• Subject-Verb Agreement (the manager wants, all employees want)

• Adjective-Noun Agreement (that book, most cars)

• Modifiers (either, as well as, along with)
• Noun-Pronoun Agreement (they rise)

1
Grammar Notes

1 Subject-Verb Agreement

A. Modifiers do not affect the number of the verb.

B. Expressions of time, distance, price, and weight take a singular verb.
C. With fractions or their equivalents, the noun in the of-phrase determines the number of the verb.
D. In sentences with either A or 8 or neither A nor 8, the number of the verb is determined by the noun next to
it.

• The sales manager, along with his team, wants to hold a brainstorming session.
(The phrase along with his team is a modifier.)
• Twenty dollars is too much to spend on lunch every day.
• Two-thirds of the land has been sold.
• Two-thirds of the products have been sold.
• Either the departmental head or some members of his staff are going to help us.
£m When the subject begins with not only A but (also) 8 or 8 as well as A, the number of th e verb is determined by 8.

2 Adjective/Determiner-Noun Agreement

Modifiers and the nouns modified by them must agree in number.

• this/that book • these/ those books

• every contract • all contracts
• another file • other files
• each car • most cars
CD Every and another may be followed by either a singular or a plural noun in expression s regarding tim e or distance. 1
•everyday/ mile • every two days/miles
• another wee k/mile • another two weeks/miles J

3 Noun-Pronoun Agreement

Pronouns including reflexives must agree with their antecedent in number.

• The members of John's department are young; they average 32 years in age. (NOT it)
• They advised her to take care of herself. (NOT themselves)

76 I Chapt er 2 First News

 t r + .L f- t't t 0
ttl- ++f • T+~++++++ ++ +t+f
t ++ t-+ -+rtr +~+++++ • + ++ +++
t • t t t l t • l l t + t I t l + ++ ~ l +

EX er ( i Se S AnswerKeyp.24

A Vocabulary Use
8. Expressions
Fill in the blank with the appropriate word. • merger
• prospect
1. The merger has been _ _ in the newspapers. • speed limit

2.
(A) said (B) told

Motorists will be _ _ for going over the speed limit.

(C) pronounced (D) announced •
•

•
wing
to account for
to fine
I!
(A) fined (B) find (C) found (D) founded • to go on sale .,,
• to guarantee 1.
3. Each department is asked to _ _ how much they plan to spend next year. 'f'
en
(A) estimate (B) account (C) regard (D) conclude
~
"'"'
4. In order to guarantee a place for the conference, please _ _ a room early. 3
"'....
:,

(A) prospect (B) respect (C) preserve (D) reserve

B Incomplete Sentences

Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.

1. The marketing department _ _ moving to another wing of the bu ilding.

(A) be (B) to be (C) is (D) are

2. In the event that a book _ _ lost, the member must pay the full price of the
book.
(A) has (B) have (C) has been (D) have been

! 3.

4.
A third of the employees _ _ passed the core values test.
(A) has been (B) have

The bus _ _ here every 30 minutes.

(C) has (D) have been

(A) come (B) has come (C) comes (D) have come

I
t
C Text Completion

Choose the best word or phrase for each blank.

The world-famous folk singer Daniel Matthews, G) with the Smallville Choir, will give a
(A) next (B) along (C) by (D) for

small concert in the main lobby on August 27. Mr. Matthews will perform songs from his new
CD, Voices from Heaven. Tickets are limited, so @ fans who missed his last concert should
(A) every (B) another (C) all (D) each

hurry! Tickets go on sale on June 30. All proceeds from the concert will go to charity. Call the
Smallville Arts Hall at 021 -333-0999 for more information.

First News Grammar Practice I 77

 Part 5 Incomplete Sentences

1
Mini-Test

Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence. • Answer Key p.24

1. The police _ _ students for their service s. Applying through our website _ _ just one
during the local festival last week. way applicants can apply for a job at the store.
(A) honored (A) is
(B) honor (B) are
(C) will honor (C) has
(D) is going to honor (D) have

2. Delmont Bank _ _ interest-free financing for 6. Both the marketing and the payroll _ _ are
those looking to renegotiate their mortgage. looking to hire more people for the summer.
(A) offer (A) areas
(B) are offered (B) departments
(C) offers (C) fields
(D) is offered (D) districts

