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Grammar - Subject-
Verb Concord
~ verb must agree with its Number and
Person.
In other words, the Verb of a sentence agrees
with Number and Person of the Subject of
that sentence.
'9 Error of Proximity
Often, the 'Verb' is made to agree in number
with a norm near it instead of its proper
Subject. It is an error. This common error is
called the 'Error of Proximity'. It should be
avoided. The verb must agree with its proper
Subject.
. The price of the apples was very
high.
(✓)
2. The price of the apples were very
high.
(X)

The sentence no 2 is wrong because in it the

verb 'were' is wrongly agreed with the noun
'apples' near it. It is an Error of Proximity.

1. Number
The basic principle of Subject-Verb agreement
is that singular subjects need singular verlbs.
Plural subjects need plural verbs:
Slng""1r Pl•Nl
The girl is playing. The girls are playing.
The boy has gone to school. 1bc boys have gone to school.
He likes sweets. They like sweets.
he rules regarding the person are as follows:
(i) The first person singular or plural takes a
singular verb:

, ! !1like this scenery.

• We like this scenery.

~ he second person singular or plural takes

a singular verb:

You like this scenery.

t(l/f-rhe third person singular takes a singular

verb:

e • He likes this scenery.

(v)9 he third person plural takes a plural verb:

• They like this scenery.

3\ ncountable Noun:
When we use an uncountable noun as the
subject of a verb, we use a singular form of
the verb:

- • Honesty is the best policy.

• Fear begins to haunt him.

4. !ingular and Plural Nouns:

When we use a singular noun as the subject
of a verb, we use a singular verb. Plural nouns
take a plural verb:

- • The moon was shining in the sky.

• The sun is about to set.
• The children were swimming.
• The farmers were ploughing.
• · One of+ Plural Noun:
When the subject consists of 'one of+ plural
noun', the verb is singular:

e One of the girls was singing.

• One of the students was talking.
• One of the birds was chirping.

6. Long Subject: e
When a clause or a long group of words is the
subject, we have to be careful to make the
verb agree with the subject:

• • The chairs which I bought yesterday are

very costly.
• The woman whom I met in the market
was my friend's sister.
el. Introductory 'there':
The verb has to agree with the real subject
that follows the introductory there. If the
subject is singular, then there will be followed
by a singular verb. If the real subject is plural,
then 'there'will be followed by a plural verb:

e • There is no chair in the room.

• There are no chairs in the room.
• There are fifty boys in the class.
• There is one girl in the class.
8. ' wo or More Nouns:
When two or more nouns function as subject,
a plural verb is used:

• Satish and his sister have gone to see a

movie.
• My friend and his father are meeting us
tomorrow.

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9. Distances, Weight, etc:
For distances, weight, height or amounts of
money, we use a singular verb even when the
subject is plural:

e. Ten thousand rupees is not a small sum.

• Three kilometers is a small distance.
• Five hundred feet above sea level is not
a great height.
11 Plural Names:
The title of a book, the name of a house or a
hotel in plural takes a singular verb:

•j The Arabian Nights" has interesting

stories.
• "The Hotel Brewers" is a five-star hotel.

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11. Plural Nouns with Singular Meaning:
Nouns which are plural in form but singular in
meaning usually take a singular verb:

• Mathematics is not an easy subject.

• Economics is a dull subject.
• Measles is an infectious disease.
• The latest news is that the criminal has
been arrested.
1! . Singular Nouns with Plural Verb:
Some nouns which appear to be singular in
form take a plural verb:

e The police have arrested three terrorists.

• The Indian cricket team won the match.

1 ~ Collective nouns like group, crowd, flock,

regiment, etc. are generally followed by a
singular verb:

, A group of boys was playing in the

ground.
• A crowd of people rashes into the hall.
• A regiment of soldiers was marching
towards the town .
~ 4. 'Class' nouns such as food, furniture,
clothing, etc. take a singular verb:

-~ his furniture is very old.

• This imported cutlery is very costly.
• His clothing consists of a bullet-proof
jacket, a blue pair of trousers and some
other items.

7 5~ ome nouns which appear to be plural in

form when preceded by a pair of take a
singular verb, for example, shoes, scissors,
trousers, etc.

• A pair of scissors was taken out of the

drawer.
• A pair of trousers was washed by the
servant.
• A pair of shoes was bought by him.
16. 9ome nouns are preceded by a lot of, a
plenty of, a great deal of, etc. These nouns
take a singular verb when they refer to amount
or quantity. But they take a plural verb when
they refer to number:

41 A lot of people visit the exhibition.

• A plenty o,f water was supplied to the
villagers.

lJ. When a singular subject is joined by as

well as, in addition to, except, etc. with another
noun or pronoun, we use a singular verb.

e Sohan as well as his brother has come.

• My father in addition to our neighbour
has gone out for a walk.
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18. A singular verb is used with singular
pronouns, e.g. each, either, neither, anyone,
etc.

- • Each of the boys was given a prize.

• Neither of the students was absent.
• Everybody has helped her.

19~ hen two or more subjects are connected

by nor or or, the verb is used according to the
number of the noun nearest to it:

- • Neither she nor her sisters visit the

temple .
• Either they or he is telling a lie.
2~ collective noun such as jury, committee,
family, etc. takes a singular verb when it is
considered one unit. But when they are
regarded as individuals, they take a plural verb:

e • The jury is about to give its decision.

