4. KONGRUENS

a. Der skal være overensstemmelse mellem grundleddets tal og udsagnsleddets tal i nutid. Ental i grundleddet følges af ental i udsagnsleddet: "Bill Gates is the richest man in the world. He owns many shares. The founders of Microsoft own a lot of money". Det kan give problemer for danskere, fordi vi ikke skelner på denne måde på dansk: jeg elsker, han elsker, de elsker. På engelsk: I love, he loves, they love, altså -s-endelse i præsens singulars.

b. Pas på ikke at blande konjunktiv sammen med kongruensproblematikken. Konjunktiv (modsat indikativ) optræder på engelsk for det meste kun med verbet "to be" i hypotetiske sætninger: "If he were to blame, he should be blamed" (men han kunne faktisk ikke bebrejdes).

c. Everybody(-one), somebody(-one), anybody (-one) er altid ental

d. Kollektiver som family, team, etc. Har ental eller flertal af udsagnsleddet alt efter, om der tænkes på det som en enhed/institution eller samlingen af enkelte individer: "All my family were present at the wedding". Men: "My family comes from Spain".

e. Ved henførende sætninger (relativsætninger) retter udsagnsleddets tal sig efter det ord, relativpronominet viser hen til i den overordnede sætning: "I saw the man who is the owner of the biggest house in the village". "I saw the dogs that bite the tourists".

f. Når there er forløbigt grundled retter udsagnsordets tal sig efter det egentlige grundled: There were many cars in the compound.

g. Neither følges af ental: "Neither of my two suitcases has been delivered to the right address"

Indsæt den rigtige nutidsform af udsagnsordene i følgende sætninger:

He stand___ a Dell portable on a table he make___ from a modest suitcase, plug___ in the voicebox and type___ the letter A at the prompt

The priest need___ shaving. Greek priests do___ not shave

The old priest pocket___ the coin.

He sprinkle___ them with Perrier

They walk___ a long way to school

I hand___ the man my jug, and he pour___ coffee into it. Then he wipe___ the table with a piece of cloth

He give___ him money and hand___ him the driver’s license

God know___ how fast that man drive___ the car

He play___ his Sade record every day

He see___ the roaring traffic, and only after a long interval do ___ he cross___ the street

D. wish___ him well when he take___ over the job

He catch___ the cat whenever it run___ away

Ret nedenstående sætninger, så der er kongruens:

"Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"-Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000

"Laura and I really don't realize how bright our children is sometimes until we get an objective analysis."—CNBC, April 15, 2000

Undersøg kongruensproblematikken i sætningerne herunder. Ret, hvor det er nødvendigt:

"I think it's important for those of us in a position of responsibility to be firm in sharing our experiences, to understand that the babies out of wedlock is a very difficult chore for mom and baby alike...I believe we

ought to say there is a different alternative than the culture that is proposed by people like Miss Wolf in society...And, you know, hopefully, condoms will work, but it hasn't worked."

-Meet the Press, Nov. 21, 1999

"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."—LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000

Konjunktiv eller indikativ?:

"I think he needs to stand up and say if he thought the president were wrong on policy and issues, he ought to say where."—Interview with the Associated Press, Aug. 11, 2000 (Thanks to Ryan Rhodes.)

The teacher ________ telling the class how to behave (is/are)

She _______ them that the will all get bad marks if they do not improve their way of behaving (tell/tells)

The guitar as well as the piano ____________ to be tuned for the concert (has/have)

The minister together with his two brothers ____________ becoming unpopular for accepting "funny" money (are/is)

Neither of my two brother ____________ going to visit me this summer (is/are)

There ____________ a list of committee members in the guest book (are/is)

Everybody in the class ____________ done the homework (has/have)

The jury ____________ their seats in the courtroom (take/takes)

Neither the teacher nor the students ____________ to understand this assignment (seem/seems)

____________ either my father or my brothers made a down-payment on the car? (has/have)

Copenhagen is one of those cities which ____________ working hard to set up a science park (is/are)

Some of the flour ____________ gone bad (have/has)

Peter or his brother ____________ going to pay for this (are/is)

A few of the students ____________ doing very well (are/is)

Either the board of directors or the trade union council ____________ who will be dismissed (decide/decides)

One of my teachers ____________ written me a letter from his holiday resort (have/has)

KONGRUENS - ekstraøvelse (. Indsæt korrekt finit form af verbum i infinitiv. Teksten er i nutid):

"Chances be_______ he'll come to drink along here," Wilson whisper_______. Before he go______ to lay up. Keep an eye out."  
They be_______ driving slowly along the high bank of the stream which here cut_____deeply to its boulder-filled bed, and they wind______ in and out through big trees as they drive______. Macomber be______ watching the opposite bank when he feel_____ Wilson take hold of his arm. The car stop______.

"There he is," he hear______ the whisper. "Ahead and to the right. Get out and take him. He be______ a marvelous lion."
Macomber see_____ the lion now. He be_____ standing almost broadside, his great head up and turned toward them. The early morning breeze that blow_____ toward them be_____ just stirring his dark mane, and the lion look_____ huge, silhouetted on the rise of bank in the gray morning light, his shoulders heavy, his barrel of a body bulking smoothly.
"How far be_______ he?" ask_____ Macomber, raising his rifle.
"About seventy-five. Get out and take him."
"Why not shoot from where I be_______?"
"You do_____ not shoot them from cars," he hear______ Wilson saying in his car. "Get out. He be______ not going to stay there all day."

Link her til video om kongtruens på engelsk.

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