Subject and Verb Concord

Grammatical Concord
The rule that a verb matches its
subject in NUMBER has been
called the principle of
“grammatical concord”. Thus,
according to this principle, in
general terms, we can conclude
that:
 Singular Subjects

a. Singular subjects take singular verbs.

Alice lives in London.

The cat is drinking the milk.

 Plural Subjects

b. Plural subjects take plural verbs.

They live in France.

Tom and Susan study the lesson every day.
The children are outside.
2. The number of the subject is not changed by a phrase following or
modifying the head of the subject.

The performance was very funny.

The performance of the first three clowns was very funny.

A new shop has opened in the village.

A new shop selling computers and similar goods has opened
in the village.
 Compound Indefinite Pronouns

3. Compound indefinite pronouns as subjects:

everybody – everything – anybody – anything - nothing
These indefinite pronouns take singular verb when they are working as head of
the subject:

Everybody was paying attention.

Nobody was there.
 “either”, “neither”, “none”

4. When any of these words is the head of the subject, we can use both forms:
SINGULAR or PLURAL.
Neither is / are to blame.
None of us is / are speaking.
Either of the books is useful. (This option is preferred in
formal written English)
Either of the books are useful. (This option is preferred in
conversation)
 “several”, “(a) few”, “both, “many”

5. When any of these pronouns is head of the subject, the verb goes in the PLURAL:

Several of the regular members are absent today.

Both of your mistakes were silly.
Many of them were surprised at the final score.
A lot of candidates have shown interest in the position.
Several are being interviewed today. A few have been
short-listed already.
 “some”, “any”, “all”, “half”, “most”

6. These words, when working as head of the subject, can be singular or plural
according to whether they are followed by a singular or plural countable noun or an
uncountable noun.
Some of the money was missing. Some of the coins were missing.

All of the fruit looks ripe. All of the cherries look ripe.

Most of the book was interesting. Most of the books were interesting.

Any of the information is welcome. Any of your friends are welcome to come to the
party.

Half of the fruit was rotten. Half of the students haven't done the homework.
Half of the book was interesting.
 Collective Nouns

7. A collective noun takes a plural verb when the speaker is thinking of the individual
members of the group (every single member of the group); it takes a singular verb
when the speaker is thinking of the group as just one unit, as a body:

The crowd were fighting for their lives.

The crowd was an orderly one.

The family have agreed among themselves.

The family is the basic unit of our society.

The couple is living in a trailer up the mountains.

The couple are living in separate houses now; they´ve
broken up for good.
When a collective noun has a singular word such as a / an / this / that in front of
it, a singular verb is usually required:

An orchestra needs a good conductor.

That class has the best teacher.

When the collective noun follows a word such as each, every, either or neither,
the verb is always singular:

Each class was given a different task to do.

Every family has an interesting story to tell.
Neither army is prepared to surrender.
 Titles of books, films, names of organizations or countries

8. The title of a book, a film or the name of an organization or country, even

when plural in form, usually takes a singular verb.

Gulliver’s Travels is a satire.

Star Wars s my favourite film.
The United States remains the leader of the Western block.
 Uncountable Nouns

9. Uncountable nouns are used with a singular verb: advice – health – progress –
information – luggage – etc.

Your advice has been quite useful.

Much progress has been made in this city since I was a child.
The information she gave me is confidential.
 Nouns singular in form but plural in sense

10. Some nouns singular in form are used only in the plural sense with
the verb in the plural form: people – police – cattle - clergy

The police are investigating the case.

The cattle are grazing in the field.
Some people are trying to move to the countryside nowadays.
The clergy have decided to talk to the president.
.
 Nouns ending in ics

11. Some nouns plural in form are used only in singular sense with the verb in the
singular form: news – aeronautics – acoustics – billiards.

The news about the accident has shocked her.

Billiards is played by most of my friends.

The names of many sciences and diseases ending in “ics” take a singular verb:
mathematics – phonetics – physics – politics – economics –measles – mumps - arthritis.

Mathematics was my favourite subject when I was in high school.

Physics is a difficult subject for most students.
Measles is a contagious disease.
However, some of these nouns have other meanings that are used with plural verbs. For example:
● The noun “economics” is used with a plural verb when it means “economic or financial aspects”:

The economics of the operation have to be taken into consideration.

● The noun “politics” is used with a plural verb when it refers to somebody´s political beliefs:

Her politics are less extreme than those of her husband.

● The noun “gymnastics” is used with a plural verb in phrases such as “mental gymnastics”:

The mental gymnastics required to solve this problem are exhausting.

● The noun “ethics” is used with a plural verb when it means “morals” or “moral principles that guide
behaviour”:

The ethics of the decision were called into question.

● The noun “statistics” is used with a plural verb when it means “figures” or “the numerical facts or
data themselves”:

The statistics were baffling.

 “along with”, “accompanied by”, “together with”, “including”, “in
addition to”, “as well as”

13. If the head of the subject is singular and it is followed by a modifier with
one of the following expressions, “along with”, “accompanied by”, “together
with”, “including”, “in addition to”, “as well as”, the verb remains singular
because even if they have the same meaning as “and”, these expressions and
the nouns that follow them do not form part of the subject:

Mary, accompanied by her mother on the piano, was very well received.
A cat, together with three dogs, was found in the garage.
Lead, in addition to iron and copper, is a type of metal.
Jim, as well as his children, works in that factory.
 “both...and”

14. When two subjects are connected by both ... and, we use a plural verb:

Both Sarah and Doris were thought to be dead.

Both the headmaster and the teacher think that the student

deserves to be punished.
 Reference to the same object

15. When the verb refers to the same object, it remains singular:

The author and lecturer is arriving tonight.

