A. Basic Sentence Concepts: One of The Children Is Visiting Today

A.
BASIC SENTENCE CONCEPTS
WHAT IS A SIMPLE SENTENCE ?
Four Necessary Things

Every simple sentence in English must have four things :
1. A capital letter
2. A subject
3. A verb
4. A period (.) a question mark ( ? ), or an exclamation point ( ! )
Verbs should agree with their subjects. This means that a singular subject requires a singular verb; a
plural subject requires a plural verb. The key here is to identify the subject of the sentence, determine
whether it is singular or plural, and then choose a correct verb.
We will start by looking at subjects.
One of the children is visiting today.
In this sentence, the subject is one, not children. Children is part of the prepositional phrase (of the
children), and subjects are never found in prepositional phrases. So, the subject is singular, and
the verb must be singular (is, not are) to agree with one.
Luke and Pedro are on the baseball team.
In this sentence, the subject is Luke and Pedro. The subject is plural, so the verb (are) must be plural,
as well. Here are some examples of incorrect and correct subject-verb agreement:
 Incorrect: Saundra always do well on exams. (singular subject

(Saundra), plural verb (do))
 Correct: Saundra always does well on exams. (singular subject

(Saundra), singular verb (does))
 Incorrect: Marc and Leslie is going to the park. (plural subject (Marc
and Leslie), singular verb (is))
 Correct: Marc and Leslie are going to the park. (plural subject
(Marc and Leslie), plural verb (are))
EXERCISE A -1
Subject–Verb Agreement
Choose the appropriate completion
1. Mayan goods_____in a Teotihuacan tomb.

a. have been found b. has been found
2. Neither the scientists nor the researcher_____their origin.

a. understands
b. understand
3. None of the artifacts _____to A.D. 100.
a. date back
b. dates back
4. Some of the research______by archeologists.

a. was conducted
b. were conducted
5. The number of artifacts found_____amazing.

a. are
b. is
6. A number of scientists _____ this discovery.

a. is investigating
b. are investigating
7. Another team of researchers_____a trip to Mexico.

a. are arranging
b. is arranging
8. The fact that the artifacts were found in a Teotihuacan tomb

_____that they belong to the Teotihuacanos.
a. does not mean
b. do not mean
9. However, the position of the bodies _____ something to do with Maya

practices.
a. has
b. have
10 Jade, found inside the tombs, _____ by both the Maya and the
Teotihuacanos.
a. was used
b. were used
EXERCISE A -2
Decide if the verb in brackets should be in the present simple

or the present continuous.
1. He —is living—- (live) with his parents at the moment.

2. Some areas of Italy —are becoming—– (become) drier.
3. She —works—– (work) as a lab technician.
4. She —is planning—– (plan) to study for a degree.
5. I —— (have got) two sisters.
6. In her job, she —answers-- (answer) the phone.
7. People —are living—– (live) longer and longer.
8. This month they —are working—– (work) on a new project.
EXERCISE A -3
Correct the following sentences, if necessary.
1. My cousin and his wife is coming to visit. (are)
2. Neither those memos nor this proposal were clearly written.
3. Both of my friends are going to France in September.
4. One of the bridesmaids was pregnant at the wedding.
5. Either Patty or Ann are going to be laid off next week.
6. There is no truth to the gossip.
7. She are looking for a pair shoes at the mall. (is)
8. I don’t think there’s a need to further elaborate on this
subject.
9. Jiang were the best dressed at the party. (was)
10. Diane and I are going on a date tonight!
EXERCISE A - 4
Finding Verbs
DIRECTION : Find the verbs in the sentences below. Mark them with . If there is more than one
verb in a sentence, number them.
1. Juan Mustafa Chan is studying verbs.

2. He reads the newspaper and watches every night.
3. Juan Mustafa Chan is writing a composition.
4. The composition is about his country.
5. Now Juan is sitting and thinking.
6. He is smoking a cigarette.
7. He is very friendly and speaks many languages.

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A.

BASIC SENTENCE CONCEPTS

WHAT IS A SIMPLE SENTENCE ?

Four Necessary Things

One of the children is visiting today.

Luke and Pedro are on the baseball team.

 Incorrect: Saundra always do well on exams. (singular subject

 Correct: Saundra always does well on exams. (singular subject

1. Mayan goods_____in a Teotihuacan tomb.

2. Neither the scientists nor the researcher_____their origin.

4. Some of the research______by archeologists.

5. The number of artifacts found_____amazing.

6. A number of scientists _____ this discovery.

7. Another team of researchers_____a trip to Mexico.

8. The fact that the artifacts were found in a Teotihuacan tomb

9. However, the position of the bodies _____ something to do with Maya

Decide if the verb in brackets should be in the present simple

1. He —is living—- (live) with his parents at the moment.

1. Juan Mustafa Chan is studying verbs.

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