1. SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT A. General Rules Every sentence has a subject and a verb.

The subject is the word (or group of word) that tells what the sentence is about. The verb is the word that tells what action takes place or that tells the state of being of the subject. Ex: Marcia lost five pounds last week. S V Ex: She is a shadow of her former self. S V In the first sentence the subject, Marcia , lost something. In the second sentence the subject, she, did not do anything. Rather, the verb tells us that she is something. The verb agrees with its subject in number and person. The agreement applies whenever the verb shows distinctions in person and number. For all verbs other than be, the distinctions are found only in the present tense, where the third person singular has the s form and third person plural like the first and second persons has the base form: (a) The noise distracts them. (b) The noises distract them. The verb be makes further distinctions in the present and introduces distinctions in the past. For convenience, the set of present and past forms of be are given below: Present tense 1st person 2nd person 3rd person Past tense 1st person 2nd person 3rd person singular am are is singular was were was plural are plural were

The distinctions fro third person agreement with be are illustrated in (c) and (d) for the present and in (e) and (f) for the past: (c) The noises is distracting them. (d) The noises are distracting them. (e) The noise was distracting them.

(f) The noise were distracting them. The agreement affects the first verb in the verb phrase, whether it is main verb as in (a) (b) or an auxiliary verb as in (c) (f). Modal auxiliaries, however, do not make distinctions number or person: The noise may distract them The noises If the subject is a noun phrase, the main noun determines the number of the phrase: demonstration The noise is distracting them. demonstrators demonstration The noises of the demonstrators As the above examples show, the verb is not influenced by an adjacent noun that is not the main noun. Noun phrases coordinated with and are generally plural even though the individual noun phrases are singular. The President and Vice-President were at the ceremony. Clauses are generally singular: That he needs a vacation is obvious. Where she spends her lunch break is none of your business. Whether they finally tie the knot is anybodys guess. B. And The subject is plural if it consists or two or more phrases that are linked by and, even if each is singular. Your kitchen, your living-room, and your dining room are too small. It is also plural if and is implied though not actually present: British and American English are dialects of one language. (British English and American English are) Both the first and second prize were won by students at our school. (Both the first prize and the second prize were) are distracting them.

On the other hand, if the linked units refer to the same thing, the subject is singular: The first poem I had to recite in grade school and the one I later studied in high school was A Psalm of Life by Longfellow. (The first recited poem was identical with one late studied.) A conscientious and honest politician has nothing to fear. (A politician who is both conscientious and honest has) In some instances, two linked units may be viewed as either a combination (and therefore singular) or as separate units (and therefore plural): Ham and eggs is my favorite breakfast. Ham and eggs are high in cholesterol. If the noun phrases are introduced by each or every, the subject is singular: Each student and each teacher has to show an ID card to borrow books from the library. Every member and every guest of the club was given a meal ticket. Every bank and store was closed that day. C. Or, nor If the noun phrases are linked by or, either or, or neither nor, the verb may be singular or plural. When both phrases are singular, the verb is singular: No food or drink was provided. Either pollen or dust causes his provided. Neither the time nor the place was appropriate. When both phrases are plural, the verb is plural. Either the miners or the mine owners have to make concessions. When one phrases is singular and the other plural, usage guides prefer the verb to agree in number with the phrase closes to it: Three short essays or one long essay is required. Neither your brother nor your sisters are responsible. The plural is very often used in conversation regardless of which phrase precedes the verb. When the linked units are pronouns that require different verb forms, it is better to avoid having to make a choice. Instead, rephrase the sentence:

Neither you are responsible for the arrangements, nor am I. Neither of us is responsible for the arrangements. D. With, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition to, as well as When a singular noun phrase is linked to a following noun phrase by a preposition such as with, the subject is singular even though the preposition is similar in meaning to and: The old man with all the dogs walks down our street. Her sister, together with her two youngest children, is staying with them. The subject is singular because the main noun is singular. The teacher, as well as the students, was enjoying the picnic. In the following sentence, the preposition is after. One person after another has objected to the proposed reform.

E. Collective nouns A collective noun refers to a group of people or things. Some common examples are: administration army audience class committee crew crowd enemy firm family fleet gang government group herd jury mob nation public swarm team

Collective nouns (e.g., mob, cattle) and mass nouns (e.g., sand, furniture) do not have a plural form and do not take plural verbs. wrong: right: wrong: right: We recently bought outdoor furnitures. We recently bought outdoor furniture. The broker took the prospective buyers to see another choice real estate. The broker took the prospective buyers to see another piece of choice real estate. wrong: The drug dealers whereabouts are unknown. right: The drug dealers whereabouts is unknown. wrong: The baggages have been abandoned at the airport. right: The baggage has been abandoned at the airport.

