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A. When the subject and the verb are separated.
EXAMPLES:
The professor voted Teacher of the Year by the students were traveling in Europe when she
received notice of her promotion.
Professor is singular, yet the verb were traveling is plural. This is more difficult to spot in this version of
the sentence because of the proximity of the noun students, which might be mistaken for the subject of the verb.
The sentence sounds correct to the ear: “. . . students were. . . .” The sentence should read: “The professor voted
Teacher of the Year by the students was traveling in Europe when she received notice of her promotion.”
Most teachers, unless they have an appointment to a prestigious university, earns relatively less
as a teacher than they might in business.
The subject of earns is teachers. Teachers earns is incorrect. The correct construction is “teachers
earn.” But it’s easy to mistake university for the true subject of the sentence. The sentence should read:
“Most teachers, unless they have an appointment to a prestigious university, earn relatively less as a teacher
than they might in business.”
Many nutritionists now believe that a balanced diet and not large doses of vitamins are the best
guarantee of health.
The true subject of the verb are is diet. The phrase not large doses is not part of the subject. The correct
construction is: “diet . . . is.” The corrected sentence should read: “Many nutritionists now believe that a
balanced diet and not large doses of vitamins is the best guarantee of health.”
Television comedies in which there is at least one really detestable character captures the
interest of viewers.
The true subject of the verb captures is comedies. The correct construction is “comedies . . . capture.”
The correct sentence is: “Television comedies in which there is at least one really detestable character
capture the interest of the viewers.”

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