3. The company stated that a month _ _ too 7. The head of HR, in addition to three of his staff
long to wait for the applicant to begin. members, _ _ the conference this weekend.
(A) are (A) are attending
(B) were (B) is attending
(C) is (C) attends
(D) was (D) attend

4. Management is debating whether or not they 8. Every employee _ _ to submit vacation

_ _ their contract with the delivery requests at least one month in advance. l
company. (A) is required I
(A) renew
(B) will renew
(B) are required
(C) requires
j
(C) is renewed (D) require 1
(D) renews
·~

78 I Chapter 2 -=:-,,. First News

 9. We _ _ three quarters of the new 13. New employees will have _ _ to the
development to overseas investors. company database once their background
(A) have been sold
(B) has been sold
(C) has sold
checks have been completed.
(A) communication
(B) opportunity
I!
(D) have sold (C) access
(D) permission

)>
10. All of the mail that comes into the building OCl
;;:
_ _ first sorted in the mail room. 14. The opening of the new Fortland Grocery Store "'3
"'....
::,

(A) are _ _ with a celebration.

(Bl has (A) will be marked
(C) have (B) marked
(D) is (C) marking
(D) be marking

11. Foreman Kitchens _ _ a special sale on

cutlery yesterday on their company website. 1 S. The directors in marketing were advised not to
(A) announce produce the campaign by _ _ , but they
(B) announces ignored the warnings.
(C) will announce (A) herself
(D) announced (B) himself
(C) themselves

,
(D) ourselves

I 12. The Glamlook marketing survey _ _ are

currently being analyzed.
(A) results
(B) events
(C) trends
(D) effects

First News Grammar Practice I 79

 Part 6 Text Completion

1
Mini-Test

Choose the best word or phrase for each blank. Answer Key p.24

Questions 1 - 4 refer to the following letter. rll

To whom it may concern:

I recently purchased a dress off your website for a _ _ __ event that I planned on attending this month .
1.

Since you have a notice on your website stating that you are currently experiencing a high volume of
orders and delivery would be delayed by about two weeks, I ____ sure to order my dress at least a •
2.

month in advance of the event.

Thinking that I had enough time with shipping, which usually only takes one week from your site, I paid
for regular shipping. However, the dress I ordered didn't arrive in time for the event. I was forced to make a
trip to another retailer to buy a dress.---- · I am very disappointed by this situation, as I usually have
3.

good experiences with your company. Is there some way you could ____ me for th is situation?
4.

I spend a great deal of money at your store, so please take this into consideration.

Thank you.

Denise Robinson

1. (A) complicated 3. (A) I didn't want to cancel my trip.

(B) mandatory (B) Regretfully, I must return this dress as
(C) new I no longer need it.
(D) special (C) The dress is not in the correct size.
(D) The trip took longer than I had
anticipated.
2. (A) make
(B) made
(C) will make 4. (A) compensate
(D) am making (B) compensated
(C) have compensated
(D) be compensating

80 I Chapter 2 = Fir.I'/ New.~

 Questions 5 - 8 refer to the following letter. II

Dea r Mr. Walters,

will be
Thank you for your interest in renting a space at the _ _ _ Mayfield Charity Bazaar. The bazaar
5.

held on April 20 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Merchants and those offering services are asked to arrive
by
there is no
I!
8:30 a.m . t o set up. It is possible to occupy _ _ _ tables as you have requested, although ..,
6. ..."'
!l
111
I
en
;g
discount for this. ____ This donation will go to the local homeless shelter. ;;:,.
7. ,.::,3
...
tables
To reserve your space for the event, please respond to this e-mail with exact details of how many
r.com.
you will need. You can _ _ _ the registration fee through our website at www.mayfieldbazaa
8.

Please contact me again if you have any further questions.

Gladis Chatsworth

5. (A) annual 7. (A) If this is not feasible, let us know.

(B) additional (B) You must bring your own trash bags to
(C) necessary clean up after yourself.
(D) addendum (C) Help with set-up can be arranged if
necessary.
(D) We ask for 30% of all profits made
6. (A) adjoining during this event as a donation.
(B) adjoin
(C) adjoins
(D) adjournm ent 8. (A) pay
(B) paid
r (C) have paid
(D) will pay

First News Gram mar Prac t ice I 81