Agreement Between Subject And Verb

The verb forms change according to whether the subject is singular or plural e.g.
They
think but he thinks) or according to whether the verb is first second or third
person ! am you are. This agreement of the verb with the subject is called
concord. A verb must agree in number with its subject. The following rules should
be observed"
#. $repositional phrase
A prepositional phrase that comes between a subject and a verb does not affect
the verb form. % A high pile of dirty clothes is waiting for you at home.
% There is a stack of documents on his desk.
% A bo& of oranges has been broken in transit.
'. !ndefinite pronouns are usually singular and therefore re(uire a singular verb
everybody ) everyone
somebody ) someone
anybody) anyone
each * singular noun
each of * plural noun * singular verb
every
either
one
one of * plural noun
many a * singular noun % +veryone has his hobby.
% ,o one is absent today.
% Anybody who knows him likes him.
% Somebody is standing behind the door.
% +ach student was asked four (uestions.
% +ach of us- +veryone of us is responsible.
% +ither of these boys has to leave.
% ,either candidates deserves.
% .ne of his friends writes the novel.
% /any a swimmer has been drowned in this river.
,.B" 0ith the words" anybody - anyone) somebody - someone) everybody -
everyone and some other indefinites like a person we may use they their them
and themselves 1instead of his) him and himself) to refer back to these words in
order not to distinguish the se&. !n these sentences they them and their do not
have plural meanings. They are used instead of he or she or him or her as a way
of purposely not specifying the se& of the person referred to. This can also be true
with whoever and with indefinite e&pressions like a person. % ,obody came didn2t
they.
% !f anybody phones me please tell them ! am busy.
% !f anybody wants to give their name for the trip to ,ha Trang will they please
do it before lunch time.
% Someone left their umbrella behind yesterday. 0ould they please collect it from
the office3
% +veryone thinks they are centre of the universe.
% 0hoever comes tell them to go away.
% 0hen a person has no will to live they are often very difficult to help.
The e&pression more than one is followed by a singular noun and verb. % /ore
than one person is going to lose his job.
,one either and neither can be followed by of * plural noun or pronoun. !n a
formal style a singular verb is used but in an informal style a plural verb is also
possible. % ,one of the cures really works - work.
% 4as- have either of them been seen recently3
% ,either of my bosses is - are young.
5. 6ompound subject 1and) both ... and)
0hen two subjects are joined by and both ... and we usually use plural verbs %
Tea and coffee are our main e&ports.
% 4ydrogen and o&ygen are chemical elements.
% The boss and his secretary are flying to Berlin .
% Both the boss and his secretary are flying to Berlin.
,.B.
each - every * noun.. * and * noun ... * singular verb % +ach teacher and 1each)
student has agreed to follow this process
% +very man and woman in the village attends the festival.
!n some fi&ed e&pressions like bread and butter cheese and wine lemon and
oil fish and chips war and peace the ups and downs early to bed and early to
rise a coach and four we use them as a whole with singular verb. 4owever when
we think of them separately plural verbs are necessary. % +arly to bed and early
to rise makes a man healthy wise and wealthy.
sing. subject * and * sing. subject
sing verb 1one person- thing)
sing. subject * and * sing. subject
plural verb 1two persons- things)
% /y friend and my benefactor /r. Smith has come.
% The founder and editor of this maga7ine is /r. 0hite.
% The artist and the editor of this maga7ine are
discussing modern arts.
% 8ire and water do not agree.
% 9ou and she have the same idea.
:. 6ompound subject 1or) neither ... nor)
0hen a compound subject whose elements are connected by" ;neither .... nor;
;either ... or; ; not only ... but also; ; not only ... but ... as well; .... etc the verb
agrees in number with the nearest noun.
% Bob or his brothers mown the lawn.
% ,either my brothers nor my sister has blond hair
% ,either the teacher nor the students know the answer
% ,either <ames nor ! am interested
% +ither ! or my sister is at home.
% +ither the boss or his secretary is flying to Berlin
% ,either the boss nor his secretary is flying to Berlin.