• The jury are divided in their opinion.
• The committee is meeting tomorrow.
• The committee have decided to raise
the membership fee.
4)ur family has decided to visit Shimla
this summer.
• The family now live in London.

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21. When some nouns are regarded as one
unit, they take a singular verb:

~ Bread and butter is a wholesome food.

• Brick and stone is lying scattered all over
the place.
Exercise (Solved} e
Choose the correct form of the verbs given in
the brackets in the following sentences:
(i) Each of these producers ........................... his
own advantage, (has, have)
(ii) Ten miles ........................... long distance, (is,
are)
(iii) Many a student ....................... hard to pass
his entrance exam, (try, tries)
(iv) The furniture in his house ............ ...........
impressive, (look, looks)
(v) Few students .................. .. present in the
class today, (is, are)
(vi) Ritesh, my best friend ... ..................... leaving
for Japan next week, (is, are)
(vii) Most of my friends .................. ... government
employees, (is, are)
(viii) The level of intoxication ....................... from
subject to subject, (vary, varies)
(ix) Either boys or girls ................ telling lies, (is,
are)
(x) A number of people ............................ reported
to be missing in the train accident at Jhansi.
(was, were)
Answer:
(i) has (ii) is (iii) tries (iv) looks (v) are (vi) is
(vii) are (viii) varies (ix) are (x) were.
Exercise (Unsolved)
Choose the correct form of the verbs given in
the brackets in the following sentences:

(i) The jury....................... divided in their opinions,

(was, were)
(ii) There ........................... many exceptions to this
rule, (is, are)
(iii) Bread and butter...................... my favourite
breakfast, (is, are)
(iv) Neither Ramesh nor his
fr ien ds........................ hurt, (was, were)
I \ I O
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(iv) Neither Ramesh nor his

fr iends ........................ hurt, (w as, we re)
(v) Slow and steady................... the race, (win,
wins)
(vi) No news ............... good news, (is, are)
(vii) There ..................... sixty students in our
class, (is, are)
(viii) Mathematics ................. my favourite
subject, (is, are)
(ix) The poet and singer.............. dead, (is, are)
(x) He as well as his classmates
working, (is, are)
wuestion 2. e
Keeping a pet (a) ......................... the best way to
fight loneliness. But clean and comfortable
......................... housing for them (b) ......................... .
essential. If they (c) ......................... carnivores a
high protein diet (d) ......................... required.
Veterinary appointments (e) ......................... a
must. They (f) ......................... wonderful pets
and (g) ......................... quite affectionate. They
(h) ......................... you entertained for hours.
Answer:
(a) is
(b) is
(c) are
(d) is
(e) are
(f) make
(g) are
(h) keep
wuestion 4. •
In November 2009 sales of cars (a)
......................... up.This (b) ......................... the
largest car boom the country (c) ........................ .
seen in years. Today the largest growth (d)
......................... seen for small cars. The entire
market (e) ......................... seeing steady growth.
There ......................... currently 1.7 million new
cars (8) ......................... every year but Maruti
Suzuki (h) ......................... not profiting from this
development.
Answer:
(a) went
(b) is
(c) has
(d) is
(e) is are
(f) bought
(h) is
Question 5.
Mohan and Shyam (a) ......................... my best
friends. They always (b) ......................... me in my
work. None of them (c) ......................... football.I
(d) ......................... never (e) ......................... them
wasting their time. Neither Mohan nor Shyam
(f) ......................... lazy. Each one of them (g)
.................... ..... very active. All the students of
my class (h) ......................... them.
Answer:
(a) are
(b) help
(c) plays
(d) have
(e) seen is
(f) is
(h) like
v [ion 6.
Fill in the blanks with the corre ct verb given in
the bracket:
(a) Math emat ics ......................... (is/ar e) my
favou rite subject.
(b) Politics ......................... (is/ are) not my cup of
tea.
(c) The poet and philosopher, Rahim
......................... (has/ have) died.
(d) Moha n no less than you ....................... ..
(is/are) guilty.
(e) This news ......................... (is/ are) false. Bread
and butte r ....................... (is/ a re) my favou rite
break fast.
Answer:
(a) is
(b) is
(c) has
(d) are
(e) is
Question 7.
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of verb:
(a) It is Ram who ......................... to blame.
(b) The whole class ......................... absent.
(c) The jury ......................... different opinion.
(d) Neither you nor I ......................... invited.
(e) Al I the boys of the class .........................
absent today.
(f) Two and two ......................... four.
Answer:
(a) is
(b) is
(c) has
(d) am
(e) are
(f) make
V llOn t).

Fifi in the blanks with the correct form of verb:

(a) The majority of the applicants ........................ .
girls.
(b) Neither of these two boys ........................ .
scored well.
(c) A pair of shoes ......................... been stolen.
(d) The quality of these apples ........................ .
not good.
(e) A black and white cow ......................... grazing
outsi
(f) A black and a white cow ....................... ..
grazing outside.
Answer:
(a) are
(b) has
(c) has
(d) is
(e) is
(f) are
Question 9.
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of verb:
(a) One thousand rupees ......................... a big
amount for me.
(b) If I ......................... a bird, I would fly.
(c) Each of the girls ......................... received an
award.
(d) Four weeks ......................... a good holiday.
(e) My father ......................... not like reading
.
comics.
(f) He walks as if he ......................... lame.
Answer:
(a) is
(b) were
(c) has
(d) is
(e) does
(f) were