Basic Grammar Rules in Academic

Writing

John Paul SolonReporter

Rule 1: You must write in sentences

Rule 2: Subjects and Verbs in sentences must agree with each other

Rule 3: You must use appropriate punctuation

Rule 4: You must use the right vocabulary

Rule 5: You must use apostrophe correctly and with care

Examples:• My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train

today.

• Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.

Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by or, either /or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.

Examples:

Rule 3.The verb in an either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.

Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf

.Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.

Example:

Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.

A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

. Breaking and entering is against the law.

But note these exceptions:

Exception:

The bed and breakfast was charming.

In those sentences, breaking and entering and bed and breakfast are compound nouns.

Rule 5. Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along with, as well as, besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not part of the subject. Ignore them and use a singular verb when the subject is singular.

Examples: The politician, along with the newsmen, is

expected shortly.

Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking

Rule 6. With words that indicate portions—percent, fraction, majority, some, all, etc. If the noun after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:

Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared.Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared.A third of the city is unemployed.A third of the people are unemployed.

Examples:

There are four hurdles to jump.There is a high hurdle to jump.Here are the keys.

Rule 7. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.

Examples:

Three miles is too far to walk.Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.

Rule 8. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.

Examples:

The staff is in a meeting.Staff is acting as a unit.The couple disagree about disciplining their child.The couple refers to two people who are acting as individuals.

Rule 9. Some collective nouns, such as family, couple, staff, audience, etc., may take either a singular or a plural verb, depending on their use in the sentence.

• Example: If Joe were here, you'd be sorry.

Rule 10. The word were replaces was in sentences that express a wish or are contrary to fact:

Rule 11. When a relative pronoun is used as a subject of an adjective clauseA relative pronoun ("who," "which," or "that") used as a subject of an adjective clause takes either a singular or plural verb in order to agree with its antecedent.

Vegetables that contain DDT can be harmful.

• Big Dog is one of those animals who are very intelligent.

• Big Dog is an animal who is very intelligent

• Everyone has done his or her homework.• Somebody has left her purse.• Everyone has finished his or her homework.

Rule 12. The indefinite pronouns anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody are always singular and, therefore, require singular verbs.

• The department members but not the chair have decided not to teach on Valentine's Day.

• It is not the faculty members but the president who decides this issue.

• It was the speaker, not his ideas, that has provoked the students to riot.

Rule 13. If your sentence compounds a positive and a negative subject and one is plural, the other singular, the verb should agree with the positive subject.

• Some of the pie (is, are) missing• Mary (is, are) one of the students who (has, have)

done honor to the college..• Joe’s favorite dessert (is, are) blueberry muffins.• Four times four divided by two (is, are) eight.• There (is, are) many possible candidates.• Either the man or his wife (know, knows) the truth

of the matter.

Let’s try this!

• If I (was, were) a boy• Blueberry muffins (is, are) Joe’s favorite dessert.• Two-fifths of the vineyard (was, were) destroyed

by fire.• The mayor and his brothers (is, are) going to jail.• The mayor as well as his brothers (is, are) going

to prison.• A vegetable that (contain, contains) DDT can be

harmful.

Let’s try this!

• Forty percent of the student body (is, are) in favor of changing the policy.

• The dishes in the kitchen (is, are) dirty.• The family (has, have) met their various

obligations.• It is not the faculty members but the president

who (decide, decides) this issue.• Some of the pies (is, are) missing.• Some of the water (is, are) gone.

Let’s try this!

• Either the construction workers or the mailman (is, are) causing Peggy to bark like crazy.

• Some of the voters (is, are) still angry.• There (is, are) snacks on the laundry-room table.• There (is, are) only one good candidate.• I wish it (was, were) Friday.• Neither Juan nor Carmen (is, are) available.• All of the pie (is, are) gone.• All of the pies (is, are) gone.• The whole family (is, are) active.

Let’s try this!

• Two and two (is, are) four.• Forty percent of the students (is, are) in favor of

changing the policy.• Neither money nor power (was, were) important

any longer.• Neither the television nor the radios (work, works).

Let’s try this!

• There (is, are) two reasons for this.• Here (is, are) two apples.• Neither the one next door nor the dogs down the

street (pay, pays) any attention.• Two-fifths of the troops (was, were) lost in the

battle.

Let’s try this!