Concord

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*Lesson On The 24 Rules Of Concord*

*Use of English and Communication Skills for All


Professionals*

Rule 1

Subject and verb concord


When the subject in a sentence is singular, the verb
should also be singular.
For example,
She (singular subject) goes (singular verb), not: She
go ( plural verb). Also, when the subject is plural, the
verb should be plural.
The girls (plural subject) go (plural verb), not The
girls (plural subject) goes (Singular verb).

Rule 2

Subject and Object concord


When everybody or everyone is used, the object must
be singular, not plural.
For example
Everybody knows his or her name,
not: Everybody knows their name.

Rule 3

Mandative subjunctive concord


When prayer, suggestion, wish, demand,
recommendation, or resolution is used in a
sentence, the verb that follows must be plural, whether
the subject is singular or plural.
For example;

It has been suggested that he go not goes away.

The board has Recommend that the


manager resign not resigns.

I pray that God help me on my upcoming examination,


not God helps.
Rule 4

The Principle of proximity


This principle states that when there is a list of nouns
or pronouns at the level of the subject, it is the nearest
noun or pronoun to the position of the verb that will
determine the choice of the verb.
E.g
If James fails his examination, his teachers, his
parents, his friends, or John ( ) to be blame.
The correct option to fill that blank space is, “is” not
“are” because, at the subject level, we have his
teachers, his friends, his parents and John ( four
different people).
In order to choose the correct verb, we will need to
choose the nearest subject to the gap as the subject,
which is John.
Note: what makes us consider the only one noun or
pronoun used in this sentence is because of the use of
“or.” However, if the conjunction used is “and,” all the
nouns or pronouns used in the sentence will be
considered as the subject. I’ll explain better when I get
to the type of such concord.
Back to James.
But if the question comes in this manner, the answer
will be different,
For example,
If James fails his examination, his teachers, his
parents, his friends, or I ( ) to be blame.
The correct answer here is “am,” because the pronoun
“I” is the nearest subject to the gap, so if “I” is the
subject, the verb that goes with it, is “am.” – the 24
rules of concord.

Rule 5

Many – a concord
When many – a is used, the verb and the noun that
follows must be Singular
E.g

Many a candidate (not candidates) speaks ( not speak)


bad English expressions.

Many a girl (not girls) is (not are) here.


The actual meaning of statements 1 and 2 are many
candidates and many girls.

Rule 6

A pair of concord
When “a pair of” is used, the verb must be singular.
For example,

A pair of trousers (not trouser) lies(not lie) on the bed.

A pair of scissors lies (not lie) on the table.

Rule 7

National Concord
National concord is also called collective noun
concord.
A collective noun: is a noun that stands for
many units that constitute that single word.
For example,

An audience which means people who watch


programs.

The congregation, which means worshipers.

Clergy which means religion officers.

A club, which means the association of members.

So whenever, you use a collective noun, the verb that


follows must be a plural verb
For example,
Club: is a collective noun for members, so, we can also
say, members of this association.

Our club meet ( not meets) ones in a week.

However, in some situations, a singular verb goes with


a collective noun. Here is the principle;
If the collective noun performs an action, a plural verb
follows, but if not, a singular verb follows.

Our Club is celebrating its twentieth anniversary today.


In the above statement, you can see that; Our
Club performs no action, hence, a singular verb is used.
But;

Our Club are (not is) going on a vacation tomorrow.


You can see that; the above sentence is different from
the first sentence, here the club is performing an
action “going,” hence, we will use a plural verb (are) in
compliance with the rule.

The audience are (not is) partial in their judgment of


the winner. The answer is “are” because the collective
noun (audience) performs an action “judgment.”

Rule 8

Parenthesis
The parenthesis statement is an additional statement
to what has already been said before.
Note A parenthetical statement should not be
considered in choosing the verb that will follow.
E.g

The teacher, not her students is in the class.


The correct answer is, is because ( not her students) is
just parenthesis, and parenthesis has nothing to do
with choosing the verb.

The manager, not many of his workers, is (not are) here


now. not many of his workers is just a parenthesis,
therefore, the parenthesis should be ignored.
The manager is a singular noun, hence a singular verb.

