Lesson 4: Scope of Linguistic Studies

Lesson 5:
Syntax

INTRODUCTION

Lesson 5 is on Syntax which deals with the structure of language. Different

activities await you which relate to topics like the four (4) syntactic structures, phrase
and its types, kinds of Clauses, and types of sentences as to structure or form. In this
lesson, you will develop keen analysis and understanding of what composes an
utterance and how to structure it accordingly. The activities will help you better your
skills as you prepare yourself to become a language teacher.

Time Frame: 1 week; 9 hours

At the end of the lesson, you can:

 Define syntax
 Name the eight parts of speech and identify each
 identify the types of phrases and clauses given
 compare and contrast phrase, clause, and sentence
 give examples of sentences as to form or structure
 compose sentences with subjects and verbs that agree with
each other

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Engage

Let Me Hear You!

In 5 minutes, give your thoughts about the following terms by writing them in
any piece of paper:
1. Phrase 3. Sentence
2. Clause

What are your answers in the activity?

You will understand better about phrases,
clauses and sentences in the topics included
for Lesson 5.

Explore

Tell Me!
Write P if the given word of group of words is a phrase, C if clause, and S if a
sentence. Write your answers on any piece of paper.
1. to love somebody 7. Will you help me?
2. what you should do 8. after Covid 19
3. Go! 9. that you can answer this activity
correctly
4. in the middle of the dessert
10. preparing for the futu
5. who stole my heart
6. against all odds

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Explain L2

Take note of the topics included in this section as they will guide you in
understanding the following questions below:
1. What is syntax?

2. What are the differences among the four syntactic structures?

3. What are the types of phrases and clauses?
4. How do phrase, clause, and sentence differ?
5. How do sentences are formed and structured?

What is syntax?
Syntax deals with how words are combined to form phrases, phrases combine to
form clauses, and clauses conjoin to make sentences. Syntax is the study of the way
phrases, clauses and sentences are constructed. It is the system of rules and
categories that underlies sentence formation. It also involves the description of rules,
of positioning of elements in the sentence such as noun phrases, verb phrases,
adverbial phrases, etc.

Syntax also attempts to describe how these elements function in the sentence,
i.e., the function that they perform in the sentence. For example, the noun phrase “the
student” has different functions in the following sentences:
a) The student is writing a new play.
b) The teacher gave the student a new play.

In sentence a), the student functions as the subject of the sentence while in
sentence b), it functions as indirect object.

What are the Eight Parts of Speech?

When studying English grammar, the most important thing you must learn is the eight
parts of speech. In the English language, the eight parts of speech serve as the
ultimate foundation of grammar. You can never understand some basic rules of

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tenses, usage, conjugation, etc. if your knowledge about the eight parts of speech is
not enough.

Generally, the part of speech shows how the word functions in meaning as well as
grammatically within the sentence. For instance, a word can function as over one part
of speech in various circumstances.

The eight parts of speech in English are noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb,
preposition, conjunction, and interjection.

1. NOUN
A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.

For example: child, Cebu, Japan, mall, love

A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. Some nouns are often in pain with
the articles a, an, the.

There are two kinds of nouns: Proper Nouns and Common Nouns.
Proper nouns always start with CAPITAL letters. For example, English, Cebu, China,
Japan, etc.
Common nouns are not written in capital letters. For example, boy, chocolate, food,
pen, school, etc.
Grammatically, nouns can be singular or plural, concrete or abstract.
Nouns show possession by adding ‘s.
Additionally, nouns can function in different roles within a sentence; for example, a
noun can be a subject, direct object, indirect object, subject complement, or
object of a preposition.

2. PRONOUN
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.

For example : He, we, they, it, myself, himself

We use a pronoun in place of a noun. In English, we substitute a noun with a pronoun,
which is called its antecedent. In the sentence above, the antecedent for the pronoun
she is the girl. Pronouns are further defined by type: personal pronouns refer to
specific persons or things; possessive pronouns show ownership; reflexive
pronouns are used to emphasize another noun or pronoun; relative pronouns
introduce a subordinate clause; and demonstrative pronouns identify, point to, or
refer to nouns.

3. VERB
A verb is a word that expresses action or being.

For example: eat, is, talk, sleep

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The verb in a sentence expresses action or being.

