Concord (Subject-verb Agreement)

Subject-Verb Agreement/Concord

Subjects and verbs must AGREE with one another in number (singular or plural). Concord refers in grammar to the agreement between the form of a verb and a subject in a sentence. For example, in "He reads a book," there is concord between the singular form of the verb and the singular pronoun "He." Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must also be plural.

In the present tense, nouns and verbs form plurals in opposite ways:

nouns: ADD an s/es to the singular form,

BUT

verbs REMOVE an s/es from the singular form.

Example:

• A student learns writing alphabets at the age 4 or 5. 
• Students learn writing alphabets at the age 4 or 5.                           

Rules

1. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular too.

Example: She writes every day.

2. If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.

Example: They write every day.

Sometimes, however, it seems a bit more complicated than this.

3. When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.

Example:

The doctoral student and the committee members write every day.

The percentage of employees who called in sick and the number of employees who left their jobs within years are reflective of the level of job satisfaction.

4. When there is one subject and more than one verb, the verbs throughout the sentence must agree with the subject.

Example:

Interviews are one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of participants.

An assumption is something that is generally accepted as true and is an important consideration when conducting a doctoral study.

5. When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, remember that the verb still agrees with the subject, not the noun or pronoun in the phrase following the subject of the sentence.

Example:

The student, as well as the committee members, is excited.

The student with all the master’s degrees is very motivated.

Strategies that the teacher uses to encourage classroom participation include using small groups and clarifying expectations.

The focus of the interviews was nine purposively selected participants.

6. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by "or" or "nor," use a singular verb.

Example:

The chairperson or the CEO approves the proposal before proceeding.

7. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by "or" or "nor," the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is closest to the verb. This is also called the rule of proximity.

Example:

The student or the committee members write every day.

The committee members or the student writes every day.

8. The words and phrases "each," "each one," "either," "neither," "everyone," "everybody," "anyone," "anybody," "nobody," "somebody," "someone," and "no one" are singular and require a singular verb.

Example:

Each of the participants was willing to be recorded.

Neither alternative hypothesis was accepted.

I will offer a $5 gift card to everybody who participates in the study.

No one was available to meet with me at the preferred times.

9. Uncountable nouns take a singular verb.

Example:

Education is the key to success.

Diabetes affects many people around the world.

The information obtained from the business owners was relevant to include in the study.

The research I found on the topic was limited.

10. Some countable nouns in English such as earnings, goods, odds, surroundings, proceeds, contents, and valuables only have a plural form and take a plural verb.

Example:

The earnings for this quarter exceed expectations.

The proceeds from the sale go to support the homeless population in the city.

Locally produced goods have the advantage of shorter supply chains.

11. In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there are," the subject follows the verb. Since "there" is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows the verb.

Example:

There is little administrative support.

There are many factors affecting teacher retention.

12. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but are considered singular and take a singular verb. Some examples are "group," "team," "committee," "family," and "class."

Example:

The group meets every week.

The committee agrees on the quality of the writing.

However, the plural verb is used if the focus is on the individuals in the group. This is much less common.

Example: The committee participate in various volunteer activities in their private lives.

13.  With compound subjects joined by neither…nor/either…or, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.

Example:

Neither the director nor the actors have arrived the location.

Neither the actors nor the director has arrived the location.

Either you or she is guilty for the loss.

14.  Subjects starting with V-ing/Gerund or to +v1 always takes singular verb.

Example:

Smoking is injurious to health.

To pass the MBBS entrance exam is too difficult.

15.  Sentences beginning with ‘Every…and…/No…and…’, use singular verb.

Example:

Every man and woman has the right to a good medical care.

No boy and girl was dancing in the part.

16.   Use singular verb if sentences begin with:

Ø  One of…

Ø  Either of…

Ø  Neither of…

Ø  Each of…, etc.

Example:

One of the boys is excellent at math.

Either of you has broken the chair.

Neither of them works hard.

17.  Use singular verb if the subjects denote to amount, distance, measurement like rupees, miles, minutes, yards, kilometres, dollars, etc.

Example:

Two thousand rupees is not a big amount.

Three hours is not enough to complete the task.

Two hundred metres is a long distance.

18.  Use singular verb if two nouns are joined by and, giving one meaning.

      Example:

Slow and steady wins the race.

Time and tide waits for no man.

Truth and honesty is a good virtue.

Horse and carriage is…

Fish and chips is…

Bread and butter is…

19.  Use singular verb with arithmetic sums like:

      Example:

      Two plus two makes four.

      Eight minus two is six.

20.  If sentences begin with any one of the following, verb is singular:

A bouquet of…

A crowd of…

A herd of…

A team of…

A series of…

A galaxy of…

Example:

A team of players was welcomed at the airport.

A series of books has been published on ‘Bird’.

A herd of cattle is grazing on the grass.

21.  Use singular verb with the words ending with ‘s’ like news, physics, measles, politics, athletics, alms, civics, comics, economics, innings, mathematics, linguistics, wages, ethics, etc.

      Example:

      Politics is a dirty game.

22.  Nationality words take plural verbs.

      Example:

      The Chinese are hard working.

23.  When adjectives are used as nouns, they take plural verbs.

      Example:

      The poor are helped. (But ‘A poor man is helped.’ Here ‘poor’ is used as an adjective)

24.  The words like pants, shorts, trousers, scissors, tongs, forceps, spectacles, shoes, etc. take plural verbs.

      Example:

My pants are getting dirty.

These scissors are broken.

But,

A pair of shoes is torn.

Look at the following sentences:

Many a man has a duty.

Many men have duties.

No book is on the table.

No books are on the table.

There is a pen in the pocket.

There are some pens in the pocket.

The number of students is 300 in the school.

A number of students are attending the program.

All milk is spilt.

All books are torn.

The principal and the manager are present.

The principal and manager is present.

One of the students is missing.

The information that the students gave us is really important.