Chapter-X
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
You have already read about he subject part and the predicate part of a sentence. The subject is closely connected with what is said in the predicate. The form of the predicating verb depends on whether the subject is singular or plural in number. It also depends on whether the subject is the first/ second person or third person. In other words the subject-verb agreement means choosing the correct verb after the subject. Note the agreement between the subjects and verbs in the following sentences:
| Subject | Predicate verb | Other parts of the predicate |
| I We/You/ They He / She / It/ Mina/ The teacher The teacher and the students | Am Are Is Are | In the classroom |
| The cow The cow, goat and sheep | Eats ate | grass |
If we change the sentences into the past tense, the predicating verbs will be was (in place of am and is), were(in the place of are) and ate (in the place of eats and eat).
1. (a) When the sentence starts with a dummy there, the verb agrees with the logical or real subject that comes after the verb.
There is / was a bag on the table.
There are / were three bags on the table.
(b) When the sentence starts with a dummy it, the verb is always singular, i.e., is or was.
It is / was raining heavily.
2. In the mathematical expressions ‘is’ is generally used:
Two and two is / makes four. (Some people allow are)
Two plus two is four.
Two twos are four. (The subject is twos).
Six minus two is four.
Two times two is four.
3. When an expression of amount, distance, weight, height or time is spoken of as a single unit, or a single unit of measurement, it is often used as a singular subject:
Sixteen miles is a long walk.
Six weeks is a long vacation.
Twenty thousand rupees is too much for a TV.
One hundred and fifty kilos of rice is enough for a month.
4. (a) When two nouns closely related to each other are joined and, they are sometimes considered as a single unit.
Bread and butter is my favourite breakfast.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Rice and dal is our favourite food.
(b) In other cases and joining two singular or plural subjects makes the total subject plural.
Ram and his mother have come.
His father has not come.
5. (a) collective (group) nouns refer to groups of people or things. A singular group noun may take either a singular or a plural verb. If we consider the group noun to be a single unit , we prefer a singular verb. If we consider it as a collection of separate individuals, we use the plural verb:
The crowd was/were in a cheerful mood.
Our family isn’t poor any more. (Single unit)
Our family are not early risers. (Individuals in the family)
The committee was unanimous on this issue. (single unit).
The committee were divided on this issue. (individual members)
Other group nouns of this category are enemy, public, government, army, audience, community, majority, company, flock, group, herd, team, class etc.
(b) Some group nouns like police, people , poultry, government, cattle etc. usually take plural verbs:
The police are after the thief.
The government have kept all their promises.
The cattle are grazing.
6. Clothing, food, furniture and stationery are singular and take singular verbs.
The furniture needs to be repaired.
7. Modifying phrases or clauses following the subject noun do not affect the verb. The verb depends on the number and person of the head noun of the subject phrase.
One of my friends lives in the nearby village.
My friend, who lives in the nearby village, has painted this picture.
8. (a) If the subject phrase begins with either of , neither of, or none of followed by a plural noun or pronoun, the verb is usually singular or plural.
Either of the boys has got a prize.
Neither of them has come.
None of them / the students has arrived yet.
[Use of plural verbs in these cases is considered informal and such verbs are sometimes used in conversational English.]
(b) each of, One of etc. always take singular verbs:
Each of the students was given a prize.
One of the girls was able to answer the question correctly.
(c.) If no or some is followed by a singular noun. It takes a singular verb. If it is followed by a plural noun. It takes plural verb.
No child has done his homework.
No children have done their homework.
Only some water is left in the pot.
Some boys have gone on a picnic.
(d) If and connects two titles or designations of the same person, the verb is singular. If the persons referred to are different, the verb is plural.
The Vice-President of India and Chairman of Rajya Sabha has given his consent to the bill.
The Vice-President of India and the speaker of Lok Sabha have agreed to this proposal.
[To indicate that the persons talked about are two separate individual, we use the definite article the before each person as in the second example above.]
9. If the subject begins with a fraction the verb agrees with the noun that follows the fraction.
Two-thirds of the crop has been damaged.
Two-thirds of the apples are rotten.
10. (a) If the subject begins with a good deal of , a great deal of , a lot of , plenty of , most of , some of etc. The verb agrees with the noun that follows these phrases:
Some of the music was superb. (uncountable noun)
Some of the children were naughty. (countable noun)
(b) A number of …… followed by a plural noun takes a plural verb. But the number of ……in a similar situation takes a singular verb as the real subject is the number.
A number of children are suffering from cold.
The number of sick children is increasing.
11. Statistics, mathematics, Physics, Economics, News, Measles, Mumps, Advice, Information, Jewellery, Scenery, etc.
- Mathematics is my favourit subject.
- Mumps is a dangerous disease.
- The news was bad.
No information is available now.
12. If the subject is a clause, the verb is singular.
What they do these days does not concern me.
13. If two nouns are joined by with, as well as, in addition to, together with/ along with etc., the verb agrees with the first subject.
- The teacher with all his students has come.
- Harish as well as his brothers was responsible for the loss.
- Population growth in addition to other problems has made the country poor.
- The man together with his children was questioned.
14. If two nouns are joined by not only…..but also, or, neither …..nor, either ….or, the verb agrees with the nearer noun phrases.
Not only Harish but also his brother are equally responsible.
Ram or his friends have broken the glass.
Neither the doctor nor the nurses are to blame.
Either you or he has to leave the place.
15. Some nouns are made up of two similar parts in a pair like scissors, trouser, spectacles (glasses), etc. These words are treated as plural subjects.
The scissors are new.
My trousers have been cleaned.
16. When an adjective is used as a noun representing a class, it takes a plural verb:
The rich have a lot of responsibility towards the poor.
The blind are given training in handicrafts.
17. The verb in a relative clause is singular or plural depending on the number and person of the relative pronoun:
It is you who have insulted me.
It is he who has torn my notebook.
EXERCISE-1
Choose the correct verbs and rewrite the sentences:
- Two-third of the boy (is/are) absent.
- Three-fourths of the field (is/are) empty.
- Not only the headmaster, but also the students (was/were) happy about the examination being postponed.
- Two months in summer (is/are) the normal vacation period.
- A group of people (was/were) shouting slogans.
- Your trouser (is/are) torn.
- Bad news always (travel / travels) fast.
- A lot of people (prefer /prefers) coffee to tea.
- It (is/are) these students who started the quarrel.
- It (is / are) you who (is/are ) to be blamed for this accident.
EXERCISE-2
Fill in the blanks with appropriate verbs.
- One of my friends ________ won the scholarship.
- Four fives ________ twenty.
- Either he or we ________ in the list.
- Neither of these teachers ________ experienced.
- Neither of headmaster nor the teaches ________ present.
- A large number of students ________ failed in English.
- Which one of these books ________ yours?
- You and your brothers ________ done your duty.
- Bhubaneswar with all its lights ________ beautiful from a distance.
- The number of students in our school ________ large.
EXERCISE-3
Use the proper present tense form of the verb given in brackets to complete the sentences:
- A new car ________ a lot of money. (cost)
- An aeroplane ________ faster than a bird. (fly)
- All the students of our school ________ Sanskrit. (Not learn)
- One of my classmates ________ a motor cycle. (own.)
- There ________ no street lights in our village. (be).
- The tallest of the three boys ________ next door to me. (live)
- Her aunt and uncle ________ a house in the town. (buy).
- Some people ________ travelling by sea as it ________ them. Sea-sic. (dislike, make).
- The countryside ________ very beautiful in spring. (look.)
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.