Marmara Elt Resources

Common Errors-Lack of agreement between noun and pronoun
Rules
Pronouns (words such as it, her, them, this, someone, who, him, they, themselves, herself, etc.) replace specific nouns (persons, places, or things) so you don’t have to keep repeating them. Like subjects and verbs, pronouns and nouns need to agree in “number”: in whether they are singular or plural. They also need to agree in gender: masculine, feminine, or inclusive (both).

Errors in noun-pronoun agreement usually simply result from writing quickly and not editing closely enough. Three specific instances, though, can cause problems:

1. The nouns each, and one are all singular and take singular pronouns; either or neither is singular unless it specifically refers to plural alternatives.
2. When using singular nouns that refer to both sexes or for which the gender is not known, use both masculine and feminine pronouns together (him or her, he or she, himself or herself, his or her) or rewrite the sentence to make the noun and the pronoun both plural.
3. Some nouns can be either singular or plural: audience, group, team, unit, class, and others. Use a singular or plural pronoun depending on whether you intend to indicate a single mass or a collective of individuals.
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English/English in use/Subject-verb agreement
English features a loose conjugation and declension pattern. For this reason, subject-verb agreement is of paramount importance.

Subject-Verb agreement is a rule which states that the number present in a noun must agree with the number shown in the conjugated form of the verb that is being used, and that the person of the noun must agree with the person of the conjugated form of the verb that you are using.

Proper Subject-Verb agreement:

* TO BE: I am - you are - he is - we are - you are - they are

* TO WORK: I work - you work - he works - we work - you work - they work

Where the subject is a pronoun or complex or modified as part of an adjectival phrase, or modified by parenthetic expressions, or clarified in meaning by common knowledge or something that occurs later in the sentence, then subject-verb agreement can become a little more complicated. Some grammar rules say that the complex part of the subject closest to verb in the sentence should determine the verbal agreement. However, many examples can be found that make this sound funny. A better rule is to consider the entire complex subject phrase as one subject, and then think about what kind of thing it represents.
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Lesson Plan-The Eye of the Hurricane (grade level 3-5)
Overview:
This lesson introduces students to the structure of a hurricane, particularly the eye. You might want to use it as an introduction to a unit on hurricanes or weather phenomena. Students will view a video about hurricanes, do a simple hurricane simulation, take a tour into the eye of a hurricane, and write reports about their tour.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, earth science
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 7: “The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth’s surface”
Time:
One to two hours

Materials Required:

* Computer with Internet access
* Large round bowl or tub of water (one for each pair of students)
* Spoon (one for each pair of students)
* Food coloring with a dropper top
* Writing materials

Objectives:
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Past Simple or Present Perfect?

Present Perfect 4 - Past Simple or Present Perfect?

Choosing whether to use the Present Perfect or Past Simple usually depends on whether a definite or indefinite time is used. If a definite past time is used, use the Past Simple, and if there is no time given use the Present Perfect. Examples below are split into two groups, single events and multiple events.

Single Events

- I went to America in March. - This sentence has a definite past time, so the Past Simple is used.
- I’ve been to America. - Here the time is not important, what is important is the fact I went.

- I read this book last week. - Last week I started and finished this book.
- I’ve read this book. - Here also the time is not important, what is important is the fact I’ve already read the book.

The Present Perfect can however be used with a period of time that isn’t finished yet. For example:
- I’ve been to the doctor today. - Today is not finished, so this is correct.
- I went to the doctor today. - This is also correct, a statement about a past action.
- I’ve been to the doctor yesterday. - This is incorrect, yesterday is a finished period of time that does not continue into the present so we cannot use the present perfect here.

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