Grammar-Quizzes › Noun Phrases › Nouns › Nouns with Modifiers
Nouns with Modifiers
Recognize the true subject in agreement with the verb
Subject–Predicate Agreement when other structures come between
| SINGULAR AGREEMENT |
|---|
When a noun is followed by a modifying clause or phrase, make sure that the verb agrees with the noun being modified (and not the noun in the phrase or clause.) |
The monkey, George, is hiding. (appositives) |
The monkey under the bananas is hiding. (prepositional phrase) |
The silly looking monkey peeping out from under the bananas is hiding. |
The family of monkeys is walking. (prepositional phrase) |
George, who loves bananas, is hiding. (comments) |
| PLURAL AGREEMENT |
|---|
Agreement between noun and verb in main clause is maintained. The verb agrees with the noun before the modifying clause or phrase. |
The monkeys–George, Martha, and Tillie–are taking a walk. |
The monkeys with a little one are taking a walk. |
The monkeys wearing summer clothes are taking a walk. |
The monkeys dressed like Bono are taking a walk. |
The monkeys, who look silly in clothes, are taking a walk. |
intervene (V) - come between
Also see shortened modifying clauses Past Participle Clauses | Present Participle Clauses
To maintain agreement when modifiers are present
- Identify the subject.
- Recognize the difference between the subject and its modifying phrase or clause.
- Determine whether the subject noun is singular or plural in agreement with the verb.
Quantity Phrase Nouns
Agreement with Verb in Relative Clause
Does the relative clause modify chimpanzee or monkeys?
| SINGULAR AGREEMENT | ||
|---|---|---|
The verb in the relative clause is singular in agreement when it modifies a singular quantifier noun such as one. Note that the relative clause specifies a particular one. |
||
| SUBJ + PRED | QUANTITY PHRASE | RELATIVE CLAUSE |
| NP + V | PRONOUN + PP | THAT + CLS |
The chimpanzee is
|
one of the monkeys
|
that is most closely related to humans. |
The relative clause modifies one. |
||
| ISOLATION CHECK | ||
| P + NP | NP + V + PRN | THAT + CLS |
Of the monkeys,
|
the chimpanzee is one
|
that is most closely related to humans. |
| PLURAL AGREEMENT | ||
|---|---|---|
The verb in the modifying clause is plural in agreement when it modifies a plural phrase noun. Note that the relative clause specifies a particular limited group. |
||
| SUBJ + PRED | QUANTITY PHRASE | RELATIVE CLAUSE |
| NP + V | N + PP | THAT + CLS |
The chimpanzee is |
one of the monkeys
|
that are most closely related to humans. |
|
The relative clause modifies monkeys. |
||
| ISOLATION CHECK | ||
| P + NP + | THAT + CLS | NP + V + PRN |
Of the monkeys |
that are most closely related to humans, |
the chimpanzee is one¹.
|
¹The chimpanzee and the bonobo are primates that are most closely related to humans.
"Bonobo." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 Aug. 2016, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonobo. Accessed on 21 Aug. 2016.
Summary
A quantity phrase has two possible nouns that can be modified:
- the head noun [the quantifier] one of the monkeys
- the noun that is the object of the preposition. one of the monkeys
The verb agreement in the relative clause will depend on the noun it modifies. Compare the examples above to understand how their meanings differ. Isolating the of-phrase (bringing it to the front of the clause) can help you see and understand the difference.
Common Mistakes
Errors and Solutions
Error and Solution
| ERROR |
|---|
|
(a misidentified subject) |
|
*Of the girls who is learning English, one was born in India. (You can more easily see the error if you reword the sentence.)
|
|
| SOLUTION |
|---|
| MAIN CLAUSE |
One [of the girls] was born in India. The subject is one. |
| MODIFYING CLAUSE |
of the girls (who) are learning English The subject is who which refers to girls. |
| TOGETHER IN ONE SENTENCE |
One of the girls who are learning English was born in India. (The verb are is in the modifying clause whose subject is who (girls). |
*Yellow highlighted words are examples of incorrect usage.
Works Cited
- Azar, Betty Schrampfer, and Stacy A. Hagen. Understanding and Using English Grammar. 4th ed., Pearson Education, 2009.
- Biber, Douglas, and Stig Johansson, et al. Longman Grammar Of Spoken And Written English. Pearson Education, 1999.
- "half." Merriam-Webster. 2016, merriam-webster.com.
- Huddleston, Rodney D., and Geoffrey K. Pullum. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge UP, 2002.
- Swan, Michael. "Half." Practical English Usage. 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2005.
Practice 1
Stress and Diet
Subject-verb agreement in sentences
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" button.
Practice 2
Stress Management
Read for Errors
Stress and anxiety in today's world of high-speed electronics are ever present. The bills aren't going to stop coming, there's never enough hours in the day for all your errands, and your career or family responsibilities will always be demanding. Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems.
Stress and anxiety management start with identifying the sources of stress in your life. Accepting responsibility for the role you play in creating or maintaining stress is what allows you to take control of it. The ultimate goal —with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun— are a balanced life.
anxiety (N) — having an uneasy, worried feeling
balanced (Adj) — sharing equally
errands (pl. noun) — work, chores, tasks
ever present (Adj) — always around
sources (pl. noun) — causes
ultimate (Adj) — final, possibly most important
Subject-verb agreement in a paragraph
- Read the sentence. Identify the subject (without its modifying clauses and phrases) and the verb.
- Decide whether the agreement in the sentence is correct or incorrect.
- Read the feedback to check your response.
Practice 3
"Most Likely to Succeed"
Read for Errors
Today is the last week of the school year. Traditionally, we vote for one person who is "most likely to succeed". Then, that person receives an award to go to one of the summer camps that are near by our school.
This year, I am voting for August. He is one of my classmates who is graduating this year. He is one of my classmates who is most unusual. First, August was born in October. Second, he is one of the few students who have skipped two grades. In fact, he is the only one to ever do so in my school.
Each of the children who are voting will need to think a good reason to choose a person. Each of the children want to be the one selected. None of us who are voting, however, can vote for ourselves.
I hope August wins the award because he might be the only one of us who might actually enjoy going to camp and studying. The rest of us want to swim, play and goof off during the summer.
award – a special prize for doing something well (cash, a medal or something else)
graduate – complete a year of school or level of schooling
most likely to succeed – probably will do well in life
skip a grade – advance past a grade; progress much more rapidly through the levels
Subject-verb agreement with quantity phrases and relative clauses
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" button.