CONCORD 2 Agreement between subject and verb

Siddu: There was a theft in my next door.
Nishi: Oh! Was there any property loss?

Siddu: yea. We do not know exactly how much it is. There is a big crowd and the crowd is very enthusiastic to know. Am I right in my sentence construction?

Nishi: Of course, you have improved a lot. So what happened later?
Siddu: The police has come and is searching for clues. Nishi: Now you went wrong. It is police have come and are searching for clues.

Siddu: You said we should use singular number verb after a collective noun.
Nishi: That is true, but some collective nouns like police, cattle etc always take plural verb.

Some more examples

• The cattle are grazing in the garden.
• People in this region are highly traditional.
• A herd of cattle is grazing in the field.
• Cattle are grazing in the garden.
• A bunch of keys is on the table.

Siddu: How is my new pant?
Nishi: It is not pant, it is pants.
Siddu: Why it is only one item as a ‘shirt’, we do not say ‘shirts’.
Nishi: But items which have two parts and formed as one object/ tool are spelled like that. Like ‘scissors’, ‘cutting pliers’ … which have two parts but item is one.
So it is wrong to call ‘scissor’, ‘cutting plier’.
Siddu: I got it. Just as ‘spectacles’ got two parts but item is one so we should not call it ‘spectacle’.
Nishi: True. Since they appear plural, they agree with a plural verb only like …
1. These scissors are sharp.
2. My spectacles are broken.

Some more examples

1. Shorts, forceps, outskirts, riches, intestines.
   
   • Outskirts of this city are beautiful
   
   Siddu: It is very interesting to study the law of gravity, light, sound and so on. Physics are very interesting.
   Nishi: Are you talking about ‘physics ’ subject?
   Siddu: Yes. It is very interesting to hear about more and more laws of nature.
   Nishi: If you talk ‘physics’ as a name of a subject, you should say ‘physics’ is an interesting subject.
   Siddu: you said words like ‘riches’, ‘intestines’ that end with the letter ‘s’ take plural verb.
   Nishi: Of course, they indicate more than one. But subjects like physics, economics, mathematics, though end with ‘s’ they are the names of different studies, and take singular number verb.
   Siddu : O k then I should say Mathematics is difficult to follow.

Some more examples
1. The word ‘news’ is always singular.
2. Ethics is also singular
   
   • The news is true.
   • Measles is a dangerous disease.
3. Even plural members indicating amount, length etc., when taken as a single whole are followed by singular.
   
   • Twenty rupees is too small for this bag.
   • Ten miles is not a long distance.
   Siddu: I went to my uncle’s house yesterday.
   He told me not to waste my time and study. He also gave certain techniques to face the examination.
   
   Nishi: It is good if are able to follow and practice them.
   Siddu: I am so grateful to him that he gave me many advice.
   Nishi: A small correction. You have to say ‘he gave me advice’.
   Siddu: But he gave me many hints.
   Nishi: of course, yet you have to use the word ‘advice’ only with singular number verb.
   Siddu: I could n’t get it. Can you give me a few more examples?
   Nishi :It is like the word information. We may have in it the matter of one item or more than one. We call it only ‘informmation’, but not ‘informations’

Some more examples

• The information is passed on to the relevant persons.
• The scenery of this city is beautiful.
• The scenes of this city are beautiful.

1. In the compound words the root word takes ‘ s for the plural form.
   
   • Sons –in- law of my uncle stay in London.
   • All Commander’s in chief are alert.
2. But the possessive form’s is used to the last word.
   
   • His son-in-law’s house is in Hyderabad.
3. When the possessive is to be told for two people ‘s is added to the last word.
   
   • His and his father’s car is here.
   • Rani and Ram’s project is over.
4. Possessive case is used for people but not to things. Possessive preposition ‘of’ is used for inanimate things.
   
   • Ram’s dress is new.
   • The keyboard of this computer is not functioning.
   • The handle of this briefcase is broken.
5. Possessive ‘s’ of plural nouns that do not end with ‘s like kitten, children, women, is added at the end.
6. These are woman’s wear.

Practice
Correct the following if necessary
1. The doctor has given me many advices
2. This company has bought latest machineries.
3. The machines of this company work efficiently.
4. This scissor is very sharp
5. The child who lives on my next door does many mischieves.
6. He is facing troubles to carry his luggages.
7. My hairs fall a lot after application of this new oil.
8. This is girl’s hostel. Boys are not allowed.
9. He borrowed his brother’s-in-law car.
10. The Arabian Nights are an interesting book.

Answers
1. The doctor has given me advice.
2. This company has bought latest machinery.
3. The machines of this company work efficiently. ( right)
4. These scissors are very sharp.
5. The child who lives on my next door does mischief.
6. He is facing troubles to carry his luggage.
7. My hair fall a lot after application of this new oil.
8. This is girls’ hostel. Boys are not allowed.
9. He borrowed his brother-in-law’s car.
10 The Arabian Nights is an interesting book.

Published date : 01 Apr 2011 06:15PM