Subject-Verb Concord

Study Material on Subject-Verb Concord (Agreement)

Subject-Verb Concord, also known as Subject-Verb Agreement, is a fundamental rule

in English grammar that ensures the subject of a sentence agrees with its verb in
number (singular or plural). This concept is crucial for constructing grammatically
correct sentences and effectively communicating in English.

1. Understanding the Basic Rule of Subject-Verb Concord

The basic rule of Subject-Verb Concord is:

- Singular subjects take singular verbs.
- Plural subjects take plural verbs.

Examples:
- Singular Subject: The CAT runs quickly.
- Plural Subject: The CATS run quickly.

2. Identifying the Subject and Verb in a Sentence

To apply subject-verb agreement correctly, you first need to identify the subject and
the verb in a sentence.

- Subject: The noun or pronoun that performs the action.

- Verb: The action or state of being.

Example:
- In the sentence: "The dog barks."
- Subject: dog
- Verb: barks

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 3. Singular and Plural Forms of Verbs

Understanding the different forms of verbs is essential for subject-verb agreement.

- Most regular verbs form the singular by adding -s or -es in the present tense.
- Singular: He runs.
- Plural: They run.

- To be has different forms:

- Singular: I am, he/she/it is
- Plural: We/you/they are

4. Common Rules for Subject-Verb Agreement

a. Compound Subjects

- When two or more subjects are connected by AND, use a PLURAL verb.
- Example: "Tom and Jerry are friends."

- When subjects are joined by OR or NOR, the verb agrees with the subject closer to
the verb.
- Example: "Either the cat or the dogs are in the yard."

b. Indefinite Pronouns

- Singular Indefinite Pronouns: EACH, EVERYONE, NOBODY, SOMEBODY,

NEITHER, EITHER require singular verbs.
- Example: "Everybody wants to play."

- Plural Indefinite Pronouns: SEVERAL, FEW, BOTH, MANY require plural verbs.

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 - Example: "Many were chosen."

c. Collective Nouns

- Collective Nouns (e.g., team, group, committee) can be singular or plural depending on
whether the group is acting as a single unit or as individuals.
- Example:
- Singular: "The team wins."
- Plural: "The team are arguing among themselves."

d. Titles and Names

- Titles of BOOKS, MOVIES, ORGANIZATIONS, etc., take a SINGULAR verb.

- Example: "The United Nations is an international organization."

5. Special Cases of Subject-Verb Concord

a. Words like “Each,” “Every,” and “Many a”

- These words are followed by a singular verb.

- Example: "Each of the players is ready."

b. Sentences Beginning with “There” or “Here”

- The subject follows the verb, so the verb must agree with the actual subject.
- Example: "There is a book on the table." / "There are books on the table."

c. Amounts, Distances, and Periods of Time

- These are considered SINGULAR and take SINGULAR VERBS.

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 - Example: "Five dollars is a small amount." / "Ten miles is a long distance."
It is also identifying as “MATERIAL NOUN”

6. Exercises for Practice

Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Verb Form

1. The team (is/are) winning the game.

2. Everyone (has/have) completed the assignment.
3. Either the teacher or the students (is/are) responsible for the mess.

Exercise 2: Correct the Errors

Correct the subject-verb agreement errors in the following sentences:

1. Neither of the students are present.

2. The group of experts have been invited to the seminar.
3. There is many options available.
Exercise
1) The dog (barks/bark) loudly every morning.

2) She (write/writes) a letter to her grandmother every week.

3) The students (is/are) preparing for the final exams.

4) Either John or his friends (is/are) going to bring the dessert.

5) The bouquet of roses (look/looks) beautiful on the table.

6) A large number of students (has/have) signed up for the workshop.

7) Neither the manager nor the employees (was/were) aware of the meeting.

8) Each of the team members (was/were) given a task to complete.

9) The committee (decides/decide) on the new policy next week.

10) The news (is/are) surprising to everyone.

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 11) The books on the table __________ (belong/belongs) to Sarah.
12) Each of the players __________ (was/were) given a trophy.
13) The flock of birds __________ (fly/flies) south for the winter.
14) Either Jack or his brothers __________ (is/are) going to win the prize.
15) Nobody __________ (know/knows) the answer to this question.
16) The committee __________ (has/have) decided on a new policy.
17) A bouquet of roses __________ (was/were) sent to her office.
18) The police __________ (is/are) investigating the case.
19) The quality of the apples __________ (is/are) not good.
20) Many a student __________ (has/have) struggled with this topic.

PREFIX & SUFFIX

• A prefix is a letter or a group of letters that attaches to the beginning of a word

and helps to indicate or modify its meaning. An easy example would be the word
‗prefix‘ itself! It begins with the prefix pre-, which means ‗before‘.

• It is quite important to understand what different prefixes mean as they can help
to understand the meanings of any NEW VOCABULARY that you learn.
However, you do need to be careful, as sometimes a prefix can have more than
ONE MEANING!

• An example would be im-, this can mean ‗not‘ or ‗into‘.

Prefixes are added to the beginning of an existing word in order to create a new
word with adifferent meaning. For example:

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 PREFIX

word prefix new word

happy un- unhappy
cultural multi- multicultural
work over- overwork
space cyber- cyberspace
market super- supermarket

• Example:

Change is a root word. By adding the prefix “un” and the suffix “able” you create a
new word with a new meaning, unchangeable.

1. ___kind

2. _do

3. _pay

4. _approve

5. _possible

6. _behave

7. _active

8. _responsible
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9. _violent

10. _eat

11. _zero

12. _pone

13. _lingual

14. _nomous

15. _compose

16. _estimate

17. _president

18. _colored

19. _personal

20. _active

Answers

1) Unkind
2) Undo
3) Prepay
4) Disapprove
5) Impossible
6) Misbehave
7) Inactive
8) Irresponsible
9) Nonviolent

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 10) Overeat
11) Subzero
12) Postpone
13) Bilingual
14) Autonomous
15) Decompose
16) Underestimate
17) Vice-president
18) Multicolored
19) Impersonal
20) Reactive

SUFFIX

• A suffix is a letter or a group of letters that is usually attached to the end of a word to
form a new word and alter the way it functions grammatically.

• A different suffix would be required depending on whether it is a noun, verb, adjective

or adverb. For example, the verb read can be altered to become the noun reader by
adding the suffix -er. The same verb can also be turned into a readable adjective by
adding the suffix –able.

1. Care

2. Happy

3. Help
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4. Friend

5. Quick

6. Teach

7. Child

8. Fear

9. Dark

10. Enjoy

11. Beauty

12. Weak

13. Lazy

14. Peace

15. Work

16. Act

17. Create

18. Art

19. Joy

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 DIRECT INDIRECT SPEECH

What is Direct & Indirect Speech?

Direct speech - reporting the speaker's message in exact words as spoken by him.
Direct speech example: Rama said ‘I am busy now’.
Indirect speech: reporting the message of the speaker in our own words
Indirect speech example: Rama said that he was very busy then.

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 Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

To change a sentence of direct speech into indirect speech there are various factors that
are considered such as reporting verbs, modals, time, place, pronoun, tense, etc. we will
take up all the factors one by one.

Rule #1 - Direct to Indirect Speech Conversion - Reporting Verb

1. When The Reporting Verb Of Direct Speech Is In Past Tense, All The Present
Tenses Are Changed To Corresponding Past Tense In Indirect Speech.

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct : she said, “I am happy.”

● Indirect : She said (that) she was happy.

2. In Indirect Speech Tenses Do Not Change If The Words Used Within The Quotes
(“ ”) Talk Of A Habitual Action Or Universal Truth.

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: He said, “we cannot live without air.”

● Indirect: He said that we cannot live without air.

3. The Tenses Of Direct Speech Do Not Change If The Reporting Verb Is In Future
Tense Or Present Tense.

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: She says/will say, “she is going.”

● Indirect: She says/will say she is going.

Rule #2 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion - Present Tense

4. Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect.

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: “I have been to Boston”, She told me.

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 ● Indirect: She told me that she had been to Boston.

2. Present Continuous Changes to Past Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: “I am playing the guitar”, she explained.

● Indirect: She explained that she was playing the guitar.

3. Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: He said, “she has finished her homework”.

● Indirect: He said that she had finished her homework.

4. Simple Present Changes to Simple Past

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: “I am unwell”, she said.

● Indirect: She said that she was unwell.

Rule #3 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion - Past Tense & Future Tense

1. Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: She said, “Irvin arrived on Sunday.”

● Indirect: She said that Irvin had arrived on Sunday.

2. Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: “We were playing basketball”, they told me.

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 ● Indirect: They told me that they had been playing basketball.

3. Future Changes to Present Conditional

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: She said, “I will be in Scotland tomorrow.”

● Indirect: She said that she would be in Scotland the next day.

4. Future Continuous Changes to Conditional Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: He said, “I'll be disposing the old computer next Tuesday.”

● Indirect: He said that he would be disposing the old computer next Tuesday.

Rule #4 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Interrogative Sentences

5. No conjunction is used, if a sentence in direct speech begins with a

question (what/where/when) as the "question-word" itself acts as a
joining clause.

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: “Where do you live?” asked the boy.

● Indirect: The boy enquired where I lived.

1. If A Direct Speech Sentence Begins With Auxiliary Verb/Helping Verb, The

Joining Clause Should Be If Or Whether.

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: She said, “will you come for the party?”

● Indirect: She asked whether we would come for the party.

2. Reporting verbs such as ‘said/ said to’ changes to enquired, asked, or demanded.

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: He said to me, “what are you wearing?”

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 ● Indirect: He asked me what I was wearing.

Rule #5 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Changes in Modals

1. While changing direct speech to indirect speech the modals used in the sentences
changes like:

● Can becomes Could

● May becomes Might
● Must becomes had to /Would have to

Examples:
Direct: She said, “She can dance.”
Indirect: She said that she could dance.
Direct: She said, “I may buy a dress.”
Indirect: She said that she might buy a dress.
Direct: Rama said, “I must complete the assignment.”
Indirect: Rama said that he had to complete the assignment.

2. Some Modals do not change like - Could, Would, Should, Might, Ought to.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples:

● Direct: She said, “I should clean the house.”

● Indirect: She said that she should clean the house.

Rule #6 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Pronoun

The first person in the direct speech changes as per the subject of the speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples:

● Direct: He said, “I am in class Twelfth.”

● Indirect: He says that he was in class Twelfth.

3. The second person of direct speech changes as per the object of reporting speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples:

● Direct: She says to them, “You have done your work.”

● Indirect: She tells them that they have done their work.

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2. The third person of direct speech doesn't change.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples:

● Direct: He says, “She dances well.”

● Indirect: He says that she dances well.

Rule #7 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Request, Command, Wish,

Exclamation

1. Indirect Speech is supported by some verbs like requested, ordered, suggested and
advised. Forbid-forbade is used for the negative sentences. Therefore, the imperative
mood in direct speech changes into the Infinitive in indirect speech.
Direct speech to indirect speech examples:

● Direct: She said to her, “Please complete it.”

● Indirect: She requested her to complete it.

● Direct: Hamid said to Ramid, “Sit down.”

● Indirect: Hamid ordered Ramid to sit down.

2. In Exclamatory sentences that express (grief, sorrow, happiness, applaud)

Interjections are removed and the sentence is changed to an assertive sentence.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples

● Direct: She said, “Alas! I am undone.”

● Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.

Rule #8 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Punctuations

1. In direct speech the words actually spoken should be in (“ ”) quotes and always
begin with a capital letter.
Example: She said, “I am the Best.”

2. Full stop, Comma, exclamation or question mark, are placed inside the closing
inverted commas.
Example: They asked, “Can we sing with you?”

3. If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, comma is
used to introduce the speech, placed before the first inverted comma.

Direct speech example: He shouted, “Shut up!”

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 Direct speech example: “Thinking back,” he said, “she didn't expect to win.”
(Comma is used to separate the two direct speeches and no capital letter to begin the
second sentence).

Rule #9 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Change of Time

4. In Direct Speeches, The Words That Express Nearness In Time Or Place Are
Changed To Words That Express Distance In Indirect Speech. Such As:

● Now becomes then

● Here becomes there
● Ago becomes before
● Thus becomes so
● Today becomes that day
● Tomorrow becomes the next day
● This becomes that
● Yesterday becomes the day before
● These becomes those
● Come becomes go
● Next week Or month becomes following week/month

Direct speech to indirect speech examples:

● Direct: He said, “His friend came yesterday.”

● Indirect: He said that his friend had come the day before.

2. The Time Expression Does Not Change If The Reporting Verb Is In Present Tense
Or Future Tense.

Rules for converting Indirect Speech into Direct Speech

The following rules should be followed while converting an indirect speech to direct speech:

Examples:

1. Use the reporting verb such as (say, said to) in its correct tense.
2. Put a comma before the statement and the first letter of the statement should be in capital

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 letter.
3. Insert question mark, quotation marks, exclamation mark and full stop, based on the mood
of the
sentence.
4. Remove the conjunctions like (that, to, if or whether) wherever necessary.
5. Where the reporting verb is in past tense in indirect, change it to present tense in the direct
speech.
6. Change the past perfect tense either into present perfect tense or past tense as necessary.
7. Indirect: She asked whether she was coming to the prom night.
8. Direct: She said to her, “Are you coming to the prom night?”
9. Indirect: The girl said that she was happy with her result.
10. Direct: The girl said. “I am happy with my result.”

Practice Questions:

Directions: Given below are questions sentences in Direct/Indirect Speech along with four
options. Youare required to read the Direct and Indirect Speech questions carefully and
select the option that expresses the same sentence in the reverse speech i.e.,
Indirect/Direct Speech:

1. The designer said to her, “will you have the dress ready by tomorrow evening?”

1. The designer asked her if she would have the dress ready by next evening.
2. The designer asked her that she would have the dress ready by next evening.
3. The designer asked her that if she will like to have the dress by next evening.
4. The designer asked her that she will have the suit ready by next evening.

Answer: 1

2. They said, “Let us come in”.

1. They told that let them be allowed to come in.

2. They requested that they might be allowed to come in.
3. They said that if they are allowed to come in.
4. They requested me to let them come in.

Answer: 2

3. Reshma said to Priya, “Why are you sketching on the wall?”

1. Reshma asked Priya why was she sketching on the wall.

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 2. Reshma asked Priya why had she been sketching on the wall
3. Reshma asked Priya that why is she sketching on the wall.
4. Reshma asked Priya why she was sketching on the wall.

Answer: 4

4. ‘Jacob fell as he’d have wished’, the father said.

1. The father said that Jacob has fallen as he would have wished.
2. The father said that Jacob had fallen as he would have wished.
3. The father said that Jocob had fallen as he had wished.
4. The father said that Jacob had been fallen as he would have been wished.

Answer: 2

5. Arya said to Tara, “David will leave for his mother’s place tomorrow.”

1. Arya told Tara that David will leave for his mother’s place tomorrow.
2. Arya told Tara that David will leave for his mother’s place the next day.
3. Arya told Tara that David would leave for his mother’s place the next day.
4. Arya informed Tara that David would be leaving for his mother’s place the next day.

Answer: 3

6. The Professor said that nobody could solve the problem.

1. The Professor said, ‘Nobody can solve the problem’.

2. The Professor said, ’Nobody could solve the problem’
3. The Professor exclaimed, ‘Nobody could solve the problem’
4. The Professor exclaimed, ‘Nobody can solve the problem?’

Answer: 1

7. She said, “Why didn’t you send a friend request to me?”

1. She asked me why had i not sent a friend request to her

2. She enquired why I had not sent a friend request to her.
3. She enquired why I did not send a friend request to her.
4. She questioned why I had not sent a friend request to her.

Answer: 2

8. The judge commanded them to call the accused in the court.

1. The Judge said, ‘Call the accused in the court’.

2. The Judge ordered, ‘Call the accused in the court’

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 3. The Judge command, ‘Call the accused in the court’
4. The Judge said to them, ‘Call the accused in the court’.

Answer: 4

9. The instructor asked Ronny if he was ready for the race.

1. ‘Ronny, are you ready for the race?’, the instructor asked.
2. ‘Are you ready for the race Ronny?’, the instructor asked.
3. ‘Ronny, ready for race?’ the instructor said.
4. ‘Ronny, are you ready for the race?’, said the instructor.

Answer: 1

10. Manager said to Shekher, “Why didn't you attend the meeting yesterday?”

1. The manager enquired shekhar why did not he attend the meeting the day before.
2. The manager asked Shekhar why he did not attend the meeting the previous day.
3. The manager asked Shekhar why he had not attended the meeting the day before.
4. The manager enquired Shekhar that why didn’t he attended the meeting yesterday.

Answer: 3

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