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 #2 (permalink) Mon Apr 21, 2008 19:10 pm Agreement between subject and verb |
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Here is my take 
Liver and onions is a meal detested by many children.
Blue and yellow makes green.
Almost every professor and student at the university approve of the choice of Dr. Brown as the new president.
Each penny, nickel, dime and quarter are counted carefully by the bank teller.
Every day there are more than a dozen traffic accidents in the city.
The imagery, diction, and syntax of each writer were examined. |
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 Pamela
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| #3 (permalink) Tue Apr 22, 2008 14:42 pm Agreement between subject and verb |
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Thank you. I'm happy to know that I am not the only person who is interested in grammar.
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Inga
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Nessie
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Nessie
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| #6 (permalink) Sat Apr 26, 2008 16:27 pm Agreement between subject and verb |
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I'm not a native speaker, but i'm want to share my idea in this case.
Liver and onions (be) a meal detested by many children. -> is
Blue and yellow (make) green. -> makes
Almost every professor and student at the university (approve) of the choice of Dr. Brown as the new president. ->approves
Each penny, nickel, dime and quarter (count) carefully by the bank teller. -> are counted
Every day there (be) more than a dozen traffic accidents in the city. -> are
The imagery, diction, and syntax of each writer (was/were) examined. -> were |
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Hothu
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| #7 (permalink) Sat Apr 26, 2008 19:41 pm Agreement between subject and verb |
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Thank you for your replies. Actually, I have many books on grammar. My favourite is Swan Practical English Usage. But none of them gives the answer to these particular sentences. I promised my students to find correct answers.
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Inga
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| #8 (permalink) Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:26 am Agreement between subject and verb |
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Liver and onions (be) a meal detested by many children. (It IS)
Blue and yellow (make) green. (They/These colours make.)
Almost every professor and student at the university (approve) of the choice of Dr. Brown as the new president. (each APPROVES)
Each penny, nickel, dime and quarter (count) carefully by the bank teller. (each APPROVES)
Every day there (be) more than a dozen traffic accidents in the city. (are ACCIDENTS)
The imagery, diction, and syntax of each writer (was/were) examined. (They WERE/Each WAS) |
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Molly
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| #9 (permalink) Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:26 am Agreement between subject and verb |
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I think Pamela's answers were excellent. Molly's points are well-taken, too.
I also think that if a hundred average native-speakers of English were to utter those sentences on their own, it would be hard to find a clear-cut preference for the singular or plural form of the verb in most of them.
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Yankee
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| #10 (permalink) Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:58 am Agreement between subject and verb |
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| Problem is, notional concord can often play a part in such. |
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Molly
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| #11 (permalink) Tue Apr 29, 2008 14:45 pm Agreement between subject and verb |
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What am I to do? 
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Inga
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| #12 (permalink) Tue Apr 29, 2008 16:12 pm Agreement between subject and verb |
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born in a family - the child is already considered as IN the family
born into a family - the child is seen as ENTERING the family |
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Molly
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| #13 (permalink) Tue Apr 29, 2008 17:22 pm Agreement between subject and verb |
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Hi Inga
The only sentence that seems clear-cut to me is the first one. I've taken Molly's observations and added a different way that the sentences might be viewed (in all but the first and last sentences):
| Quote: | Liver and onions (be) a meal detested by many children. (It IS: Liver and onions = a single dish)
Blue and yellow (make) green. (Combining blue with yellow makes.)
Almost every professor and student at the university (approve) of the choice of Dr. Brown as the new president. (X and Y approve)
Each penny, nickel, dime and quarter (count) carefully by the bank teller. (X, Y and Z are counted)
Every day there (be) more than a dozen traffic accidents in the city. (are ACCIDENTS. However, there's is just as likely -- if not more likely -- in everyday spoken English)
The imagery, diction, and syntax of each writer (was/were) examined. (They WERE/Each WAS) |
If you took those sentences from a book of exercises that states that there is only one "correct" answer, I would suggest that you might be able to find a better book.  |
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| #15 (permalink) Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:14 am Agreement between subject and verb |
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| Quote: | | Blue and yellow (make) green. (Combining blue with yellow makes.) |
Could be "when combined...".
| Quote: | | Every day there (be) more than a dozen traffic accidents in the city. (are ACCIDENTS. However, there's is just as likely -- if not more likely -- in everyday spoken English) |
True. |
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Molly
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| As stout as lye soap? | Phrase "twice larger than..."? |
... something we never have again, I know... I guess I really really know..