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VERBS!

INTRODUCTION

Sources• Dos, Don’ts, and Maybes, by T. Bernstein

• Words Into Type, compiled by Skillin, Gay et al.

• Woe Is I, by Patricia T. O’Connor

• A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage, by B. Garner

• The Copyeditor’s Handbook, by A. Einsohn

I. AgreementII. DanglersIII. Mood & Myth

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AGREEMENT

In a sentence, every part should agree logically with every other related part.

So, a verb should agree in number with its subject.

AGREEMENT

Every part of Sam needs a massage.part = singular verb

Sam’s shoulders, arms, and legs need a massage.shoulders, arms, and legs = plural verb

~ easy ~

Every part of Sam—his legs, his neck, his shoulders, his feet—{need or needs} a massage.

Singular or plural?

AGREEMENT AGREEMENT

Since the closest word, feet, is plural, it might be tempting to pick the plural verb form, need.

However, the subject (part) hasn’t changed, so the verb is still needs.

Every part of Sam—his legs, his neck, his shoulders, his feet—needs a massage.

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AGREEMENT

The first group of cases discuss the applicability of the doctrine of collateral estoppel to administrative- agency decisions and the second group discuss the Noerr-Pennington doctrine and the sham exception.

(Garner, p. 521)

CORRECT?

The number of the subject is sometimes obscured by words coming between it and the

verb.

AGREEMENT

The first group of cases discuss the applicability of the doctrine of collateral estoppel to administrative- agency decisions and the second group discuss the Noerr-Pennington doctrine and the sham exception.

The subject is group:

The first group of cases discusses the applicability … and the second group discusses the Noerr-Pennington doctrine … .

AGREEMENT

Sec. 252.002, Texas Insurance Code(b) The commissioner shall annually adjust the rate of

assessment of the maintenance tax so that the taximposed that year, together with any unexpendedfunds produced by the tax, produce the amount thecommissioner determines is necessary to pay theexpenses …

CORRECT?

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AGREEMENT

… so that the tax imposed that year … producesthe amount the commissioner determines …

AGREEMENT

The number of the subject and verb is also not affected by intervening words introduced by:

together with

as well as

in addition to

plus

and similar expressions.

COLLECTIVE NOUNS

AGREEMENT: COLLECTIVE NOUNS

A collective noun is a noun that denotes a group of individuals.

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AGREEMENT: COLLECTIVE NOUNS

facultyjurystaff

boardclass

A collective noun could take a singular or plural verb, depending on context.

AGREEMENT: COLLECTIVE NOUNS

Texas Code of Criminal Procedure

Art. 38.04. JURY ARE JUDGES OF FACTS. The jury, in all cases, isthe exclusive judge of the facts proved, and of the weight to be given to the testimony … .

AGREEMENT: COLLECTIVE NOUNS

The faculty has determined that all faculty meetings will occur outside of working hours.

The faculty were arguing about what to do about the increasing plagiarism on the part of the students.

AGREEMENT: COLLECTIVE NOUNS

Total, all, majority, number, any, and all

can also be interpreted as singular or plural.

The before the word is usually a hint that it is singular.

A before the word most often indicates it’s plural, especially if the word is followed by of.

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The majority is in charge.

Still, a majority of voters are unhappy.AGREEMENT: COLLECTIVE NOUNS

Subjects plural in form but singular in effect get a singular verb.

Penal Acts was the legal name, Intolerable Acts what the colonists called them.

Politics is a dangerous game.(WIT, p. 354)

INVERTED SUBJECT

AGREEMENT: INVERTED SUBJECT

In the employee handbook is a sample expense voucher.

Also in the handbook are procedures for submitting expense vouchers.

(Copyeditor’s Handbook, p. 343)

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AGREEMENT TAKEAWAYS

• The key to making a subject and its verb agree is to correctly identify the subject.

• A collective noun takes a singular verb unless the individuals forming the group are to be emphasized, in which case the verb is plural.

DANGLERS

What is a dangler?

A dangler is a sentence element that modifies an unintended subject, usually taking for granted that the reader will know what the subject of the sentence is.

DANGLERS

A dangling participle is one type of dangler. It is also called an unattached, hanging, or misrelated participle.

What is a participle, you may ask?

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DANGLERS

Participle = verb acting as an adjective (ends in –ing, –ed, –d, –t, or –n)

developing nationswatched pot

frozen tundra

DANGLERS

Participial phrase = a group of words used as a modifier and consisting of a participle with its modifiers and complements

Strolling along the path …Born into poverty …

Strengthened in his resolve …

Buried in grad school debt, finding a job was a high priority for Kim.

Correct?

Buried in grad school debt, Kim made her first priority finding a job.

Buried in debt

modifies

Kim

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DANGLERSWalking down Congress Avenue, the Capitol came into view.

DANGLERSWalking down Congress Avenue, Albert got a good view of the

Capitol.

DANGLERS

Other types of danglers—

1. Modifying phrases other than participial phrases.

As a legislative staff member, his office is his home away from home.

