Agreement, verb forms, modifiers and logical parallelism
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| antecedent/ˌæntɪˈsiːdənt/ | 先行词 | xiān xíng cí |
| parallel structure/ˈpærəlel ˈstrʌktʃə/ | 平行结构 | píng xíng jié gòu |
A decision before an answer
- In “The collection of old maps is valuable”, the singular collection controls is. The nearby plural maps does not control the verb.
- Your goal: Match verbs and pronouns to their actual referents.
Read the relationship
- Find the head of the subject rather than agreeing with the nearest noun. A singular collection takes is even when a following of-phrase contains plural maps. A pronoun must agree with and clearly refer to its antecedent. If two possible antecedents make a pronoun ambiguous, a precise noun can restore the intended reference.
- Choose tense and verb form from the passage’s time relationship.
Choose: “The collection of letters ___ in the archive.”
Singular collection is the subject head.
Use the defining rule
- Choose verb tense from the surrounding timeline and logical relationship, not an isolated word. A completed event at a stated past time normally takes a past form. Perfect forms can mark an event before another reference time. An infinitive or participle is not automatically a finite verb and cannot alone supply the main predicate.
- Place modifiers and parallel elements so their logical subject is clear.
Which modifier is logically attached?
Lina performs the examining action.
Check the conditions
- An introductory modifier must attach to the appropriate subject. “Walking through the gallery, Maya noticed the new labels” makes Maya the walker. “Walking through the gallery, the labels attracted Maya” incorrectly makes the labels walk. Identify the performer of the introductory action, then check the main subject.
- Place modifiers and parallel elements so their logical subject is clear.
Original agreement: “The list of proposed changes includes a longer opening period.” List is singular, so includes is correct. Modifier repair: “After examining the samples, the researchers revised their prediction.” Researchers examine; a version beginning “After examining the samples, the prediction…” dangles. Parallel repair: “The team aimed to record, analyse and publish the findings.”
“Yesterday the team ____ the report.” Use the past of finish.
Yesterday sets a completed past event.
Apply the task format
- Parallel structures put comparable ideas into compatible grammatical forms: “to collect, to classify and to display” or “collecting, classifying and displaying”. A comparison must compare like things, such as one museum’s hours with another’s hours, not hours with a museum. Meaning and structure work together; a grammatically shaped choice can still create an illogical reference.
- Place modifiers and parallel elements so their logical subject is clear.
Do not agree with a noun inside a prepositional phrase or let an introductory action attach to an inanimate subject that cannot perform it.
Which answer fits this case?
Match verbs and pronouns to their actual referents
The noun nearest a verb always determines agreement.
Agreement follows the actual subject head.
Keep the distinctions
- antecedent 先行词 — The noun or referent to which a pronoun points.
- parallel structure 平行结构 — Compatible grammatical forms expressing comparable ideas.
- Match verbs and pronouns to their actual referents.
- Choose tense and verb form from the passage’s time relationship.
- Place modifiers and parallel elements so their logical subject is clear.
Match each term with its precise meaning in this lesson.
Keep the distinctions stated in the teaching example.
Put this lesson’s reasoning or event sequence in order.
The order follows the stated process; check each stage before the next.