Some sentence contains the main verb and one or more helping verbs. (“He
can cook.” Cook is the main verb, while the “can” is the helping verb.) A verb must
agree with its subject in number (both are singular or both are plural).
Interestingly, verbs can be regular or irregular.
Moreover, verbs also take different forms to express tense. The tense can be
present, past, or future

4. ADJECTIVE
The fourth in our eight parts of speech list is the adjective. An adjective is a
word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.

For example : large, blue, old, many, high

An adjective is a word used to modify or describe a noun or a pronoun. It usually
answers the question of which one, what kind, or how many. (Articles [a, an, the] are
usually classified as adjectives.)

5. ADVERB
An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

For example: happily, often, silently, well

In English grammar, adverbs describe or modify a verb, an adjective, or another
adverb in the sentence. Only adjectives modify a noun but not adverbs. Moreover,
adverbs usually answer the questions of when, where, how, why, under what
conditions, or to what degree. Adverbs often end in -ly.

6. PREPOSITION
Coming sixth in our eight parts of speech list is the preposition.

Prepositions are words we place before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase

modifying another word in the sentence.

For example: on, at, top, beside, in

(on the table, at school, top of the world, next to the book, in the box)

Prepositions are words we place before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase

modifying another word in the sentence. Thus, a preposition is always part of a
prepositional phrase.

A prepositional phrase is a group of words consisting of a preposition, its object,

and any words that modify the object. Most time, a prepositional phrase modifies a
verb or a noun.

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7. CONJUNCTION
This time, let’s talk about conjunctions.

What is a conjunction? Well, a conjunction is a word that joins words, phrases,

or clauses.

For example: and, but, because, for, so

Conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, or clauses, and show the
relationship between the elements joined.

There are two types of conjunctions: Coordinating and Subordinating

conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions connect grammatically equal elements: and, but, or,
nor, for, so, yet.

Subordinating conjunctions connect clauses that are not equal: because,

although, while, since, etc. There are other types of conjunctions as well.

8. INTERJECTION
The eighth and last in our list of the eight parts of speech is the interjection. An
interjection is a word that expresses a strong feeling or emotion.

For example : Ouchh!… oh!… Oops!…Wow!

An interjection is a word that expresses a strong feeling or emotion. It is often
followed by an exclamation point.

What is a phrase and its types?

A. What is a Phrase?

A phrase is a group of two or more words that work together but don’t form
a clause. In truth, “phrase” is a very broad term that we often use as a name for
sayings, quotes, or other parts of every day speech, but this article will discuss phrases
as they work in grammar.
It’s important to know the difference between a phrase and a clause. As you
might know, a clause must include a subject and a predicate. A phrase, however,
doesn’t contain a subject and a predicate, so while it’s found within a clause, a phrase
can’t be a clause. Instead, a phrase can be made up of any two or more connected
words that don’t make a clause.
For example, “buttery popcorn” is a phrase, but “I eat buttery popcorn” is a
clause.

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B. What are the Classes and Types of Phrases?

1. Absolute Phrase
An absolute phrase is a modifying parenthetical or subordinate phrase of a
root sentence that includes a subject but does not have an acting verb so cannot
stand on its own as sentence: “Their effort to regain the lead successful, the team
continued to score until they pulled ahead by a wide margin.”

2. Appositive Phrase

An appositive phrase is one that restates a preceding term, or expands or

explains it, in a parenthetical statement. There are three variations of appositive
phrases: “Her dog, a bull mastiff, looks ridiculous with a pink bow stuck to her head”
features a noun phrase. “His favorite hobby, knitting, is rather unusual for a man”
includes a gerund phrase. “The Tahitian’s ambition, to become an ice skater, is
unexpected” has an infinitive phrase.
Note that these three types of phrases are explained below; the distinction in
the phrase types as applied above, as opposed to the types described below, is that
each type serves as the basis for an appositive phrase; on their own, they need not
be appositive, or set off.

3. Gerund Phrase

A gerund phrase is a gerund with modifiers or a complement, all acting

together as a noun.

Examples:

Arguing about grades will get you nowhere. (used as subject)

Many places in France prohibit walking on the grass. (used as direct object)
Pierre was incapable of reciting the poem. (as object of the preposition)
A popular French pastime is viewing American movies. (as subject complement)
In this pandemic, most French combat home quarantine by engaging in their
favorite pastime, viewing American movies. ( as appositive)

4. Infinitive Phrase

An infinitive phrase includes the word to and a verb as the basis of a

modification of a root sentence: “His effort to pass the bill doomed his political
ambitions” includes an infinitive phrase that functions as an adjective modifying the
previous noun. “He plans to see the movie” features an infinitive phrase that
functions as the sentence’s object. “To write of the experience is to dredge up
unpleasant memories” has an infinitive phrase that functions as the sentence’s
subject. “To say as much is to admit guilt” includes an infinitive phrase that serves

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as predicate nominative, or a substitute subject. “I went to the store to buy some ice
cream” features an infinitive phrase that stands as an adverb (modifying the verb
went).

