Subject-Verb Concord: Rules
Subject-Verb Concord (also known as Subject-Verb Agreement) means that the verb in a sentence must agree with its subject in number (singular or plural). If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular; if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.
Key Rules for Subject-Verb Concord:
Basic Rule
- Singular subject takes a singular verb. (e.g., He runs.)
- Plural subject takes a plural verb. (e.g., They run.)
Compound Subjects with 'and'
- Generally, two or more subjects joined by 'and' take a plural verb. (e.g., John and Mary are friends.)
- Exception: If they refer to the same person/thing or form a single unit, use a singular verb. (e.g., Bread and butter is my favorite breakfast.)
Subjects with 'or' / 'nor'
- When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the subject closer to it. (e.g., Neither the students nor the teacher is present.)
- (e.g., Neither the teacher nor the students are present.)
Collective Nouns
- Collective nouns (e.g., family, team, committee, audience) take a singular verb when acting as a single unit. (e.g., The team is playing well.)
- They take a plural verb when the individuals within the group are acting separately. (e.g., The committee are divided on the issue.)
Indefinite Pronouns
- Most indefinite pronouns (e.g., each, every, anyone, nobody, something) take a singular verb. (e.g., Everyone is here.)
- Some (e.g., both, few, many, several) take a plural verb. (e.g., Many were absent.)
- Some (e.g., all, any, none, some, most) can be singular or plural depending on the noun they refer to. (e.g., Some of the water is dirty. Some of the students are leaving.)
Phrases between Subject and Verb
- The verb agrees with the main subject, not with the noun in the intervening phrase. (e.g., The list of items is on the table.)
Words like 'as well as', 'along with'
- When the subject is followed by 'as well as', 'along with', 'together with', 'in addition to', etc., the verb agrees with the first subject. (e.g., The king, as well as his ministers, was present.)
Quantifiers ('many a', 'a number of', 'the number of')
- 'Many a' takes a singular verb. (e.g., Many a student has failed.)
- 'A number of' takes a plural verb. (e.g., A number of students are absent.)
- 'The number of' takes a singular verb. (e.g., The number of students is increasing.)
Nouns plural in form, singular in meaning
- Subjects like 'news', 'mathematics', 'physics', 'economics', 'measles', 'mumps' take a singular verb. (e.g., The news is good.)
Inverted Sentences ('There is/are')
- In sentences starting with 'there' or 'here', the verb agrees with the subject that follows it. (e.g., There are five books on the table. There is a book on the table.)
Fractions and Percentages
- The verb agrees with the noun in the 'of' phrase. (e.g., Half of the cake was eaten. Half of the students are here.)
Titles, Amounts, Periods
- Titles of books, movies, singular amounts of money or time, etc., take a singular verb. (e.g., Twenty dollars is a lot of money. 'The Grapes of Wrath' is a classic novel.)
Important Points to Remember:
- Identify the true subject of the sentence, not just a noun closest to the verb.
- Phrases like 'accompanied by', 'together with', 'as well as' do not make a singular subject plural.
- When using 'either...or' or 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the noun closest to it.
- Be careful with collective nouns; context determines singular or plural verb.
- Amounts of money, time, and distance are usually singular.