NOTE: Other examples of these types of noun: ammunition, herd, class, group, gossip (unless what is meant is people who gossip, who can be called gossips), scenery, dcor, information. When members of the group are viewed as a unit, singular pronouns are usual: The audience was very impatient. The public has a right to know. The jury has retired for the night, but it will resume its deliberations early tomorrow. Plural verbs and plural pronouns are used when the members of the group are viewed as individuals: My family have never been able to agree. All the team are in their places. (All the members of the team are ) The committee have not been able to agree among themselves whether to approve the proposed changes. The word data is sometimes used as a unit when it is used to stand for a body of processed information like a financial report. The data we encountered is staggering. F. Count versus Mass Nouns Count nouns have some interesting properties that distinguish them from mass nouns. Consider the data in (a-c) for the noun telephone. a) a telephone/telephone b) more telephones/fewer telephones c) *(too) much telephone/*less telephone/*little telephone Telephone is a count noun, as we can see by the option for it to be preceded by the indefinite article a, for it to be plural, and by its failure to co-occur with quantifiers that relate to mass, such as much/less/little. Now compare telephone with milk, using the same criteria. d) *a milk/*milks e) *more milks/*fewer milks f) *(too) much milk/less milk/little milk In contrast to telephone, milk is a mass noun it cannot be pluralized nor can it occur with the indefinite with the indefinite article a or as a plural noun with more/fewer. G. Zero plurals

An interesting set of nouns in English, sometimes called zero plurals, do not change form at all, whether singular or plural. Some examples are: fish deer sheep fowl moose elk

All of the other fowl are alive and healthy. Fish is the diet food of choice in Lydias family. Back in his hometown fish are plentiful. H. Plural nouns without s Some plural nouns do not end in s. This occurs frequently with nouns that have been adopted from foreign languages. Some of these include criteria, media, alumni, phenomena, and data. The data are not very conclusive. Although in formal writing this sentence is correct (plural noun and plural verb), it sounds strange. Usage is, therefore, bowing to the ear, and Data is is becoming increasingly more common. Avoid this latter construction, however, in formal writing. The data shows the company is losing heavily. Data takes a plural verb when it is not used as a unit, as in Data are being carefully collected. I. The average/an average --- the number/a number The average performance level for this period is quite low. An average of 30 new positions are available annually. The number of UP graduates is increasing every year. A number of UP graduates go abroad after graduation. J. Indefinite pronouns Most indefinite pronouns take singular verbs: Everybody is now here. Someone has borrowed my comb. In formal writing, use singular verbs even when a plural phrase follows the pronouns: Either of them is prepared to help you. Each of our friends has taken the course.

Several indefinite pronouns (none, some, any) and the fractions may be either singular or plural. If they refer to one thing, they take a singular verb: Some (of the material) is not suitable for children. Half (the country) is under water. All (the fruit) has been eaten. None (of the crop) was in danger. If they refer to more than one person of thing, they take a plural verb: Some (of the pages) are missing. Half (of the members) have voted in favor of the amendment to the constitution. All (of my friends) were abroad. None (of us) have heard about the new regulation. None is also used with a singular verb: None (of us) heard about the new regulation. Occasionally, problems arise in the choice of pronouns or determiners for which singular indefinite pronouns are the antecedent. The traditional choice for formal writing is a masculine pronoun or determiner, according to what is required in the context: (1) Everybody wanted a room of his own. (2) Does anyone think he can solve this problem? It is also the traditional choice when noun phrases are introduced by indefinite determiners such as every or any or when the phrases refer to a class of people: Every student has handed in his work on time. A good musician receives more invitations to perform than he can manage. Changes in attitude have led many to avoid using the masculine to refer to both male and female. It is generally possible to rephrase the sentence to avoid suggesting a sexist bias. One way is to avoid using a pronoun or possessive determiner, as in (a); another way is to make the subject plural, as in (b) (d): (a) Everybody wanted a separate room. (b) Do any of you think you can solve the problem? (c) All students have handed in their work on time. (d) Good musicians receive more invitations to perform than they can manage. K. Quantity phrases

Plural phrases of quantity or extent take singular verbs when the quantity or extent is viewed as a unit: Ten kilos is enough. Two years seems too long to wait. Five kilometers was as far as they would walk. Otherwise, a plural verb is used: Dollars are often use instead of baht in Bangkok. Two years have passed since I was last here. Thirty pesos were stolen from his wallet. L. Singular nouns ending in s Nouns ending in ics are singular when they refer to a field of study, for example civics, economics, linguistics, mathematics, physics, statistics: Statistics is one of the options in the degree course. Mathematics was my dreaded subject in school. Some of these nouns are used in a different sense and may then be plural: Your statistics are inaccurate. The acoustics in this hall have been improved,. Names of diseases that end in s are generally treated as singular, for example measles, mumps, rickets: Measles is a highly infectious disease. Names of games that end in s are singular, for example billiards, darts, draughts, dominoes: Darts is the only game prohibited at home. Individual pieces have singular and plural forms: Youve dropped a domino on the floor. The dominoes are on the floor. There are nouns that end in s but singular meanings and therefore take singular verbs. The evening news is on at six. The shambles in his office indicates that his whereabouts is unknown.