Correct?

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As a legislative staff member, James considers the office his home away from home.

Staff member = James, not office

DANGLERS

Misplaced modifiers are not always located at the head of a sentence:

The stage drama is a gripping saga of betrayal by one of the greatest playwrights of the region.

DANGLERS

2. Gerunds may also dangle precariously.

When the participle in a dangling gerund is the object of a preposition, it functions as noun.

(Chicago, p. 5.111)

DANGLERS

After clarifying the instructions, the bill was easy to write.

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DANGLERS

After clarifying the instructions, Sarah found bill easy to write.

DANGLERS

3. Dangling infinitive

Infinitive = basic form of a verb, preceded by the word to

DANGLERS

To get a bill passed, the draft request is first submitted to the legislative council.

Is this ok?

DANGLERS

To get a bill passed, the member must first submit a draft request to the legislative council.

Most bill drafting avoids the passive voice

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DANGLERS

IS DANGLING EVER ACCEPTABLE?

DANGLERS

Examples of acceptable danglers are easy to come by—they usually stand apart from (as if to comment on) the content of the sentence and are commonly introduced

with words such as

concerning, considering, judging, owing, regarding, speaking, according, barring,

etc.

(Garner, p.167)

Considering the current atmosphere in the legislature, it is unlikely that the legislation will pass.

(Garner, p. 166)Generally speaking, an alien may become trustee of property that the alien can own beneficially.

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ANACOLUTHONˌanəkəˈlo ͞oTHän/

a sentence or construction that lacks grammatical sequence, such as while in the garden, the door banged shut.

Greek: anakolouthos means “lacking sequence”

DANGLERS TAKEAWAYS

• Always suspect an –ing word of dangling if it’s at the beginning of a sentence. Ask yourself who or what is performing the action.

• Dangling is almost inevitable when the independent clause is in the passive voice.

• Revise the sentence so the expression is clearly related to the word it is intended to modify.

(Woe, p. 191)

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MOODMOOD = The form of a verb indicating the

manner of doing or being

Indicative (expresses facts and asks questions)

Imperative (expresses commands and direct requests)

Subjunctive (expresses an imagined state, wish, command, or desire)

MOODThe subjunctive is almost extinct in spoken English and is passing away

even in written English.

Certain phrases are still used, such as:

be that as it may so be it

if I were youfar be it from me

The following examples are also viable uses of the subjunctive but could be rewritten:

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MOOD

He gave orders that the bills be paid.

He gave orders for the bills to be paid.

It is important that he breathe fresh air.

He needs to breathe fresh air.

How can one insure that the power of science be used for the benefit of humanity?

How can one insure the use of the power of science for the benefit of humanity?

(WIT, p. 342)

MOODWHEREAS, Eagle Scout Dillard's dedication to excellence and his

perseverance in the pursuit of his goals have proven him worthy to stand among scouting's elite, and he may indeed reflect with pride on a job well done; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Stephen Dillard on achieving the rank of Eagle Scout and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Eagle Scout Dillard as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.

MOODClauses introduced by as if or though usually express an

unreal condition and require a past subjunctive.

Some patients feel as if they were falling.(WIT, p. 343)

MOODHowever, many clauses introduced by if do not express a

condition contrary to fact, but merely a condition or contingency. In this case, the subjunctive is incorrect.

Before I turned left,

I looked to see if the road were clear.

??

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MOOD

(b) The law and rules governing the provisional license program under Section 101.203 apply to a practitioner as if the practitioner {was} {were} a provisional license holder when the practitioner is completing the requirements of the provisional license program.

MOOD TAKEAWAYS• Use be instead of was or were after someone

suggests, insists, asks, requires, or demands that something be done.

• If it sounds unnatural, imagine an unspoken should in front of it.

(He urged that the parties negotiate.)

• The subjunctive is required in that clauses following verbs of command, demand, wish, request, necessity, etc.

MYTHMyth #1

Never split an infinitive (or any verb phrase for that matter).

The infinitive, the simplest form of a verb, is one word in Latin and thus can't be split.

Grammar police of the 18th and 19th centuries imposed it on writers and editors of English.

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MYTHMore often than not the natural position for the adverb is just

ahead of the main part of the verb it modifies.

The following example illustrates an unfortunate placing of the adverb:

A plan for reducing unemployment slowly has been evolving in Congress.

~Yikes~

MYTHMyth #2Never use a preposition to end a sentence.

Okay, you shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition when the sentence would mean the same thing if you left

off the preposition.

The “rule” was an ill-founded superstition, according to the Chicago Manual of Style.

MYTH

“That is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I shall not put.”

MYTHMyth #3

I.e. and e.g. mean the same thing.

i.e. means that is

e.g. means for example

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MYTHi.e. is used for clarifying a statement:

Connect the 5-pin output to the DIS port, i.e., the display adapter.

e.g. is used for listing examples:

Consider planting evergreens, e.g., pines, firs, and cedars.

(Copyeditor’s Handbook)

CONCLUSION