% ,ot only you but ! am responsible for this accident.
; ,either of= * plural subject can be used with both singular or plural verb
neither 1> not either)) none 1> not one) . 0hen the reference is plural we can
use a plural verb in everyday speech or a singular verb when we wish to sound
correct or formal. % ,either of us is - are happy about the situation
% ,one of my friends has - have been invited to the conference.
?. !nversion of subject and verb
verb) the subject) is inverted 1subject 0hen the normal word order 1verb verb
agrees with the subject which is now placed after it. % At the door are standing
four large policemen.
% There comes the bus.
% At the top of the hill stands a tiny chapel.
subject verb here there
here there subjectverb
4owever we often use " here2s there2s where2s can be followed by plural subjects
in a very informal style" % 4ere2s your keys
% There2s some children at the door
% 0here2s the records ! lent you3
@. Aike includingBetc.
like
e&cept
but
including
besides
singular verb along with sing. subject
plu. subject plural verbinstead of
together with
as well as
in addition to
no less than
1but) not % This novel like many others analy7es love and hatred.
% ,obody but Ted and <ones was eager to help.
% All the members including the chairman have signed the petition.
% The /arshal together with his attendants is entering the hall.
% The pilot as well as all the passengers was rescued from the crash.
% 4is loud clothes no less than his loud voice bother me a lot.
% Cobert but not you has won the first pri7e
% The boss but not his secretary is flying to Berlin.
D. All of some of ...etc
all
most
more
some plural noun * plural verb
half * of *
per cent uncountable noun * sing. verb
fraction
a lot
the majority
the minority
% 4alf of the pie has been eaten.
% 4alf of the cookies have been eaten.
% Some sugar has been spilled on the floor.
% The greatest part of his life has been spent in laboratories.
% +ighty percent of the students have voted.
% Three%fourths of his fortune was devoted to scientific research.
% Two%thirds of the books are novels.
% The majority of students have voted.
% /ost of our steel is imported.
% There is a lot of cloud.
% There are a lot of clothes.
% /ost of us have e&perienced sorrow in our lives.
E . ,ouns ending in ... ics
,ouns ending in % ics usually take singular verb 1referring to academic subjects or
sciences). +specially the following nouns" athletics gymnastics linguistics
mathematics and physics. 4owever some words ending in %% ics such as
acoustics economics ethics phonetics and statistics take a singular or plural
verb. 0hen the reference is to an academic subject 1e.g. acoustics > the scientific
study of sound) the verb must be singular. % Acoustics is a branch of physics )
% /athematics is my weak subject.
% $ediatrics is a branch of medicine)
% Statistics is very confusing.
% Aesthetics tries to make clear the laws and principles of beauty.
% $olitics is a complicated business
The list includes" acoustics athletics aesthetics civics hydraulics gymnastics
linguistics mathematics optics physics economics ethics pediatrics politics
phonetics statistics
0hen the reference is specific 1e.g. acoustics > sound (uality) the verb must be
plural. % The acoustics in the 8estival 4all are e&tremely good.
,ote that when they are used as adjectives they are in plural. They are (uite
different from adjectives ending in % ics" an economics degree and economic
development.
There are other cases" sports car customs officer arms production clothes
shop accounts department goods train 1as compared to passenger train) %
athletics training
% an economics degree
% a mathematics teacher
F. ,ouns plural in form singular in idea
These nouns re(uire singular verb
F.# $eriod of time % Three weeks is a long time to wait.
F.' /oney % Two hundred dollars is not too much to pay for that book.
% 0here is that five pounds ! lent you3
% 8ive dollars doesn2t buy as much as it used to.
F.5 Gistance" % 8orty miles is a long way to walk in a day.
F.: Huantity" % Three pints doesn2t make me drunk
These e&pressions are used with" another an e&tra an additional a good and
every % ! want to stay for another three weeks
% 0e need an e&tra ten pounds
% 4e has been typing for a good twenty minutes
% ! go to my home town every si& weeks
F.? Giseases" 1measles shingles " beInh lJK da rickets " &LJng nhoK) 4owever a
plural verb is sometimes possible.
