Subject verb concord
"Ensuring Clarity and Precision: The Importance of Subject-Verb Agreement"
Subject-verb concord, also known as subject-verb agreement, is a grammatical principle that states that the verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its subject. In other words, if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.
Here are some examples:
1. Singular subject with singular verb:
– The cat **is** sleeping.
– He **runs** every morning.
2. Plural subject with plural verb:
– The cats **are** sleeping.
– They **run** every morning.
3. Collective noun:
– The team **is** practicing. (singular because “team” is acting as a single unit)
– The team members **are** practicing. (plural because it refers to individuals within the team)
4. Indefinite pronouns:
– Someone **is** knocking on the door. (singular)
– Both of us **are** going to the party. (plural)
Ensuring subject-verb concord helps to maintain clarity and grammatical correctness in sentences.
Subject verb agreement rules
Subject-verb agreement follows several rules to maintain grammatical correctness in sentences. Here are the key rules:
1. **Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.**
– Example: The dog (singular) barks (singular verb). The dogs (plural) bark (plural verb).
2. **Compound subjects joined by “and” usually take a plural verb.**
– Example: Tom and Jerry are playing in the garden.
3. **When two singular subjects are connected by “or” or “nor,” use a singular verb.**
– Example: Neither the cat nor the dog is in the house.
4. **If the subjects joined by “or” or “nor” are singular and plural, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.**
– Example: Neither the cat nor the dogs are in the house.
5. **Indefinite pronouns like “everyone,” “someone,” “anyone,” “nobody,” etc., are usually singular and take singular verbs.**
– Example: Someone is knocking at the door.
6. **Certain indefinite pronouns like “both,” “few,” “many,” “several,” etc., are usually plural and take plural verbs.**
– Example: Both of them are attending the meeting.
7. **Collective nouns can be singular or plural, depending on the context.**
– Example: The team is winning. (Singular)
– The team are divided in their opinions. (Plural)
8. **Subjects such as “each,” “every,” “either,” “neither,” etc., are singular and take singular verbs.**
– Example: Each of the students is required to bring a pencil.
9. **Expressions of time, distance, amount, and quantity take singular verbs.**
– Example: Ten miles is a long way to walk.
10. **When a sentence starts with “there” or “here,” the subject follows the verb.**
– Example: There are many books on the shelf.
Following these rules ensures proper subject-verb agreement, which is essential for clear and grammatically correct communication.
Rules continued...
11. **Titles, names of companies, countries, and organizations are considered singular and take singular verbs.**
– Example: Microsoft is releasing a new software update.
12. **Subjects that are plural in form but singular in meaning (e.g., mathematics, news, economics) take singular verbs.**
– Example: Mathematics is her favorite subject.
13. **When “one” is used as the subject, it takes a singular verb.**
– Example: One of the students has already completed the assignment.
14. **When a subject follows the verb (inverted sentences), the verb agrees with the subject, not the noun closest to it.**
– Example: Here comes the bus.
15. **When “there” is used as a dummy subject, the verb agrees with the real subject that follows it.**
– Example: There is a pen and two pencils on the desk.
16. **Some nouns have fixed plural forms and take plural verbs.**
– Example: The scissors are on the table.
17. **Titles of creative works (books, movies, songs, etc.) take singular verbs.**
– Example: “The Lord of the Rings” is a popular fantasy novel.
18. **When using fractions or percentages as subjects, the verb agrees with the noun following “of.”**
– Example: Two-thirds of the cake has been eaten.
19. **When “either/or” or “neither/nor” connects two singular subjects, the verb agrees with the closer subject.**
– Example: Neither the cat nor the dog likes baths.
20. **When using “as well as,” “along with,” “together with,” etc., the verb agrees with the first subject.**
– Example: The teacher, along with her students, is attending the conference.
21. **When using “more than one” or “many a,” the subject is considered singular and takes a singular verb.**
– Example: More than one person has complained about the noise.
22. **When the subject is a fraction of a whole, the verb agrees with the noun following “of.”**
– Example: One-third of the population is under the age of 30.
23. **When using “there is” or “there are” constructions, ensure that the verb agrees with the subject following “there.”**
– Example: There are many reasons for his absence.
24. **When using relative pronouns (who, which, that), the verb agrees with the antecedent of the pronoun.**
– Example: The book that is on the shelf belongs to me.
25. **When the subject is a collective noun and the emphasis is on the individuals within the group, use a plural verb.**
– Example: The committee members are divided in their opinions.
26. **When the subject is a collective noun and the emphasis is on the group as a single unit, use a singular verb.**
– Example: The team is playing well together.
27. **When using “each,” “every,” or “either… or,” the verb is singular.**
– Example: Every student is required to submit their assignment on time.
