Grammar tips

Today we will continue to take a look at some cases (and rules) of subject-verb agreement.

1. When using there is/there are, the subject of the sentence is always the first noun after the verb.

• “There was a great deal of commotion surrounding the Queen’s funeral.”

2. When using a number of, the verb will always be in the plural form.

• “A number of very prominent government officials attend the G7 summit every year.”

3. When using expressions such as along with, together with, coupled with, as well as, etc, the expression is not counted as part of the subject. Only the first subject agrees with the verb.

• “The Brazilian President, along with his MERCOSUR counterparts, is planning to invest heavily in sustainable development.”

Stay tuned for more of Todd's grammar tips in our CACD English Newsletter!!