1. Finding Rules

1. Here is John's hat.

What does this sentence tell, or state, something about ? How many hats ? What does it tell about John's hat ?

2. Mary's hands are cold.

What does this sentence tell, or state, something about? How many hands? What does it state about Mary's hands?

3. The cherries on this tree are ripe.

What does this sentence tell something about? How many cherries?

4. The owner of these houses is wealthy.

What does this sentence state something about? How many owners?

5. The owners of these houses are wealthy.

What does this sentence state something about? How many owners?

6. Each of these books is Mary's.

What does this sentence state something about? How many does each mean?

7. Both of these books are Mary's.

What does this sentence state something about? How many does both mean?

Read again the sentences in which is is used.

How many things does each state something about?

What is true of the sentences in which are is used?

When the speaker used these seven sentences, what time was he thinking of? What word in each sentence shows present time?

Write each sentence as the speaker would have said it if he had been thinking of a time before he spoke.

What word have you used instead of is? What word have you used instead of are?

What is true of the sentences in which you have used is and are? How are the words was and were used alike?

2. Exercise

Change the sentences above and also those you have written into questions. If you do this correctly, you should have now discovered three of the rules in this list:

3. Rules

1. Use either is or was in telling or asking about one thing.

2. Use either are or were in telling or asking about more than one thing.

3. Use are or were with the word you, whether it means one or more than one.

4. Use is or are to express present time, and was or were to express past time.

5. The words each, either, and neither mean one; the words both and all mean more than one.

4. Exercise

Use is, are, was, or were to fill the blanks in these sentences. Be able to give a reason for choosing the word which you use.

If either of two words may be used, write two sentences.

1. Here------six squirrels.

2. Where------the nuts?

3. The blades of my knife------dull.

4. Each answer------good.

5. Both boys------Germans.

6. You------right, John.

7. You------right, boys.

8. There------many people in town to-day.

9. Five farms------sold last week.

10. Each of the horses------hurt.

11. ------you at the party, girls?

12. ------you at the party, Susan?

13. Where - - my knife?

14. Here------your knife.

15. A rat or a mouse------in the cellar. (How many animals?)

16. A rat and a mouse------in the cellar.

17. The hands of the clock------broken.

18. When------you in Chicago?

19. Where------you children when I called you?

20. Where------you girls going now?

21. ------you skating yesterday, Henry?

22. Once there ------two friends named Damon and Pythias.

23. ------either of you ready yet?

24. Neither of us------ready yet.

25. The soil of the farms------good.

26. ------you ill yesterday?

27. The owners of this land------thrifty.

28. The owner of these goods------gone.

29. ------either of you there?

30. ------both of you there?

31. She or John-----mistaken.