His father and friend usually gives him some good advice.
 “a number of” vs “the number of”

16. Although the phrases “a number of” and “the number of” are followed by plural
nouns, they have different rules of agreement:

A number of students are complaining about the results of the exam.

(The verb goes in the plural)
The number of jobless people has increased in the last two months.
(The verb goes in the singular)
When “a number” is followed by us or them, or when it stands alone with this
meaning, it is followed by plural verb:
A number of us / them are going to the cinema on Saturday.
The injured passengers were taken to hospital, and a number were kept in
overnight.
 “of phrase” followed by a percentage or fraction

17. When an “of phrase” follows a percentage or fraction, the verb agrees with
the noun closest to the verb; i.e. the verb is plural when the fraction or
percentage is used with or in place of a plural noun; the verb is singular when
the fraction or percentage is used with or in place of a singular or countable
noun. If the noun is not followed by an “of phrase”, and the context does not
help to decide whether it is referring to a singular / uncountable or a plural
countable noun singular verb follows.

Twenty per cent is working hard.

Twenty per cent of the students are working hard.
One third of the money was spent on books and the other
One sixth of the cars were found to have faulty brakes.
If a fraction or percentage is used with or in place of a collective noun, the verb
may be singular or plural:

Two thirds of the population lives / live in the fertile south.

Nearly forty per cent of the electorate rarely bothers / bother to vote.
 Distance, time, money and numbers

18. Plural unit words of distance, time and money are followed by singular verb:

Four hundred miles is too far to go on foot.

Two weeks goes fast when you are on holidays.
Twenty dollars is a good price for this picture.

On the other hand, words for numbers that are singular in form are always used
with a plural verb:
There are many species, but only about a dozen are dangerous.
Forty people were killed and more than a hundred were injured.
We needed a lot of eggs: three dozen were used to make the
sandwiches and another two dozen to make the cakes.
 To infinitive or gerund as head of the subject

19. When the infinitive or the gerund functions as head of the subject, the verb
goes in the singular:
To succeed in all my exams is my main objective.
Reading novels is my favourite pastime.

But: To succeed in the exams and to become a lawyer are my main objectives.
Swimming and jogging are good forms of exercise.
Cleaning the house and cooking the meals were her main duties.

However, if the two gerunds are used before a single noun, the verb is singular:
Buying and selling houses is not a foolproof of making money.
Cutting and styling hair takes great skill.
 Compound nouns considered single units

20. Compound nouns (collocations or phrases which are considered single units
or represents a singular idea) joined by and are followed by singular verb:

Peaches and cream is my favourite dessert.

Fish and chips costs $2.
Rock and roll was popular in the 1950s.
Steak and chips is his favourite meal.
Law and order is the government's main concern.
Bacon and egg is my favourite dish.
 Nationalities preceded by “the”

21. When such nouns of nationality are preceded by the definite article “the”,
the words refer to the people who speak the language, so a plural verb follows:

The Vietnamese are no longer living in a divided nation.

The English are known for their wry sense of humour.
 Adjectives preceded by “the”

22. Certain adjectives preceded by “the” can be used as nouns that refer to groups of
people; in such cases, a plural verb follows.

The rich are getting richer and the poor have been forgotten.
The blind have a kind of sixth sense; they see in other ways.
 Geographical names ending in -s

23. Some proper nouns standing for geographical names ending in –s take
singular verb. In such cases, if the noun is changed to a pronoun, the singular
pronoun “it” is used because the noun is singular:

The United States has its headquarters in New York city.

The Philippines consists of more than 7,000 islands.
 “each” and “every”

24. “every” and “each” are always followed immediately by singular nouns. In
this case, even when there are two or more nouns connected by “and”, the
verb is singular.
Every man, woman, and child needs love.
Each book and magazine is listed in the card catalogue.
There are five cars. Each is worth over $ 100,000.
 “the majority of” and “the minority of”

“the majority of” is followed by a plural noun and used with a plural verb:
The majority of the students are from Spain.
The majority of the candidates were aged under thirty.

Without a following of-phrase, the word “majority” is used with a plural verb if
it refers to a previously mentioned plural noun:

There are more than a hundred candidates, and the majority were under
thirty.
Similar rules apply to the word “minority”. When it is used with or in place of
a plural noun, the verb is plural:

A minority of those questioned were in favour of capital punishment.

Of the many diseases found in this country, only a minority are transmitted
by insect bites.
 Two or more nouns linked by “or”

26. When the subject consists of two or more nouns or pronouns linked by or, there
are two rules of agreement:
a) If the verb comes before the subject, as in most questions, it agrees with the first
noun or pronoun:
Was Mary, Tom, Anna or the twins there?
Were you or Joe there?
Does the owner or owners of the property have the right to appeal?
b) If the verb comes after the subject, as in most statements, it agrees with the part
of the subject that follows “or”:
One large bag or two small ones are required.
The letter or letters are delivered by hand.
The boxes or the box that contains the fruit can be recycled.
 “range” and “variety”

27. The cases of “range” and “variety”

When “a range” and “a variety” are followed by an of-phrase containing a plural

noun, the verb may be singular or plural:

A wide range of goods is / are sold in the supermarket.

A variety of suggestions has / have been made.
If the phrase governs more than one verb in the sentence, both must be singular or
both must be plural:

A variety of suggestions has been made and is currently under consideration.

A variety of suggestions have been made and are currently under consideration.

When “a range” and “a variety” are followed by an of-phrase containing an

uncountable noun, the verb must be singular:

A range of software is available.

A variety of merchandise has been produced.