% /umps is dangerous
F.@ Mames
% Billiards is time consuming 1draughts" cJN Oam tenpins" chJi ky ) dominoes)
F.D 6ountries territories" 1The Pnited States 1the PS PSA) The ,etherlands
0ales Athens Brussels ,aples the Bahamas the Bristish !sles the 0est !ndies
the Pnited Arab +mirates the 4imalayas and some other nouns such as" news
molasses 1nLJQc OLJNng keRo) tactics" 1saQch lLRJRc) the Pnited ,ations) % The
$hilippines is small
#S. The * adjective
0e often use the definite article TtheU with an adjective to represent the group of
people in general reference as a whole . This subject phrase takes plural verb" the
rich the poor the young the old the blind the deaf the sick the dead the
disabled the unemployed the injured etc % The disabled are calling for help
% The old are taken care of by the society.
% The injured are taken to hospital
Some collective nouns have no regular plural but can be followed by a singular
or plural verb"
the aristocracy the gentry the proletariat the public the youth of today the
majority the minority the public % Mive the public what it wants- they want
% The public is -are very shocked.
% The youth of today is - are very dynamic
% The proletariat are fighting for peace
the youth of today 1> all young people) should not be confused with a- the
youth 1> a - the young man) which has a regular plural youths
youth 1> a time of life) is used with singular verb % The youth of today is- are
better off than we used tobe.
% The witness said he saw a youth- ? youths outside the shop
% 9outh is the time for action age is the time for repose
##. The number) a number) a group
the number refers to the total takes singular verb a number a group used with
plural nouns and takes plural verb. They refers to individual units.
% A number of mistakes were found in your composition.
% A group of us have decided to go camping
% The number of students doing part%time jobs is increasing.
#'. .ne of * plural nouns
one of * plural nouns * who-which- that * relative clause * plural verb *
singular verb % .ne of the boys who were arrested was my friend.
% .ne of the things which makes +nglish universal is that it is the language of
science
#5. $air
0hen we use singular determiner 1e.g. a ) an) this) each) with pair of the verb
is normally singular
% +ach pair of trousers was too big
% A pair of real leather shoes is very e&pensive
% /y first pair of real leather shoes were-was made in !taly
But when a pair of * plural noun is followed by a relative clause the verb in the
relative clause is plural 1i.e. the verb agree with the plural noun) % 0e bought a
pair of kitchen scissors which are always very useful
0hen we are talking about a set of two separate things e.g. a pair of shoes a
pair of gloves a pair of earrings we normally use the plural forms" they them
their 1not it its).
0e do not use a pair of before a noun that has general reference
But we say" % ! wear glasses only for reading 1not ! wear a pair of glasses)
% ! hate wearing pyjamas 1not ! hate wearing a pair of pyjamas)
% Aying on the bed was a pair of blue silk pyjamas
#:. ;the former; ;the latter; "
The verb depends on the noun the former and the latter replace. % Stationary
and cars are our main imports. The latter are imported from +urope.
% Aead and dio&ide carbon are found in petrol. The former is dangerous.
% There is a young girl and nearly twenty boy students. The latter often make fun
of the former
#?. +ach each of they each ...etc.
each takes singular verb when it begins a subject phrase. 0hen it is used in the
verb the verb agrees with the subject not each
each is used with the verb the verb agrees with the subject not each
% +ach of us is responsible for this office.
% They each have their own shares.
% +ach of the students was given the timetable.
% They each have their own share
#@. $lural form and singular form
Some nouns have the same singular form for both singular and plural. This
category consists of"
Such words as" craft aircraft spacecraft hover craft fruit ...etc.)
