Page 91 - Improve_Your_Written_English [Marion_Field]
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there is more than one finite verb, there are two clauses and
these should either be separated by a full stop or semi-colon
or linked by a conjunction. There are three clauses in the
following piece but they are not linked:
He crept round the corner she followed him she was
very suspicious.
There are several ways in which this could be corrected:
As he crept round the corner, she followed him; she was
very suspicious.
He crept round the corner; she followed him because
she was very suspicious.
As he crept round the corner, she followed him because
she was very suspicious.
Checking the correct use of verbs
Always make sure that the nouns and the verbs ‘agree’. If
the noun is singular, the verb should also be singular.
Collective nouns are singular and are followed
by the singular form of the verb.
The government is hoping to win the vote of confidence.
not
The government are hoping to win the vote of
confidence.