Subject verb agreement-Rules 1-8
Subject Verb Agreement
Subject āĻāĻŦāĻ verb āĻāϰ āĻŽāϧā§āϝ⧠number āĻāĻŦāĻ person āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ āĻŽāĻŋāϞ āĻŦāĻž āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāϰā§āĻ āĻĨāĻžāĻāϞ⧠āϤāĻžāĻā§ subject verb agreement āĻŦāϞā§āĨ¤ āύāĻŋāĻŽā§āύ⧠āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āύāĻŋā§āĻŽ āĻŦāϰā§āĻŖāύāĻž āĻāϰāĻž āĻšāϞā§:
Rule 1: Noun āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻāϤ āĻŦāĻž āĻ āϰā§āĻĨāĻāϤ āϝ⧠āĻā§āύ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ āĻšāϤ⧠Plural āĻšāϞ⧠(āĻ āϰā§āĻĨāĻāϤ Plural āϝā§āĻŽāύ: public, mob, people etc.) Verb/Pronoun āĻāĻŋ-āĻ plural āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Example: 1. The police (were) walking along the street and (they) were followed by a group of detectives. / 2. Poultry (are) roaming in the pasture.
Rule 2: (Each +Singular Noun)+ and+(Each +singular Noun) āĻšāϞ⧠Verb/Pronoun Singular āĻ āĻĨāĻŦāĻž (Every +singular noun)+and+(every +singular noun) āĻšāϞ⧠Verb/Pronoun singular. āϝā§āĻŽāύ- Each instructor and every student in this building (hopes) for a new facility by the next year. āϤāĻŦā§, Every +singular noun and plural noun +plural verb/pronoun. Example: Every student and instructors ( hope) for a new facility by the next year.
Rule 3: Majority/ Minority +Plural Noun/Pronoun-Plural verb. Example: Majority of the specialists (believe) that smoking is deleterious to (their) health. / Minority of them (have) supported the candidate.
āĻāĻŋāύā§āϤ⧠Majority, minority āϏāϰāĻžāϏāϰāĻŋ (Noun/pronoun) āĻāĻžā§āĻž āĻŦāϏāϞ⧠Verb singular āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Majority/Minority---- Singular verb. Example: 1. Majority (believes) that smoking is deleterious to health. / 2. Minority (has) supported the candidate.
Rule 4: Real Subject āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ verb āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ āĻ āϰā§āĻĨāĻžā§ preposition āĻāϰ āĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŦāĻŦāϰā§āϤ⧠Norn/Pronoun āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ verb āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Subject +Prepositional phrase—verb. Example: 1. The horror of it all (is) too much for Boyde. / 2. Politics prevailing in the states (is) sometimes a dirty business and (it) should be stopped. / 3. A large percentage of the older population (is) voting against her.
Rule 5: both-----and---- āĻšāϞ⧠verb/pronoun plural āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Example: At first both of the horses (were) nervous but (they) ran very well. / Both pavel and Hafsa (are) zealous.
Rule 6: together with / along with / accompanied by /with / as well as / with+ āĻā§āύ āĻāĻŋāĻā§/āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋ / and not/ but not + Noun/Pronoun +verb āĻĨāĻžāĻāϞ⧠⧧āĻŽ āĻ āĻāĻļā§āϰ Sub āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ verb āĻšāĻŦā§ (formula-āϤ⧠āĻĒā§āϰāĻĻāϤā§āϤ noun/pronoun āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ āύā§) āĨ¤ Example: The mayor together with his two brothers (is) going to deliver (his) speech. / The piano as well as the pipe organs (has) to be tuned for the big concert. / The international club, as well as the choral society and the rowing club, (needs) to submit a new constitution(itself). / The big dipper as well as many other constellations (is,) easy to find.
