Subject-verb agreement is one of the most important rules in English grammar. It ensures that the verb in a sentence agrees with the subject, in terms of both tense and number. While the basic rule is easy to understand, there are some special cases where subject-verb agreement can be a bit tricky. In this article, we will discuss some of these special cases and how to handle them.
1. Collective nouns
A collective noun refers to a group of people, animals, or things that are treated as a single entity. Examples include the team, the jury, the committee, and the crowd. When a collective noun is used as the subject of a sentence, it can be treated as singular or plural, depending on the context.
For example, if you say “The team is playing well,” you are treating team as a single entity and using a singular verb (is). However, if you say “The team are arguing among themselves,” you are treating team as a group of individuals and using a plural verb (are).
2. Indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to people or things that are not specific, such as someone, anyone, everyone, nobody, and anything. When an indefinite pronoun is the subject of a sentence, the verb must agree with the pronoun in number.
For example, if you say “Someone is knocking on the door,” you are using a singular verb (is) to agree with the singular pronoun someone. However, if you say “Some of the students are absent today,” you are using a plural verb (are) to agree with the plural noun students.
3. Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning
Some nouns are plural in form but singular in meaning. Examples include mathematics, physics, politics, and news. When these nouns are used as the subject of a sentence, they are treated as singular and require a singular verb.
For example, if you say “Mathematics is my favorite subject,” you are using a singular verb (is) to agree with the singular noun mathematics. However, if you say “The news are always depressing,” you are using a plural verb (are) incorrectly, because news is singular in meaning.
4. Titles and names
When a title or name is used as the subject of a sentence, the verb must agree with the title or name in number. If the title or name is singular, a singular verb is used. If the title or name is plural, a plural verb is used.
For example, if you say “The President is speaking at the conference,” you are using a singular verb (is) to agree with the singular title President. However, if you say “The Kennedys are a prominent political family,” you are using a plural verb (are) to agree with the plural name Kennedys.
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is important in ensuring clear and effective communication. By understanding these special cases and how to handle them, you can avoid common errors and improve your writing.