A Remedial English Grammar

CHAPTERSARTICLESAGREEMENT OF VERB AND SUBJECTCONCORD OF NOUNS, PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVESCONFUSION OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBSDIFFICULTIES WITH COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVESCONFUSION OF PARTICIPLES: ACTIVE & PASSIVEPREPOSITIONSNEGATIVE VERBSTENSES 1, 2 & 3THE INFINITIVE

S-V ConcordA verb must agree with its subject in number and person.

1. For present tense forms most English verbs end in –s in the third person singular, but there is no –s on the third person plural.

E.g. He walks ; They walk.

In forms of primary auxiliary be (where different words are used), do, the singular ending can also be –es. Modal auxiliaries can, may, must, ought, will, shall do not attach –s form.

E.g. He goes; They go; He can do it ; They will do it.

S-V Concord2. When the subject is one of, followed by plural noun, the

verb is singular.

E.g. One of my teachers lives next door to my aunt.

3. If a clause (a long group of words) which separates the subject from the verb, care is necessary to remember the actual subject-word so as to make the verb agree with it.

E.g. The radio which you gave my children works perfectly.

S-V Concord4. When the subject consists of two or more nouns, it has the

force of a plural and hence a plural verb.

E.g. John and Mary have gone for a holiday.

But if the item given suggests a compound of one thing or one unit, then the subject is taken as singular and hence a singular verb.

E.g. Bread and butter is a wholesome food.

Cow and calf was once a party symbol.

S-V Concord

5. When a plural number applies to distances, weights, heights or amounts of money (which represent a single figure or quantity) it is treated as a singular.

E.g. Ten kilometers is not a great distance.

6. Titles of books, hotels, house which indicate plural meaning, however do take only singular since the reference is to a book, building etc.

E.g. The Spencers is a big shop.

S-V Concord

7. The introductory ‘there’ in a sentence is just a dummy subject. The verb actually agrees with real subject in the statement.

E.g. There are some apples in the basket.

There is an apple in the basket.