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Lecture 2 Lecture 2
Subject-verb Concord (I)
Lecture 2 Subject-verb Concord (I)
Definition:
Main Points:
The agreement between subject and predicate verb in number.
2.1 Guiding principles
2.2 Problems of concord with nouns ending in –s
2.3 problems of concord with collective nouns
Quiz
2.1 Guiding Principles
There are three principles guiding subject-verb concord:
1. Grammatical Concord2. Notional Concord3. Proximity
1) Grammatical Concordthe Rule:
The verb must match its subject in number.
Subject plural singular /a mass noun
Verb
Head word of the Phrase
The amount of Clauses
Main verb of the Simple Verb Phrase
Auxiliary of the Complex Verb Phrase
Subject
Verb
plural singular
Examples:
1. Happy families _____all alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own.
2. His brother rather than his parents ____to blame.
3. Children interfering in their parents’ right to remarry ______become a social problem.
4. What he did and what he said ______totally different.
5. Because they are dead language _____no reason why they should be ignored in academic circles.
are
is
families
brother
hasinterfering
areand
isBecause they are dead language
2) Notional Concordthe Rule:
The verb can sometimes agree with the subject according to the notion of number rather than to the actual presence of the grammatical marker for that notion.
the notion of numberactual presence
Head part of the Subject Predicate Verb
with singular meaning
with plural meaning
singular
plural
Plural Form
Singular Form
Examples:
The government have asked the country to decide by a vote.
Fifteen miles seems like a long walk to me.
Singular Formplural meaning
plural
Plural Formsingular meaning singul
ar
3) ProximityThe Rule: the verb agrees with a closely preceding noun
phrase in the subject.closely preceding
NP +NP+···+NP Verb…
Subject Predicate Verb
NPsingular singular
plural plural
Verb
Examples:
Either my brothers or my father is coming.
No one except his own supporters agree with him.
Subject
NP NP
Subject
NP NP
agrees with a closely preceding
noun phrase in the subject
Examples
Neither Julia nor I am going.
Subject:__________________________
NP close to predicate verb:__________________________
verb form:__________________________
Neither Julia nor I
I
singular
2.2 Problems of concord with 2.2 Problems of concord with nouns ending in –snouns ending in –s
What is ‘s’ ?
What is ‘s’ ?
inflectional affix for plural
noun
inflectional affix for singular
verb
S
last letter in a word
Problems
2.22.2 Problems of Concord with Nouns Problems of Concord with Nouns Ending in –sEnding in –s
Nouns that end in –s
A: not countable
treated as singular
plural
either singular or plural
B: countable
according to grammatical concord
2.22.2 Problems of Concord with Nouns Problems of Concord with Nouns Ending in –sEnding in –s
1) Disease Names Ending in –s:
2) Game Names Ending in –s:
3) Subject Names Ending in –ics:
4) Geographical Names Ending in –s:
5) Names for Things Made of Two Parts
6) Nouns Usually Taking Plural Endings:
7) Nouns Ending in –ings
8) Nouns Ending in –s with both Singular and Plural Meaning:
1) Disease Names Ending in –s:
mostly treated as singular
Rules:arthritis 关节炎 bronchitis 支气管炎 diabetes 糖尿病 measles 麻疹 mumps 腮腺炎病phlebitis 静脉炎 rabies 狂犬病 rickets 软骨 shingles 带状疱疹
can be used singular / plural
Exception:
2) Game Names Ending in –s:
Rules:
generally singular
1. cardsusually plural
2. Not for nameusually plural
Exception:
billiards 台球 bowls 保龄球 darts 投镖游戏 draughts 国际跳棋 marbles 弹子游戏checkers 跳棋 tiddlywinks 挑圆片 skittles 九柱戏 dominoes 多米诺骨牌
4) Geographical Names Ending in –s:
Rules:Archipelagosmountain rangesstraits falls
Plural verb
country names Singular verb
1.
2.
The Himalayas have a magnificent variety of plant and animal life.
The straits of Gibraltar have not lost their strategic importance.
In early January 1976, the Netherlands was hit by its worst storm since 1953.
eg.
5) Names for Things Made of Two Parts
Rules:usually plural
determined by unit noun
Exception:
The scissors are on the ground.
This pair of scissors belongs to the tailor
6) Nouns Usually Taking Plural Endings:
generally plural
whereabouts, dramatics plural / singular
Rules:
The goods are to be exported to Canada.
The remains of an ancient city was/were found thereThe late president’s remains are buried in the churchyard.
Exception:
7) Nouns Ending in –ings
generally plural
Rules:
except tidings plural / singular
The sightings were reported 20 years ago.were
Exception:
8) Nouns Ending in –s with both Singular and Plural Meanings:
Rules:
Plural meaning Plural verb
Singular meaning Singular verb
The species of fish______ numerous
This species of rose______very curious.
are
is
2.3 Problems of Concord with Collective Nouns as Subject
Feature:
Singular in Form but
Plural in Meaning
2.3 Problems of Concord with Collective Nouns as Subject
1) Collective nouns usually used as Plural
2) Collective nouns usually used as Singular
3) Collective nouns used either as Plural or as Singular
4) A committee of, etc + plural noun
1) Collective Nouns Usually Used as Plural
Including:
people, police, cattle, militia, poultry, vermin
Domestic cattle provide us with milk, beef and hides.
The mankind long for peace.
2) Collective Nouns Usually Used as Singular
Including:
foliage, machinery, equipment, furniture, merchandise
All the merchandise has arrived undamaged.
All the machinery in the factory is made in china.
3) Collective Nouns Used either as Plural or as Singular
Including:
Audience, committee, class, crew, family, government, public, team
The anti-crime committee is to make its report tomorrow.
The committee are divided in opinion about this problem.
That group of soldiers is a top-notch fighting unit.
That group of soldiers have the best ratings of individual performance.
committee its
committee divided in opinion
group a unit
groupindividual performance
4) A committee of, etc + plural noun
committee board panel
a of plural noun verb
Subject
Head of noun phrase
Predicate verb
Singular form Singular verb
A committee of five men and three women is to consider the matter.
Post modifiernoun
phrase