Kitabı oku: «Verbal Relations in English Grammar», sayfa 3

1. The subject;

2. The predicate;

3. Objects;

4. The complement (predicative);

5. Modifiers.

SUBJECT AND PREDICATE AGREEMENT

In the English language the predicate agrees with the subject in person and number. Agreement implies that the use of one form necessitates the use of the other (e. g. a singular subject requires a predicate in the singular, plural subjects reqiure a predicate in plural). This rule remains true for all link verbs irrespective of the number of the predicative noun, as in:

Our only guide was the Polar star.

Our only guide was the stars.

In Modern English, with its few inflexions, this agreement is restricted to the present tense apart from the verb to be. The verb to be agrees with the subject both in present and in the past [2].

The rules of agreement of the predicate with the subject expressed by:

1. Homogeneous members

– If there are two or more homogeneous subjects connected by the conjunction and or asyndetically the predicate is in the plural.

Her father and mother were obviously haunted and harassed (Galsworthy) [2].

The top of a low black cabinet, the old oak table, the chairs in tawny leather, were littered with the children’s toys, books, and garden garments (Eliot) [2].

NB! If two or more homogeneous subjects are expressed by the infinitives the predicate is used in singular.

To know everything is to know nothing.

To be loved and to be wanted is always good.