Subject Verb Concord: We need to adjust subject and verb in concord or agreement to frame a correct sentence. We cannot adjust a singular subject with a plural verb and vice versa. Here, we mean to say that there should be a concord between the subject and the verb used for that subject.
जैसे हिंदी में हम लिखते हैं या बोलते हैं –
मेरी बहन पढ़ती है। – यहाँ ‘मेरी बहन’ subject है ओर ‘पढ़ती है’ verb है। अगर हम ऐसे लिखें – मेरी बहन पढ़ते हैं। – ये वाक्य गलत है क्योंकि verb ‘पढ़ते हैं’ subject ‘मेरी बहन’ में कोई मेल नहीं है। ‘पढ़ते हैं ‘ एक plural verb है जो plural subject ‘मेरी बहनें’ के साथ आनी चाहिए।
In English
My sister studies. (correct) because ‘studies’ is a singular verb and ‘my sister’ is also a singular subject.
My sister study. (wrong) because ‘study’ is a plural verb while ‘my sister’ is a singular subject.
Now it is clear that we need to follow the rules of ‘Subject-Verb Agreement’.
Subject-Verb Agreement Rules
Error of Proximity
Often, the ‘Verb’ is made to agree in number with a noun near it instead of its proper Subject. It is an error. This common error is called the ‘Error of Proximity’. It should be avoided. The verb must agree with its proper Subject.
The price of the phone was very high. – (correct)
The price of the phones were very high. – (Wrong)
The sentence no 2 is wrong because in it the verb ‘were’ is wrongly agreed with the noun ‘phones’ near
it. It is an Error of Proximity
Basic Rules – Subject-Verb Agreement
Singular Subject –> Singular Verb
Plural Subject –> Plural Verb
We can say that there is PP and SS Rule
(plural ‘subject’- plural ‘verb’) and SS (singular ‘subject’ – singular ‘verb’) rule.
A subject can be either ‘countable’ (singular and plural) or ‘uncountable’ (no plural)
Singular – A boy, an apple, a story, a news
Plural – Women, boys, flowers
Uncountable – milk, sugar, air, money, happiness,
Person and Number – Subject-Verb Concord
- The subject and verb must agree in person and number.
- If the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular.
- If the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural.
1. Singular Subject –> Singular Verb
e.g., I am a boy. She is a girl.
2. Plural Subject –> Plural Verb
e.g., They are boys. They are girls.
3. When two or more singular subjects are joined together, plural verb is used.
e.g., Mrs and Mr Sharma are going to watch a movie.
4. When two subjects together express one idea, singular verb is used.
e.g., Earning your bread and butter is essential for living. (Bread and butter express one idea here)
5. If the given nouns look like plurals (i.e. they end with ‘s’) but they are, in fact, singular nouns, then we use a singular verb.
e.g., Economics is my favourite subject.
6. Words such as audience, congregation, crowd, group and family take a singular or plural verb depending upon the sentence, but it is always safe to use a plural verb with these nouns.
e.g., The family are our strongest support.
Exceptions:
In some cases, you can also use a singular verb with a plural subject:
e.g., The audience is very excited.
The crowd is coming in huge numbers.
In these sentences, audience and crowd are plural subjects, but singular verb is used because they are treated as a group.
7. Everybody, somebody, nobody, anybody and anyone take a singular verb.
e.g., Nobody is perfect in this world.
8. Nouns joined by ‘and’ take a plural verb.
e.g., Sita and Gita are going to Mumbai.
Exception:
In some cases, singular verb is used if the subjects are treated as a single ideal/concept.
e.g., Earning your bread and butter is essential for living.
Tom and Jerry is a funny series.
9. If the subjects are joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘either’, ‘neither’, the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it.
e.g., a) Neither he nor his sister was there.
b) He or his friends are to be blamed.
10. The title of a book, play, story or a musical composition, even though plural, takes a singular verb.
e.g., The Three Musketeers is a very good novel.
11. When a plural noun comes between a singular subject and its verb, the verb agrees with the singular subject.
e.g., a) Each of the apples is juicy.
b) Neither of the men was a thief.
12. If the words are joined to a singular subject by ‘with’, a singular verb is used.
e.g., The Prime Minister, with his cabinet colleagues, is supposed to be present.
13. If subjects are joined by ‘as well as’, the verb must agree with the first subject, irrespective of whether it is singular or plural.
e.g., a) Ram, as well as Shyam, was missing.
b) My friends as well as my colleagues are going abroad.
14. Two nouns qualified by each and every, even though connected by ‘and’, require a singular verb.
e.g., a) Every boy and every girl was given vaccination.
b) Each of the hens was sick.
15. None is singular but takes a plural/singular verb according to the sense involved in the sentence.
e.g., a) None were given a chance to speak.
b) I asked for a maid, but none was there.
16. When the plural noun is a proper name for some single object or some collective unit, it must be followed by a singular verb.
e.g., The United Nations is not an effective body for world peace.
17. Nouns like glasses (spectacles), pants, trousers, shoes, people, police, scissors always take a plural verb. Also , descriptive nouns like the rich, the blind, the guilty are always plural.
e.g., a) Your shoes are glossy.
But when used with ‘a pair of ‘, they are singular.
b) A pair of branded shoes is quite expensive these days.
18. Uncountable nouns like advice, news, media, stationery, weather, progress are singular and take a singular verb.
e.g., One must not offer advice unless asked.
19. Nouns like news, physics, economics, measles, cards, aerobics are plural in form, but they are treated as singular.
e.g., Aerobics is a good exercise.
20. A collective noun takes a singular verb when the collection is thought of as one whole. It takes a plural verb when the stress is on the individuals.
e.g., a) The cartel of oil supplying countries has submitted its report. b) The cartel of oil supplying countries are divided over the issue. The jury was deciding the case. The jury were divided on the case.
21. A singular verb is used when a plural noun denotes some specific quantity or amount.
e.g., a) One-fifty rupees is too much for this bag.
b) Two-thirds of the city is in ruins.
Exceptions of Rules
1. In some cases, you can also use a singular verb with a plural subject:
e.g., The audience is very excited.
The crowd is coming in huge numbers.
In these sentences, audience and crowd are plural subjects, but singular verb is used because they are treated as a group.
2. Remember that a few nouns are always plural, even though they don’t end in ‘s’ and they always take a plural verb.
e.g., People have such strange ideas.
The police are baffled.
Quite a few common plurals don’t end in ‘s’.
e.g., The children are in bed.
My feet hurt.
Her teeth are rather uneven.
My hair are brown in colour.
3. In some cases, singular/verb is used if the subjects are treated as a single ideal/concept.
e.g., Earning your bread and butter is essential for living.
Tom and Jerry is a funny series.
