Agreement: Singular or Plural
Objectives
Agreement relates to the concepts of singularity and plurality. In English, changes in the base form of a verb must 'agree' with the subject (sometimes referred to as the 'S-V' principle), depending on whether the subject of the verb is singular or plural. For example, we say
'he/she/everyone/it goes..'. but 'all the children go...'
'Society is intolerant of crime' but 'Societies around the world are intolerant of crime'.
When editing your writing, check for agreement, paying close attention to subjects, verbs, and pronouns. Agreement between subjects and verbs and between pronouns and their antecedents (previous word or words they refer to) is important for coherent writing, as well as for style and grammar.
In this unit, we will examine agreement in these contexts:
• subject-verb agreement with:
- two or more nouns
- collective nouns (group nouns)
- quantifiers
• pronoun-antecedent agreement
• parallel structures
• special cases
Try the Quiz and test your knowledge and use of this principle.
Quiz
Review
The following tables summarise the basic rules and exceptions:
Practice
Fill in each blank with the correct answer from the options given.
Special Cases
Click here to view a Rules chart for Special Cases
SINGULAR OR PLURAL – SPECIAL CASES- RULES CHART
SUBJECT | SINGULAR VERB | PLURAL VERB | EXAMPLE |
there | √ | √ | There is a telephone in every room.There are two beds in every room. |
-one wordsOne, Anyone, Everyone, someone | √ | One of the team members is sick./If anyone wants to help, call Jim./ Someone is knocking on the door. | |
-body words (Nobody,AnybodyEverybody,Somebody | √ | Nobody has time to help./If anybody does not agree, say so.Everybody is going to the game./Somebody/Something has eaten my candy. | |
-thing words (Nothing, Anything, Everything, Something) | √ | Nothing matters in life but good health./ Anything you can bring is helpful./ Everything we owned was lost in the fire. | |
Each | √ | Each of the chairs has a number.The books are expensive. Each costs $25. | |
Either; neither | √ | I have an extra ticket if either of the girls wants to come. Neither of my cousins has ever been here. | |
Plural words showing distance, money, or time | √ | Twenty miles is not far by car./ A million dollars is a lot of money./ Three hours of English class is tiring. | |
Arithmetical calculations | √ | Five plus five is ten./ Two times five equals ten. | |
Either..or/neither nor (verb agrees with subject closest to it) | √ | √ | Either/Neither the chairs or/nor the table has to be moved.Either/Neither the table or/nor the chairs have to be moved. |
Not only..but also (verb agree with subject closest to it) | √ | √ | Not only the dogs but also the cat is sick.Not only the cat but also the dogs are sick. |
None of (meaning ‘not any’)+plural count noun | √ | None of the children are hungry. | |
None of (meaning ‘not one’)+non-count noun | √ | None of the food is fresh; /None of the information is useful. | |
All of +non-count noun | √ | All of the furniture was loaded on the truck. | |
All of+plural count noun | √ | All of the houses were built at the same time. | |
Some nouns ending in –s | √ | The news has just begun./Physics is my best subject.The right lens of my sunglasses is scratched. | |
Collective nouns (often end in –s) | √ | Those pants are too long for her./ His jeans always have holes in them./ These scissors are very sharp. | |
(But ‘a pair of +these nouns) | √ | A pair of scissors has disappeared. | |
Some of + plural count noun | √ | Some of the beads are missing. | |
Some of + noncount noun | √ | Some of the water is gone. | |
Fractional expressions (half of, a part of, etc-can be both singular and plural depending on context) | √ | √ | A large percentage of the population is against her.40% of the student body is in favour of the change.40% of the students are in favour of the change. |
subject+phrase (e.g as well as, together with, etc-these modify the subject not compound it.) | √ | The Mayor, as well as his brothers, is going to prison.The US President, accompanied by his wife, is opening the summit. |
Source:Turkenik, C. (1998). Choices: Writing Projects for Students of ESL. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 196-198.
