CONCORD
Also called AGREEMENT.
The words in a sentence must match or agree with one another.
1. THE SUBJECT AND VERB MUST AGREE IN NUMBER
AND PERSON.
a. To decide whether the verb should be singular or plural:
FIND the subject.
DECIDE whether it is singular or plural.
MATCH the verb to the subject.
I (1stt person) eat We (1stt person plural) eat
You (2ndd person singular) eat All of you (2ndd person pl) eat
Joe (he) (3rdd person sing.) eats Joe and Bobby (they) eat
b. The subject may consist of a group of words.
A common example is the collective noun, which refers to
the group as a single unit.
The class of students was kept in after school. (The subject is the class
not the students.)
My brother and sister are coming for a visit. (The subject is my brother
and sister.)
c. The subject may govern more than one verb.
All these verbs must agree with the subject.
The film deals with the dangers of drug abuse and is targeted at
teenagers. (The subject is singular, therefore all the verbs are singular.)
2. AGREEMENT BETWEEN NOUNS AND PRONOUNS
a. A pronoun must agree with the noun that it is replacing in
number and in gender:
The woman paid for her ticket. The women paid for their tickets.
b. Some pronouns are paired with singular pronouns:
Anyone, everyone, nobody, no-one, somebody, someone,
each, every, either, neither, nor.
Everyone is doing his best. (correct)
Everyone is doing their best. (incorrect)
No-one may hand in his / her work late. (correct)
No-one may hand in their work late. (incorrect)
1. Two subjects joined by AND 2. When two subjects are joined
take a plural verb. by
EITHER...OR.../...NEITHER...NOR
Mary and Jane are/is sisters. the verb agrees with the noun
or pronouns closest to the verb.
The hen and the chickens are/is
in the garden. a) Neither you nor I am/are
responsible.
b) Either the hen or the chickens
are/is in the shed.
3. When two nouns or 4. When two subjects are joined
pronouns are joined with LIKE, by OR the verb agrees with the
WITH, TOGETHER WITH, AS nearer one to the verb.
WELL AS or INCLUDING the
verb agrees with the first noun. a) The three roosters or the lamb
is/are to be slaughtered.
a) The hen as well as the
chickens is/are in the garden. b) The lamb or the three roosters
is/are to be slaughtered.
b) I, like my brothers, am/are very
lazy.
5. The nouns NEWS, SERIES, 6. The nouns SPORTS, RICHES,
INNINGS, GALLOWS, PHYSICS, TROUSERS, PANTS, SHORTS,
MATHEMATICS and POLITICS SHEARS, SCISSORS, PLIERS,
take a singular verb. TONGS, TWEEZERS,
CLIPPERS, COMPASSES,
a) The news is bad. PINCERS, BELLOWS AND
THANKS take plural verbs.
b) A series of engagements is/are
keeping him in town. a) The scissors are/is blunt.
b) The clippers are/is broken.
NOTE: With a PAIR the singular
form of the verb is used.
c) MY PAIR OF COMPASSES
IS/ARE LOST.
7. Nouns of multitude such as 8. TAKE CARE when the verb
COMMITTEE, COUNCIL, stands before the subject, the
GOVERNMENT, COMPANY, verb must be in agreement with
ARMY, FLEET, FRUIT, GAME, the subject. (singular verb =
MONEY, CROWD, PACK, singular noun and plural verb =
PARTY usually take a singular plural noun.
verb.
a) There is/are a cow and two
a) The team has/have been calves in the camp.
chosen.
b) There are/is students who work
b) The government is/are hard.
responsible for the drama.
NOTE: When a group does not
act as one it takes a plural verb.
c) The team are/is cleaning their
boots.
d) The crowd were/was scattered
after the bomb threat.
NOTE: PEOPLE, POULTRY,
CATTLE always take a plural
verb.
e) The poultry are/is doing well.
f) The people were/was dancing
at the ball.
9. For “PART OF” a singular 10. MORE THAN ONE, MANY A,
use a singular verb AND for NOTHING BUT, ONE IN (SIX)
“PART OF” a plural uses a takes a singular verb.
plural verb.
a) Nothing but a few baboons
a) Half of the cake is/are mine. was/were seen.
b) Half of the students is/are ill. b) One in two students fails/fail
every year.
11. Two singular nouns which 12. NOTE: The number of the
combine to FORM ONE IDEA verb in:
take a singular verb.
a) The wages of sin is/are death.
a) Bacon and eggs is/are his
favourite breakfast dish. b) His wages are/is R300 a week.
b) A bed and breakfast guest c) What we want most is/are
house is/are fine. more books.
d) His present whereabouts
is/are unknown.
e) He is one of those students
who are/is always late.
13. Take NOTE of the following 14. There must also be an
singulars and plurals. agreement between nouns and
pronouns / pronouns and
a) this, that, much, little pronouns.
SINGULAR
a) Everybody must do his own
b) these, those, many, few work.
PLURAL
b) One must respect ones’
c) The number of SINGULAR parents.
d) A number of PLURAL c) You must respect your parents.
15. EACH (of), ONE (of), EITHER
(of), NEITHER (of), NOT ONE
(of), EVERYONE (of),
SOMEBODY, SOMEONE,
ANYBODY, EVERYBODY,
EVERYONE, ANYTHING,
EVERYTHING, SOMETHING,
NOTHING, EVERY takes a
singular verb.
a) Neither of you is/are to blame.
b) Neither of the girls is/are
responsible.
