is a writer of note.

29. Unless he _takes take_ better care of his health, he will die.

30. If he _be is_ honest, he has not shown it.

31. If he _be is_ honest, he will insist on paying me.

32. If he ever _tell tells_ the truth, he conceals the fact.

61. AGREEMENT OF VERB WITH ITS SUBJECT. THE VERB SHOULD AGREE WITH ITS SUBJECT IN PERSON AND NUMBER. The most frequent error is the failure of the verb to agree in number with its subject. Singular subjects are used with plural verbs, and plural subjects with singular verbs. These errors arise chiefly from a misapprehension of the true number of the subject.

The s-form of the verb is the only distinct singular form, and occurs only in the third person, singular, present indicative; as, _He runs, she goes, it moves_. _Is, was_, and _has_ are the singular forms of the auxiliaries. _Am_ is used only with a subject in the first person, and is not a source of confusion. The other auxiliaries have no singular forms.

Failure of the verb and its subject to agree in person seldom occurs, and so can cause little confusion.

Examine the following correct forms of agreement of verb and subject:

A barrel of clothes WAS shipped (not _were shipped_).

A man and a woman HAVE been here (not _has been here_).

Boxes ARE scarce (not _is scarce_).

When WERE the brothers here (not _when was_)?

62. AGREEMENT OF SUBJECT AND VERB IN NUMBER. The general rule to be borne in mind in regard to number, is that IT IS THE MEANING AND NOT THE FORM OF THE SUBJECT THAT DETERMINES WHETHER TO USE THE SINGULAR OR THE PLURAL FORM OF THE VERB. This rule also applies to the use of singular or plural p.r.o.nouns.

Many nouns plural in form are singular in meaning; as, _politics, measles, news_, etc.

Many, also, are treated as plurals, though in meaning they are singular; as, _forceps, tongs, trousers_.

Some nouns, singular in form, are, according to the sense in which, they are used, either singular or plural in meaning; as, _committee, family, pair, jury, a.s.sembly, means_. The following sentences are all correct: _The a.s.sembly has closed its meeting, The a.s.sembly are all total abstainers, The whole family is a famous one, The whole family are sick_.

In the use of the adjective p.r.o.nouns, _some, each_, etc., the noun is often omitted. When this is done, error is often made by using the wrong number of the verb. _Each, either, neither, this, that_, and _one_, when used alone as subjects, require singular verbs.

_All, those, these, few, many_, always require plural verbs. _Any, none_, and _some_ may take either singular or plural verbs. In most of these cases, as is true throughout the subject of agreement in number, reason will determine the form to be used.

Some nouns in a plural form express quant.i.ty rather than number.

When quant.i.ty is plainly intended the singular verb should be used.

Examine the following sentences; each is correct: _Three drops of medicine is a dose, Ten thousand tons of coal was purchased by the firm, Two hundred dollars was the amount of the collection, Two hundred silver dollars were in the collection_.

EXERCISE 39

_In each of the following sentences, by giving a reason, justify the correctness of the agreement in number of the verb and the noun:_

1. The jury have agreed.

2. The jury has been sent out to reconsider its verdict.

3. The committee has presented its report, but they have differed in regard to one matter.

4. The whole tribe was destroyed.

5. The tribe were scattered through the different states.

6. The regiment were almost all sick.

7. A variety of persons was there.

8. The society meets each month.

9. The society is divided in its opinion.

10. A number were unable to be present.

11. A great number was present.

12. The number present was great.

13. What means were used to gain his vote?

14. That means of gaining votes is corrupt.

15. Seventeen pounds was the cat's weight.

16. Twenty years of his life was spent in prison.

17. Two hundred pounds was his weight.

18. The family are all at home.

19. The family is large.

20. A pair of gloves has been lost.

21. A pair of twins were sitting in the doorway.

22. The army was defeated.

EXERCISE 40

_Construct sentences in which each of the words named below is used correctly as the subject of some one of the verbs, IS, WAS, HAS, HAVE, ARE, WAS, HAVE, GO, GOES, RUN, RUNS, COME, COMES:_

One, none, n.o.body, everybody, this, that, these, those, former, latter, few, some, many, other, any, all, such, news, pains, measles, gallows, ashes, dregs, goods, pincers, thanks, victuals, vitals, mumps, flock, crowd, fleet, group, choir, cla.s.s, army, mob, tribe, herd, committee, tons, dollars, bushels, carloads, gallons, days, months.

EXERCISE 41

_Go over each of the above sentences and determine whether IT or THEY should be used in referring to the subject._

63. THE FOLLOWING RULES GOVERN THE AGREEMENT OF THE VERB WITH A COMPOUND SUBJECT:

1. When a singular noun is modified by two adjectives so as to mean two distinct things, the verb should be in the plural; as, _French and German literature ARE studied._

2. When the verb applies to the different parts of the compound subject, the plural form of the verb should be used; as, _John and Harry ARE still to come._

3. When the verb applies to one subject and not to the others, it should agree with that subject to which it applies; as, _The employee, and not the employers, WAS to blame, The employers, and not the employee, WERE to blame, The boy, as well as his sisters, DESERVES praise._