Practice subject/verb agreement as you learn the secrets of hiccuping.
Shutterstock.com
1. Hiccups happens/happen when your diaphragm (DAHY-uh-fram) twitches. Your diaphragm is a muscle that helps you breathe. Even though hiccups is/are usually harmless, they can be annoying!
2. Humans has/have wondered about hiccups for thousands of years. In the Middle Ages, people in Europe thought that hiccups were the work of evil elves.
Paul Gerrard/Getty Images
3. Today, we knows/know that a big meal, fizzy drinks, or sudden changes in temperature can cause hiccups. You can also get hiccups from swallowing air, which can happen when you chews/chew gum.
Burhan Ay/Alamy Stock Photo
4. Horses, cats, rats, and penguins all hiccups/hiccup sometimes. One animal that hiccups a lot? Puppies! It doesn’t hurt them, but it does/do make them even more adorable.
Universal Orlando Resort
5. Some people says/say the best hiccup cure is a sudden distraction, like a friend shouting “BOO!” Chewing peanut butter, holding your breath, sticking your fingers in your ears, and drinking super-cold water is/are other fixes people suggest.
6. There is no proof that these “cures” actually stop hiccups, though. Luckily, most hiccups goes/go away after a few minutes. Phew!
This article was originally published in the October/November 2022 issue.
