NOUN-NOUN AGREEMENT

NOUN-NOUN AGREEMENT

Noun-Noun Agreement

This kind of question, as the title suggests, deals with nouns agreeing with other nouns. Just as a subject must agree with a verb in number, a noun referring to another noun must agree in number. If the first noun is singular, then the one that refers to the first must also be singular.

Example: Josh and Jerry both plan to become an engineer.

Since the sentence is talking about two people, the noun that refers to those people must be plural. Josh and Jerry both plan to become engineers. Think of it this way: two separate people can't become only one person.

Let's Practice ? Noun-Noun Agreement

Read the sentences below and look specifically for nouns that refer to other nouns. Once identified, decide whether or not those nouns agree with each other in number. In the space provided make the appropriate corrections.

_______________ 1. Many of Clara's business associates are unhappy with their current positions and are studying to be a financial consultant.

_______________ 2. Dieting and exercising are an example of ways a person can go about losing weight effectively.

_______________ 3. Many of the responsibilities of Bob and Jerry as a manager of the stores can be delegated to their employees.

_______________ 4. After taking several classes together, both Tom and Allisa decided to become an anthropologist after graduation.

_______________ 5. The problems we identified in the data resulted from the experiment of three different laboratories.

_______________ 6. Because of their past contributions to the scientific community, those professors are generally considered to be the nation's top intellectual.

_______________ 7. Football and baseball are an example of America's most favored spectator sports.

_______________ 8. The popularity of Allen and Anthony as a politician can be ascribed to the intensified efforts of the group of supporters behind them.

Remember that the vocabulary study follows this reading passage and covers the hard words. You should consider doing it first, and then working through the Passage Based Testing.

Passage Based Testing

The passage below contains underlined sections for you to consider editing and revising. Choose the answer choice that best completes the sentence according to conventional grammar standards. Look specifically for errors in noun-noun agreement in this test.

The fashion show was due to begin in minutes, but the director was all in a dither. The hall for the show was commodious enough for a much larger crowd than was expected. All the jaunty outfits were hanging neatly in each model's cubicle. The designers had worked tirelessly to get ready for the show. Their work was impeccable!

Only one thing was wrong. Three models had not yet arrived on location. These particular models were considered to be the top model of the

country. The frantic director had delayed the show at the first notice of their absence, but the time had come for him to go forth, even without his star

participant. His shows had been a perennial event for the

last ten years, and the publicity was exceptional. Fashion reporters were present from all parts of the country. The popularity of these three models as a top professional was due in part to the

reporters that covered the events year after year.There was no excuse for their absence, except, perhaps, that rumors had been circulating that changes in their contracts for next year were being considered.

The leader of the modeling groups was a

maverick if ever there was one, and her mutinous behavior of not attending this event, as well as convincing two others to join her, was certainly cause for breaking her contract. He had delt with her disruptive conduct for too long. As far as he was concerned, they were now an outcast. He

would go on without them! With a staid composure he reassigned the absent

women's wardrobe to the remaining models,

shook off his disappointment and anger, and went forward on the walkway to introduce the show, sure to be a success.

1. A) B) C) D)

NO CHANGE the only top model the top models one of the top models

2. A) B) C)

D)

NO CHANGE top staring participant participants who would be the star of the show star participants

3. A) B) C) D)

NO CHANGE perennial events events that were perennial an event that was perennial

4. A) B) C) D)

NO CHANGE the most favored professional top professionals professionals who were tops

5. A) B) C) D)

NO CHANGE was an maverick were mavericks was maverick

6. A) B) C) D)

NO CHANGE an outcasts outcasts a outcast

7. A) B) C) D)

NO CHANGE women's wardrobes woman's wardrobe woman's wardrobes

College Readiness Vocabulary

Definitions

1. commodious (kuh MO dee us) Definition: affording ample space and room; adapted to or suitable for use

Synonyms: capacious, ample, serviceable Derivatives: commodiously, commodiousness, commodity The house offered several commodious rooms, perfect for the growing family.

2. declivity (deh KLIV uh tee) Definition: downward slope

Synonyms: declination, descent Derivatives: declivous, declivitous The declivity of her health is likely due to her constant disregard for her body.

3. diatribe (DIE uh tribe) Definition: bitter denunciation or criticism, anathema

Synonyms: castigation, invective, harangue, tirade Derivatives: diatribes We were tired of listening to his endless diatribes; we finally asked him to withhold his feelings.

