Concords

P R E P A R E D B Y
A N T O H
D E P A R T M E N T O F E N G L I S H
S T X A V I E R ’ S C O L L E G E O F E D U C A T I O N ( A U T O N O M O U S )
P A L A Y A M K O T T A I
T I R U N E L V E L I
I N D I A
T A M I L N A D U
P I N – 6 2 7 0 0 2 .
CONCORD
(SYNTAX OR SUBJECT AND VERB
AGREEMENT)

Introduction
 Concord means a harmonious relationship between
two grammatical items.
 Of all the types of concord the most important is the
concord of number and person between the subject
and the verb.
 In English the concord system is simple, a verb is not
affected by the gender system at all because it has the
same form for both masculine and feminine subjects.
 Further, subject-verb-concord in English is
restricted to simple present tense. In English
there is nothing like object-verb-concord.

Grammatical Concord
 A singular subject takes a singular verb.
 A plural subject takes a plural verb.
 In short, a verb is in the same number as its subject.
 It is called grammatical concord.

Examples
 The teacher writes on the blackboard. (Singular)
 The child plays on the lawns. (Singular)
 The teachers write on the blackboard. (Plural)
 The children play on the lawns. (Plural)

Number System of Nouns and Verbs
 The number system of nouns is the opposite of the
number system of verbs:
 an ‘s’ is a plural maker for a noun.
 an ‘s’ is a singular maker for a verb. (in the
simple present tense)

Singular Plural
 Book
 Boy
 Thief
 Catch
 Fly
 Books
 Boys
 Thieves
 Catches
 Flies
Nouns

Plural Singular
 Write
 Go/Do
 Run
 Catch
 Fly
 Writes
 Goes/Does
 Runs
 Catches
 Flies
Verbs

Concord of Person
 First person (singular/plural) takes a plural verb.
Example: I/we like this book.

Concord of Person
 Second person (singular/plural) takes a plural
verb.
Example: You/you all like this book.

Concord of Person
 Third person (plural) takes a plural verb.
Example: They like this book.

Concord of Person
 Third person (singular) takes a singular verb.
Example: He/she likes this book.
 Note: In short, the singular form of a verb is
only for the third person singular and the
plural form for the rest.

Exception of Grammatical Concord
 Concord of number/person in past/future tense
 The past forms of verbs (except verb be) are invariable.
 There is no visible concord of number/person between
the subject and the verb. For example,
You/They/I/We went home after the party.
He/she went home after the party. (verb ‘to go’)
 But
You/they/we were watching a match on TV yesterday.
He/she/I was watching a match on TV yesterday. (verb
‘to be’)

 Modal auxiliaries
 Modal auxiliaries don’t show number and person
concord because their forms are invariable in all
tenses.
I/we/you/they/he/she can do this sum.
I/we/you/they/he/she will go home tomorrow.

 Marginal auxiliaries/semi-modal auxiliaries
 Need and Dare in the negative form, and used to
don’t have number and person concord.
He/they need not work hard.
He/they dare not oppose me.
I/we/he/she used to play tennis.
 Note: But need and dare in the affirmative do
have number and person concord.
I/we need to work hard.
He needs to work hard.

 Adverb clause of improbable condition
 A singular subject takes a plural verb ‘were’ in a
clause expressing an improbable condition.
If I were you I wouldn’t do it.
If Raju were a millionaire, he would donate a hefty
sum to the hospital.

 Adverb clause of manner (as if/as though )
 A singular subject usually takes a plural verb ‘were’
in a clause expressing manner (as if/as though
+clause)
She memorises all her lessons as if she were a
computer.
He commands me as if he were my boss.

 Unfulfilled wish in present/future.
 A singular subject takes a plural verb ‘were’ in a
clause expressing an unfulfilled wish.
I wish I were a millionaire.
Were I a king I would live a life of ease.

Concord System in Different Constructions
 Rule: 1
 When two subjects are joined by ‘and’, the verb is
plural.
My friend and his father are in India.
You and I are working.
Are not your sister and brother ill?
Wealth and happiness are all Mohan wants.
Table and chair were both very costly.
Rice and wheat, purchased a week before, were
both rotten.

 Rule: 2
 When singular subjects represent one collective idea, a singular verb
is used.
 They are called ‘parcel subject’.
 Rice and curry is his favourite dish.
 Truth and honesty is the best policy.
 Slow and steady wins the race.
 Bread and butter is our daily need.
 Whisky and soda was his only food.
 This is the long and the short of the matter.
 Note: But a parcel subject takes a plural verb when the
complement is plural.
 Food and shelter are the bare necessities of life.
 (Here, the bold word ‘necessities’ is complement.)