5. Noun Phrase

A noun phrase consists of a person, place, or thing and any modifiers: “This
is a grammar lesson.” It may include one or more adjectives (as grammar modifies
lesson here). It might include a noun and a modifying clause: “This is a lesson that
explains the various types of phrases.” It might take the form of one of three other
types of phrase: infinitive, participial, and prepositional. (The infinitive phrase is
discussed above, and the latter two types are described below.)
Many noun phrases are continuous; they consist of words in sequence.
However, a noun phrase may be discontinuous, meaning that it is broken up into
more than one element: “This lesson is one that explains the various types of
phrases.”

6. Participial Phrase

A participial phrase consists of verbals ending in -ing or -ed, or another

irregular form of a verb, and serves as an adjective: The participial phrase in
“Having been lied to before, I was wary” modifies the word I. The phrase may be
parenthetical within a sentence, too: In “You, knowing what you now know, are in
a better position to judge,” the participial phrase modifies the word you.

7. Prepositional Phrase

A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and a noun or pronoun that

serves as the preposition’s object, and often one or more adjectives: “I went for a
walk in the dark woods.” Prepositional phrases are often located at the head of a
sentence. “When the sun went down, I hurried back.”

What is a clause and its types?

A. What is a clause?

A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a predicate.

For example: He laughed.

A clause refers to a group of related words (within a sentence or itself as an

independent sentence) which has both subject and predicate.

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Example
I will meet him in the office.

The part of above sentence “I will meet him” is a clause because it has a
subject(I) and a predicate(will meet him). On the other hand, the other parts of the
above sentence “in the office” lacks both subject and predicate (verb). Such group of
words is called phrase.

A clause may stand as a simple sentence or may join another clause to make
a sentence. Therefore, a sentence consists of one, two or more clauses.

B. What are the types of clauses?

There are two major types of clauses: main (or independent) clause and
subordinate (or dependant) clause.

1. Main or Independent Clause

Main (or independent) clause is a clause that expresses a complete thought

and can stand as a sentence.

Examples
I met the boy who had helped me.
She is wearing a shirt which looks nice.
The teacher asked a question but no one answered.
He takes medicine because he suffers from fever.
He became angry and smashed the vase into pieces.

In the above sentences, each underlined part shows main clause. It

expresses complete thought and can stand as a sentence that is why a main or an
independent clause is normally referred as a simple sentence.

2. Subordinate or Dependent Clause

Subordinate (or independent) clause is a clause which does not express

complete thought and depends on another clause (main clause) to express complete
thought. Subordinate clause does not express complete idea and can’t stand as a
sentence. A sentence having a subordinate clause must have a main clause.

Example
He likes Chinese rice which tastes good.

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The clause “which tastes good” in the above sentence is a subordinate clause
because it does not express complete thought and can’t stand as a sentence. It
depends on main clause (he likes Chinese rice) to express complete thought.

Examples
I met the boy who had helped me.
I bought a table that costs $ 100.
He takes medicine because he suffers from fever.

2.1. Types of Subordinate Clause

A subordinate (dependent) clause may function as a noun, an adjective or an

adverb in sentence.

2.1.1 Noun Clause

A dependent clause that functions as a noun in a sentence is called noun

clause. A noun clause performs same function like a noun in a sentence.

Example
What he did made a problem for his family.

In the above sentence, the clause “what he did” functions as a noun,

hence it is a noun clause. A noun clause works as a noun that acts as a subject,
object, or predicate in a sentence. A noun clause starts with words “that, what,
whatever, who, whom, whoever, whomever”.

Examples
Whatever you learn will help you in future. (noun clause as a subject)
What you said made me laugh. (noun clause as a subject)
He knows that he will pass the test. (noun clause as an object)
Now I realize what he would have thought. (noun clause as an object)

2.1.2 Adjective Clause

“A dependent clause that functions as an adjective in a sentence is

called adjective clause.”

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An adjective clause works like adjective in a sentence. The function of

an adjective is to modify (describe) a noun or a pronoun. Similarly a noun
clause modifies a noun or a pronoun.

Example
He wears a shirt which looks nice.

The clause “which looks nice” in above sentence is an adjective clause

because it modifies noun “shirt” in the sentence. An adjective clause always
precedes the noun it modifies.

Examples:
I met the boy who had helped me.
An apple that smells bad is rotten.
The book which I like is helpful in preparation for test.
The house where I live consists of four rooms.
The person who was shouting needed help.

Adjective clause begins with relative pronoun (that, who, whom, whose,
which, or whose) and is also relative clause.

2.1.3. Adverb Clause

A dependent clause that functions as an adverb in a sentence is called

adverb clause. An adverb clause like an adverb modifies a verb, adjective
clause or other adverb clause in a sentence. It modifies (describes) the
situation in main clause in terms of “time, frequency (how often), cause and
effect, contrast, condition, intensity (to what extent).”

The subordinating conjunctions used for adverb clauses are as follows.

Time: when, whenever, since, until, before, after, while, as, by the time,
as soon as
Cause and effect: because, since, now that, as long as, so, so that,
Contrast: although, even, whereas, while, though
Condition: if, unless, only if, whether or not, even if, providing or
provided that, in case

Examples
Don’t go before he comes.
He takes medicine because he is ill.
Although he tried a lot, he couldn’t climb up the tree.

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Unless you study for the test, you can’t pass it.
I will go to the school unless it rains.
You are safe as long as you drive carefully.
You can achieve anything provided that you struggle for it.

What is a sentence, its basic parts, and kinds according to form or structure?

A. What is a sentence?

Sentence is a set of words that is complete in itself, typically containing a

subject and predicate, conveying a statement, question, exclamation, or command,
and consisting of a main clause and sometimes one or more subordinate clauses.

B. What are the basic parts of a sentence?

Subject. The subject of a sentence is that noun, pronoun, or phrase or clause about
which the sentence makes a statement.

Examples:

Einstein's general theory of relativity has been subjected to many tests of

validity over the years.

Although a majority of caffeine drinkers think of it as a stimulant,

heavy users of caffeine say the substance relaxes them.

Surrounding the secure landfill on all sides are impermeable barrier walls.
(inverted sentence pattern)

In a secure landfill, the soil on top and the cover block storm water intrusion
into the landfill.
(compound subject)

Verb phrase. The main verb, or verb phrase, of a sentence is a word or words that
express an action, event, or a state of existence. It sets up a relationship between
the subject and the rest of the sentence.

Examples:

The first high-level language to be widely accepted, FORTRAN, was

implemented on an IBM 704 computer.

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Instruction in the source program must be translated into machine

language. (passive construction)

The operating system controls the translation of the source program

and carries out supervisory functions. (compound verb)

Predicate. The predicate is the rest of the sentence coming after the subject. It can
include the main verb, subject complement, direct object, indirect object, and object
complement.

Examples:

The pressure in a pressurized water reactor varies from system to system.

The pressure is maintained at about 2250 pounds per square inch to

prevent steam from forming.

The pressure is then lowered to form steam at about 600 pounds per
square inch.

In contrast, a boiling water reactor operates at constant pressure.

Subject complement. The subject complement is that noun, pronoun, adjective,

phrase, or clause that comes after a linking verb (some form of the be verb):

Examples:

The maximum allowable concentration is ten parts H2S per million parts
breathable air.

The deadening of the sense of smell caused by H2S is the result of the
effects of H2S on the olfactory nerves of the brain.

Continuous exposure to toxic concentrations of H2S can be fatal.

Direct object. A direct object—a noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause acting as a

noun—takes the action of the main verb. A direct object can be identified by
putting what?, which?, or whom? in its place.

Examples:

The housing assembly of a mechanical pencil contains the

mechanical workings of the pencil.

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Lavoisier used curved glass discs fastened together at their rims, with wine
filling the space between, to focus the sun's rays to attain temperatures of
3000° F.

The dust and smoke lofted into the air by nuclear explosions might cool the
earth's atmosphere some number of degrees.

A 20 percent fluctuation in average global temperature could reduce

biological activity, shift weather patterns, and ruin agriculture.
(compound direct object)

The cooler temperatures brought about by nuclear war might end all life on
earth.

On Mariners 6 and 7, the two-axis scan platforms provided much

more capability and flexibility for the scientific payload than those of Mariner
4.
(compound direct object)

Indirect object. An indirect object—a noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause acting as a

noun—receives the action expressed in the sentence. It can be identified by
inserting to or for.

Examples:

In the application letter, tell [to] the potential employer that a resume
accompanies the letter.

The company is designing [for] senior citizens a new walkway to the park
area.

Do not send [to] the personnel office a resume unless someone there
specifically requests it.

Object complement. An object complement—a noun or adjective coming after a

direct object—adds detail to the direct object. To identify object complements,
insert [to be] between the direct object and object complement.

Examples:

The supervisor found the program [to be] faulty.

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The company considers the new computer [to be] a major breakthrough.

Most people think the space shuttle [to be] a major step in space exploration.

C. What are the types of sentences according to form or structure?

1. Simple Sentence

A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb, and it may also have an
object and modifiers. However, it contains only one independent clause.
Key: Yellow, bold = subject; green underline = verb, blue, italics = object, pink,
regular font =prepositional phrase
Here are a few examples:

 She wrote.
 She completed her literature review.
 He organized his sources by theme.
 They studied APA rules for many hours.

2. Compound Sentence

A compound sentence contains at least two independent clauses. These two

independent clauses can be combined with a comma and a coordinating
conjunction or with a semicolon.
Key: independent clause = yellow, bold; comma or semicolon = pink, regular font;
coordinating conjunction = green, underlined
Here are a few examples:

 She completed her literature review, and she created her reference list.
 He organized his sources by theme; then, he updated his reference list.
 They studied APA rules for many hours, but they realized there was still
much to learn.

3. Complex Sentence

A complex sentence contains at least one independent clause and at least

one dependent clause. Dependent clauses can refer to the subject (who, which) the
sequence/time (since, while), or the causal elements (because, if) of the independent
clause.

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If a sentence begins with a dependent clause, note the comma after this
clause. If, on the other hand, the sentence begins with an independent clause, there
is not a comma separating the two clauses.
Key: independent clause = yellow, bold; comma = pink, regular font; dependent
clause = blue, italics
Here are a few examples:

 Although she completed her literature review, she still needed to work on
her methods section.
o Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent
clause.

 Because he organized his sources by theme, it was easier for his readers
to follow.
o Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent
clause.

 They studied APA rules for many hours as they were so interesting.
o Note that there is no comma in this sentence because it begins with an
independent clause.

4. Compound-Complex Sentence

Sentence types can also be combined. A compound-complex sentence

contains at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Key: independent clause = yellow, bold; comma or semicolon = pink, regular font;
coordinating conjunction = green, underlined; dependent clause = blue, italics

 She completed her literature review, but she still needs to work on her
methods section even though she finished her methods course last
semester.
 Although he organized his sources by theme, he decided to arrange them
chronologically, and he carefully followed the MEAL plan for
organization.
 With pizza and soda at hand, they studied APA rules for many
hours, and they decided that writing in APA made sense because it was
clear, concise, and objective.

What are Subject–Verb Agreement Rules?

Key: subject = yellow, bold; verb = green, underline

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Subjects and verbs must agree in number. In addition to the explanations on this page,
also see the post on Subject—Verb Agreement.

1. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular too.

Example: She writes every day.

Exception: When using the singular "they," use plural verb forms.
Example: The participant expressed satisfaction with their job. They are currently
in a managerial role at the organization.

2. If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.

Example: They write every day.

Sometimes, however, it seems a bit more complicated than this.

3. When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns
connected by and, use a plural verb.

Example: The doctoral student and the committee members write every day.
Example: The percentage of employees who called in sick and the number
of employees who left their jobs within 2 years are reflective of the level of job
satisfaction.

4. When there is one subject and more than one verb, the verbs throughout the
sentence must agree with the subject.

Example: Interviews are one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain
an in-depth understanding of participants.
Example: An assumption is something that is generally accepted as
true and is an important consideration when conducting a doctoral study.

5. When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, remember that the verb
still agrees with the subject, not the noun or pronoun in the phrase following the
subject of the sentence.

Example: The student, as well as the committee members, is excited.

Example: The student with all the master’s degrees is very motivated.
Example: Strategies that the teacher uses to encourage classroom
participation include using small groups and clarifying expectations.
Example: The focus of the interviews was nine purposively selected
participants.

6. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by "or" or "nor,"
use a singular verb.

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Example: The chairperson or the CEO approves the proposal before

proceeding.

7. 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
closest to the verb. This is also called the rule of proximity.

Example: The student or the committee members write every day.

Example: The committee members or the student writes every day.

