Lesson 6 - The Subject-Verb Agreement (6 hrs.

)
I. Introduction

In expressing your ideas both in oral or in writing, you need to observe the rules
to be better understood by your listener or by the reader. So, you have to strictly
follow the rules in subject-verb agreement to form a unified and sensible sentences.

In this module, you shall be introduced to the different rules to observe in oral
and written forms.

II. Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to have:

a. mastered the rules in subject-verb agreement;

b. constructed sentence observing the rules;
c. identified error in sentences;
d. written a well-organized sentences in paragraph using the rules learned.

III. Learning Content

The Subject-Verb Agreement

Today, you are going to study the rules to follow in constructing correct
sentences, especially in writing a paragraph.

1. VERB-NUMBER AGREEMENT

Singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs.

The list of to-dos was too long for me to handle.

The lists of to-dos were too long for me to handle.

Even an animal has its own territory.

Even animals have their own territory.

EXCEPTION to this rule:

A plural verb is always required after the pronoun ‘YOU’ even when it is used
in singular, referring to one person.

You are going to send the documents to my office.

You are my inspiration.

2. RULE FOR WHEN VERB HAS ‘S’ AT THE END

The‘s’ added after a noun indicates plural. But an ‘s’ after a verb indicates
THIRD PERSON SINGULAR i.e. the sentence is in third person and the subject is
singular.

She goes to the library every day.

 They go to the restaurant every day for their favorite dish.

3. THE VERB HAS TO AGREE ONLY WITH THE TRUE, MAIN SUBJEC T. Not with the
intervening plural object of a preposition or any other intervening plural.

The box of Nestle’s chocolates is missing.

Here, the main subject is box, not the chocolates. Hence, we use ‘is’ instead of
‘are’.

More examples:

His experience as a teacher to young kids gives him a lot of understanding.

The prices of the new iPhone vary from country to country.

4. SUBJECTS JOINED BY 'AND' ARE USUALLY PLURAL AND TAKE PLURAL VERBS.

His laptop and my iPad were stolen from the desk.

Chennai and Kolkota have very hot weather.

EXCEPTIONS to this rule:

 If the subject has two singular nouns connected by AND; and both are
about the same person/thing, then the verb remains singular.

My best friend and roommate is going to US for a vacation.

Soup and bread is our Sunday breakfast.

 When two subjects connected by AND are preceded by 'each, every or

many', a singular verb is used.

Every chair, table and sofa, every single piece of furniture in the house
is up
for auction.

Every man and woman in the store is requested to go through the

security
check.

5. RULE FOR 'WITH, TOGETHER WITH, ALONG WITH, BESIDES, AS WELL AS,
INCLUDING, IN ADDITION TO'

Words like 'with, together with, along with, besides, as well as, including, in
addition to, etc. do not affect the number of the verb. If the main subject is
singular, the verb has to be singular; if the subject is plural, the verb has to be
plural.
 The television, along with the cabinet, is to be sold.

Our chief competitor, as well as ourselves, is obliged to increase the prices.

The decoration of the room, including all the paintings on the wall, is most
pleasing.

6. RULE WHEN BOTH SINGULAR AND PLURAL SUBJECTS ARE PRESENT.

If the subjects is made up of both singular and plural words connected by or,
nor, either-or, neither-nor, also agrees with the nearer subject.

Neither the quality nor the prices have changed.

Neither the prices nor the quality has changed.

Neither the salesman nor the buyers are in favor of the system of
management.

Neither the buyers nor the salesman is in favor of the system of the
management.

7. RULE FOR NEITHER-NOR, EITHER-OR &OR

Neither the laptop nor the phone was in working order.

Either January or February is going to be her wedding month.

8. RULE FOR NOUNS THAT ARE PLURAL IN FORM BUT SINGULAR IN MEANING

Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning such as news, measles,
mumps, physics, electronics, tactics, economics and so on usually take singular
verbs.

News is travelling faster than ever before.

Physics has fascinated my hostel mate for months.

Some nouns ending in '-ics' such as athletics, statistics and politics are
considered singular when referring to an organized body of knowledge and
plural when referring to individual facts, qualities or activities.

Athletics provide good recreation. ( i.e. various games)

Economics is an important subject for every field of study

9. A LINKING VERB USUALLY AGREES WITH ITS SUBJECT, NOT WITH ITS
COMPLIMENT.

Excessive absences were the reason for his failure.

The reason of his failure was excessive absences.

10. RULE FOR NOUNS THAT DO NOT HAVE SINGULAR FORMS

Plural verbs are required for many nouns that have no singular form, such as
proceeds, goods, ashes, remains, credentials, premises etc.

The proceeds of the magic show are to be given to the fund for soldier's
welfare.

The goods are being dispatched today by goods train.

11. WHEN A GROUP ACTS AS A UNIT, THE VERB SHOULD BE SINGULAR.

The committee has agreed to submit its report on Friday.

The board of directors meets once in a month.

The firm is one of the most reputed in the country.

The majority has made its decision.

