Campus Recruitment – Verbal Ability – Subject-Verb Agreement

Campus Recruitment – Verbal Ability -Subject-Verb Agreement

1. All subjects must agree in number and person with the verb.
   e.g.: The students of the primary section are going on a picnic.
   The quality of these mangoes is very good.
2. Two or more singular subjects connected by ‘and’ usually take a verb in the plural.
   e.g.: Sheela and Ragini are here.
   Wealth and generosity don’t go together.
3. If two singular nouns refer to the same person or thing the verb must be singular.
   e.g.: My best friend and confidant has come.
   (a confidant is a friend in whom you can confide your secrets)
   The Chairman and Managing Director is going to address the employees.
4. If two subjects together express one idea, the verb is singular:
   e.g.: Slow and steady wins the race.
   Bread and butter is his only food.
5. Words joined t.o a singular subject by ‘with, together with, in addition to, or as well as are parenthetical and so the verb should be in singular.
   e.g.: The house with its contents was insured.
   The price of silver as well as gold has fallen.
6. Two nouns qualified by ‘each’ or ‘every’ even though connected by ‘and’ require a singular verb.
   e.g.: Each senior member was honored.
   Every man and woman was present at the festival.
7. Two or more singular subjects connected by ‘or,neither nor, either or’ take a verb in the singular.
   e.g.: Neither he nor I was there.
   Either he or I am mistaken.
8. When the subjects joined by ‘or, nor’ are of different numbers, the verb must be plural and the plural subject must be placed before the verb.
   e.g.: Rana or his brothers have done this.
   Neither the Principal nor the teachers were present.
9. When the subjects joined by ‘or, nor’ are of different persons, the verb agrees in person with the one nearest to it.
   e.g.: Either he or I am mistaken.
   Neither you nor he is to blame.
10. A singular verb should be used with a collective noun, when the collection is thought of as one whole.
    A plural verb should be used with a collective noun when it refers to the individuals who comprise it.
    e.g.: The crew was large.
    The crew were taken prisoners.
    The council has chosen its president.
    The council are divided on the issue of making Aadhar card mandatory.
11. Some nouns which are plural in form, but singular in meaning, take a singular verb.
    e.g.: The news is true.
    Civics is important for people who wish to enter the civil services.
12. When the plural noun is a proper name for some single object or some collective unit, the verb should be singular.
    e.g.: The United States has a big army.
    Gulliver’s travels was written by Swift.
13. When a plural noun denotes some specific quantity or amount considered as a whole, the verb is generally singular.
    e.g.: Ten miles is not a short distance.
    Fifty thousand rupees is a large sum.
14. A common blunder is to leave the Participle without proper subject.
    e.g.: Sitting on a gate, a scorpion stung him. (wrong) (who was sitting on the gate)
    While he was sitting on the gate a scorpion stung him. (correct)
    Being a hot day, I stayed at home, (wrong) (who or what is the hot day)
    It being a hot day, I stayed at home, (correct)

Correction of Sentences

1. She is going to temple everyday.(simple present; so goes)
2. These school children needs books and pencils, (need)
3. When he is playing cricket, he fell down.(was playing)
4. She has completed her graduation last year.(remove ‘has’)
5. They are living here since 2010. (have been living)
6. When the ambulance came the patient died, (had died)
7. They are having the same car for 10 years, (have had)
8. She will leave for Mumbai tomorrow, (is leaving)
9. We have gone to Chennai last week, (have been to)
10. She is hearing to carnatic music, (listening)
11. She never visited Charminar before.(had never visited)
12. Your parcel didn’t come yet. (hasn’t)
13. He sleeping while his wife cleaning the house.(was sleeping—-was cleaning)
14. I am liking mangoes. (like)
15. He is always forgetting my phone number.(forgets)