Subject-Verb Agreement
This is crucial for making sentences grammatically correct:
- Singular subjects take singular verbs: “She sings well.”
- Plural subjects take plural verbs: “They sing well.”
- Be aware of tricky subjects: “Neither the manager nor the assistants are available.”
Active and Passive Voice
- Active Voice: The subject performs the action. “The cat chased the mouse.”
- Passive Voice: The subject receives the action. “The mouse was chased by the cat.”
Modifiers and Their Placement
Modifiers are words or phrases that provide additional information about other elements in a sentence. Misplaced modifiers can lead to confusion or absurd meaning:
- Correct Placement: “She almost failed every exam.”
- Misplaced Modifier: “She failed almost every exam.”