12. WHEN THE MEMBERS OF THE GROUP ARE THOUGHT OF AS ACTING

SEPARATELY, THE VERB SHOULD BE PLURAL.

The teams are arguing over who should be the captain (individual members
in the team are arguing).

The committee were not in agreement on the action to be taken.

The audience were cheering and laughing, even crying.

13. COMPANY NAMES MAY BE EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL ACCORDING TO

THEIR MEANING.

The plural form emphasizes the individual personnel making up the company.

Mudra and corporation have retained the goodwill of their customers.

The oil corporations is located at Nariman Point, Mumbai.

14. RULE FOR NOUNS EXPRESSING TIME, MONEY OR QUALITY

 When nouns expressings periods of time, amounts of money or quantities are
considered as a singular unit, singular verbs are used.

For e.g.

Rs 10 seems too much for the job.

The number of board members is very small.

15. AFTER SUCH EXPRESSIONS AS 'ONE HALF OF', 'TWO-THIRDS OF', 'A PART
OF', 'A MAJORITY OF'

 Use singular verb if a singular noun follows the 'of' phrase.

A part of the office is closed.

Two-third of the mailing list has been typed.

A majority of 3500 indicates his popularity in the constituency.

 Use plural verb when a plural noun follows the 'of' phrase

Part of the walls are to be painted.

Two-thirds of our workers live in the suburbs.

The majority of our staff members live in villages.

16. RULES FOR 'THE NUMBER'

The expression 'the number' has a singular meaning and requires a singular
verb, whereas the expression 'a number' has a plural meaning and takes a
plural verb.

The number of board members is very small.

A number of board members were absent.

The number of orders is still to be executed is estimated at nearly a

100.

A number of our staff are going on leave.

17. IN SENTENCES CONTAINING THE WORDS 'ONE OF', THE VERB IS CHOSEN
AS FOLLOWS:
 In simple form, one of or one of the, a singular verb is used.
 One of the reasons for his demotion is his carelessness.

One of the pens is missing from my desk.

 The sentences containing phrases 'one of those who' or 'one of the things
that', a plural verb is required.

He is one of those managers who favor increasing the staff.

 Here favor agrees with those. In the phrase one of those who, those is
the plural object of the preposition of. In the subordinate clause who
favor, the relative pronoun who is the subject and must agree with its
antecedent those.

Mr. Varma is one of our officers who is accompanying me.

He is one of our enployees who are always alert.

 However, when only precedes one of/one of those, a singular verb is

used.

Ramesh is only one of our employees who is always alert.

Mr. Verma is the only one of our officers accompanying me.

18. RULE OF SINGULAR NOUNS AND PLURAL VERBS

Certain collective nouns, those which are singular in form, are always used in
the plural sense and take a plural verb. For e.g. gentry, cattle, poultry,
alphabets, offspring, etc.

These poultry are ready for sale.

There are 26 alphabets in English.

The cattle are grazing near the canal.

19. THE ALWAYS SINGULAR NOUNS

Certain nouns are always used in singular and followed by singular verbs.
These are not used in the plural sense and do not take a plural verbs.

For e.g. hair, issue, advice, information, scenery, luggage, mischief, bread,
abuse, furniture, land, business, machinery, poultry etc.

Her hair has turned gray now.

 The scenery of Kasauli is beautiful.

Is there any information in this regard?

All the machinery is sold.

I have sold all the furniture that was useless.

My luggage is lying at the bus stand.

20. COUNTABLE NOUNS have plural forms and can be used with a/an.

Uncountable nouns do not have plural forms and cannot be used with a/an.
For e.g. we say books but we do not say milks.

 The following nouns are usually uncountable in English:

Advice, news, information, furniture, lullage, work, business, weather,

traffic, scenery, paper, and bread. Most of these are countable in Indian
languages and therefore Indian students often wrongly use them with
'a/an' and in the plural.

Example:

He gave me some advice.

The scenery here is very good.

21. EACH, EVERY, EITHER, NEITHER

The words 'each, every, either, neither', used as pronouns or else adjectives,
are always singular and require verbs.

Each of them does have political ambitions.

Each employee is responsible for clearing is desk in the evening.

Neither of the boys is eligible for taking the examination.

Neither boy is eligible for selection.

EXCEPTION: If a parenthetical each follows a plural noun or pronoun, the

verb should be singular.

The members each feel their responsibility.

They each have their own problem.

 10 each of these books is required.

22. ALL, ANY, MANY....

All, any, more, most, some - may be singular or plural or plural depending on
the meaning, and take verbs accordingly.

Some of the books seem too old.

Some of the food is not good. ( food is a singular noun)

All the typing has been finished. (Typing is an activity. Can't be plural)

All the reports have been typed.

Most of the goods have been sold.

Most of the stock has been sold, but more of these shirts are due.
(stock is always singular)

23. THE TITLES OF BOOKS OR MAGAZINES are considered singular and take
singular verbs.

The Hindustan times still has wide circulation.

The Shiva Trilogy is a best seller.