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Ajay Almeida Campus Credentials

The document provides rules for subject-verb agreement in sentences with compound subjects, pronouns as subjects, collective nouns as subjects, and measurements as subjects. It lists examples to illustrate when a singular or plural verb should be used depending on whether the subject is singular or plural.

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Vijay kumar pandey
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75 views3 pages

Ajay Almeida Campus Credentials

The document provides rules for subject-verb agreement in sentences with compound subjects, pronouns as subjects, collective nouns as subjects, and measurements as subjects. It lists examples to illustrate when a singular or plural verb should be used depending on whether the subject is singular or plural.

Uploaded by

Vijay kumar pandey
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Ajay Almeida https://www.linkedin.

com/in/ajayalmeida/
Campus Credentials www.campuscredentials.com

SVA
1. Two subjects joined by “and” takes a plural verb.
E.g.: The manuscript and the proof were sent to the author.

2. Two subjects joined by anything other than and, takes a


singular verb if the main subject is singular and plural verb is
the main subject is plural.

E.g.: The manuscript, as well as the proofs, was sent to the author.

3. Two subjects separated by or takes the verb that agrees with


the subject closest to the verb. The same rule applies for
either….or, neither….nor and not only….but also.
E.g.: The parents or the teachers are responsible for the problem.
The parents along with the teacher are ….

4. The following pronouns take a singular verb: each, every,


one, either, neither, anybody, anyone, anything, everyone,
everybody, everything, someone, somebody, something, no
one, nobody, nothing.
E.g.: Each of the projects is done.
Everyone these days is dishonest.
5. “The number” is singular and “a number” is plural.
E.g.: The number that responded was surprising.
Ajay Almeida https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajayalmeida/
Campus Credentials www.campuscredentials.com

A number of people were at the craft fair.


The number of people who came to the fair was astounding.

6. The Pronouns also have to agree with the antecedent.


E.g. Even an animal has its own territory. (Singular)
Even animals have their own territory. (Plural)
Each of the boys has submitted his report.
all the boys has / have submitted their report.

7. A unit of measurement always has a singular verb.


E.g. 500 rupees is too expensive.

8. Collective nouns define a group that is thought of as a unit or


functions as a unit. Collective nouns, when singular, require a singular
verb; when collective noun is made plural (team to teams), the noun
requires a plural verb. Some commonly used collective nouns include
audience, class, clergy, community, council, couple, crowd, faculty,
family, government, group, jury, league, majority, membership,
orchestra (Number) percent, public, staff, team, variety.
When the group is regarded as a unit, the singular verb is appropriate.
E.g.: The team is practicing. The members of the team are …
The class is noisy.
The constellation is far away.
When the individual members of the pair or group are emphasized,
rather than the group as a whole, the plural verb is correct.
Ajay Almeida https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajayalmeida/
Campus Credentials www.campuscredentials.com

E.g.: The members of the team are practicing.


The students in the class are noisy.
The stars in the constellation are far away.

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