The plastic tip of the shoelace slowly slipped through the hole as Juan marched down the street.
197. Marina and Tom are in the grocery store on the corner of Appleton Avenue and Easy Street.
198. Eight security cameras constantly swiveled in their holders on the ceiling of the jewelry store.
199. In the garden behind the house, the bride and groom solemnly recited their vows.
200. Only one boy in the crowd of 200 fans actually got an autograph.
201. Jumping on the trampoline is fun for Lily and Jane during the long weeks of summer vacation.
202. Stop talking back to the teacher now!
203. Henry distributed sheets of paper to whoever needed some.
204. Does the new brand of peanut butter taste odd to you?
205. There on the shelf sat four large statues of important leaders.
206. Above the clouds and far from the violent storm, the plane flew safely toward its destination.
207. The bus full of delighted tourists slowly circled the famous monument.
208. Each of the coffee cups has a small crack near the rim.
209. Both of the parakeets happily land on my finger for a bit of birdseed and a bite of lettuce.
210. Allison and her former friend Pete parted angrily, snarling at each other and walking in opposite directions.
211. Grandpa, who loves hockey, was the goalie on his college team.
212. Either the apartment with a terrace or the townhouse will surely please that buyer.
213. The dog that I believe should win the contest is over there.
214. Courtney, along with her mother, spoke firmly to the mayor about the need for longer library hours.
215. The fire truck, which is heading to a blaze downtown, speeds through the intersection.
Fine-Tuning Subject-Verb Agreement
216–240 In the context of the sentence, what form of the verb (V) in parentheses is correct, and what is the subject (S) of that verb?
216. Every morning Anna _____ (to open, present tense) the gate and _____ (to allow, present tense) her poodle to play in the yard.
217. On the way to work, Clare and David always _____ (to share, present perfect tense) funny stories about their boss.
218. The large-sized bottle of my favorite shampoo _____ (to be, past tense) on sale last week.
219. Alicia and I _____ (to plan, present progressive tense) a talent show to raise money for a children's charity.
220. The Cub Scouts _____ (to place, past progressive tense) candy apples in small, sticky piles in preparation for the Halloween party.
221. _____ (to be, past tense) Hank pleased when he _____ (to read, past tense) your letter?
222. The best exhibits in the museum _____ (to seem, present tense) more crowded lately.
223. Matthew and I _____ (to sing, past progressive tense) until our voices _____ (to break, past tense) from overuse.
224. _____ (to have, present tense) you any extra icing for my birthday cake?
225. Through the dark, damp tunnel _____ (to crawl, present tense) the chipmunks, eager to reach the picnic tables.
226. Ham and cheese _____ (to be, present tense) my favorite sandwich, but salad _____ (to be, present tense) a more nutritious choice.
227. “Your problem _____ (to be, present tense) 17 unexcused absences,” commented the teacher as she explained why the student was scheduled for detention.
228. Politics _____ (to influence, present tense) much of the debate on that issue, but the senators from that state always _____ (to vote, present tense) according to their consciences.
229. John, not his friends, _____ (to go, present progressive tense) to attend the ceremony.
230. Any of the solutions he _____ (to offer, present tense) to the panel _____ (to be, present tense) acceptable.
231. _____ (to be, present tense) the House of Representatives in session now?
232. Most of the salt in those dishes _____ (to come, present tense) from natural sources.
233. Two or three of the plants with red leaves _____ (to droop, present progressive tense) to the ground because of the drought.
234. The study of economics _____ (to seem, present tense) interesting, but I have never taken any courses about this subject.
235. Two hours of homework _____ (to be, present perfect tense) my usual amount, but I _____ (to expect, present tense) to spend more time on my studies next year.
236. Every student and teacher in the kindergarten _____ (to prefer, present tense) with the plastic blocks, not the wooden ones.
237. That little girl _____ (to be, present tense) the only one of the dancers who _____ (to make, present tense) friends easily.
238. A thousand dollars _____ (to be, present tense) too much to pay for that broken-down car, which _____ (to look, present tense) like a rusty bucket.
239. Neither Ginger nor her aunts _____ (to have, present tense) keys to the house, but the landlord _____ (to be, present tense) able to supply an extra set.
240. Shelby _____ (to sell, present progressive tense) me one of the cars that _____ (to be, present tense) energy efficient.
Chapter 5
Matchmaking: Pairing Pronouns and Antecedents
Pronouns don't like to be alone. Each must pair up with an antecedent — the noun or other pronoun it refers to. You're the matchmaker! You must make sure that a pronoun and its antecedent agree. A singular antecedent belongs with a singular pronoun, and a plural antecedent requires a plural pronoun. In this chapter, you find practice for every situation likely to arise in matching pronouns to antecedents correctly and clearly.
The Questions You’ll Work On
In this chapter, you work on questions that develop these skills:
Identifying pronouns and their antecedents
Pairing singular and plural pronouns with the appropriate antecedents
Matching the gender of pronouns and antecedents
Ensuring that the antecedent of every pronoun is clear