SINGULAR OR PLURAL – SPECIAL CASES- RULES CHART
SUBJECT | SINGULAR VERB | PLURAL VERB | EXAMPLE |
there | √ | √ | There is a telephone in every room.There are two beds in every room. |
-one wordsOne, Anyone, Everyone, someone | √ | One of the team members is sick./If anyone wants to help, call Jim./ Someone is knocking on the door. | |
-body words (Nobody,AnybodyEverybody,Somebody | √ | Nobody has time to help./If anybody does not agree, say so.Everybody is going to the game./Somebody/Something has eaten my candy. | |
-thing words (Nothing, Anything, Everything, Something) | √ | Nothing matters in life but good health./ Anything you can bring is helpful./ Everything we owned was lost in the fire. | |
Each | √ | Each of the chairs has a number.The books are expensive. Each costs $25. | |
Either; neither | √ | I have an extra ticket if either of the girls wants to come. Neither of my cousins has ever been here. | |
Plural words showing distance, money, or time | √ | Twenty miles is not far by car./ A million dollars is a lot of money./ Three hours of English class is tiring. | |
Arithmetical calculations | √ | Five plus five is ten./ Two times five equals ten. | |
Either..or/neither nor (verb agrees with subject closest to it) | √ | √ | Either/Neither the chairs or/nor the table has to be moved.Either/Neither the table or/nor the chairs have to be moved. |
Not only..but also (verb agree with subject closest to it) | √ | √ | Not only the dogs but also the cat is sick.Not only the cat but also the dogs are sick. |
None of (meaning ‘not any’)+plural count noun | √ | None of the children are hungry. | |
None of (meaning ‘not one’)+non-count noun | √ | None of the food is fresh; /None of the information is useful. | |
All of +non-count noun | √ | All of the furniture was loaded on the truck. | |
All of+plural count noun | √ | All of the houses were built at the same time. | |
Some nouns ending in –s | √ | The news has just begun./Physics is my best subject.The right lens of my sunglasses is scratched. | |
Collective nouns (often end in –s) | √ | Those pants are too long for her./ His jeans always have holes in them./ These scissors are very sharp. | |
(But ‘a pair of +these nouns) | √ | A pair of scissors has disappeared. | |
Some of + plural count noun | √ | Some of the beads are missing. | |
Some of + noncount noun | √ | Some of the water is gone. | |
Fractional expressions (half of, a part of, etc-can be both singular and plural depending on context) | √ | √ | A large percentage of the population is against her.40% of the student body is in favour of the change.40% of the students are in favour of the change. |
subject+phrase (e.g as well as, together with, etc-these modify the subject not compound it.) | √ | The Mayor, as well as his brothers, is going to prison.The US President, accompanied by his wife, is opening the summit. |
Source:Turkenik, C. (1998). Choices: Writing Projects for Students of ESL. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 196-198.
Practice
Challenge Tasks
Text 1
Both speaking and writing is important for everyone who are interested in learning a languages. If ESL student know how to write good English and do not make mistake in grammar, but cannot communicate with other student because they do not speak English then they will have a lot of difficulty in their classes.
Reading and writing is very closely related. People who read a lot also has to write about what they have read. Reading expand thinking and give new experience. Reading also provide informations about the problem in the world.
Writing is very important in our life. It make communication easy and brings people closer together. Writing connect people with family and friend living in distant place. It allow people to save their idea and thought for future reference.
Source: Student writing (used with permission of student but modified to highlight agreement errors)
Text 2: Bringing up children
It is generally accepted that the experience of children in his first years largely determine their characters and later personality. Every experiences teaches children something and the effects is cumulative. 'Upbringing' is normally used to refer to the treatments and training of children within the home. This is closely related to the education of children in school. In modern society, both parent and teacher are responsible for the opportunities provided for the developments of children, so that upbringing and education are interdependent.
The ideals and practices of child rearing varies from culture to culture. In general, the more rural the community, the more uniform is the customs of child upbringing. In more technologically developed society, the period of childhood and adolescence tend to be extended over a long time, resulting in more opportunity for education and greater variety in character developments.
Adapted from: Mosback, G., & Mosback, V. (2001). Practical faster reading: A course in reading and vocabulary for upper-intermediate and more advanced students.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (p. 92.)