CLASSES VI - X GRAMMAR - SUBJECT - VERB AGREEMENT

-

 SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

It is very important to take care of the subject and verb agreement while framing a sentence. It is very important that a verb must be compatible and agree with its subject to make a correct and valid sentence.

E.g., The boy is playing in the garden. (it is correct)

The boy are playing in the garden. (its incorrect, as the verb does not agree with the number)

Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement

1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the background of the concept.

The dog growls when he is angry.
The dogs growl when they are angry.

#2. Subordinate clauses that come between the subject and verb don't affect their agreement.

The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.

#3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement.

The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.

#4. When sentences start with "there" or "here," the subject will always be placed after the verb. Some care needs to be taken to identify each part correctly.

There is a problem with the balance sheet.
Here are the papers you requested.

#5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you accurately identify the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use.

Where are the pieces of this puzzle?

#6. If two subjects are joined by "and," they typically require a plural verb form.

The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.

#7. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by "and" refer to the same person or thing as a whole.

Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.

#8. If one of the words "each," "every," or "no" comes before the subject, the verb is singular.

No smoking or drinking is allowed.
Every man and woman is required to check in.

#9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," the verb is singular.

Either Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.

#10. The only time the object of the preposition decides plural or singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like "some," "half," "none," "more," or "all" are followed by a prepositional phrase. Then the object of the preposition determines the form of the verb.

All of the chicken is gone.
All of the chickens are gone.

#11. The singular verb form is usually reserved for units of measurement or time.

Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.

#12. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," the verb is plural.

Not only dogs but also cats are available at the animal shelter.

#13. If one subject is singular and the other is plural, and the words are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," use the verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb.

Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.
Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.

#14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs (with some exceptions).

Everybody wants to be loved.

#15. The exceptions to the above rule include the pronouns "few," "many," "several," "both," "all," and "some." These always take the plural form.

Few were left alive after the flood.

#16. If two infinitives are separated by "and," they take the plural form of the verb.

To walk and to chew gum require great skill.

#17. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular form of the verb. However, when they are linked by "and," they take the plural form.

Standing in the water was a bad idea.
Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.

#18. A collective noun, such as "team" or "staff," can be either singular or plural depending upon the rest of the sentence. Typically, they take the singular form, as the collective noun is treated as a cohesive single unit.

The herd is stampeding.

#19. Titles of books, movies, novels, and other similar works are treated as singular and take a singular verb.

The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.

#20. Final rule: Remember, only the subject affects the verb! Nothing else matters.

Jacob, who owns sixteen houses, is on his way to becoming a billionaire.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CLASS X THE SNAKE - D H LAWRENCE

-
  Answer the following questions briefly: 1. Why does the poet decide to stand and wait till the snake has finished drinking? What does this tell you about the poet? (Notice that he uses ‘someone’ instead of ‘something’ for the snake.) Ans.  The poet decides that since he believes the snake arrived before him, he should stand and wait until the snake finishes drinking. He also feels greatly honoured that the snake had chosen his water trough to satisfy his thirst. The poet addresses the snake as ‘someone’ instead of ‘something’ as he seems to be a nature enthusiast. He also believes in giving respect to all living beings who share the space with him on earth.   2. In stanza 2 and 3, the poet gives a vivid description of the snake by using suggestive expressions. What picture of the snake do you form on the basis of this description? Ans.  The snake was yellow-brown and soft-bellied when it emerged from a crack in the earth wall and made its way to the water t...
Read more

CLASS X A SHADY PLOT

-
 Q1. Which genre of stories does Jenkins want the narrator to write? Why? Jenkins wanted the narrator to write a ghost story  for his magazine. He wanted the narrator to give the readers a story based on the supernatural. He wanted him to give his readers really 'horror' stories.  Q2. Do es the narrator like writing ghost stories? Support your answer with evidence from the story. The narrator likes writing ghost stories because this was the type of fiction he wrote the first time. The narrator was struggling for an idea and the idea for a ghost story came out of nowhere. Whenever Jenkins wanted the narrator to write a story, he could produce a perfect ghost story without much effort. Q3. What makes Helen, the ghost and her other co-ghosts organise The Writer's Inspiration Bureau? Helen and other co-ghosts organised The Writer's Insipiration Bureau because  they felt there were many writers who were struggling to come with a good plot for a story and they didnt w...
Read more

CLASS X POEM - 4 RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER

-
 Question: 1 - How did the ancient mariner stop the wedding guest?  Answer: The ancient mariner used his gleaming eyes to stop the wedding guest. Question: 2 - Was the wedding guest happy to be stopped? Give reasons for your answer. Answer: The wedding guest does not seem to be happy at being stopped. He is a young person who has come to attend the wedding ceremony and would be least interested in an old tale by an old man. Question: 3 - Describe the ancient mariner. Answer: The Ancient Mariner is an old man. He is quite thin and frail. He long grey beard and there is a glitter in his eyes. Question: 4 - How does the mariner describe the movement of the ship as it sails away from the land? Answer: The mariner describes the movement of the ship as it sails away from the land; in following words. This ship is going farther and farther on the horizon. First of all, the ship appears to be going below the kirk, then below the hill. Finally the ship is so far that it appears to be e...
Read more