1. Collective Nouns * Consider a collective noun singular when it refers to a group as a whole.
The orchestra rises.
My family loves to travel. * Consider it plural when it refers to each member of a group individually.
The orchestra are voting for their new conductor.
My family take turns choosing places to go.
2. Special Nouns * Nouns plural in form (ending in S) but singular in meaning take singular verbs.
Acoustics, economics, linguistics, mathematics, measles, mumps, news, physics, rickets, phonetics, etc.
Linguistics is an interesting subject. * Nouns singular in form (not ending in S) but plural in meaning take plural verbs.
Cattle, livestock, poultry
Cattle number more than people in some countries. * Nouns always used in the plural (always end in S) require plural verbs.
Eyeglasses, shears, pliers, pants, thanks, congratulations, slippers, trousers, clothes, etc.
These binoculars are a bargain.
In some cultures, thanks were given to the gods to make them happy. * Nouns expressing abstract ideas are usually singular in form and require singular verbs.
Poverty, courage, education, fear, happiness
Poverty is not an obstacle to success. * The following MASS nouns are ALWAYS singular and require singular verbs:
Ammunition, applause, baggage, luggage, blood, bread, chalk, coffee, dirt, dust, electricity, equipment, furniture, gossip, gravel, heat, homework, ice, information, ink, jewelry, lightning, music, machinery, milk, money, perfume, poetry, prose, rice, salt, scenery, soap, sugar, thunder, water, smoke. * When the foregoing nouns are preceded by pieces of, kinds of, drops of, collection of, etc. they require plural verbs.
Antique pieces of furniture are sold at that store.
Rare collections of jewelry are expensive.
Drops of blood were seen on the floor. * Some nouns always plural in form but either singular or plural in meaning require the verbs to agree with the meaning intended.
Politics
Ethics
Statistics
Barracks
Means
Series
Politics thrives in the absence of an absolute ruler.
Differing politics were sometimes the cause of disagreement among the senators. * Some nouns change their meanings with a change in form.
Singular; change: Plural; changes.
3. Amounts and time as subjects. * Use a singular verb with a subject that refers to a singular unit:
Twenty-four is the number of books in the Iliad.
Ten years seems like eternity for one who is waiting.
4. Titles and names as subject. * The title of a book, movie, television program, musical composition, country or organization is singular.
Little Women fascinates me.
The United States is considered the champion of democracy.
5. The number, the variety, a number, a variety * The number and the variety when used as subjects take singular verbs; a number and a variety take plural verbs.
The number of visitors to the exhibit increases in weekends.
The variety of flowers in the garden is surprising.
A number of the visitors are foreigners.
A variety of civilization are discussed in this textbook.
6. Compound subjects joined by and * Usually considered plural; but when the parts of the compound subject are parts of one unit or refer to the same person, place or thing, the subject is considered singular.
The librarian and the students are reading,
Macaroni and cheese tastes delicious.
Bread and butter was all they offered us.
7. Compound subjects joined by “or” or “nor” * The verb agrees with the subject nearer the verb.
Neither the librarian nor the students are reading.
Either the librarian or the student is reading.
8. Many a, every and each with compound subjects * When they precede a compound subject, the subject is considered singular.
Each librarian and student is reading.
Every student, teacher and parent wants good grades.
Many a wish and desire has remained unfulfilled.
9. Intervening expressions * Certain expressions such as accompanied by, as well as, in addition to, etc. introduce phrases that modify the subject but do not change its number.
Loyalty, in addition to similar interests, is essential to a long term friendship.
The princesses, accompanied by a bodyguard, were ushered into the ballroom.
10. Indefinite pronouns as subjects * The verb must agree in number with an indefinite pronoun subject.
Everybody attends the meeting.
Some of his music was quite sophisticated.
Many are called, but few are chosen.
Some of his songs were fun to sing.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
| |use their hands to move objects including dropping things on the |Can use nouns, verbs and pronouns. |…
- 6090 Words
- 25 Pages
Good Essays -
Regular nouns become plural by adding s or es, not by adding ‘s. Add ies to make plurals of words such as…
- 4484 Words
- 35 Pages
Good Essays -
All but one of the following sentences contain a mistake involving (1) standard English or irregular verb forms, (2) subject-verb agreement, or (3) consistent verb tense. Cross out the incorrect verb and write the correct form in the space provided. Mark the sentence that uses verbs correctly with a C.…
- 295 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
c. Use singular and plural nouns with matching verbs in basic sentences (e.g., He hops. We hop.). (1.L.1.b,c)…
- 1571 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
Supply the appropriate form—possessive or plural—of each word given in brackets. Some answers require apostrophes, and some do not.…
- 362 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Subject and verb agreement. A singular noun requires a singular verb, and a plural noun requires a plural verb (APA, 2001). Words that intervene between the noun and verb do not change that basic rule.…
- 7902 Words
- 32 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. A singular noun names one…
- 52767 Words
- 212 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
guilty on using it incorrectly with plural nouns. What I would have liked, however, is that…
- 437 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
a. They may seem to have plural meanings, but you have to treat them as singulars in formal English…
- 256 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Example 1 find the population mean μ and population standard deviation σ of the gambling game with distribution.…
- 447 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Subject and verb agreement. A singular noun requires a singular verb, and a plural noun requires a plural verb (Strunk & White, 1979). Words that intervene between the noun and verb do not change that basic rule.…
- 2249 Words
- 9 Pages
Best Essays -
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?…
- 535 Words
- 3 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Remember, this is a SKILLS lesson – you are NOT using the text to introduce a discrete item of language (such as grammar or a lexical set).…
- 459 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
If the plural of foot is feet, and tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of phone booth be phone beeth? If the buyers bought and the teacher taught, why didn’t the preacher praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what…
- 425 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
*developed from the verbal noun, which in course of time became verbalized preserving at the same time its nominal character.…
- 687 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays