Module 1
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Some of you may be wondering why so much fuss should be made about the
presence or absence of one little letter “s”. After all, you may say to yourselves, if I
say “he go” rather than “he goes” everyone will understand me.
That’s true.
The SUBJECT is the word which identifies the person, thing, idea or action that does
something.
The VERB is the word which identifies what is done.
♦ In this next sentence, the doors, not the building, were hand carved.
In some cases, the whole subject determines the form of the verb.
Activity 1
Study the following sentences. What words determine subject-verb agreement? If
you are not sure, look at the verb.
Notice in the 3rd and 4th examples that birds (plural, countable) and homework
(uncountable), not majority or most, determine the form of the verb.
Words such as news and physics are uncountable nouns, even though they end in –
s. They would, therefore, take the singular form of the verb.
♦ The news of Kate’s marriage is surprising.
Singular countable nouns, such as door and student, take the singular form of the
verb. Plural countable nouns, such as doors and students, take the plural form of the
verb. Irregular plurals can sometimes be confusing.
♦ This person always comes late. (Singular)
♦ These people always come late. (Plural)
♦ The sheep is John’s pet. (Singular)
♦ The sheep are lined up two by two. (Plural)
Students are often confused about S-V Concord when the noun closest to the verb is
opposite in number to the subject. For example in the sentence, “The laws of the
country need changing”, the verb “need” agrees with “laws”, which is the subject and
plural, and not with “country” which is next to it and singular. There may many nouns
in between the subject and the verb but the concord always connects these two
elements.
• The different proposals suggested by the principal has an impact on the
school’s development. (Wrong)
• The decisions which will ultimately affect his future progress arises from the
worsening economic situation. (Wrong)
2) Some nouns called ‘collective nouns’ can be used as singular or plural depending
on whether they are thought of as ‘one body’ or as separate individuals: “The
committee is in full agreement..” or “the committee are divided over the issue..” Other
such nouns are “family, union, army, government, team, college, faculty, company”.
• The people are supporting the government’s initiative on the problems of the
aged.
• Some aircraft were reported missing after the last training flight.
Activity 2
Study the following sentences. Correct all errors of concord.
Activity 3
Identify and remove any subject-verb disagreements in the following passage.
Reading or the enjoyment of books have always been regarded among the
charms of a cultured life and are respected and envied by those who rarely give
themselves that privilege. This is easy to understand when we compare the
difference between the life of a man who do no reading and that of a man who do.
The man who has not the habit of reading is imprisoned in his immediate world in
respect of time and space. His life fall into a set of routine; he is limited to contact
and conversation with a few friends and he see only what happen in this immediate
neighbourhood.
From this prison there is no escape. But the moment he takes up a book, he
immediately enter a different world, and if it is a good book, he is immediately put in
touch with one of the best sellers in the world. This talker lead him on and carry him
into a different country or a different age, or unburden to him some of his personal
regrets, or discuss with him some special line or aspect of life that the reader know
nothing about. An ancient author puts him in communion with a dead spirit of long
ago, and as he read along, he begins to imagine what that ancient author looked like
and what type of person he were. Now to be able to live two hours out of twelve in a
different world and take one’s thoughts off the claims of the immediate present are,
of course, a privilege to be envied by people shut up in their bodily prison. Such a
change of environment are really similar to travel in its psychological effect.
(CKH/TJD 2008)
5
Exercise 1
Circle the best answer.
(CKH/TJD 2008)