E-grammar-editing's Grammar Guide to Vacillating Verbs

Noun/Verb Agreement

When editing and proofreading for grammar, be sure your verbs agree in number with the nouns and pronouns they belong to. In other words, singular and plural nouns or pronouns (beachcomber vs. beachcombers and he vs. they) take the singular or plural form of the verb, respectively. Grammar problem arise mainly when a phrase separates the initial subject from its verb or when conjunctions and qualifiers make it a little harder to determine if the subject is plural.

Conjunctions – And, Or, Neither, Either, and Nor

In a simple sentence verb agreement comes naturally:

The old beachcomber searches for agate every dawn at Great Sand Bay.

Beachcombers search for agate each dawn at Great Sand Bay.

But add another subject and a conjunction and it can get confusing: In the first example, both parties are searching, thus the verb is plural. In the second, one or the other, not both, are searching, and so the verb is singular.

Miguel and that old beachcomber search the beach for agate every dawn at Great Sand Bay.

Either Miguel or that old beachcomber searches the beach for agate every dawn at Great Sand Bay.

If the sentence includes two subjects, but one is singular and the other plural, usually we put the plural noun second and use the plural form of the verb:

Every day it’s either Miguel or the elderly beachcombers who search the beach for agate.

But if you prefer to emphasize the singular Miguel, then use the singular verb:

Every day it’s either those elderly beachcombers or my friend Miguel who searches the beach for agate.

Phrases – Besides, As Well As, Including, and Not

When the subject is separated from its verb by a phrase (often using the words stated above), be sure to check the initial subject to determine which verb you use. Pretend the phrase isn’t there at all.

Emerging from her beach hut, Cassandra, as well as her family of wayfarers, kayaks out on the lake to practice yoga.

Note the difference if the sentence uses “and” instead of “as well as.”

Emerging from her beach hut, Cassandra and her family of wayfarers kayak out on the lake to practice yoga.

In Great Sand Bay, boating, including sailing, canoeing, and kayaking, is the chief pastime of summer tourists.

In the above example, “boating” is the subject, not what comes in the phrase beginning “including.” But …

In Great Sand Bay, sailing, canoeing, and kayaking are the chief pastimes of summer tourists.

Sometimes, there is no phrase to alert you and the qualifying phrase might go on and on, but don’t be fooled—the initial subject (“solitude” in this case) is still singular and takes the singular verb (“is” instead of “are”).

The solitude of Great Sand Bay—its unencumbered blue expanse, its clean and agate-rich shoreline, and its serene boating pleasures—is what coaxes most visitors to stay.

Pronouns –Anyone, Each, Somebody, and One

These pronouns take the singular verb (the verb you would use with “he” or “she,” not “they”).

As evening sky cools the sands, each of the kayakers slides to shore to begin the search for agate.

If you take out “each,” the verb becomes plural.

As evening sky cools the sands, the kayakers slide to shore to begin the search for agate.

Somebody, the kayaker, the old beachcomber, or Miguel, leaves three stone gems, polished by Superior’s churning cold, on my porch railing every day.

And

Any one of them is the culprit in my morning delight.

But

They are all culprits in my morning delight.

Note: the difference between “anyone” and “any one” and “everyone” and “every one” is discussed under Spelling Slipups, but each takes the singular verb.

Everyone who wants to come is surely welcome.

Anyone leaving gifts on my railing is welcome to come back for cinnamon crunch cake in the morning.

One final confusion lies in the use of “one of.” Note the difference in meaning in the following two sentences.

She is one of the many kayakers who practice yoga every evening.

She is one of the kayakers who practices yoga every evening.

In the first example, she is part of a group of people practicing yoga; in the second example, she is a kayaker who practices yoga—and might be the only one.

Collective Nouns

Nouns that form a body of people or things are sometimes plural, sometimes singular, depending on usage.

The team of kayakers readies itself, bracing against the sudden waves.

In the above example, the team is a unit and takes the singular form. In the following example, members of the team are the emphasis, rather than the entity itself.

The team of kayakers ready themselves, raising their paddles to skim the oncoming waves.

The Kayaking Association sponsors the daily ritual of exercise and relaxation.

Members of the Kayaking Association sponsor their favorite events with personal funding.

>Verb Tenses

As long as we’re discussing verbs, in my editing and proofreading experience, I have often come across shifts in verb tense, an easy error to make. Often, I take it as a good sign that writers are fully engrossed in their words and feeling the immediacy of their story or experience. But that’s the creation stage. Next comes revision and editing for sense.

Verbs – Past, Present, Perfect, and Those Conditionals

Please visit again as I continue with verbs!