Rule 7: Noun of Multitude: āĻāĻāĻ āĻŽāϤ, āϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāĻž, āĻāĻžāĻ āĻĒā§āώāĻŖ āĻāϰāϞ⧠---Verb/pronoun Singular, āĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻŽāϤ, āϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāĻž, āĻāĻžāĻ āĻĒā§āώāĻŖ āĻāϰāϞā§-----Verb/Pronoun Plural. ( Club, class, congress, parliament, gang, gaggle etc. āĻāϰāĻž Noun of Multitude.) Example: The committee (were) taking all the responsibilities (themselves) / The class (is) going to arrange a debate. / The class (are) in different views about the topic.
Rule 8: Collective Expressions. āϝā§āĻŽāύ- A herd of cattle / A gaggle of girls / A pack of dogs / A Pride of lions/ A school of fish/es / A gang of rogues / A chorus of singers + Singular Verb/Pronoun. Example: A box of books as well as a large suitcase (is,) under the bed and (it) (was) covered. / A pride of lions (is) approaching to the baby. / A gang of rogues (is) coming forward. / A pack of dogs (has) been appointed to guard the meeting.
b. Subject verb agreement-Rules 9-17
Subject Verb Agreement
Subject āĻāĻŦāĻ verb āĻāϰ āĻŽāϧā§āϝ⧠number āĻāĻŦāĻ person āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ āĻŽāĻŋāϞ āĻŦāĻž āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāϰā§āĻ āĻĨāĻžāĻāϞ⧠āϤāĻžāĻā§ subject verb agreement āĻŦāϞā§āĨ¤ āύāĻŋāĻŽā§āύ⧠āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āύāĻŋā§āĻŽ āĻŦāϰā§āĻŖāύāĻž āĻāϰāĻž āĻšāϞā§:
Rule 9: Gerund/Infinitive/that clause: Gerund āĻĻāĻŋā§ā§ Sentence āĻļā§āϰ⧠āĻšāϞ⧠Verb/Pronoun SingularāĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Example: 1. Smoking in open daylight (is) highly harmful for health and (it) should be stopped. / 2. Drinking sufficient milk (keeps) our brain cool.
Rule 10: Sub+V+ One of+N/P+who+verb plural , Sub+V+the one of+N/P + who+verb singular, Sub+V+ only one of+ N/P+who+verb singular. Example: Carlos is the only one of those students who (has) proved (his) performance. / Hartford is one of those cities that (are) working hard to reclaim a riverfront. / He is one of the employees who (work) overtime regularly.
Rule 11: A number +Plural verb, The number +singular verb. Example: A number of students (have) submitted (his/her/their) assignments. / The number of agitating people (is) not negligible and (it) should be reduced.
Rule 12: One of+ plural noun/pronoun +verb singular. Example: One of my instructors (has) written a letter of recommendation for me. / One of my best friends (is) an extra on Seinfeld this week.
Rule 13: Percentage(āĻļāϤāĻāϰāĻž) āĻŦāĻž Fraction(āĻāĻā§āύāĻžāĻāĻļ) āĻĨāĻžāĻāϞā§: i. Noun/Pronoun Uncountable/Singular āĻšāϞ⧠verb/pronoun singular āĻšāĻŦā§ (āĻ āϰā§āĻĨāĻžā§ its āĻšāĻŦā§)āĨ¤ ii. Noun/Pronoun āĻāĻŋ countable āĻāĻŦāĻ plural āĻšāϞā§- verb/pronoun plural āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Example: Two-fifths of the troops (were) lost in the battle. / Two-fifths of the vineyard (was) destroyed by fire. / Forty percent of the students (are) in favor of changing the policy. / One third of the milk ( has) lost (its) food value.
Rule 14: āĻā§āύ Noun/Pronoun āĻāϰ āĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŦā§ not-----/but not/and not āĻĨāĻžāĻāϞ⧠āϤāĻž (noun/pronounāĻāĻŋ) subject āĻāĻŖāύāĻžāϰ āĻā§āώā§āϤā§āϰ⧠āĻŦāĻžāĻĻ āϝāĻžāĻŦā§āĨ¤Example: It is not the faculty members but the president who (decides) this issue (himself). / The department members but not the chair (have) decided not to teach on Valentine’s Day. / It was the speaker and not his ideas that ( has) provoked the students to riot.
