Subject – Verb Concord

Concord: Agreement of words with one another.

in number and person

A singular subject takes a singular verb.

A plural subject takes a plural verb

Ex: (1) A cow (singular) eats (singular) grass.

Cows (plural) eat (plural) grass
 A(Singular) B(Plural)
1 I am a teacher. We are teachers

2 I was a police officer. We were police officers.

3 You are a doctor. You are doctors.

4 You were a very young man. You were very young men.

5 He is an engineer. They are engineers.

6 She is a nurse. They are nurses.

7 It is a bird. They are birds.

8 He was an advocate. They were advocates.

9 She was a pretty girl. They were pretty girls.

10 It was a tall tree. They were tall trees.

1. A finite verb agrees with its subject in
number and person.
(a) This girl comes here daily.
These girls come here daily.

(b) He is coming here.

They are coming here.
2. The error of proximity (The verb should agree
with the head-word in the sentence.)

(a) The oranges in the basket are delicious.

(b) The strong bond of affection among the Pandavas was obvious.
3. The Introductory ‘there’
The verb follows the subject that comes after the verb.

(a) There is a boy in the garden.

(b) There are many boys in the garden.

4.Two or more nouns/Pronouns joined by ‘and’
(a)He and I were given the chance.
(b) Intelligent planning and hard work are both equally necessary for success.
(c)The director and the producer were present in the meeting. (different persons)
(d) The director and producer was present in the meeting. (Same person)
(e) The sum and substance of the poem is given below.(Subject is taken as
singular)

Note: The following expressions are considered as singular.

Slow and steady, Hammer and sickle, Rice and curry, Bread and butter, Roti and
dhal, A horse and carriage, The rise and fall, The crown and glory, Whisky and
soda etc…..
5. As well as, with, along with, together
with
Verb agrees with the first subject in sentences with ‘as well as, with,
along with, together with’

(a)Mr. Gupta as well as his friends has attended the party.

(b)You as well as I are responsible.
(c) Parents along with the child were present there.
(d) Mother with the girl children was given importance.
6. Not only …. But also
When two subjects are joined by not only….but also, the verb
agrees the second subject.

(a)Not only your qualifications but your attitude also is

important for getting a good job.

(b)Not only the principal but the teachers also have played a
significant role.
7. Either … or, neither … nor
When two subjects are joined with ‘either … or’ and ‘neither…
nor’, the verb agrees with the latter subject.

(a)Either you or he is responsible for this.

(b)Neither he or I am responsible for this.
(c) Either she or her parents are going to face the trouble.
(d) Neither the stars nor the moon is shining today.
8. Either, neither, each, everyone, one of the
Subjects with all the above words take singular verbs.

(a)He does not care what either of his parents says.

(b)Neither of these students has done well in the examination.
(c)Out of all, each one is suitable for the job.
(d)Everyone in the family was interrogated.
(e)One of my friends is going to London next week.
9.None
When ‘none’ refers to amount or quantity, the subject takes a
singular verb.

(a)None of the work was done.

When it is followed by plural noun, the subject takes a plural
verb, but singular verb is also possible.
(b)None of the movies have been released so far.
(c) None of his movies has succeeded at the box office.
10. ‘Much/ Less /Little
Subjects with these words take singular verbs.

(a)Much of my anxiety is over.

(b)Little has been achieved so far.
(c)Less of time is now wasted on attending to phone calls.
11. More than
When there is a plural subject after ‘more than’, the verb is
plural; other ways singular.

(a)More than 100 people have signed the petition.

(b)More than one person has signed the petition.
12 Many a
.

Many a + singular noun takes a singular verb (Many a man = Many

men)

(a)Many a plan has failed for want of patience.

(b)Many a flower fades away unseen.
13. A lot of, a great deal of, plenty of,
most of, some of, etc.

(i)When ‘a lot of, a great deal of, plenty of’, etc. refer to amount or
quantity take singular verb
(a)A lot of time was spent on preliminary enquiries.
(b)Lots of food was distributed among the poor.
(c)Plenty of help was available.

