This post is a blast from the past - a return to a topic addressed in my very earliest spoonfuls. Why? Subject-Verb mismatches are a common grammatical problem and frequently appear as some of the trickiest questions in the SAT and ACT Writing sections.
​If you'd like to brush up on the rules before taking the little quiz, I recommend you review the following spoonfuls: #2: VERBS, #3: SUBJECTS, #4: SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT, #5: INDEFINITE PRONOUNS, and #19: COLLECTIVE CONFUSION. In addition, I'll also provide two helpful hints. So test your knowledge and don't worry - I won't be grading your answers!

Hint #1: With active verbs, the singular form ends in S.
Hint #2: Identify the subject first and determine if it's singular or plural. Then match the verb form!

CHOOSE THE CORRECT VERB FORM
(No peeking at the answers!)

1. John and Mary (walk, walks) to the park each day.
2. Either Sam or Pam (is, are) responsible for taking out today's trash.
3. Everyone (is, are) getting tired of being cooped up. 
4. High in the craggy mountains, far from civilization, (live,lives) a herd of mountain goats. 
5. The topic of this book (is, are) birds of New England. 
6. During this difficult time, many colleges (is, are) dropping their SAT requirements, which (make, makes) the college essay even more important than before. 
7. Before bed each night, Kevin (do, does) yoga. 
8. Neither Will nor Phil (know, knows) anything about the homework assignment. 
9. Each of the dogs (sniff, sniffs) at the same exact spot in the yard.
10. In the deep, dark night, when the human family sleeps, the raccoon family (tip, tips) over the trash and (enjoy, enjoys) a feast. 

________________________________________________________________________
ANSWER KEY:
1. John and Mary walk
2. Either Sam or Pam is
3. Everyone is
4. lives a herd 
5. The topic is
6. many colleges are, which makes the college essay 
7. Kevin does 
8. Neither Will nor Phil knows
9. Each of the dogs sniffs
10. the raccoon family tips and enjoys

I hope you enjoyed this little quiz. And above all us, I hope you and your family remain safe and healthy during this very worrisome time. 

Sincerely,

Laura Fineberg Cooper
A Spoonful of Grammar

Spring has sprung and it's a welcome feast for the senses. But spring can also bring about seasonal allergies and questions about when and if to capitalize the seasons. Stay tuned for my short, sweet, completely hypoallergenic answer!





WHEN should you capitalize the seasons? NEVER!!

WHY? Because winter, spring, summer, and fall are all COMMON nouns, like dog, cat, boat, table, and book. You might be fooled when a season starts a sentence, which will lead to it being capitalized. Here are two examples:

My favorite seasons are spring and fall. 
Spring and fall are my favorite seasons. (Note: spring is only capitalized due to its placement within the second sentence)

The only exception is when a season features in a title such as Spring Fling or Summer Music Series.

In contrast, the individual months January-December are PROPER nouns, and thus are ALWAYS capitalized. 

That's a wrap! Stay safe and healthy, everyone. 

Sincerely,
Laura Fineberg Cooper

On this day to honor moms far and wide, it seems appropriate to discuss when to capitalize MOM in your essays and stories. This spoonful will be short and sweet, so you have plenty of time to do something special for the MOMS in your life.

This is the question I hear frequently: Shouldn't I ALWAYS capitalize MOM? I mean, isn't it a sign of respect?


Here's my answer:
Mom is a term of endearment used as a name. If you talk directly to her, capitalize Mom. Here's a common example:
"I'll be ready in 5 minutes, Mom!"
This could be changed to "I'll be ready in 5 minutes, Laura!" 

If you write "your mom" or "my mom," you aren't referring to her by name. In fact, you're talking about her, not directly to her.  
Here's an example: "My mom makes the best brownies ever!" 

In case you're wondering, DAD, SIS, GRAM, GRAMPS, AUNTIE, and any other title used as a name follow the same rule. 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! 

Sincerely,
Laura Fineberg Cooper

Since Spoonful #60 covered COMMA SPLICES, it's only fair the troublesome twin gets top billing in this spoonful. RUN-ON SENTENCES occur when two complete sentences are smashed together without anything to connect them. Yikes is right!

Here's a question to start us off: What's the difference between a RUN-ON SENTENCE and a COMMA SPLICE?

Answer: A COMMA SPLICE connects two complete sentences with a comma and nothing else. A RUN-ON SENTENCE doesn't use any punctuation or connectors (like FOR, AND, NOR, BUT, OR, YET, and SO, the FANBOYS of grammar). The key to detecting both of these problems is to understand what constitutes a complete sentence! 

Every sentence requires a verb. While some sentences consist of a single verb (Run! and Yikes! are two examples), we're interested in complete sentences that also have a subject and an object. 

Consider the following sentence:
My dog pulled on her leash. 

My dog = the subject; pulled = the verb; and her leash = the object.
(If you're interested, on her leash forms a prepositional phrase, which will never form a SUBJECT.) 

Now consider a 2nd but related sentence: 
She barked at the noisy geese. 

She = the subject; barked = the verb; and the noisy geese = the object.

To create a RUN-ON SENTENCE, put one after the other without a comma or connector between. Subjects are underlined. 

My dog pulled on her leash she barked loudly. 

There are 3 choices to properly connect two complete sentences. These are the same 3 choices shown in the last spoonful!

CHOICE#1: Using periods
My dog pulled on her leash. She barked loudly. 

CHOICE #2: Using a comma + a FANBOY (or other connector)
My dog pulled on her leash, and she barked loudly. 

CHOICE: #3: Using a semicolon
My dog pulled on her leash; she barked loudly.

For more details about FANBOYS, proper semicolon usage, identifying subjects, and subject/verb matching, check out these earlier spoonfuls: 

Spoonful #3: SUBJECT
Spoonful #4: SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT
Spoonful #9: MEET THE FANBOYS 
Spoonful #10: FANBOYS STRIKE AGAIN
Spoonful #7: SEMICOLONS SPEAK OUT

Please accept my most sincere hopes for your continued health and safety. I'll return next Sunday with an appropriate post for Mother's Day! 

Laura Fineberg Cooper
A Spoonful of Grammar