Rule 15: Amount of Time, Money, Distance āϏāϰā§āĻŦāĻĻāĻž Singular. Example: Two and two (is) four. / Four years (is) a long time to spend away from your friends and family. / Four times four divided by two (is) eight. / “jaws”, a movie about sharks, (was) seen by a record number of people and (it) (was) a thriller.
Rule 16: āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ Noun āϝāĻžāϰāĻž āĻĻā§āĻāϤ⧠Plural-āĻāϰ āĻŽāϤ, āĻ āĻĨāĻ Meaning -Singular āϤāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ Verb/Pronoun- Singular āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻŦāĻžāϰ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ Noun āϝāĻžāϰāĻž āĻĻā§āĻāϤ⧠Singular-āĻāϰ āĻŽāϤ, āĻ āĻĨāĻ Meaning -plural āϤāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ verb/pronoun - plural āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Example: People (are) highly astonished seeing such a good performance from such an amateur. / Mathematics (is) a very easy subject but (it) needs a lot of practice. / Measles (has) become less common in the United States and (it) will be extinct shortly.
Rule 17: One āĻšāϞ⧠āĻ āĻŦāĻļā§āϝāĻ (possessive pronounāĻšāĻŋāϏā§āĻŦā§) One’s āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤āϤāĻŦā§ No one āĻĨāĻžāĻāϞ⧠his/her āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤Example: One should respect one’s teachers. / No one should leave away his/her homework.
c. Subject verb agreement-Rules 18-26
Subject Verb Agreement
Subject āĻāĻŦāĻ verb āĻāϰ āĻŽāϧā§āϝ⧠number āĻāĻŦāĻ person āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ āĻŽāĻŋāϞ āĻŦāĻž āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāϰā§āĻ āĻĨāĻžāĻāϞ⧠āϤāĻžāĻā§ subject verb agreement āĻŦāϞā§āĨ¤ āύāĻŋāĻŽā§āύ⧠āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āύāĻŋā§āĻŽ āĻŦāϰā§āĻŖāύāĻž āĻāϰāĻž āĻšāϞā§:
Rule 18: Relative Pronoun āϝāĻžāϰ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāϰā§āϤ⧠āĻŦāϏāĻŦā§ āϤāĻž āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ Pronoun/verb āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Example: It is Tanha who (has) solved (her) problem.
Rule 19: āĻā§āύ Sentence-āĻ and āĻĻā§āĻŦāĻžāϰāĻž āĻāĻāϧāĻŋāĻ Noun/Pronoun āϝā§āĻā§āϤ āĻĨāĻžāĻāϞ⧠verb/Pronoun-āĻāĻŋ plural āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Example: The blacksmith and the pub owner (step) forward. / Rafiq and Kamrul (are) going to find the new syllabus for (their) next semesters. āϤāĻŦā§,
i) āĻāĻāĻ āϰāĻāĻŽ/āϰā§āϤāĻŋ, āϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāĻž āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāϞ⧠āĻŦāĻž āĻāĻāĻ āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋāĻā§ āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāϞā§; āϝā§āĻŽāύ- Bread and butter/ Time and tide /Horse and carriage/ Beauty and lovely / Soup and salad / Tea and coffee /Honesty and integrity āĻāϰāĻž singular āĻšāĻŋāϏā§āĻŦā§ āĻŦāϏā§, āϏā§āϤāϰāĻžāĻ verb/pronoun singular āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤āĻāĻŋāύā§āϤā§, āĻāϞāĻžāĻĻāĻž āĻāϞāĻžāĻĻāĻž āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāϞ⧠Verb/pronoun plural āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Example: Rice and beans, my favorite dish, (reminds) me of my native Puerto Rico for (its) good test. / The student newspaper and the student council(Meet) on Tuesday afternoons and the speaker will trace out the relationship between (them).
āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻā§āϰ āĻā§āώā§āϤā§āϰā§--- The principal and the secretary are coming to submit their proposals.(āĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋ)/ The principal and secretary is coming to submit his proposal.(āĻāĻāĻ āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋ)
Rule 20: Correlative Conjunction: Either --------or---------- / Neither-------- not--------- / Not only ----------- but also--------āĻĨāĻžāĻāϞ⧠Verb-āĻāϰ āύāĻŋāĻāĻāĻŦāϰā§āϤ⧠subject āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ verb/pronoun āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤Example: Either an atlas or an almanac (is) sure to have the answer to your question about the topography of Mexico. / Not only the spider but also all other arachnids (have) four pairs of legs which have made (them) distinguished from other species. / Neither the teacher nor the students (seem) to understand this assignment. / Either the Committee on Course Design or the committee on college Operations (decides) these matters. / (Has) either my father or my brothers made a down-payment on the house?
āĻŦāĻŋ:āĻĻā§āϰ:-āĻāĻāĻžāύ⧠Verb āĻāϰ āύāĻŋāĻāĻāĻŦāϰā§āϤ⧠subject-My father āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ verb-has āĻšā§ā§āĻā§āĨ¤
Rule 21: Each, every, either, neither, many a/an āĻāϰāĻž āϏāϰāĻžāϏāϰāĻŋ singular verb/pronoun āĻā§āϰāĻšāύ āĻāϰā§āĨ¤ Example: Each of them (asks) him many questions in (his/her) turn. / Everybody in the class (has) done (his/her) home work well in advance. / Neither of my two suitcases (is) adequate for this trip. / Many a lawyer (takes) his/her seat in the courtroom.
Rule 22: No+body, thing,one /Every+body,thing,one / Some+ body,thing,one / Any+ body,thing,one +Singular verb. Example: Everyone has done (his/her) homework. / Somebody (has) left (her) purse. / Anybody was capable of doing (his/her) duty.
Rule 23: No/None+plural Noun/Pronoun+plural verb/ pronoun. Example: None of them (claim) responsibility for this incident. / None of the students (have) done (their) homework.
Rule 24: Several, few, many, other, others āĻāϰāĻž āϏāϰāĻžāϏāϰāĻŋ plural verb āĻā§āϰāĻšāĻŖ āĻāϰā§āĨ¤Example: Few of the apples (are) still hanging on the tree and a thief was looking at (them). / Several of the children (were) painting the wall with (their) fingers./ Several (were) present in the meeting
Rule 25: Some, more, most, rest, all, majority, minority, a lot of, a great deal of āĻāϰāĻž āϝ⧠Noun āĻā§ āύāĻŋāϰā§āĻĻā§āĻļ āĻāϰ⧠āϤāĻž āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ verb/pronoun āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ āĻ āϰā§āĻĨāĻžā§- āĻāϰāĻž+ Non-count Noun āĻšāϞ⧠verb/pronoun Singular āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ āĻāϰāĻž+ Plural Noun/pronoun āĻšāϞ⧠verb/pronoun Plural āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Example: Most of the milk (has) gone bad and (it/them) should be thrown away. Six cans of milk (are) / still in the refrigerator and two of (them/her/his) (are) damaged. / Some of the grain(has) gone bad. / Some of the cake (was) left on the table. / Some of the boxes (were) opened and thrown in the trash.
Rule 26: Here , there āĻāϰ āĻĒāϰāĻŦāϰā§āϤ⧠Noun āĻ āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ Verb/Pronoun āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤Example: There (is) a list of committee members on the head-table and the president hung (it) himself. / There (are) two reasons for this mishap and each of (them) should be analyzed.