13) Rules governing
subject Verb Agreement
Ans: Subject-verb
agreement is a grammatical rule that stipulates that the verb in a sentence
must agree in number (singular or plural) with the subject. Here are the rules
governing subject-verb agreement with examples:
Singular Subject,
Singular Verb: When the subject of a
sentence is singular, the verb must also be singular.
Example:
She is a great
teacher.
The cat walks
quietly.
Plural Subject, Plural
Verb: When the subject of a
sentence is plural, the verb must also be plural.
Example:
They are talented
musicians.
Birds sing in the
morning.
Compound Subjects: When two or more subjects are joined by "and,"
the verb is usually plural.
Example:
Tom and Jerry are
good friends.
Apples and
oranges taste delicious.
Compound Subjects with
"or" or "nor": When
subjects are joined by "or" or "nor," the verb agrees with
the subject that is closer to it.
Example:
Neither the cat nor
the dog likes water.
Either the book or
the magazine is on the table.
Subjects Separated by
"and" and "or": When subjects are separated by "and" or
"or," and they refer to different things, the verb should agree with
the subject closest to it.
Example:
Bread, cheese, and wine are
her favorite foods.
The car, as well as the
bicycles, needs repair.
Collective Nouns: Collective nouns (nouns that represent a group of people
or things) can take either a singular or plural verb, depending on whether the
emphasis is on the group as a whole or its individual members.
Example:
The team is
celebrating its victory. (Emphasizing the team as a single unit)
The team are
arguing about their performance. (Emphasizing individual members)
Indefinite Pronouns: Some indefinite pronouns, such as "everyone,"
"someone," and "nobody," are singular and require a
singular verb. Others, like "both," "many," and
"several," are plural and require a plural verb.
Example:
Everyone has
their own opinions. (Singular)
Many of the students are
attending the seminar. (Plural)
Fractional Expressions: Fractional expressions like "half of," "a
portion of," and "a part of" usually take a singular verb.
Example:
Half of the cake has
been eaten.
A portion of the money was
donated.
Titles and Names: When a sentence begins with a title or a person's name
followed by a singular noun, it takes a singular verb.
Example:
Dr. Smith, along with
his assistant, has arrived.
Words That Indicate
Amount: Words that indicate
amount, such as "a lot," "a great deal," "a
majority," are considered singular and take a singular verb.
Example:
A lot of time has
passed since we last met.
The majority of voters supports
the new policy.
Subjects That Don't
Change: Some words are always
singular and take a singular verb, even though they may seem plural.
Example:
Mathematics is my
favorite subject.
News travels
fast.
Subjects That End in
"s": Some subjects ending in
"s" may be singular or plural, depending on the context.
Example:
The news is
interesting. (Singular, referring to a singular news story)
The news are full
of stories. (Plural, referring to multiple news stories)