Rule 9

Accompaniment Concord
When any of these following words are used, the
subject of the clause would be the noun and
pronoun that comes before the marker of
accompaniment.top↑
Words like as much as, alongside, as well as, together
with, no less than, in association with, including, like,
with, and in collaboration with, etc

Example 1
Mary, as well as her friends, is ( not are) beautiful.
The answer is, “is” because mary is the noun that
comes before as well as, hence mary is the subject and
it is a singular noun hence a singular verb.

Example 2
The little kids alongside their parents are (not is) here.
The answer is are not is because the little kids come
before alongside. The subject is plural hence a plural
verb.

Rule 10

More than concord


When more than is used, the word or number that
comes after more than will determine the next verb.
For example
More than two apples are ( not is) here.

More than one oranges is (not are) here.

In the first statement, the answer


is “are” not is because two attracts are but in the
second statement, the correct option
is, “is” not are because one attracts is.
Note: Do not think because more than one means at
least two, that you will use a plural verb after, no, you
will use a singular verb – the 24 rules of concord.

Rule 11

Indefinite pronoun concord


When any of the following words are used, you should
use a Singular verb
Such words as; Everybody, everything, everyone,
everywhere, no one, nothing, nobody, nowhere,
something, someone, somebody, anyone, anything,
anybody, anywhere and each. the next verb must be
singular.
For example

Nothing goes ( not go).

Everybody likes (not like) him.

Everybody thinks (not think) he stole the money.

Rule 12

Relative Concord
When who, whose, which and that refers to a previously
mentioned noun or pronoun, such noun is a Relative
noun
Example:

One of the farmers who plant (not plants) on the


farm has (not have) been asked to withdraw.

Rule 13
Uncountable nouns of concord
Countable nouns are nouns that can be quantified in
units and numbers, that is, are nouns that can be
counted.
E.g chairs, tables, phones, and so forth.
Uncountable nouns are nouns that cannot be quantified
in units and numbers.
E.g water, information, equipment.
Note all uncountable nouns will avoid “s” at the back.
It is wrong to use any of these words below;
E.g informations, clothes, equipments, furnitures,
machineries, datas, advices, evidences, wealths, and so
forth.
Instead, you say a piece of, information, evidence, data,
cloth, equipment, advice, etc
It is wrong to say machineries instead, you say a
machine or two machines.
Other examples of nouns that attract plural verbs are;

The police work hard (not works), but,


that policeman (not policemen) works (not work) hard.
police and policemen are collective nouns that is why
they attract a plural verb from the seventh rule.
But policeman is not collective noun but a singular
noun, hence a singular verb

The headquarters look (not looks) palatial.

Cattle give (not gives) bad odor, and a cow gives bad
odor.

Aircraft make (not makes) traveling easier but,


that chopper, airbus, or airplane makes traveling easier.

All the four examples attract plural verb because the


subject in each example is a collective noun.

Rule 14

Pluralia tantums
Pluralia tantum are nouns that come in plural forms.
Some of these words have final “s”, while some do not.
However, whenever any of the following forms appear,
it must be followed by a singular verb.

School Subject: Mathematics, Economics,


Civics, Physics, Statistics, and so forth. You can see
that all of the words end with “s” but it does not show
plurality.

Games: Darts, Snakes and Ladders, Draughts, Billiards,


Bowls and Skittles, and so forth, all end with “s” but do
not show plurality.

Diseases: Measles, Tuberculosis, Shingles, Mumps,


and so on, all end with “s” but do not show plurality.

Others: titles, news, series, means, and so forth.

Examples,

The series of incidents makes (not make) me shudder.

The means of transport hastens (not hasten) traveling.


Note: There are some nouns that do not appear as
singular at all but as plurals and they often attract
plural verbs.
Such words are: Funds (money), annals, spirits,
surroundings, guts, earnings, arms (weapons),
auspices, the middle ages, entrails, bowels, quarters
( headquarters), banns, means, holidays, stars, suds,
wages, thanks, riches, writs, savings, remains, ashes,
goods ( product), arrears, outskirts, pains, particulars,
fireworks, and so forth.
All these nouns not verbs cannot appear
without “s” and, hence they attract plural verbs
Examples:

His manners are (not is) good

The remains (corpse) of the boy have ( not has) been


buried.

