Verbs and Their Various Forms

Subjunctive mood is used to express a wish; express a condition contrary to actual fact. The present subjunctive is conjugated as follows:

I were      We were

He were   They were

You were

Examples:

I wish she were there (expresses a wish)

If she were here, she would help us. (expresses a condition to actual fact)

Wrong:	I wish I was as tall as my father.
Right:	I wish I were as tall as my father.

Wrong:	If Anna was here now, she would show you how to sing.
Right:	If Anna were here now, she would show you how to sing.

To express situations involving obligation or duty forms, such word as 'must', 'should', 'ought' are used.

Examples:

We must reach our target.

I should clean the room today.

He ought to help his friend.

Sometimes a common error arises due to the use of an indicative to express duty/obligation.

Wrong:	If he comes, do I tell him to stay back?
Right:	If he comes, should I tell him to stay back?

There can be some miscellaneous errors in the use of verbs. One is a tendency to curtail verbs by dropping a letter or a syllable.

Wrong:	She never expects us to come.
Right:	She never expected us to come.

While using verbs one must keep in mind that the arrangement of verbs in a sentence should be logical, i.e. that of the actual sequence of events.

Wrong:	She ate, dressed and washed before nine o'clock. (wrong unless this was the order of procedure).
Right:	She washed, dressed and ate before nine o'clock.

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When to Use 'AT', 'ON', and 'IN'

AT

- PRECISE TIME - at 1 o'clock p.m. 
- POINT - at the corner, at the subway station, at the bus stop
- DESTINATION - at the top of the mountain
- LOCATION - at the back of the department store
- TIME OF THE DAY - at noon, at night

- DESIGNATED SPECIFIC - The train is due at 12:15 p.m.

- SPECIFIC ADDRESSES - She lives at 55 Boretz Road in Durham.

ON

- DAYS - on Monday
- DATES - on the 1st of July
- SURFACE - on the wall, on the table
- PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - on the train
- DIRECTIONS - on the left, on the right
- FLOORS - on the 1st floor
- STREET - on Mapo Street
- AVENUES - on the 5th avenue

- DESIGNATED DAYS AND DATES - My brother is coming on Monday. 

We're having a party on the Fourth of July.

- DESIGNATED NAMES OF STREETS, AVENUES, ETC - Her house is on Boretz Road.

IN
- MONTHS - in June
- YEARS -in 2008
- CENTURIES - in the 22nd century
- LONG PERIODS - in 6 months

- ENCLOSED SPACE - in the box, in my pocket
- PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION - in a car, in a taxi, in a lift (elevator)
- COUNTRIES - in America, in Korea
- TIME OF THE DAY - in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening

- NON-SPECIFIC TIMES DURING A DAY, A MONTH, A SEASON OR A YEAR - He started the job in 1971

She likes to jog in the morning.
It's too cold in winter to run outside.

- NAMES OF LAND AREAS (towns, counties, states, countries, and continents) 
- She lives in Durham

Durham is in Windham County.

Windham County is in Connecticut.

MORE EXAMPLES:

IN in bed in the bedroom in the car in the library in school in London in my pocket in a building in the garden in my wallet in May in summer in 1990 in the 1990's in the Ice Age in the past in the future in the morning

AT at work at home at the library at the office at school at the bus stop at the door at the top  at the exit at the bottom at 3:00 pm at noon  at dinnertime at bedtime at sunrise at sunset at the moment at weekend

ON on the bed on the ceiling on the floor on the horse on the plane on the train on the door on the carpet on a page on the menu on a bicycle on television on the right on the left on Sunday on March 6th on Labor Day on my birthday

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The rule for "is" and "are"

First things first:


SUBJECT
The subject tells you who or what is being talked about in the sentence. It is either a noun or pronoun. 


Example:
He is handsome. (Who is handsome? He is, therefore he is the subject)


VERB
The verb tells you what is happening in the sentence or a state of being.  


Example:
The trainees climbed the ladder. 
(What did the trainees do? They climbed the ladder. Therefore climbed is the verb.)


She is happy. 
(What state is she in? She is happy. Therefore is is the verb.)


Basic Rule:
The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb while a plural subject takes a plural verb. The trick is in knowing whether the subject is singular or plural. The next trick is recognizing a singular or plural verb.


Hint: 
Verbs do not form their plurals by adding an s as nouns do. In order to determine which verb is singular and which one is plural, think of which verb you would use with he or she and which verb you would use with they.


Example:
talks, talk
Which one is the singular form? 
Which word would you use with he? 
We say, "He talks." Therefore, talks is singular. 
We say, "They talk." 
Therefore, talk is plural.


Rule 1
Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb.
Example:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.


Rule 2
Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb 
Examples:
Neither John nor Susan  is available.
Either Kiana or Casey helps today with stage decorations.


Rule 3
When one of your two subjects is I, put it second and follow it with the singular verb am.
Example:
Neither she nor I am going to the festival.


Rule 4
When a singular subject is connected by or or nor to a plural subject, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
Example:
The book or the magazines are on the shelf.


Rule 5
When a singular and plural subject are connected by either/or or neither/nor, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
Example:
Neither Jenny nor the others are available.


Rule 6
As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.
Example:
A car and a bike are my means of transportation.


Rule 7
Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides, or not. Ignore these expressions when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb.
Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause 
of her shaking.


Rule 8
The pronouns each, everyone, every one, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be misled by what follows of.
Examples:
Each of the girls sings well.
Every one of the cakes is gone.


NOTE: Everyone is one word when it means everybody. Every one is two words when the meaning is each one.


Rule 9
With words that indicate portions—percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, etc.—look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.
Examples:
Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared.
(Pie is the object of the preposition of.)


Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared.
(Pies is the object of the preposition.)


One-third of the city is unemployed.
One-third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.


Rule 10
When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs.
Examples:
Neither of them is available to speak right now.
Either of us is capable of doing the job.


Rule 11
The words here and there are never subjects because they are not nouns. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.
Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.


Rule 12
Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time.
Examples:
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.


Rule 13
Sometimes the pronoun who, that, or which is the subject of the verb in the middle of the sentence. The pronouns who, that, and which become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. So if that noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.
Examples:
Charlene is the scientist who writes the reports.
(The word in front of who is scientist, which is singular. Therefore, use the singular verb writes.)


He is one of the men who do the work.
(The word in front of who is men, which is plural. Therefore, use the plural verb do.)


Rule 14
Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence.
Examples:
The staff is in a meeting.
(Staff is acting as a unit here.)


The staff are in disagreement about the findings.
(The staff are acting as separate individuals in this sentence.)


The sentence would read even better like this:
The staff members are in disagreement about the findings.

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