.ffspring has no plural form but can be followed by a singular verb to refer to
one or a plural verb to refer to more than one
sheep carp 1 caQ cheQp) deer boar 1heo rLNng) swine" cod 1caQ tuyeVt) bream
1caQ meN) herring 1caQ trWch) mackerel 1caQ chaNy) salmon 1caQ hoXi) trout
1caQ hLJng) grouse 1gaN rLNng) snipe 1chim reY giun) hake 1caQ tuyeVt) % A
sheep is bred for its meat and wool.
% Sheep are bred for their meat and wool.
% 4er offspring is like her in every respect 1one child)
% 4er offspring are like her in every respect 1more than one child)
Some nouns have the same plural form for both singular and plural. They can
be regarded as a single unit 1* verb in the singular) or collective 1* verb in the
plural) These include" means) crossroads) brick%works) works) corps) chamois)
chassis) mews 1> stables chuoXng ngLaR)) series) species) shambles) superficies)
% This species of roses is very rare
% There are thousands of species of butterflies
% There is a brick%works in the neighbourhood.
% There are four brick%works in the neighbourhood.
% This means of transportation is cheap
% These means of transportation are cheap.
#D. Antecedent * who * which * verb
The verb agrees with the antecedent. % !t was ! who am -is the owner not you.
#E. 6ollective nouns"
A singular noun referring to a group of people things is called a collective noun.
audience choir class club committee congregation council crew crowd family
firm gang government group jury mob orchestra staff the Aabour party
team union
#E.# They are singular and can combine with which- that and replaced by it when
we think of them as impersonal units. Pse singular verb.
% The present government which hasn2t been in power long is trying to control
inflation. !t isn2t having much success.
% The team is at the bottom of division 5
% An average family which consists of four is considered an ideal one.
#E. ' They are plural and can combine with who and is replaced by they or them
when we refer to members of the group doing the sort of things that people do
1making plan thinking). 0e think of them in a more personal way.
% The government who are looking for a (uick victory are calling for a general
election soon. They e&pected to be re%elected and a lot of people are giving them
their support
% /y family are wonderful. They do all they can for me. ! love them very much.
% 4ow are the team3 .hZ They are optimistic. They will win their match.
#E. 5 They can also have their regular plural forms. governments- teams.
Some proper nouns 1e.g. football teams) can be used as collectives %
Movernments in all countries are trying to control inflation
% Arsenal is- are playing well this season
#E.:. 0hen these nouns have such determiners as a an each every this that
we use singular verbs. % +ach team has its own stadium
% +very class consists of #? students
#E.? Some collective nouns are uncountable and always take singular verbs
hair e(uipment machinery paper furniture luggage baggage plant
merchandise freight population correspondence post ...etc.
% All the e(uipment in this factory is being
replaced
#E. @ Some collective nouns take plural verbs" cattle the army the police the
military people poultry vermin the clergy folk countryfolk townsfolk the
youth the rich the poor the Vietnamese swine...etc
% The police are looking into the case now.
% Some people are never satisfied.
% The military have surrounded the building% The Gutch are a sea%faring people.
% 6attle are selling for record prices this year.
% The youth of today don2t know what they want.
But" 9esterday ! met a youth - a young person
$eople should not be confused with a- the people meaning nation or tribe
which is countable.
% The +nglish speaking peoples share a common language
% A people must have its own language.
#E.D mankind) the human race ) human being) humankind 1as opposed to
animal) They are uncountable and re(uire singular verb. human beings
1sometimes humans) take plural verb % /ankind has spent centuries trying to find
a solution
% 4uman beings have spent centuries trying to find a solution
'S. ,ouns always in plural forms singular verbs
/any words in +nglish though plural in form are always followed by a verb in the
singular
news % The news is good.
% The news interests the public
6ertain diseases" mumps rickets shingles % /umps is a children2s disease.
and certain games" billiards darts draughts 1cJN Oam) bowls dominoes... etc. %
Billiards is becoming more and more popular
'#. ,ationality words"
Such words as the +nglish the Vietnamese the !talians the Swiss are used with
plural verb and they refer to all the people in that nation. % The Vietnamese are
hard%working
% The +nglish are reserved