1.3. Subject-Verb Concord: Rules for Agreement

Subject-verb concord (or agreement) means that the verb in a sentence must agree with its subject in number (singular or plural).

Subject-verb concord is a grammatical rule that states the verb must match the subject in number. If the subject is singular, the verb is also singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. This is crucial for proper sentence structure.

Think of subject-verb concord as a dance between the subject and the verb. If one is moving solo (singular), the other must do the same. But if both are part of a group (plural), they must dance together in harmony.

● Singular Subject, Singular Verb: If the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. Example: The dog runs fast. (Dog - singular, runs - singular)

● Plural Subject, Plural Verb: If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. Example: The dogs run fast. (Dogs - plural, run - plural)

When a subject is singular, it takes a singular verb form. For instance, in the sentence 'The dog runs fast', 'dog' is singular, so 'runs' is also singular. Conversely, when the subject is plural, the verb must change to accommodate this. For example, 'The dogs run fast' uses 'run' because 'dogs' is plural.

Imagine you're at a park. When only one dog is running, you can say 'The dog runs swiftly.' But if a pack of dogs is racing, you'd say 'The dogs run swiftly.' The change in the number of dogs impacts how you describe their actions.

● Compound Subjects joined by 'and': Usually take a plural verb. Example: Rohan and Seema are friends.

○ Exception: If the two subjects refer to the same person/thing or form a single unit, use a singular verb. Example: Bread and butter is my favourite breakfast.

When two subjects are joined by 'and', they typically create a compound subject that requires a plural verb. For example, 'Rohan and Seema are friends' uses 'are' to reflect that more than one person is involved. However, if the subjects refer to the same entity or idea, like 'bread and butter', a singular verb forms since they create a single unit of meaning.

Picture a team of chefs working together. When two chefs collaborate, you'd say 'The chefs are cooking.' But if they are making a dish together, you'd say, 'The pasta and sauce is ready' because they come together as one delicious meal.

● Subjects joined by 'or', 'nor', 'either...or', 'neither...nor': The verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Example: Neither the students nor the teacher is present. Example: Neither the teacher nor the students are present.

When subjects are connected by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the subject that is closest to it in the sentence. In the example 'Neither the students nor the teacher is present', the closest subject is 'teacher' (singular), so the verb 'is' is also singular. In the reverse situation, where 'students' is closest, you'd use a plural verb.

Consider a teacher deciding who can attend an event. If the teacher asks, 'Will either Lisa or the students join?', the focus is on who is closer to going. If it’s more about the students, your answer would reflect that, adjusting how you’d describe attendance.

● Collective Nouns: Can take a singular or plural verb depending on whether the group is acting as a single unit or as individuals. Example (as a unit): The team is celebrating its victory. Example (as individuals): The team are arguing among themselves.

Collective nouns can be tricky! Depending on whether you think of the group as one entity or as individual members, you adjust the verb. For example, in 'The team is celebrating its victory', 'team' acts as one single unit. Conversely, in 'The team are arguing among themselves', the focus is on the individual members of the team.

Imagine a sports team. When they win a game, they all celebrate as one team, so you say, 'The team is cheering.' However, if they start to disagree about strategy, you might say, 'The team are debating various options.' Here, you focus on each person’s opinion rather than the group as a whole.

● Indefinite Pronouns: ○ Singular (e.g., each, every, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, anything, something, nothing): Take a singular verb. Example: Everyone is expected to attend.

○ Plural (e.g., both, few, many, several): Take a plural verb. Example: Many are called, but few are chosen.

○ Can be singular or plural (e.g., all, any, some, none, most): Depend on the noun they refer to. Example: Some of the water is spilled. Some of the students are absent.

Indefinite pronouns can be odd since they don't specify a number outright. Some are always singular, like 'everyone', which takes a singular verb. Others, like 'many', are plural and require a plural verb. Lastly, some like 'all' can change based on what they refer to, making them either singular or plural based on context.

Think of a classroom. If the teacher says, 'Everyone has their book', it refers to a singular action of a group. But if the teacher points out, 'Many have completed their homework', it focuses on the plural actions of multiple students. It's like choosing candy from a mixed box; sometimes you pick one type, other times you might choose a handful.

● Phrases between Subject and Verb: Do not affect the verb's agreement with the main subject. Example: The box of chocolates is on the table.

When additional phrases appear between the subject and the verb, these phrases do not change the required agreement. For instance, in 'The box of chocolates is on the table', 'of chocolates' is extra information, but it does not affect the singular form of 'is' since the main subject is 'box'.

Imagine you have a book on a table. You might say, 'The book on the table is interesting.' Here, 'on the table' is just a little detail that doesn't change how you refer to the book—it remains singular.

● 'There is/are': The verb agrees with the noun that follows 'there'. Example: There is a book on the shelf. There are many books on the shelf.

When using 'there is' or 'there are', the verb must agree with the noun that comes after 'there'. For example, in 'There is a book', the book is singular, so 'is' is used. In 'There are many books', 'books' is plural, requiring 'are'.

Think of it like spotting items in a room. If you see one item, you'd say, 'There is a chair.' If you see multiple items, you'd say, 'There are chairs.' The way you describe the situation changes based on how many items are in front of you.

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