(ii)When A lot of, a great deal of, plenty of, etc. refer to number take
plural verb
(a)Lots of people are taking part in the marathon.
(b)Plenty of shops accept payments by a credit card.
14. The majority of
The majority of (refers only to number) takes plural verb

(a)The majority of violations were of a minor nature.

(b)It being Sunday, the majority of shops are closed.
15. Nouns Plural in Form but Singular in Meaning
(i)Names of some branches of learning as a subject takes singular verb
Mathematics, Economics, Physics, Statistics
(a)Mathematics is a challenging subject.
(b)Economics has gained a lot of importance in modern times.

(ii)However, sometimes these words are used differently. For example,

Mathematics =mathematical calculations
Economics = economic facts
In these cases, these words take a plural verb:
(a)The economics of the situation do not allow heavy investments.

(iii)Names of some diseases, sports, etc. take singular verbs

Mumps, measles, billiards
The mumps is a painful disease common among children.

(iv) A plural noun is the name of a book or a country takes a singular verb
(a)My Experiments with Truth is the title of Gandhiji’s autobiography.
(b)The United States of America is an industrially advanced country.
16 Nouns Singular in Form but Plural in Meaning
.

Nouns singular in form but plural in meaning take plural verbs

Cattle, people

(a)The people were agitated against the police.

(b)The cattle are grazing in the field.
17. Class Nouns
Class nouns like food, furniture, cutlery, crockery, stationery, etc.
take a singular verb

(a)Food was good and affordable. ,

(b)The entire old furniture in the house has been disposed of.
18. A pair of
(i)A pair of shoes, scissors, trousers, etc. take a singular verb
(a)A new pair of shoes is lying under the bed. Whom does it
belong to?
(b)This pair of scissors is meant to cut only paper.

(ii)However, if we omit a pair of and merely use the plural

word, it takes a plural word, it takes a plural verb.
(a)My shoes are lying under the bed.
(b)These scissors are meant to cut only paper.

The following words should be noted;

Glasses, shoes, scissors, binoculars, scales, shears, tongs,
spectacles, pyjamas, shorts, trousers etc…
19. Weights, Measures, Amount, Time, Distance
Nouns denoting weights, measures, amount, time or distance take singular verbs.

(a) 10 kilometers is a long distance to cover on foot.

(b) Seven litres of petrol was consumed to dry clean the carpet.
(c) Three-fourths of the work has been completed.
20 Collective Nouns(i)
.

(i)Collective noun + of + plural noun takes a singular verb

a bunch of keys, a series of lectures
(a)A bunch of keys is lying under the pillow.
(b)A series of lectures was delivered on environmental pollution.

(ii)Collective noun considered as a whole takes a singular verb.

(a)The committee was unanimous in its opinion.
(b)The government has made some major changes in its foreign
policy.
21 Collective Noun (ii)
.
(i) Collective noun when we think of its members individually takes a
plural verb.
(a)The committee were divided in their opinion
(b)The police were running after the thief.

(ii)Whether a plural or singular verb is used, we must be consistent in the

construction of the sentence:
The committee were divided in its opinion. (incorrect)
(plural) (singular)
The committee were divided in their opinion. (correct)

(iii)The name of a state, country or institution denotes a team takes a

plural verb.
(a)India have defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets.
(b)Australia have won the World Cup for the third time.
22. Relative Pronoun as a Subject
When the subject is a relative pronoun, verb agrees with the
antecedent

Singular antecedent singular verb

Plural antecedent plural verb

(a) I, who am your friend, should have been informed.

(b) I am the person who has saved you.
(c)This is one of the best books that are available on the subject.
23. This/that + kind/sort/type + of
These/those + kinds/sorts/types + of
(i) This/that + kind /sort /type + of + …..
Singular noun singular verb
Plural noun plural verb
(a)This kind of behaviour is not acceptable.
(b)This type of people do not impress me.

(ii) These/those + kinds of +

Usually a plural noun plural verb
(a) Those kinds of expensive gadgets are not available in this
town.
24. It + be + noun/pronoun
It + be +I/they any noun or pronoun
singular verb (is/was)

(a) It is I who brought these flowers for you.

(b) It is they who furnished our house.