Grammar with the

Subject Verb Agreement

Contractions: Don’t and Doesn’t

Don't is a contraction of do not and should be used only with a plural subject.They don't like grenades.

Doesn't is a contraction of does not and should be used only with a singular subject. Pauly D doesn't like grenades.

Compound Subjects

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 nearer the verb.

Ronnie’s friends or Ronnie party at Karma.

Exceptions: I and You

The exception to these rules appears in the case of the first person and second person pronouns I and you. With these pronouns, the contraction don't should be used.

Split Phrases

Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb. The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.

The people who listen to dubstep are few.

Singular Verbs

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

Everybody knows that Snooki got punched in the face.

There is/are

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.

There are many questions in Sammi’s head.

Subject Verb Agreement

Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb is too.

Ronnie, accompanied by Sammie, is traveling to Italy.

Irregular Verbs

Types of Verbs

Two Types of Verbs Regular

Punch punched A douchebag punched Snooki in the

face, and there was much rejoicing. Irregular

Swim swum No one has ever swum at the Jersey

Shore.

Regular Verbs

Three ways to form the past tense and past participle of regular verbs Add “-ed” Add an extra consonant and “-ed” Add “-d”

Regular Verbs, cont’d

Examples:Inject injected Ronnie injected himself with steroids

before working out.Drag dragged Snooki dragged J-Woww by her hair

extensions.

Regular Verbs, cont’d

Example:Fade faded After The Jersey Shore was cancelled,

the cast members faded into obscurity and rehab.

Past Tense/Past Participles

Change the interior vowel Keep the same form of the verb Change the ending

Many add “-en” for past participles Change the form of the verb

completely

Past Tense/Past Participles, cont’d

Examples:Begin began begun Pauly D began to turn orange after his

skin had begun to absorb the spray tan.Burst burst burst J-Woww burst into tears after the silicon

in her chest had burst due to a sudden change in air pressure.

Past Tense/Past Participles, cont’d

Examples:Get got gotten Snooki got plastered after her face

had gotten hammered by a tool.Be was/were been Pauly D was upset because his hair

gel had been stolen.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Pronoun - word used as a substitute for a noun or, sometimes, another pronoun.

Antecedent - an earlier noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause in the same sentence or, if the reference is unambiguous, in a previous sentence.

Definitions

Common MisusesMissing Antecedent:

Ex: Ronnie asked J-Woww if those were real.

Multiple antecedents: Ex: “Pauly D and Ronnie met for some GTL before

continuing to his house to sleep.”

Multiple pronouns and antecedents in the same sentence:

Ex: “J-Woww and Snooki were angry at each other, so Ronnie told her to hide in the bathroom when she came in.

Pronouns without Antecedents

IYouExpletives (Ex: This, it’s)Relative pronoun – WhatInterrogative pronoun – who, which, and what

Adjective as an antecedent

A pronoun normally requires a noun or another pronoun as its antecedent.

Therefore adjectives should not be used as the assumed antecedent, with the exception of possessives.

Pronoun Antecedent Agreement

Pronouns and antecedents must agree in:

Number Person Gender Case

Number

Collective noun – singular pronoun Singular noun with two or more

adjectives – plural pronoun Two or more singular nouns or

pronouns joined with and – plural pronoun

Person

Nouns connected by and, or, or nor use one form of antecedent.

First person>Second Person>Third Person

Ex: Ronnie said to Pauly D, “You and I need to head out for our GTL.”

Gender

Two antecedents connected by and use a plural pronoun.

If the pronoun only refers to one antecedent when connected by and use the gender of the noun referred to.

Case

Nominative case: pronoun functions as the subject. I, you, he, she, it, we, they

Genitive case: pronoun which expresses ownership My, mine, your, yours, his, her, its, our, ours,

their, theirs

Objective case: pronoun functions as an object Me, you, him, her, it, us, you, them

Case Examples

Ex: The Situation’s abs deserve their own show. (Genitive Case)

Ex: Snooki yelled at J-WOWW, “You and I are so not going to fight over him. (Nominative and Objective)

Sentence Fragments

Sentence Fragments

A sentence fragment is a group of words that is similar to a sentence but lacks a complete independent clause.

Deciding if it is a fragment

Is there both a verb and a subject?

Is it a subordinate clause?

Examples of Sentence Fragments

Out on the beach.Lacks a verb

Going to the gym.Lacks a subject

Because they were on sale. Is a subordinate clause

How to fix fragments

Snooki and JWOWW tanned on the beach.

Ronnie is always going to the gym. Snooki got a great deal on some hot

heels, because they were on sale.

Run-on Sentences

Run-On Sentences

A run-on sentence is a series of statements that are not punctuated correctly.

Comma splices are also a form of run-on sentences.

Examples:

I am just a girl I like to party.

Snooki slept in late today she had too many shots last night.

Ronnie wanted to work out today, he went to the gym this afternoon.

How do you know?If parts of your statements contains a subject and a verb, then that is an independent clause and can be separated into its own sentence.

I am just a girl I like to party.

Fixing Run-Ons

To correct run-on sentences: Separate the independent clauses Combine the two statements with a

coordinating conjunction

Examples

I am just a girl. I like to party.I am just a girl, and I like to party.

Snooki slept in today. She had too many shots last night.

Snooki slept in today, because she had too many shots last night.

Comma Splice Correction

Ronnie wanted to work out today. He went to the gym this afternoon.

Ronnie wanted to work out today, so he went to the gym this afternoon.

Ways to fix run-on sentences

I am just a girl. I like to party.I am just a girl, and I like to party.I am just a girl, so I like to party.I am just a girl, but I like to party.I am just a girl; I like to party.