28. **When using “some,” “many,” “all,” “none,” “any,” etc., the verb agrees with the noun following the quantifier.**
– Example: Some of the cake was eaten.
29. **When the subject is a clause or phrase that comes after the main subject, ensure the verb agrees with the main subject.**
– Example: The cat, as well as the kittens, is sleeping peacefully.
30. **When the subject consists of two singular nouns connected by “with,” “as well as,” “together with,” etc., the verb agrees with the first noun.**
– Example: The teacher, along with her students, was excited about the field trip.
These additional rules should provide further clarity on subject-verb agreement in various sentence structures.
Rules cheat sheet
Here’s a consolidated list of all the rules for subject-verb agreement:
1. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.
2. Compound subjects joined by “and” usually take a plural verb.
3. When two singular subjects are connected by “or” or “nor,” use a singular verb.
4. If the subjects joined by “or” or “nor” are singular and plural, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
5. Indefinite pronouns like “everyone,” “someone,” “anyone,” “nobody,” etc., are usually singular and take singular verbs.
6. Certain indefinite pronouns like “both,” “few,” “many,” “several,” etc., are usually plural and take plural verbs.
7. Collective nouns can be singular or plural, depending on the context.
8. Subjects such as “each,” “every,” “either,” “neither,” etc., are singular and take singular verbs.
9. Expressions of time, distance, amount, and quantity take singular verbs.
10. When a sentence starts with “there” or “here,” the subject follows the verb.
11. Titles, names of companies, countries, and organizations are considered singular and take singular verbs.
12. Subjects that are plural in form but singular in meaning take singular verbs.
13. When “one” is used as the subject, it takes a singular verb.
14. When a subject follows the verb (inverted sentences), the verb agrees with the subject, not the noun closest to it.
15. When “there” is used as a dummy subject, the verb agrees with the real subject that follows it.
16. Some nouns have fixed plural forms and take plural verbs.
17. Titles of creative works take singular verbs.
18. When using fractions or percentages as subjects, the verb agrees with the noun following “of.”
19. When “either/or” or “neither/nor” connects two singular subjects, the verb agrees with the closer subject.
20. When using “as well as,” “along with,” “together with,” etc., the verb agrees with the first subject.
21. When using “more than one” or “many a,” the subject is considered singular and takes a singular verb.
22. When the subject is a fraction of a whole, the verb agrees with the noun following “of.”
23. When using “there is” or “there are” constructions, ensure that the verb agrees with the subject following “there.”
24. When using relative pronouns, the verb agrees with the antecedent of the pronoun.
25. When the subject is a collective noun and the emphasis is on the individuals within the group, use a plural verb.
26. When the subject is a collective noun and the emphasis is on the group as a single unit, use a singular verb.
27. When using “each,” “every,” or “either… or,” the verb is singular.
28. When using “some,” “many,” “all,” “none,” “any,” etc., the verb agrees with the noun following the quantifier.
29. When the subject is a clause or phrase that comes after the main subject, ensure the verb agrees with the main subject.
30. When the subject consists of two singular nouns connected by “with,” “as well as,” “together with,” etc., the verb agrees with the first noun.
These rules are essential for ensuring proper subject-verb agreement in sentences.
Worksheet 1
1. The cat ___________ (sleep) peacefully on the sofa.
2. Both Tom and Jerry ___________ (enjoy) watching cartoons.
3. Neither the dog nor the cat ___________ (want) to go outside.
4. Some of the cake ___________ (disappear) before the party started.
5. Each of the students ___________ (complete) the assignment on time.
6. There ___________ (be) ten apples in the basket.
7. Mathematics ___________ (be) my favorite subject.
8. The team members ___________ (argue) over the decision.
9. Every child ___________ (receive) a gift at the party.
10. Here ___________ (come) the bus!
11. The company ___________ (announce) a new product launch.
12. Two-thirds of the population ___________ (support) the new policy.
13. One of the books on the shelf ___________ (be) mine.
14. Either the red dress or the blue one ___________ (look) good on you.
15. More than one student ___________ (complain) about the homework.
16. The committee ___________ (meet) every Monday afternoon.
17. Some of the fruit in the bowl ___________ (be) rotten.
18. The news about the accident ___________ (shock) everyone.
19. Neither John nor his friends ___________ (know) the answer.
20. Ten miles ___________ (seem) like a long way to walk.
21. The teacher, as well as the students, ___________ (attend) the seminar.
22. Everyone in the room ___________ (be) wearing a mask.
23. None of the students ___________ (bring) their textbooks to class.
24. The committee members ___________ (disagree) on the budget allocation.
25. Each of the flowers in the garden ___________ (bloom) beautifully in spring.
You can fill in the blanks with the appropriate verb form according to the subject-verb agreement rules.
