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ACT English 1.2 Grammar and Usage 564 Views
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Description:
ACT English: Grammar and Usage Drill 1, Problem 2. Does the underlined word match the subject and tense?
Transcript
- 00:03
Here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by subject verb agreement. Sometimes it doesn't
- 00:08
have to take years of therapy to come to a mutual understanding.
- 00:14
What should replace the underlined word below?
- 00:17
He doesn't know if the book or the pen is in the drawer.
- 00:25
The clue here is the conjunction "or," which signals that the subject of the sentence is
Full Transcript
- 00:31
one thing, "the book," or the other, "the pen," but not both.
- 00:36
This makes the subject technically singular even though we're talking about two things.
- 00:41
We're not talking about some fancy pen-book combo deal that can be read and written with
- 00:48
simultaneously.
- 00:50
Since the subject is singular, we know we're looking for a singular verb to go along with it.
- 00:55
Therefore, we can cross (B) off the list, since "are" is about as plural as it gets.
- 01:00
(D) is a no-go for the same reason. "Were" is plural and just doesn't fit here.
- 01:05
Choice (C) get a little closer, since "was" is singular. However, it still doesn't totally
- 01:09
work because it has some tense issues.
- 01:12
"He doesn't know" is in the present tense, so the verb we're looking for has to be present
- 01:18
tense as well.
- 01:19
"Was" is in the past tense, so it unfortunately doesn't fit the bill.
- 01:23
This brings us back to choice (A). The original "is" is singular and present tense, suiting our every need.
- 01:30
Now, what we really want to know is why this guy doesn't just open the drawer to find out
- 01:33
what's in it.
- 01:34
Is it really worth sitting around and mulling over?
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