M. Who, which, that The relative pronouns who, which, and that have the same numbers as the nouns they refer to. The singular is correct in the following sentences: I have written a letter for the student who is applying for a job in our department. (The student is applying ) You need special permission to borrow a book which is kept in the reference section. (The book is kept ) They noted the tension that has begun to mount in the city. (The tension has begun to mount ) Note the use of the plural in the following sentences: People who live in glasshouse shouldnt throw stones. (The people live in glasshouses.) The weapons which were found during the search were produced as evidence in court. (The weapons were found ) She reported on the motions that were passed at the meeting. (The motions were passed ) The same rule of agreement applies when the relative pronoun refers to a personal pronoun: You who are my closest friends know best what needs to be done. (You are my closest friends.) It is I who am to blame. (I am to blame.) It is he who is responsible for organizing the events. (He is responsible ) In less formal contexts, constructions beginning Its will take objective forms of the pronouns and third person verb forms: Its me who is/who was to blame. Its us who are/were to blame. N. What

You may use either a singular verb or a plural verb with the pronoun what. The choice depends on the meaning: What haunts them is that they could have done more to save the hospital. (The thing that haunts them ) They live what are called condominiums. ( in house that are called ) Similarly, use either the singular or the plural with what-clauses, according to the meaning: What they need is a good rest. (The thing they need is ) What were once painful ordeals are now routine examinations. (Those things are now ) O. There is, there are In speech it is common to use a singular verb after an introductory there even when the subject (which follows the verb) is plural: Theres two men waiting for you. In formal writing, follow the general rule: In sentences beginning with there is or there are, the subject follows the verb. Since there is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows. There is somebody waiting for you. There are two men waiting for you. There is a problem. There are many problems. P. Citations and titles Citations and titles always take a singular verb, even thought they consist of plural phrases: Children is an irregular plural. The Power and the Glory is a novel set in Mexico. The Four Feathers was one of the first novels I read as a child. Likewise, company names are often plural in form, but take a singular verb. Cruz and Villaraza is the towns only legal firm. Q. Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs

These trousers are made of denim. These scissors are very sharp.

ACTIVITY 1. Exercises: 1-A. Select the appropriate verb form given in brackets at the end of each sentence, and write it down in the blank space. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. He ______ his neighbor jogging. (see, sees) He ______ know what kind of exercise to do. (dont, doesnt) Exercise for the middle-aged ______ considered a prophylactic. (is, are) Too many people ______up with heart attacks. (end, ends) To undertake an exercise test ______ prudent, (is, are) The test ______ your level of fitness. (determine, determines) Usually the test ______ after a physical examination. (come, comes) Finding out what your heart can do ______ the goal of the test. (is, are) Most tests ______ a treadmill. (use, uses) Some clinics also ______ a bicycle. (use, uses) Walking on an elevated fast-moving treadmill ______ hard work. (is, are) The doctors constantly ______ your heart rate. (monitor, monitors) On the basis of the tests, the doctor ______ likely to recommend an exercise program. (is, are) To take up a regular program ______ discipline. (require, requires) Exercise improves the heart, ______ it? (dont, doesnt) That you shouldnt overexert yourself ______ without saying. (go, goes) On the other hand, we ______ too little exercise. (do, does) We ______ want heart trouble at our age. (dont, doesnt)

1-B. Rewrite each sentence to avoid sexist bias. 1. 2. 3. 4. Each student must fill out an application form if he wishes to be considered for a postgraduate studentship. Everybody worked his hardest to ensure that the event was a success. An astronaut runs the risk of serious injury, even death, if his spacecraft malfunctions while he is on orbit. Each worker should show up promptly for work or run the risk of having an hours pay deducted from his pay check.

5. 6. 7. 8.

A Filipino politician must raise considerable sums of money if he wishes to be elected to office. Every individual is responsible for his own welfare. Any engineering graduate will find that he can easily get a job. The shop steward has less influence today than he had twenty years ago.

1-C. The base form of a verb is given in brackets at the end of each of the following sentences. Write down the appropriate form of the verb in the blank space. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. The young woman now sitting in the dermatologists waiting room _____ an itchy rash. (have) The team captain, as well as his players, ______ anxious. (be) The committee ______ decided how to proceed. (have) I saw a little gate at the side of the house which ______ into the garden. (lead) My brother ______ written me a long letter. (have) Rioss theory ______ everyone with its complexity. (baffle) This cream ______ gone sour. (have) Some allergies, such as asthma, ______ no external cause. (have) His back ______. (hurt) What should concern us ______ the way in which this policy is to be administered. (be)

1-D. Follow the rules to figure out which verb should be used in the following sentences. Circle the appropriate form of the verb in each sentence. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Someone (sing, sings) a solo in the talent show. Spaghetti and pizza (is, are) his favorite foods. The senior judge, as well as three junior judges, (is, are) to attend the seminar. There (was, were) a flat tire on the bicycle. Neither Max nor Clara (use, uses) catsup on hamburgers and French fries. The tea, including the coach, (host, hosts) the pep rally each semester. Violet, Mia and Davids team (play, plays) well under pressure. His favorite meal (is, are) spaghetti and meatballs. One of the two teachers (is, are) eligible for promotion this year. My nephew, plus two or three friends, (is, are) coming with us.