Agreement Between Subject And Predicate (first) w4q1w

Agreement between Subject and Predicate One of the most common grammatical mistakes has to do with agreement of subject and predicate. Study the rules below and practice them consciously in your everyday speech.

A. The Predicate Agrees with the Subject 1. The predicate agrees with the subject in person and number. The third person singular verb in the present tense ends in s.

I like the story. Charles likes it too. 2. The predicate agrees with the subject regardless of intervening words. Whenever there is a phrase or a clause modifying the subject, look past these words to the real subject and make the verb agree with it.

Rama was exiled by Dasa-ratha Rama, with Sita and Lakshman, was exiled by Dasa-ratha. Rama, who was the husband of Sita, was exiled by Dasa-ratha. 3. If the idea expressed by a collective noun is that of a single group of individuals, the predicate should be singular. If the idea expressed by the collective noun is that of a number of individuals, the verb should be plural. The group practices self-denial. The crowd are doing different things. 4. The verb must be singular when one of the following words is the subject: each, either, neither, everyone, any, anyone, someone, everybody, anybody, somebody.

Each has a sacred duty to perform. Neither of Bharat’s arguments convinces Rama. 5. In a compound subject, one of whose is singular and the other plural, the predicate agrees with the subject closer to it. Either his friends or his father is with him. Either his father or his friends are with him. 6. In a compound subject, one negative, one positive, the predicate agrees with the positive member.

You, no I, are to blame. I, not you, am to blame. 1|Page

7. The predicate agrees with the subject and not with the predicate word. The result of Kaikeyi’s plan is the many opportunities to get Rama exiled. 8. The expression the number takes a singular verb; a number takes a plural verb.

The number of rites performed was considerable. A number of rites were performed. 9. Two nouns generally thought of together take a singular verb.

Bread and butter is good for breakfast. Rice and fish is also good. 10. Two nouns referring to the same person take a singular verb. Mita’s cousin and classmate is here. 11. Few, several, and many take plural verbs when used as pronouns.

Few are willing to leave Rama. Several have consented to follow him. 12. Sums of money and units of measurement take singular verbs.

Three hundred pesos is enough. One hundred meters is not too far. 13. Fractions take singular verbs. But if the fraction is followed by an of-phrase, the number of the verb depends on whether the noun in the of-phrase is singular or plural.

Three-fourths is a fraction of one. Three-fourths of the jackfruit is enough. Three-fourths of the mangoes are rotten. 14. All takes a plural verb when it refers to concrete nouns in the plural; all takes a singular verb when it refers to abstract nouns or mass nouns.

All of the brothers of Rama were loyal to him. All of his ambition was gone. All of the oxygen was exhausted. All of the money was lost. 15. Here and there cannot be subjects. Therefore, if a sentence begins with here or there, look for the subject and write the correct form of the verb. Here is my jacket. Here are my shoes. 2|Page