Answers
Here are the answers for the sentences:
1. The cat **is sleeping** peacefully on the sofa.
2. Both Tom and Jerry **enjoy** watching cartoons.
3. Neither the dog nor the cat **wants** to go outside.
4. Some of the cake **disappeared** before the party started.
5. Each of the students **completes** the assignment on time.
6. There **are** ten apples in the basket.
7. Mathematics **is** my favorite subject.
8. The team members **are** arguing over the decision.
9. Every child **receives** a gift at the party.
10. Here **comes** the bus!
11. The company **has announced** a new product launch.
12. Two-thirds of the population **supports** the new policy.
13. One of the books on the shelf **is** mine.
14. Either the red dress or the blue one **looks** good on you.
15. More than one student **complains** about the homework.
16. The committee **meets** every Monday afternoon.
17. Some of the fruit in the bowl **is** rotten.
18. The news about the accident **shocks** everyone.
19. Neither John nor his friends **know** the answer.
20. Ten miles **seems** like a long way to walk.
21. The teacher, as well as the students, **attends** the seminar.
22. Everyone in the room **is** wearing a mask.
23. None of the students **brings** their textbooks to class.
24. The committee members **disagree** on the budget allocation.
25. Each of the flowers in the garden **blooms** beautifully in spring.
These answers reflect the correct subject-verb agreement based on the rules provided.
Worksheet 2
Here’s another worksheet with 25 sentences focusing on subject-verb agreement:
1. The dog __________ (bark) loudly at strangers.
2. Both the cat and the rabbit __________ (run) around the garden.
3. Neither the birds nor the squirrels __________ (bother) the picnic.
4. Some of the students __________ (attend) the evening classes.
5. Each of the books __________ (have) a different cover.
6. There __________ (be) five chairs in the room.
7. Politics __________ (be) a sensitive topic.
8. The team members __________ (celebrate) their victory.
9. Every student in the class __________ (receive) a certificate.
10. Here __________ (come) the guests!
11. The company __________ (announce) layoffs.
12. Two-thirds of the employees __________ (support) the new policy.
13. One of the apples on the tree __________ (fall) to the ground.
14. Either the red or the blue car __________ (be) available for rent.
15. More than one option __________ (exist) for solving the problem.
16. The committee __________ (discuss) the budget.
17. Some of the information in the report __________ (be) inaccurate.
18. The news about the earthquake __________ (shock) the nation.
19. Neither the manager nor his assistant __________ (know) about the meeting.
20. Ten days __________ (pass) since we last met.
21. The teacher, as well as the students, __________ (participate) in the project.
22. Everyone in the room __________ (contribute) to the discussion.
23. None of the employees __________ (volunteer) for overtime.
24. The committee members __________ (review) the proposals.
25. Each of the paintings in the gallery __________ (depict) a different scene.
Answers
Here are the answers for the sentences in the worksheet:
1. The dog **barks** loudly at strangers.
2. Both the cat and the rabbit **run** around the garden.
3. Neither the birds nor the squirrels **bother** the picnic.
4. Some of the students **attend** the evening classes.
5. Each of the books **has** a different cover.
6. There **are** five chairs in the room.
7. Politics **is** a sensitive topic.
8. The team members **celebrate** their victory.
9. Every student in the class **receives** a certificate.
10. Here **come** the guests!
11. The company **announces** layoffs.
12. Two-thirds of the employees **support** the new policy.
13. One of the apples on the tree **falls** to the ground.
14. Either the red or the blue car **is** available for rent.
15. More than one option **exists** for solving the problem.
16. The committee **discusses** the budget.
17. Some of the information in the report **is** inaccurate.
18. The news about the earthquake **shocks** the nation.
19. Neither the manager nor his assistant **knows** about the meeting.
20. Ten days **have passed** since we last met.
21. The teacher, as well as the students, **participates** in the project.
22. Everyone in the room **contributes** to the discussion.
23. None of the employees **volunteers** for overtime.
24. The committee members **review** the proposals.
25. Each of the paintings in the gallery **depicts** a different scene.
These answers reflect the correct subject-verb agreement based on the rules provided in the worksheet.
"Aligning Words: The Beauty of Subject-Verb Agreement"
In conclusion, mastering subject-verb concord is paramount for effective communication and writing clarity. By ensuring that the verb aligns with its subject in terms of number and person, writers can convey their intended message clearly and grammatically sound. This fundamental aspect of language enhances readability and comprehension, facilitating seamless communication between speakers and listeners, readers, or writers. From simple sentences to complex prose, subject-verb agreement serves as the backbone of grammatical correctness, lending coherence and precision to written and spoken language. Therefore, attention to subject-verb concord is not just a matter of grammatical correctness but also a mark of linguistic fluency and proficiency.
