CONCORD
Module - 2
What is Concord or Subject–Verb agreement?
Concord or Subject-verb agreement is a grammatical concept
that refers to the agreement between the subject (the main
noun or pronoun) of a sentence and the verb (the action or
state-of-being word) that goes along with it
1. Singular Subjects with Singular Verbs:
1. The cat sleeps on the windowsill.
2. He plays the guitar beautifully.
3. The flower blooms in the spring.
• In these sentences, the singular subjects ("cat," "he," "flower")
are paired with singular verbs ("sleeps," "plays," "blooms").
2. Plural Subjects with Plural Verbs:
2. The dogs bark loudly in the park.
3. They laugh at funny jokes.
4. The children run around the playground.
• Here, the plural subjects ("dogs," "they," "children") are matched
with plural verbs ("bark," "laugh," "run").
Collective Nouns and Agreement:
The team is practicing for the championship. (Singular verb with
collective noun)
The team members are excited about the game. (Plural verb when
focusing on individual members)
• Collective nouns like "team," "group," "family," etc., can take either a
singular or plural verb depending on whether you are referring to the
group as a whole or its individual members.
Look at the following two sentences. Which one is correct?
a) The jury were divided in their opinion.
b) The jury was unanimous in their decision.
Jury is a collective noun. Whenever there
is a sense of unity, we use singular verb
with collective nouns but when it is used
in the sense of separation, we use plural
verb with them, so both are correct in
different situations.
Indefinite pronouns
• Can be tricky in subject-verb agreement
• Some are always singular
• Some are always plural
• Some can be either, depending on the context
• Generally, indefinite pronouns like everybody, someone,
each, either, neither, anyone, anything, nobody, nothing,
one, and another are treated as singular and take
singular verbs.
• However, indefinite pronouns like both, few, several,
and many are always plural and take plural verbs.
• Additionally, some, all, any, none, and most can be
singular or plural depending on the noun they refer to.
Indefinite Pronouns and Agreement:
Everyone needs to do their part. (Singular verb with
indefinite pronoun "everyone")
Some of the books have been misplaced. (Plural
verb with indefinite pronoun "some")
• Example Sentences:
• "Everyone is here."
• "Somebody has taken my pen."
• "Each of the students is responsible for their own
work."
Plural Indefinite Pronouns:
• General Rule: A few indefinite pronouns are always plural.
• Examples: both, few, several, many
• Example Sentences:
• "Both of the twins are here."
• "Few know the truth
The usage of - some, all, any, none, most
Example Sentences (Singular):
• "Some of the cake is gone." (cake is singular)
• "All of the milk is spoiled." (milk is singular)
• "None of the information was helpful." (The information is
singular)
Example Sentences (Plural):
• "Some of the cookies are missing." (cookies are plural)
• "All of the children are playing." (children are plural)
• "None of the employees were happy with the new policy."
(Employees is plural)
Subject-Verb Agreement in Compound Subjects:
Mary and John enjoy hiking. (Plural verb with compound
subject)
Neither the cat nor the dog is in the house. (Singular verb with
compound subject joined by "neither...nor")
• Compound subjects joined by "and" usually take a plural verb,
while subjects joined by “neither," "nor," or "either...or" usually
take a verb that agrees with the closest subject.
Subject-Verb Agreement in Compound Subjects:
Mary and John enjoy hiking. (Plural verb with
compound subject)
Neither the cat nor the dog is in the house. (Singular
verb with compound subject joined by "neither...
nor")
In "either/or" and "neither/nor" sentences, the verb agrees with the
subject closest to it. If the closer subject is singular, use a singular
verb. If the closer subject is plural, use a plural verb.
Either the students or the professor is presenting the project. (The
closer subject, "professor," is singular, so the verb is "is")
Either the professor or the students are presenting the project. (The
closer subject, "students," is plural, so the verb is "are")
Neither the cat nor the dogs are allowed on the furniture. (The closer
subject, "dogs," is plural, so the verb is "are")
Neither the dogs nor the cat is allowed on the furniture. (The closer
subject, "cat," is singular, so the verb is "is")
The usage of "as well as“ in SV agreement:
• When using "as well as" to connect two subjects, the verb should agree
with the first subject in number and person, according to English usage
guides.
• This is because "as well as" introduces a parenthetical phrase, not a
conjunction that creates a compound subject.
"As well as" is not the same as "and":
• When two subjects are joined by "and," they form a compound subject
that is always considered plural, and the verb should agree with the plural
subject.
• "As well as" adds extra information:
• When "as well as" is used, it typically introduces a phrase that provides
additional information about the first subject. The verb should agree with
the main subject, which is the first one in the sentence.
Examples:
"The cat, as well as the dog, is sleeping." (The first subject, "cat," is
singular, so the verb is "is").
• "The students, as well as the teacher, are excited about the field trip.
" (The first subject, "students," is plural, so the verb is "are").
• "I, as well as he, am responsible for the mistake." (The first subject, "I,
" is singular, so the verb is "am").
