- Nine Tips on Agreement: http://www.towson.edu/ows/sub-verb.htm
- U. of Oregon's Explainer on Agreement: http://grammar.uoregon.edu/agreement/agreement.html
- And a quiz based on the site: http://grammar.uoregon.edu/agreement/agreepractice.html
- Another Quick Quiz to Practice: http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/exercises/sva.htm
QUIZ: Perplexed by Plurals: Verbs, Nouns and Pronouns and Their Antecedents (see worksheet below)
1. The team (take, takes) to the field today.
2. The team took (its, their) positions on the football field.
3. The jury (was, were) seated.
4. The jury (was, were) split on the verdict.
5. The staff (is/are) in a meeting.
6. The staff (is/are) in disagreement about the findings.
7. The number of infant crib deaths (has/have) risen considerably.
8. A number of drunken students (was/were) seen running down
9. The Gators (is, are) beating
10. The Jazz (is, are) a pretty good team.
11. Neither John nor Susan (is/are) available.
12. Either Kiana or Casey (helps/help) today with stage decorations.
13. Neither she nor I (am/are) going to the festival.
14. The book or the magazines (is/are) on the shelf.
15. Neither the book nor the magazines (is/are) on the table.
16. Neither Jenny nor the others (is/are) available.
17. The records or the stereo (have/has) to go.
18. Neither they nor Jenny (is/are) available.
19. Neither the workers nor their boss (wants/want) to negotiate.
20. Neither the magazines nor the book (is/are) on the table.
21. Neither of them (is/are) available to speak right now.
22. Either of us (is/are) capable of doing the job.
23. Every one of the cakes (is/are) gone.
24. Each of the girls (sings/sing) well.
25. Fifty percent of the pie (has/have) disappeared.
26. One-third of the city (is/are) unemployed.
27. All of the pie (is/are) gone.
28. All of the pies (is/are) gone.
29. Some of the pies (is/are) missing.
30. One-third of the city (is/are) unemployed.
31. One-third of the people (is/are) unemployed.
32. There (is/are four) students in the room.
33. There (is/are) one student in the room.
34. There (was/were) a time when I was sad.
35. There (was/were) many times when I was happy.
36. Here (is/are) the missing students.
37. Here (is/are) the grammar book you plan to read this weekend.
38. Ten dollars (is/are) a high price to pay.
39. Five years (is/are) the maximum sentence for that offense.
40. Ten thousand dollars (is/are) a lot of money for bail.
41. Four years (is/are) a long time to spend in any school.
42. Harold is the professor who (get/gets) the most complaints.
43. Harold and
44. None of the seats (was/were) in its right place.
45. All of the condo (was/were) destroyed
46. All of the bonds (was/were) missing.
47. Most of the day’s work (was/were) wasted.
48. None of the witnesses (is/are) expected to live to see the trial.
49. None of the stolen goods (was/were) recovered.
50. None of the consultants (agrees/agree) on the same approach.
51. None of the taxes (has/have) been paid.
52. The politician, along with the journalists, (is/are) expected shortly.
53. Excitement, as well as nervousness, (is/are) the cause of her shaking.
54. The politicians, along with the president, (is/are) expected shortly.
Perplexed by Plurals: Verbs, Nouns and Pronouns and Their Antecedents
Rule to Live By: Identify the real subject and determine whether the subject’s meaning is singular or plural.
Plural or Singular by Context – Rather than relying on a rule, you need to think
The team (take, takes) to the field today.
takes
The team took (its, their) positions on the football field.
their
This is a case of a collective noun where, by context, you have to determine if the sense of the sentence is singular or plural.
With the second example, the sense is plural because it would be odd to think of a singular team taking multiple positions.
Collective Nouns
The jury (was, were) seated.
was
The jury (was, were) split on the verdict.
Were
The staff is/are in a meeting.
is
The staff is/are in disagreement about the findings.
are
So, what is the rule?
Use a singular verb when the collective noun is being used in the sense of a single group operating in agreement.
Use a plural verb if the noun is used to name a group operating as individuals or in disagreement.
For example:
The jury was seated.
(Acting as a Unit)
The jury were split on the verdict.
