Rules Of Concord In English Pdf
Key: subject = yellow, bold; verb = green, underline
Through the lesson and practicing the rules of the concord, they will be able to avoid errors of verbs regarding their being singular or plural and use the correct number and person of the verb in a sentence. 1.1 Introduction Concord literally means harmony, agreement. Thus, it means harmony between different members of a group. In English grammar, words that refer to people, places or things are called nouns. There are several ways to classify nouns. One way is whether they are countable (also known as count) or uncountable (also known as non-count) nouns. Countable nouns, as the term suggests, are things that can be counted. They have singular and plural forms. Hello student, the topic for today in the use of the English language is the 24 rules of concord which means an agreement between sentence elements in grammar. Have you read Lexis and Structure, Noun and Pronoun, Present Tense, Past Tense, Past Participle, Future Tense, Anomalous Verbs, and Ne-plus Ultra Adjectives – The 24 Rules Of Concord. Download 100+ Golden Rules Of English Grammar PDF: Many aspirants find difficulty in English Grammar section while preparing for competitive exams like SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, RRB, IBPS, SBI and other competitive exams. Don’t worry we are here with the 100+ Golden Rules Of English Grammar PDF, It will help you to boost your English Grammar section.
Subjects and verbs must agree in number. In addition to the explanations on this page, also see the post on Subject—Verb Agreement.
- If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular too.
Example: Shewrites every day.
Exception: When using the singular 'they,' use plural verb forms.
Example: The participant expressed satisfaction with their job. Theyare currently in a managerial role at the organization. - If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.
Example: Theywrite every day.
Sometimes, however, it seems a bit more complicated than this.
- When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.
Example: The doctoral studentandthe committee memberswrite every day.
Example: The percentage of employees who called in sick and the number of employees who left their jobs within 2 yearsare reflective of the level of job satisfaction.
- When there is one subject and more than one verb, the verbs throughout the sentence must agree with the subject.
Example: Interviewsare one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of participants.
Example: An assumptionis something that is generally accepted as true and is an important consideration when conducting a doctoral study.
- When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, remember that the verb still agrees with the subject, not the noun or pronoun in the phrase following the subject of the sentence.
Example: The student, as well as the committee members, is excited.
Example: The studentwith all the master’s degrees is very motivated.
Example: Strategies that the teacher uses to encourage classroom participation include using small groups and clarifying expectations.
Example:The focus of the interviews was nine purposively selected participants.
- When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by 'or'or 'nor,' use a singular verb.
Example:The chairperson or the CEOapproves the proposal before proceeding.
- When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by 'or'or 'nor,' the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is closest to the verb. This is also called the rule of proximity.
Example: The student or the committee memberswrite every day.
Example: The committee members or the studentwrites every day.
- The words and phrases 'each,' 'each one,' 'either,' 'neither,' 'everyone,' 'everybody,' 'anyone,' 'anybody,' 'nobody,' 'somebody,' 'someone,' and 'no one' are singular and require a singular verb.
Example: Eachof the participants was willing to be recorded.
Example: Neitheralternative hypothesis was accepted.
Example: I will offer a $5 gift card to everybodywho participates in the study.
Example: No onewas available to meet with me at the preferred times.
- Noncount nouns take a singular verb.
Example: Educationis the key to success.
Example: Diabetesaffects many people around the world.
Example: The information obtained from the business owners was relevant to include in the study.
Example:The research I found on the topic was limited.
- Some countable nouns in English such as earnings, goods, odds, surroundings, proceeds, contents, and valuables only have a plural form and take a plural verb.
Example:The earnings for this quarter exceed expectations.
Example:The proceeds from the sale go to support the homeless population in the city.
Example:Locally produced goodshave the advantage of shorter supply chains.
- 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 the verb.
Example: There is little administrative support.
Example: There are many factors affecting teacher retention.
- Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but are considered singular and take a singular verb. Some examples are 'group,' 'team,' 'committee,' 'family,' and 'class.'
Example:The groupmeets every week.
Example:The committeeagrees on the quality of the writing.
However, the plural verb is used if the focus is on the individuals in the group. This is much less common.
Example:The committeeparticipate in various volunteer activities in their private lives.
Subject-verb agreement sounds easy, doesn’t it? A singular subject takes singular verb:
Tom rides his bike to work every day.
A plural subject takes a plural verb:
The boys are climbing the walls like caged animals.
Yet, The Copyeditor’s Handbook lists no fewer than 25 cases that are not so clear cut, and Garner’s Modern American Usage devotes nearly five columns to the topic. Even the comparatively diminutive Grammar Smart devotes five pages (including quizzes) to the topic.
What makes subject-verb agreement so difficult?
One thing that confuses writers is a long, complicated subject. The writer gets lost in it and forgets which noun is actually the head of the subject phrase and instead makes the verb agree with the nearest noun:
Incorrect: The arrival of new fall fashions have excited all the back-to-school shoppers.
Correct: The arrival of new fall fashions has excited all the back-to-school shoppers.
(should be has to agree with arrival)
Another trap for writers is the move away from strict grammatical agreement toward “notional agreement,” that is, the verb agrees with the notion or idea the subject is trying to convey, whether it is singular or plural:
Incorrect: Twenty-five rules is a lot to digest.
Correct: Twenty-five rules are listed on the notice.
And then there is the fact that English just refuses to follow its own rules. If English can contradict itself, it will.
Here is a brief list of 10 suggestions for subject-verb agreement.
Rules Of Concord In English Pdf Free
A subject made up of nouns joined by and takes a plural subject, unless that subject’s intended sense is singular.
She and I run every day.
Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite sandwich. (intended sense of singular)When a subject is made up of nouns joined by or, the verb agrees with the last noun.
She or I run every day.
Potatoes, pasta, or rice goes well with grilled chicken. (last noun: rice)Collective nouns (team, couple, staff, etc.) take a singular verb.
The football team is practicing night and day for the Super Bowl.
Boston’s school committee disagrees about what to cut from the school budget.Connectives, phrases such as combined with, coupled with, accompanied by, added to, along with, together with, and as well as, do not change the number of the subject. These phrases are usually set off with commas.
Oil, as well as gas, is a popular heating choice.
Peanut butter combined with bread and jelly is a tasty snack.
(Here, the peanut butter, bread, and jelly are one unit, a sandwich, so no commas are needed and we keep the singular verb.)Collecting noun phrases (a bunch of, a group of, a set of, etc.) take a singular verb.
A set of 12 dishes is all you need for the dinner party.
“Each” takes a singular verb.
Each boy is excited about the meet; each is well prepared.
“None” takes a singular verb if what it refers to is singular and a plural verb if its referent is plural.
None of the book is reproducible without permission.
None of the peas are left on Sean’s plate. (“peas” is the referent and is plural)With fractions, the verb agrees with the whole.
One-fourth of the books are gone. (“books” is a plural noun)
One-fourth of the sand is white. (“sand” is a singular noun)With money, if the amount is specific, use a singular verb; if the amount is vague, use a plural verb.
Within a year, $5 million was spent on building a new factory, and millions more were spent on training future factory workers.(“$5 million” is a specific amount. Therefore the verb is singular.)
Funds are allocated each year to help medical research.(“Funds” is a vague term rather than a specific amount. Therefore, the verb is plural.)The phrase “more than one” takes a singular verb.
More than one box is sitting in the hallway.
More than one car was involved in the race.
Rules Of Concord In English Grammar Pdf
*About Erin Brenner
With a BA and an MA in English, Erin has been an editing professional for 15 years, working on a variety of media, especially online. Her niche is business/marketing and online. In addition, she has experience teaching editing to non-editors and coaching writers.