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Common Verb Errors That Can Choke You to Death

Written English and spoken English are two totally separate entities. You never want to write how you speak. These
common verb errors can choke you to death watch yoursel!"
Error #1 The incorrect usage of the past participle
We seen the movie last night. # done a good $ob. %e gone out o! town.
Why are these verbs incorrect?
&'een() &done() and &gone) are past *+,T#C#*-E'" They are not past tense verbs" What.s a past participle( you might
ask/ #t is a verb that relies on a helping verb to create the past per!ect tense these verbs cannot stand alone. #n this
case( you would need a !orm o! &have) to stand with the participle.
We have/had seen the movie last night.
I have/had done a good job.
He has/had gone out of town.
#! you want to avoid this whole mess( $ust use the correct past tense verb"
We saw the movie last night. I did a good job. He went out of town.
Error # 2 Mistaking objects of the preposition as a subject
0ne o! the children have gone home sick.
Each o! those ideas are good.
Why are these verbs incorrect?
One of the children have gone home sick.
Children should 10T be seen as the sub$ect in this sentence. #! you read the sentence care!ully201E o! the children
went home sick. 01E is a singular noun( and it is also the sub$ect o! the sentence. The prepositional phrase 3o! the
children. is con!using you. 'ometimes it.s best to !ind the prepositional phrase and cross it out.
One have gone home sick.
Does not make sense? No, it does not Therefore, the !erb is incorrect The same goes for the other e"ample
Each of those ideas are good.
Yes( idea is plural however( like &children) in the other sentence( it is 10T the sub$ect" &Each) is the sub$ect( and
&each) is a singular noun.
Each are good.
#s $ou can see, this !erb is not correct The t%o sentences should read like this&
One of the children has gone home sick.
Each of those ideas is good.
Error # ' ( )sing *be+ b$ itself,
%e be !eeling better today. # be going to the store tonight. They be coming over ne4t week.
This error makes English teachers cringe. The verb &be) is 1EVE, to be used on its own. 1EVE,. There are 5EW
times you can use this verb by itsel!( but 10T in this conte4t. #n T%#' conte4t( you are using the present participle.
You 1EED a !orm o! &be() but 10T the word &be.)
He is feeling better today.
I am going to the store tonight.
They are coming over net week.
TCTC Writing Center 6uly 7889 *repared by 6enni!er %iggins:'piers
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-ou can use the !erb .be/ in these cases&
;e good"
;e here by noon"
Do not be a!raid.
;e sure to drink lots o! water"
Why can you use be in THESE sentences and not in the previous examples? Well, this is why:
1< !e good" is a command. The verb &be) is 10T used in this case as a helping verb.
7< !e here" is also a command. #t is common !or commands to contain the verb &be.)
=< be afraid is a complete verb !rom the in!initive to be afraid. #t is per!ectly acceptable to use the verb 3be. when the
word is part o! the entire verb.
>< !e sure is a complete verb !rom the in!initive to be sure.
Error # 0 Mistaking singular indefinite pronouns as plural subjects
Either ?ina or @ary run on the cross country team.
1either 6oshua nor Corey understand the calculus problem.
Either and neither are both sinular inde!inite pronouns" They are also the sub$ects. 6ust because there are two names
within the sentence A?inaB@ary or 6oshuaBCorey<( it doesn.t mean that the sub$ects are plural. 1otice the con$unction
0,. The con$unction 0, makes the two names 'E*+,+TE( not T0?ET%E,. That is why the sub$ects are 10T
plural.
Either #ina or $ary runs on the cross country team. AEither runsB?ina runsB@ary runs<
%either &oshua nor 'orey understands the calculus (roblem A1either understandsB6oshua understandsBCorey
understands
Error # 1 2eing careless and not making $our simple subjects and !erbs agree,
They is not happy.
0ur dog run wild"
#n the !irst sentence( &they) is the sub$ect &they) is a plural pronoun. *lural sub$ects need plural verbs. #n this case(
&is) is 10T correct because it is a '#1?C-+, verb.
#n the second sentence( &dog) is the sub$ect. 'ince &dog) is singular( it needs a singular verb in order !or the sentence
to agree.
They are not ha((y.
He is not ha((y.
Our dog runs wild"
Our dogs run wild"
3EMEM2E3 T456 &
6ingular !erbs end in *s+7 singular subjects do not
8lural subjects end in *s+7 plural !erbs do not
1oteD There @+Y be e4ceptions to this rule( but generally( i! you remember this( you will be !ine.
TCTC Writing Center 6uly 7889 *repared by 6enni!er %iggins:'piers