4. dither (DITH ur) Definition: a state of trembling excitement or fear; vacillation; a trembling; vibration

Synonyms: agitation, clamor, fluster, fuss Derivatives: dithered, dithering, dithery If you are ever face-to-face with a bear, it is important not to dither or show your fear.

5. fanaticism (fuh NAT eh siz um) Definition: enthusiasm or zeal that is excessively irrational

Synonyms: devotion, dogma, infatuation, passion, tenacity, zealotry Derivatives: fanatical, fanatic, fanatically, fanaticalness The political fraction's fanaticism was well-known for provoking public outbursts and riots.

6. forestalled (fore STAWLD) Definition: prevented or delayed beforehand

Synonyms: anticipated, averted, hindered, precluded, thwarted Derivatives: forestall, forestaller, forestallment Her progress was forestalled by weeks of bad weather.

7. frenetic (fruh NET ik) Definition: frenzied, frantic

Synonyms: distraught, overwrought, rabid, unbalanced Derivatives: frenetically, frenetical Speaking in a frenetic manner, the caller tried to explain his emergency to the 911 operator.

8. grisly (GRIS lee) Definition: ghastly, inspiring fear

Synonyms: gruesome, lurid, macabre Derivatives: grisliness, grisliest The wolf drew back its lips, revealing a grisly set of fangs.

9. indigent (IN deh junt) Definition: very poor, impoverished

Synonyms: destitute, impecunious Derivatives: indigence, indigently In their bid for the Olympic games, the officials tried to hide the poor conditions of their indigent population.

10. jaunty (JON tee) Definition: stylish and lively in manner or appearance

Synonyms: animated, buoyant, dapper, dashing, impish, playful, swaggering Derivatives: jauntily, jauntiness, jauntingly He was most memorable for always wearing a jaunty hat and matching tie.

College Readiness Vocabulary

Definitions

11. kudos (KOO doze) Definition: awards or honors

Synonyms: acclaim, credit, distinction, honor, laudation, praise, raves Derivatives: kudize, kudized, kudizing She was appreciative of the kudos her co-workers gave her for going above and beyond her duties.

12. maverick (MAV er ik) Definition: an independent individual who does not go along with the group

Synonyms: beatnik, bohemian, nonconformist, radical Derivatives: At the beginning of the 20th century, women who supported suffrage were seen as mavericks.

13. mutinous (MYOOT un us) Definition: rebellious, unruly

Synonyms: anarchistic, dissident, insurrectionary, rebel Derivatives: mutiny, mutinously, mutinousness, mutinize, mutinies Mutinous sailors were often punished by death in the 1800s.

14. perennial (puh REN ee ul) Definition: lasting for many years

Synonyms: constant, incessant, perpetual, unremitting Derivatives: perennially Many people enjoy having perennials in their garden to save them from having to replant every year.

15. Philistine (FILL eh steen) Definition: a narrow-minded person who opposes or is indifferent to cultural values

Synonyms: boorish, crude, immodest, obscene, scatological, uncouth, unrefined, vulgar Derivatives: Philistinic, Philistinism The film critic was labeled a Philistine after his harsh panning of the movie.

16. precipice (PRES uh pis) Definition: a very steep cliff or mass of rock, the brink of something dangerous

Synonyms: bluff, cliff, crag Derivatives: precipices He was on the precipice of disaster when he entered the courtroom without good counsel.

17. rectitude (REK teh tood) Definition: state of moral integrity

Synonyms: decency, goodness, integrity, morality, virtue Derivatives: rectitudinous, rectitudinously In public, the senator always portrayed an image of complete rectitude and decency.

18. sanguine (SANG gwin) Definition: very confident

Synonyms: optimistic, hopeful, sure Derivatives: sanguineness,sanguineous, sanguinary Off the field she was quite shy, but once she stepped onto the soccer field, her every movement was sanguine.

19. staid (STADE) Definition: reserved and upright in manner or behavior, sedate

Synonyms: earnest, grave, sober, solemn Derivatives: staidness Our boss's staid personality was sometimes interrupted by bursts of humor.

20. verdant (VUR dunt) Definition: fresh and green

Synonyms: flourishing, fresh, grassy, leafy, lush, verdurous Derivatives: verdancy The verdant hills of the British isles is a huge draw for tourists.

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