IBPS/SBI PO BANKING STUDY MATERIAL ON BASIC RULES ON AGREEMENT OF VERB WITH THE SUBJECT
BASIC RULES ON AGREEMENT
OF VERB WITH THE SUBJECT BY DAS SIR,KOLKATA
General
rule: In English, the verb must agree with its subject in number and person. In
other words, the verb must be of the same number and person as the subject.
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. Don’t get confused by the words that come between
the subject and verb; they do not affect 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, so care needs to be taken to
identify it 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.
Does Lefty
usually eat grass? 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.
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, and not only/but also
the verb is singular.
Jessica or
Christian is to blame for the accident.
10. The only time when the object of the preposition
factors into the decision of plural or singular verb forms is when noun and
pronoun subjects like some, half, none, more, all, etc. are followed by a
prepositional phrase. In these sentences, 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 used 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, and not only/but also,
the verb is plural.
Dogs and
cats are both available at the pound.
13. If one subject is singular and one plural and
the words are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not
only/but also, you 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. *
Everybody
wants to be loved.
15. * Except for the pronouns (few, many, several,
both, all, some) that 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 verb form of the verb; but, 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. Collective nouns like herd, senate, class,
crowd, etc. usually take a singular verb form.
The herd
is stampeding.
19. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. 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!
Here are some examples of subject verb agreement (the
subject is bolded and the verb underlined):
- My dog always growls at the postal carrier.
- Basketballs roll across the floor.
- I don’t understand the assignment.
- These clothes are too small for me.
- Peter doesn’t like vegetables.
Compound
Subjects
Compound subjects (two subjects in
the same sentence) usually take a plural verb, unless the combination is
treated as singular in popular usage or the two subjects refer to the same thing
or person. Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with compound
subjects:
- Sugar and flour are needed for the recipe.
- Neither my dad nor my brothers know how to ski.
- Pepperoni and cheese are great on a pizza.
- Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional meal in Ireland. (popular usage)
- The creator and producer is arriving soon. (both refer to same person)
When using “or” or “nor” in a
compound subject containing a singular and plural subject, the verb agrees with
the closest subject. Examples of compound subjects using or, neither-nor, or
either-or include:
- My mom or dad is coming to the play. (singular)
- Neither gray nor white is my favorite color. (singular)
- Either Grandpa or my sisters are going to the park. (closest subject is plural)
- Either my sisters or Grandpa is going to the park. (closest subject is singular)
- Neither she nor I am going to college. (closest subject is singular)
Singular
Indefinite Pronouns
Here are some examples of subject
verb agreement with singular indefinite pronouns:
- Each gets a trophy for playing.
- Somebody will pay for this.
- Anybody is more fun than you.
- Something is very wrong here.
- Everybody enjoys a good book.
- Nothing has been determined as of yet.
Plural
Indefinite Prounouns
Here are some examples of subject
verb agreement with plural indefinite pronouns:
- Both are qualified for the job.
- Many went to the beach and got sunburned.
- Few know what it really takes to get ahead.
- Several are already on location.
- Some sugar is required for taste. (sugar is uncountable so singular verb used)
- Most of the cookies were eaten. (cookies are countable so plural verb used)
Midsentence
Phrase or Clause
Here are some examples of subject
verb agreement with a phrase or clause between the subject and verb:
- A theory of physics ascertains that a body in motion stays in motion.
- A virus in all the company’s computers is a real threat to security.
- The causes of this prevalent disease are bad diet and lack of exercise.
- The couch and chair I got at the store look really nice in here.
- The members of the choir are very happy with the performance.
Collective
Nouns
Collective nouns can be singular or
plural depending on meaning. Here are some examples of subject verb agreement
with collective nouns:
- The committee meets here every Thursday. (singular)
- The crowd is getting angry. (singular)
- The jury has finally reached a decision. (singular)
- The majority rules most of the time. (plural)
- The staff have gone their separate ways for the holidays. (plural)
Inverted
Subjects
Here are some examples of subject
verb agreement with inverted subjects where the subject follows the verb:
- There are seven clean plates in the dining room.
- There is a hair in my lasagna.
- Over the rainbow flies a bird.
- How are the employees enjoying the new building?
- A good gift is a gift card.
Subject/verb agreement is essential
to ensure that a sentence is grammatically correct.
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