I have two questions. If I get these right, I think I know how to do the rest.
1. "George's father feels happy." Is "feels" a linking verb or an action verb? It seems like it is a linking verb.
2. "People pay ten times as much for sugar." Is the verb "pay" singular?
# 1. You're right -- "feels" is a linking verb.
# 2. No -- "pay" is plural.
Think of it this way --
He pays a lot for his shoes. (Singular)
They pay a lot for their shoes. (Plural)
So if the subject is plural, the verb is plural? And if the subject is singular, the verb is singular?
To answer you last question, Lisa, yes.
I am still struggling with this singular/plural verb assignment. I would like to tell you the directions on the sheet, type the sentences, and tell you what my brain is thinking.
Directions:
Add s or es to most present-tense verbs when the subject is he, she, it, or a singular noun. Write the present tense verb in each sentence. Then write whether the verb is singular or plural.
Sentence:
Everything costs more nowadays.
My brain: "Everything" means more than one, so the verb "costs" is plural.
Sentence:
People pay ten times as much for sugar.
My brain: "People" means more than one, so pay is a plural verb. But that kind of confuses me because the previous sentence had a verb that ended in "s" and pay doesn't end in s. Does ending in s have anything to do with whether or not a verb is singular or plural?
sentence:
They ride in cars to go to the next town.
My brain: They means more than one, so ride is a plural verb.
Sentence:
A trip by car takes only a few minutes.
My brain: It is only one trip so the verb is singular even though it ends in s.
Ahhh. I don't know why this is so difficult.
Your thinking on these sentences is excellent. Only singular verbs end in "s." Try using "he" or "they" as subjects when you get confused.
The problem is that a few of our pronouns are confusing as to whether they are singular or plural.
"Everything" is considered singular. So the plural verb "costs" is correct.
This site may help you.
http://www.llrx.com/columns/grammar1.htm
Great! Let's tackle your questions one by one.
1. To determine if "feels" is a linking verb or an action verb, we need to understand their functions. Linking verbs connect or link the subject of a sentence with a noun, pronoun, or adjective that renames or describes the subject. Action verbs, on the other hand, describe an action that the subject performs.
In the sentence "George's father feels happy," the verb "feels" is expressing a state or condition (happiness) rather than an action that George's father is performing. Therefore, "feels" is functioning as a linking verb in this sentence, linking the subject (George's father) to the state or condition (happy).
2. To identify if the verb "pay" is singular or plural, we can consider the subject of the sentence. In this case, the subject is "People." The verb "pay," in its base form, can be used for both singular and plural subjects.
However, in the sentence "People pay ten times as much for sugar," the verb "pay" is not specifically indicating whether it's singular or plural. It is a general statement about people overall, so it does not change based on the subject.
So, in conclusion, the verb "pay" is not singular or pluralized in this sentence. It remains in its base form, which can be used for both singular and plural subjects.
I hope this helps! If you have any further questions or need clarification, feel free to ask.