8. The words and phrases "each," "each one," "either," "neither," "everyone,"
"everybody," "anyone," "anybody," "nobody," "somebody," "someone," and "no
one" are singular and require a singular verb.

Example: Each of the participants was willing to be recorded.

Example: Neither alternative hypothesis was accepted.
Example: I will offer a $5 gift card to everybody who participates in the study.
Example: No one was available to meet with me at the preferred times.

9. Noncount nouns take a singular verb.

Example: Education is the key to success.

Example: Diabetes affects many people around the world.
Example: The information obtained from the business owners was relevant to
include in the study.
Example: The research I found on the topic was limited.

10. Some countable nouns in English such as earnings, goods, odds, surroundings,
proceeds, contents, and valuables only have a plural form and take a plural verb.

Example: The earnings for this quarter exceed expectations.

Example: The proceeds from the sale go to support the homeless population in
the city.
Example: Locally produced goods have the advantage of shorter supply
chains.

11. 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 the verb.

Example: There is little administrative support.

Example: There are many factors affecting teacher retention.

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12. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but are considered
singular and take a singular verb. Some examples are "group," "team,"
"committee," "family," and "class."

Example: The group meets every week.

Example: The committee agrees on the quality of the writing.

However, the plural verb is used if the focus is on the individuals in the group.
This is much less common.
Example: The committee participate in various volunteer activities in their
private lives.

What is Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement?

A pronoun is a word used to stand for (or take the place of) a noun.

A word can refer to an earlier noun or pronoun in the sentence.

Example:

We do not talk or write this way. Automatically, we replace the noun Lincoln's with
a pronoun. More naturally, we say

The pronoun his refers back to President Lincoln. President Lincoln is

the ANTECEDENT for the pronoun his.

An antecedent is a word for which a pronoun stands. (ante = "before")

The pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number.

Rule: A singular pronoun must replace a singular noun; a plural pronoun must
replace a plural noun.

Thus, the mechanics of the sentence above look like this:

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Here are nine pronoun-antecedent agreement rules. These rules are related to the
rules found in subject-verb agreement.

1. A phrase or clause between the subject and verb does not change the
number of the antecedent.

Example:

2. Indefinite pronouns as antecedents

 Singular indefinite pronoun antecedents take singular pronoun referents.

Example:

 Plural indefinite pronoun antecedents require plural referents.

PLURAL: several, few, both, many

Example:

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 Some indefinite pronouns that are modified by a prepositional phrase may be

either singular or plural.

EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL: some, any, none, all, most

Examples:

Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular referent

pronoun.

Jewelry is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular

referent pronoun.

Examples:

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Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural referent

pronoun.

Jewels are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural referent

pronoun.

3. Compound subjects joined by and always take a plural referent.

Example:

4. With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the referent pronoun agrees with
the antecedent closer to the pronoun.

Example #1 (plural antecedent closer to pronoun):

Example #2 (singular antecedent closer to pronoun):

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Note: Example #1, with the plural antecedent closer to the pronoun, creates a
smoother sentence
than example #2, which forces the use of the singular "his or her."

5. Collective Nouns (group, jury, crowd, team, etc.) may be singular or

plural, depending on meaning.

In this example, the jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the referent
pronoun is singular.

In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals;

therefore, the referent
pronoun is plural.

In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals;

therefore, the referent
pronoun is plural.

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6. Titles of single entities. (books, organizations, countries, etc.) take a

singular referent.

EXAMPLES:

7. Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular referent. (news,
measles, mumps, physics, etc)

EXAMPLE:

8. Every or Many a before a noun or a series of nouns requires a singular referent.

EXAMPLES:

9. The number of vs A number of before a subject:

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 The number of is singular.

 A number of is plural.

Elaborate

Instructions: Study for a written exercise!

Evaluate

Instructions: Study for a long quiz!

References:

https://www.acadshare.com/grammar-word-classes-phrases-clauses-sentences-quiz/

https://www.bing.com/search?form=MOZTSB&pc=MOZD&q=sentence

https://www.bing.com/search?q=phrases&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&ghc=1&pq=phrases&sc=8-
7&sk=&cvid=7024D7438D154CA7A29E28F58880EDD2

https://examples.yourdictionary.com/phrase-examples.html

https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/clause.htm

https://learningnerd.com/2006/09/10/english-grammar-basic-sentence-elements/

https://qqeng.net/Learning/the-eight-parts-of-speech-introduction-to-english-grammar/

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/subjectverbagreement

https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/pro_antagree.htm

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