(Acting as a group of individuals)
Punting
However, these kinds of constructions sometimes sound so odd to the ear, the better device is to punt and just rewrite.
For example, change
The jury were split on the verdict.
To:
The jury members were split on the verdict.
Number
The number of infant crib deaths has/have risen considerably.
has
A number of drunk students was/were seen running down
were
So, what is the rule?
The number used as a subject takes a singular verb.
A number refers to an undefined amount more than one. Thus it takes a plural verb.
NOTE:
The is a definite article that implies an organized unit
A is an indefinite article implying an undefined amount.
Breaking the Rules
The Gators (is, are) beating
are
The Jazz (is, are) a pretty good team.
are
Even though it breaks all the rules, AP says team names are regarded as plural.
Live with it.
Either/Or – Neither/Nor
Neither John nor Susan is/are available.
is
Either Kiana or Casey helps/help today with stage decorations.
helps
am
Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb as
Neither John nor Susan is available.
Either Kiana or Casey helps today with stage decorations.
When one of your two subjects is I, put it second and follow it with the singular verb am.
Neither she nor I am going to the festival.
The book or the magazines is/are on the shelf.
are
are
are
One rule states that:
When a singular subject is connected by or or nor to a plural subject – put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
The book or the magazines are on the shelf.
Neither the book nor the magazines are on the table.
The records or the stereo have/has to go.
has
Neither they nor Jenny is/are available.
is
wants
is
In either/or or neither/nor constructions: The verb agrees with the subject closes to it.
Neither of them is/are available to speak right now.
is
is
When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs.
Either of us is capable of doing the job.
each, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody
Every one of the cakes is/are gone.
is
Each of the girls sings/sing well.
sings
The pronouns each, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody are singular. Don’t be misled by what follows of.
Each of the girls sings well.
Every one of the cakes is gone.
NOTE: Everyone is one word when it means everybody. Every one is two words when the meaning is each one.
Fifty percent of the pie has/have disappeared.
has
is
is
All of the pies is/are gone.
are
Some of the pies is/are missing.
are
When a word indicates portions: percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, etc.,
look at the noun in the of phrase
If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb.
If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.
Pie is the object of the preposition of.
Pies is the object of the preposition.
NOTE: But one out of any plural number is still one and requires a singular verb: One out of ten students was late.
is
One-third of the people is/are unemployed.
are
All of the pie is/are gone.
is
are
is
Some of the pies is/are missing.
are
Here & There
There is/are four students in the room.
are
There is/are one student in the room.
is
was
were
are
Here is/are the grammar book you plan to read this weekend.
is
If a sentence begins with here or there, the subject follows the verb.
Here and there are not subjects of any sentence.
Why?
Because they are not nouns.
Ten dollars is/are a high price to pay.
is
is
is
Four years is/are a long time to spend in any school.
is
With sums of money or periods of time, use a singular verb.
Harold is the professor who get/gets the most complaints.
gets
get
So, what is the rule?
When the pronoun who, that, or which is the subject of the verb in the middle of the sentence:
they are singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them.
If the noun is singular, use a singular verb.
If the noun is plural, use a plural verb.
The word in front of who is professors, which is plural.
Therefore, use the plural verb get.
The word in front of who is professor, which is singular.
Therefore, use the singular verb gets.
None of the seats was/were in its right place.
was
was
were
was
None of the witnesses is/are expected to live to see the trial.
are
were
So, what is the rule?
Pronouns such as any, none or some and nouns such as all and most take singular verbs if they refer to a unit or take plural verbs if they refer to amount or individuals
None is especially problematic
It usually means no single one
Which takes singular verbs and pronouns:
None of the seats was in its right place.
Use a plural verb if the sense is no two or no amount:
None of the consultants agree on the same approach.
None of the taxes have been paid.
You might also want to check out: None of Your Business
Separated Subjects
The politician, along with the journalists, is/are expected shortly.
is
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is/are the cause of her shaking.
Is
The politicians, along with the president, is/are expected shortly.
are
So, what is the rule?
When the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides, or not, ignore these expressions when deciding whether to use a singular or plural verb.
The politician, along with the journalists, is expected shortly.
The politicians, along with the president, are expected shortly.
1 comment:
Wow, this was really helpful. Thanks!
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