12-5 SINGULAR AND PLURALVERBS IN ADJECTIVE
1 CLAUSES
(a) I know the man who is sitting uver there.@) I know the people who are sining over there.In (a): The verb in the adjective clause (IS) is
singular because who refers to a singular noun,
man.
In @):The verb in the adjective clause (are) is
plural because who refers to a plural noun, people.EXERCISE 14. Subject-verb agreement in adjective clauses. (Chart 12-5)
Directions: Circle the correct word in parentheses. Underlie the noun that determines
whether the verb should be singular or plural.- A saw is a ypp! that @are) used to cut wood.
- Hammers are tools that (is, are) used to pound nails.
- I recently met a woman who (Ziw, lives) in Montreal.
- Most of the people who (Zive, liw) in Montreal speak French as their first language.
- I have a cousin who (works, work) as a coal miner.
- Some coal miners who (works, work) underground suffer from lung disease.
- A professional athlete who (play, plays) tennis is called a tennis pro.
- Professional athletes who (play,pl& tennis for a living can make a lot of money.
- Biographies are books which (teh, teU) the stories of people's lives.
- A book that (t&, rel) the story of a person's life is called a biography.
- I talked to the men who (was, were) sitting near me.
- The woman that (was, were) sitting
in front of me at the movie was
wearing a big hat.
. 1 ._I.
~. s;, ,
8 ..
..354 CHAPTER 12