Identifying Errors in Grammatical Structure and Logical Relationships Involving Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Adjectives, and Adverbs

Nouns, Singular and Plural

In phrases, clauses or sentences, the subject and/or object is often a noun which identifies a person, place, or thing.

For example, the nouns of the sentence below are Lincoln, President, and 1862.

Lincoln was President in 1862.

Some nouns are singular and are easily identified. For example, boy and horse are singular nouns in the sentence below.

The boy leaped upon the horse.

Some nouns are plural and are often formed by affixing an "s" to the singular form. Examples would be: Presidents, horses, and boys. There are, however, singular nouns that end in "s"; an example is the singular noun, scissors.

Singular nouns in combination can form a plural subject. This is the case with the sentence below.

The boy and horse are inseparable.

Notice that the nouns "boy" and "horse" are singular, but the subject of the sentence ( "boy and horse" ) is plural.

The sentence below contains a singular noun ("legislature") with a plural noun ("abstentions") and raises the question of whether the subject of the sentence is singular or positive.

The legislature, without any abstentions, (vote, votes) tomorrow.

The subject of the sentence is the singular noun. The object of the prepositional phrase is the plural noun. The verb must be singular and should be "votes."

.