Rule 15

Double title subject concord


When two subjects are joined together by “and” but the
two subjects refer to only one person or thing,
a singular verb should be used.
Example:

Our principal and mathematics teacher knows me.

In the above sentence, our principal and mathematics


teacher is not two different people but, our principal is
also our mathematics teacher, hence the subject is our
principal, and it is a singular noun, hence, singular verb.
Consider this example:,

Our principal and the mathematics teacher.

This is quite different from the first sentence because


the principal and the mathematics teacher are two
different subjects because of the use of “the”
Mathematics teacher
Hence, in this second sentence, you use a plural verb –
the 24 rules of concord.
Rule 16

Co-ordinate concord
When two subjects are joined together by and, the verb
to be used should be plural.
Examples:

James and John are (not is) here.

Elizabeth and Johnson know (not knows) me.

Rule 17

Categorization concord
When a collective name, denoting category (not a
collective noun) is used, the verb to be used must be
plural.
Categories like: the poor, the rich, the wealthy, the
successful, the gifted, the weak, the young in spirit, the
handicapped, the helpless, and so forth. The verb to be
used should be plural.
Examples:

The poor need help (not helps or needs) from the


government.

The young are (not is) disobedient.

The weak are (not is) left to their fates.

Rule 18

Plural number concord


When amount or unit is mentioned in a statement, units
such as five thousand, three hundred, percent, twenty
meters, five times, and so on. The next verb must be
singular.
Examples:

Two pounds of flour is (not are) too few to bake a cake.

Ten percent of my earnings goes (not go) to my wife.


Rule 19

Mathematical facts
When mathematical facts are used, such as
subtraction, multiplication, addition, division, and so
forth, are used, the verb will be any of Singular and
plural, that is, a singular or plural verb can be used
when mathematical facts are used.
Examples:

Ten plus ten is or are ( are and is are both correct)


twenty.

Ten multiplied by two is or are twenty.

Both singular and plural are correct.

Rule 20

Every + plural number concord


When every precedes a plural, the next verb is plural.
Examples:

Every ten liters of oil bought come (not comes) with a


bonus of an extra liter.

But when “every” appears without any plural number,


the verb is singular.
Examples:

Every boy (not boys) likes girls.

Every man (not men) likes football.

When and joins two or more subjects with every or


each, the verb should be singular.
Examples:

Every man and woman speaks ( not speak) good


English here.
Every student and teacher comes ( not come) to school
early – the 24 rules of concord.

Rule 21

Most or much concord


When most is used, the verb will either be singular or
plural, depending on whether the referent is
a countable or uncountable noun,
Examples:

Most of the boys (countable noun) are tall.

Most of the time (uncountable noun), John has (not


have) always been there for her.

When Much is used in a statement, the verb to be used


must be singular.
Examples:

Much of the water has (not have) been spilled.


Rule 22

All concord
When all appears, it means either everything or all the
people.
When all means everything, the verb to be used should
be Singular but when all means all the people, the verb
to be used should be plural.
Examples:

All are already seated in the hall.


In the above sentence, “All” means all the people are
already seated in the hall hence a plural verb.

But;
All is well with me.
In the above sentence, “All” means everything is well
with me hence a singular verb.

When all but is used, the following verb should be plural


Example:

All but John are (not is) on the bus. That means, only
John is absent.

Rule 23

Either or neither concord


When either or neither joins two singular nouns
together, the following verb should be Singular.
Examples:

Either John or Jackson knows (not know) me.

Neither Mary nor her friend was (not were) here.

But, when either or neither joins two subjects (one


singular and the other plural), the verb should be
chosen by considering the nearer of the two subjects.
Examples:
Either James or his friends know me.

You can see that the word “friends” is nearer to the


verb gap than it is near James.
These rules also apply, when “but or but even” joins two
subjects.
Examples:

Not only Sola but even teachers laugh in school.

Not Lawrence but James speaks good English.

You can see that the word James is nearer to the verb
gap than it is near Lawrence, hence, you use singular
verb.

Rule 24

Each and one of concord


When each appears in concord, a singular noun + a
singular verb will be chosen.
Example:

Each boy (not boys) has a car.

But, when “each of or one” of appears, the next noun


should be plural but the next verb should be singular.
Example:

Each of the candidates (not candidate) stands (not


stand) a good chance to win a scholarship

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