Editing Scots language (section)

==Grammar==
{{see also|Modern Scots#Grammar|label 1=Modern Scots grammar}}
Modern Scots follows the [[subject–verb–object]] sentence structure like [[Standard English]]. However, the word order {{Lang|sco|Gie's it}} (''Give us it'') vs. "Give it to me" may be preferred.{{r|OxfordCompanion|page=897}}
The [[indefinite article]] ''a'' may be used before both consonants and vowels. The [[definite article]] ''the'' is used before the names of seasons, days of the week, many nouns, diseases, trades and occupations, sciences and academic subjects.{{r|"Manual of Scots"|page=78}} It is also often used in place of the indefinite article and instead of a [[possessive pronoun]].{{r|"Manual of Scots"|page=77}}
Scots includes some irregular [[plural]]s such as {{lang|sco|ee/een}} ("eye/eyes"), {{lang|sco|cauf/caur}} ("calf/calves"), {{lang|sco|horse/horse}} ("horse/horses"), {{lang|sco|cou/kye}} ("cow/cows") and {{lang|sco|shae/shuin}} ("shoe/shoes") that survived from [[Old English]] into Modern Scots, but have become regularised plurals in Standard Modern English – ''ox''/''oxen'' and ''child''/''children'' being exceptions.{{r|"Manual of Scots"|page=79}}{{r|OxfordCompanion|page=896}} [[Noun]]s of measure and quantity remain unchanged in the plural.{{r|OxfordCompanion|page=896}}{{r|"Manual of Scots"|page=80}}
The [[relative pronoun]] is ''that'' for all persons and numbers, but may be [[elided]].{{r|OxfordCompanion|page=896}}{{r|"Manual of Scots"|page=102}} Modern Scots also has a third adjective/adverb ''this''-''that''-''yon''/''yonder'' ({{lang|sco|thon/thonder}}) indicating something at some distance.{{r|OxfordCompanion|page=896}} {{lang|sco|Thir}} and {{lang|sco|thae}} are the plurals of ''this'' and ''that'' respectively.
The [[present tense]] of [[verb]]s adheres to the [[Northern subject rule]] whereby verbs end in -''s'' in all persons and numbers except when a single personal pronoun is next to the verb.{{r|OxfordCompanion|page=896}}{{r|"Manual of Scots"|page=112}} Certain verbs are often used [[Progressive tense|progressively]]{{r|OxfordCompanion|page=896}} and verbs of motion may be dropped before an adverb or [[adverbial phrase]] of motion.{{r|OxfordCompanion|page=897}}
Many verbs have [[Germanic strong verb|strong]] or [[Irregular verb|irregular]] forms which are distinctive from Standard English.{{r|OxfordCompanion|page=896}}{{r|"Manual of Scots"|page=126}}
The regular past form of the [[Germanic weak verb|weak]] or [[Regular verb|regular]] verbs is ''-it'', ''-t'' or ''-ed'', according to the preceding consonant or vowel.{{r|OxfordCompanion|page=896}}{{r|"Manual of Scots"|page=113}}
The [[present participle]] and [[gerund]] ''in'' are now usually {{IPA|/ən/}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Beal|first=J.|chapter=Syntax and Morphology|editor-last=Jones|editor-first=C.|title=The Edinburgh History of the Scots Language|location=Edinburgh|publisher=University of Edinburgh Press|page=356}}</ref> but may still be differentiated {{IPA|/ən/}} and {{IPA|/in/}} in Southern Scots,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dsl.ac.uk/INTRO/intro2.php?num=22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121171949/http://www.dsl.ac.uk/INTRO/intro2.php?num=22|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 January 2012|title=SND Introduction - Dialect Districts. p.xxxi|publisher=Dsl.ac.uk|access-date=21 May 2009}}</ref> and {{IPA|/ən/}} and {{IPA|/ɪn/}} in Northern Scots.
The [[Negation (linguistics)|negative particle]] is {{lang|sco|na}}, sometimes spelled {{lang|sco|nae}}, e.g. {{lang|sco|canna}} ("can't"), {{lang|sco|daurna}} ("daren't"), {{lang|sco|michtna}} ("mightn't").{{r|"Manual of Scots"|page=115}}

[[Adverb]]s usually take the same form as the verb root or [[adjective]], especially after verbs. Examples include {{lang|sco|Haein a real guid day}} ("Having a really good day") and {{Lang|sco|She's awfu fauchelt}} ("She's awfully tired").