Subject - Verb Agreement

 

Subject –Verb Agreement (Concord)

Look at these examples:

a. Rita is a good girl.                             b. Rita and Gita are good girls. 

c. Rajan has a pen.                                 d. Roshan and Rajan have pens. 

e. Punam works hard.                            f.  Roshan and Rajesh work hard. 

g. He was at home.                                h. They were at work.

• Conclusion:  singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs. 

• Things to remember:
  

Singular verbs: am, is, was, has, v5/does

Plural verbs: are, were, have, do, v1

Singular subjects: He, she, it, (I but takes plural verbs), a boy and Hari, etc.

Plural Subjects: We, You, they, people, boys, Hari and Rita, etc. 

Look at These examples:

 

Politics is a dirty game.                         News is important for everyone.

Bad news spreads fast.                        Economics is an interesting subject.

Physics was taught by Mr. Tamang

• Conclusion: news, economics, politics, measles, physics, etc. are singular subjects though they look like plural. So, they take singular verbs.

 

Look at these examples:

Somebody was in the hall. 

Nobody has complete the work.

Everything is all right. 

• Conclusion:  Somebody, someone, nobody, nothing, everybody, everything, everyone etc are  singular subjects and come with singular verbs (is, was, has, does, v-s/es). However, plural pronouns are usually used in place of them. For example, everybody presented their proposals.

Look at these examples.

Every boy and girl was invited in the party.     Every man and woman has to work.

Each boy meets the principal one by one.         Each packet contains fresh juice.

Conclusion: Subjects with every or each agree with singular verbs. 

Or, Each/every + sub .... + singular verbs.  

Look at these examples

One of his friends was walking into the room.    One of his friends was walking into the room.

 Either of his books is torn.                          Neither of her sisters works in a clinic.

 Each of my workers has helped me a lot. 

Conclusion: one of, either of, neither of and each of come with plural nouns but agree with singular verbs.

Look at these examples: 

Either a boy or a girl visits the zoo every Saturday.

Either a boy or girls visit the zoo every Saturday. 

Neither boys nor girls visit the zoo every Saturday.

I am not sure whether you or he has created the problem.

Conclusion: The subjects with either… or, neither…nor, whether .....or etc, agree with the verb according to the second subject. (The verb agrees with the immediate subject)

Look at these examples:

The number of restaurants in the city is very expensive.

In Kathmandu, a number of restaurants are very expensive. 

The number of boys has failed in math.

A number of boys have failed in math.

Conclusion: The number of + plural nouns take singular verbs.

                       A number of + plural nouns take plural verbs

Look at these examples:

More than one boy has come.       All the milk was boiled.

Some sugar was damaged.              Most of the money has been given.

One third of work is completed.     Half of the book has stories.

Conclusion: Determiner + uncountable noun/singular noun agrees with singular verbs

Look at these examples:

More than fifteen boys have arrived.                Two third of students were absent.

All the bags were sold yesterday.                       Half of the books have stories.

Conclusion: Determiner + plural nouns agree with plural verbs.

Look at these examples: 

Half of the book contains good poems.     Two third of the work was completed. 

Two third of the guests were having food.  

Conclusion:

If the determiners more than, all, some, most of, a lot of, half of, a quarter of, two third of, a good deal of, rest of, some of, none of, etc. come with uncountable and singular countable nouns and the subjects are singular,  they agree with singular verbs. If these come with plural countable nouns then they agree with plural verbs.

 

Look at these examples:

The writer and editor has been invited.   The lecture and poet was awarded.

The writer and the editor have been invited. The lecture and the poet were awarded.

 

Conclusion: Two singular nouns referring to the same person agree with singular verbs.

 (Note: use of article 'the' before each noun indicates two different persons.)

 

Look at these examples: 

A bouquet of flowers was given to each nurse.          A series of book was published last year. 

A team of players has decided to play the next tournament.

A bouquet of, a series of, a herd of, a team of, etc come with plural nouns and agrees with      singular verbs.

 Look at these examples:

Ten kilometers is a long distance.

Two plus two makes four.

Ten thousand rupees is a big amount for me.

Conclusion: Certain units, measurements, distance, amounts and arithmetic calculations agree with singular      verbs. (Note: meters, liters, yards, rupees, kilometers +singular verbs)

Look at these examples.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Bread and butter is my favorite food. (if taken as a single meal) His bag and baggage was there.

Conclusion:   Two nouns giving one single meaning agree with singular verbs

Look at these examples:

The Police catch thieves.

My trousers have been ruined.

These goods do not look nice.

The cattle are grazing in the field.

Conclusion: People, public, cattle, poultry, scissors, spectacles, trousers, wages, shorts, goods, thanks etc are plural nouns and agree with plural verbs.

Look at these examples:

You as well as I are going to London. 

The condition of these workers was very bad two years ago. 

The juice in these packets is fresh.

Look at these examples:

 

He and I are busy.                                       You and he are businessmen.

Her husband and she have gone home.       You and I are friends.

Conclusion: when subjects differing in number, or person, or both, are joined by 'and' the verb must be in the plural.

 

Look at these examples:

 

You as well as I are going home. Ramesh with his friends has arrived.

               The milk in these bottles is boiled.    The condition of these people is not good.

 

Conclusion: In case of the subjects with as well as, of, in, with, along with, etc. the verb agrees with the immediate subject.

Exercise

 

i.               Everybody... ... ... to get success. (want/wants/have wanted)

ii.             All her money... ... ... kept into her pocket. (is/are/have)

iii.           One of his cousins... ... ... from Boston. (comes/come/coming)

iv.           A number of girls... ... ... fighting in school. (was/were/have)

v.             Five thousand dollars. .. ... ..too much for that bus. (is/are/have)

vi.           Every member of the club... ... ... present today. (is/are/am)

vii.         Five miles... ... ... very long distance. (is/are/were)

viii.       Prerana and Prashant ……… good friends. (is/ are/has)

ix.           She, with her parents, ... . . . . . going to the zoo. (is/are/ have)

x.             Neither a dog nor a cat ….in the room. (was/were/are)

xi.           All that glitters ………not gold. (is/are/were)

xii.         The manager, with his friends,……arrived at office (have/has/are)

xiii.       Bread and butter………..a wholesome food. (is/are/have)

xiv.       No news……..good news. . (is/are/have)

xv.         Two and two …………four. (make/makes/will make)

xvi.       Good news………..always good for us. (is/are/were)

xvii.      Every boy and every girl………….to me carefully.( listens/ listen/ listening)

xviii.   One of the arguments…….that the hill was only imaginative.( is/are/have been)

xix.         Rita or Rama ……to me today (come/ comes/ have come)

xx.         Fifty rupees……..nothing to buy anything. (is /are/ have)

xxi.       Fifteen kilometers………..not a short distance for a walk in a day (is /are/ have)

xxii.     Time and tide…………for none. (wait/ waits/ waited)

xxiii.   The crew…………arrived recently.(has/ have/ are)

Do this also

ii.             Neither he nor she………………anything.(know/ knows/ knows)

iii.           The teacher, together with students,……..presented the paper. ( has/ have/ are)

iv.             People in Nepal……….simple and honest(are/ is / am)

v.             The number of students in our school……….increasing.( is/ are/ have been)

vi.           Horse and carriage………at the gate.(are/ is/ come)

vii.         Sima as well as her friends………..present today.(is/ am /are)

viii.       More than one boy………..dancing. .(is/ am /are)