Common Rules and Potential Errors
Introduction & Overview
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Quick Overview
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In this section, the importance of subject-verb agreement is explored, highlighting key rules and common errors that learners often encounter. Various nuances such as the influence of intervening phrases, compound subjects, and collective nouns are discussed, providing a thorough understanding of correct subject-verb pairing in sentences.
Detailed
Common Rules and Potential Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement
This section focuses on the essential principles of subject-verb agreement in English grammar, which dictate that verbs must agree with their subjects in number (singular or plural). Understanding these rules is critical to forming grammatically correct sentences. Below are the primary rules and common pitfalls to avoid:
Key Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement
- Basic Rule: Singular subjects require singular verbs and plural subjects require plural verbs.
- Example: The dog barks (singular), The dogs bark (plural).
- Intervening Phrases: When phrases come between the subject and the verb, the verb must still agree with the true subject.
- Example: The list of items is (not are) on the desk.
- Compound Subjects with 'and': When two subjects are connected by 'and', they form a plural subject and therefore take a plural verb.
- Example: My brother and sister are visiting.
- Compound Subjects with 'or' or 'nor': The verb agrees with the subject closer to it.
- Example: Neither the boys nor the girl is responsible. (Verb agrees with
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Intervening Phrases
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A common mistake is to make the verb agree with a noun in a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb, rather than with the actual subject. Always identify the true subject of the sentence.
- Correct: The list of items is on the desk. (The subject is 'list' (singular), not 'items' (plural)).
- Incorrect: The list of items are on the desk.
Detailed Explanation
When you have a sentence, sometimes additional information can be added between the subject and the verb. This can cause some confusion. It's crucial to focus on the main subject. If the subject is singular (like 'list'), then the verb needs to be singular ('is'). If we mistakenly focus on 'items' (which is plural), we could incorrectly use 'are' instead of 'is'. The first sentence is correct because 'list' is singular, so we say 'is'.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a teacher calling out a name during attendance. If the teacher says, 'The group of students is here', they focus on the 'group' rather than the individual 'students'. It's wrong to say 'are' because the collective noun 'group' is treated as one entity.
Compound Subjects Joined by 'And'
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When two or more subjects are joined by the conjunction "and," they typically form a plural subject and therefore require a plural verb.
- Example: My brother and sister are visiting next week.
- Example: Reading and writing are important skills.
Detailed Explanation
When two subjects are combined using 'and', the resultant subject is considered plural. This means the verb must also be plural. In the first example, 'brother' and 'sister' are two separate subjects, so we use 'are'. Just like two students together mean they are a group, the verb must reflect the plural form.
Examples & Analogies
Think of it as two friends planning something. If both Alex and Jamie are coming over, you wouldn't say 'Alex is and Jamie is coming;' you would say 'Alex and Jamie are coming over' because they're both part of the same action together.
Compound Subjects Joined by 'Or' or 'Nor'
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In these cases, the verb agrees with the subject that is closest to the verb.
- Example: Neither the boys nor the girl is responsible. (Verb agrees with 'girl' - singular)
- Example: Neither the girl nor the boys are responsible. (Verb agrees with 'boys' - plural)
Detailed Explanation
When subjects are linked by 'or' or 'nor', the verb should match the closer subject in number. In the first sentence, 'girl' is closest to the verb, so we say 'is' (singular). In the next sentence, 'boys' is closer, so we use 'are' (plural). This helps to clarify the responsibility in the sentence.
Examples & Analogies
Consider a choice between two desserts. If you ask, 'Do you want cake or ice cream?' If you choose cake, you would say, 'The cake is delicious,' but if you take ice cream, you would say, 'The ice cream is delectable.' The sentence needs to match the dessert chosen.
Collective Nouns
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Collective nouns (like team, family, committee, audience, group, jury, staff) can be treated as either singular or plural, depending on whether they are acting as a single, cohesive unit or as individual members.
- Singular (acting as a unit): The team is ready for the match. (The team is acting as one entity)
- Plural (acting as individuals): The team are putting on their uniforms. (Individual members are performing the action)
Detailed Explanation
Collective nouns refer to a group but can act in different ways. When the team acts as a single unit, we treat it as singular and say 'is'. Conversely, if we're focusing on the individual actions within the team, we consider them plural and use 'are'. This distinction allows us to express accurately how the group is functioning.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a band. When they perform together as one, you might say, 'The band is playing.' But in practice, if you see them setting up their instruments, you'd say, 'The band are tuning their guitars,' because youβre referring to what each member is doing individually.
Indefinite Pronouns
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These pronouns often cause confusion.
- Always Singular: Each, every, either, neither, one, anyone, anybody, anything, someone, somebody, something, no one, nobody, nothing, everyone, everybody, everything. These always take a singular verb.
- Example: Each of the students has a pen.
- Example: Everybody is excited about the trip.
- Always Plural: Both, few, many, several. These always take a plural verb.
- Example: Many believe in fairy tales.
- Example: Several of them were absent.
- Can be Singular or Plural: All, any, most, none, some. The verb agrees with the noun or pronoun that follows the preposition (usually 'of').
- Example: Some of the water is spilled. (Water is singular)
- Example: Some of the students are here. (Students are plural)
Detailed Explanation
Indefinite pronouns can be tricky because they don't always indicate a clear number. Some are strictly singular (like 'each') and always require a singular verb. Others, such as 'both,' are always plural. Then we have some like 'all' and 'some' that vary based on context. Understanding the category helps to choose the correct verb form.
Examples & Analogies
Think of a cookie jar. If you say, 'Each cookie is delicious,' you're focusing on the individual cookies. But if you say, 'Many cookies are left,' you're talking about the group. And if you say, 'Some of the cookies are burnt,' it depends on the specific cookies you are referring to that can determine if the verb is singular or plural.
'There is / There are'
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In sentences starting with "there is" or "there are," the actual subject follows the verb. The verb must agree with that noun.
- Example: There is a cat in the garden. (Subject 'cat' is singular)
- Example: There are three cats in the garden. (Subject 'cats' is plural)
Detailed Explanation
When you begin a sentence with 'there is' or 'there are', the true subject comes after the verb. Therefore, you must ensure that the verb agrees with this subject. For instance, 'there is a cat' is correct since 'cat' is singular, while 'there are three cats' is correct with 'cats' which is plural.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine you're in a room and you notice something. If someone asks, 'Is there a chair in the room?' youβd respond, 'Yes, there is a chair.' But if they ask, 'Are there chairs in the room?' youβd say, 'Yes, there are chairs.' The response reflects the count of the chairs present.
Singular Nouns Ending in 'S'
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Some nouns appear plural because they end in 's', but they are actually singular in meaning and take a singular verb.
- Examples: news, measles, mumps, physics, mathematics, economics, civics.
- Example: The news is on at 9 PM.
- Example: Physics is a challenging subject.
Detailed Explanation
Certain nouns seem like they should be plural because of their 's' ending, but they refer to a single concept or fact. Therefore, they take a singular verb. For instance, 'news' might sound plural but is treated as a singular subject because it refers to information as a whole, not multiple news items.
Examples & Analogies
Think about a team sport. If someone says, 'The gymnastics is exciting,' they're referring to a single event or concept not multiple separate gymnastic formations, hence it requires 'is'. Knowing these exceptions helps avoid confusion.