 Rule: 3
 When two singular nouns joined by ‘and’ refer to the same person or thing,
the verb is singular.
 The secretary and treasurer has been arrested.
 The District Magistrate and Collector is on leave today.
 Notes:
 Article ‘the’ is used only once when the two nouns refer to the
same person or thing.
 If the two nouns refer to different persons or things, article ‘the’
is used before each noun. In such cases, the verb will be in the
plural form.
 The secretary and the president have been given warm welcome.
 The Vice-President of India and the Chancellor of this university
have agreed to this proposal.
 The bold occurrence of ‘the’ in both of the above mentioned
sentences shows that the statement is about two different
persons.

 Rule: 4
 The principle of grammatical concord states that the subject must agree with the
verb.
 When the subject is a complex noun phrase, it is the number of the head-noun of
the noun phrase that determines the form of the verb.
 The teachers of this school know me. (teachers)
 The mangoes on the tree are ripe. (mangoes)
 The milk in the bottles is fresh. (milk)
 The price of essential articles in all the states has shot up. (price)
 The rays of the sun at noon in all parts of India are very bright. (rays)
 The sound of the bells was heard by everyone. (sound)
 One of the books is missing. (one)
 The water of those streams was sweet. (water)
 The trouble with all those cars was slow speed. (trouble)
 Note: Care must be taken in determining the head-word of the subject &
Asking who/what to the verb will usually help identify the head of the
subject phrase.

 Rule: 5
 When two singular subjects are practically
synonymous the verb should be in the singular form.
The law and order situation in the state is under
control.
 His power and influence is on the decline.
Power and position has no charm for my friend.
Peace and prosperity is the need of the day.

 Rule: 6
 If connectives like ‘with’, ‘together with’, ‘along with’, ‘in addition to’,
‘except’, ‘besides’, ‘and not’, ‘no less than’, ‘like’ etc are used to combine two
subjects the verb agrees with the subject mentioned first.
 The president of India together with his personal secretaries is invited to this
function.
 The actress along with her manager and some friends is attending the function.
 Mr Sanoj accompnied by his wife and children is arriving to night by train.
 The ship, with all its passengers, was drowned.
 A watch, in addition to rupees fifty, was given to Ritesh.
 No one except a few students was there.
 Milk, besides vegetables, is good for health.
 Satish and not you has passed.
 He, no less than his friends, is guilty.
 She, like her parents, is a miser.

 Rule: 7
 When two subjects are joined by ‘as well as’, the verb
agrees in number and person with first one,
He as well as I is fond of fish.
My comrades as well as I are visiting Delhi.
You as well as he are innocent.
 This connective behaves like separator because it is
placed between two nouns/pronouns to separate them.
 Therefore, a noun/pronoun placed after ‘as well as’
does not affect the verb.

 Rule: 8
 When two or more nouns or pronouns in the
singular are connected by ‘or’, ‘nor’,
‘either.....or’, ‘neither...nor’ they take a singular
verb.
Neither Rupa nor her sister is to blame
Either the Dog or the cat has been killed

 Rule: 9
 When one of the subjects joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’,
‘either....or’, ‘neither nor’ is plural, the verb
must be plural, and the plural subject should be
placed close to the verb.
Either the farmer or his sons reap harvest.
Neither Satish nor his sisters are honest.
He or his friends have stolen my watch.

 Rule: 10
 When the subjects joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’
‘either....or’, ‘neither....nor’ are of different
persons the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
Either he or you are guilty.
Neither you nor I am to blame.
Neither you nor he is willing to come.
Neither he nor they are honest.

 Rule: 11
 When the subjects joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’,
‘either....or’, ‘neither....nor’ are plural, the verb
must be plural.
Neither men nor women like this film.
Either teachers or parents are to blame.

 Rule: 12
 The plural subject is placed nearest to the verb. But
in a question, a singular subject is placed nearest to
the verb. (This is a result of subject-auxiliary
inversion in question)
Has he or his friends stolen my watch?

 Rule: 13
 If two singular subjects (combined by ‘and’) are
preceded by ‘each’ or ‘every’, the verb should by in the
singular.
Every boy and every girl was given sweets.
Each son and each daughter of Ramesh was educated.
Every day and every night brings its own pleasure.
Every man and every woman has the right to express
his or her view.

 Rule: 14
 Nouns qualified by ‘each’ and ‘every’ take singular
verb.
Every man and woman on this earth has to die one
day.
Each soldier and sailor is to march.
 It is assumed in the above sentences that every
before woman and each before sailor are
understood.

 Rule: 15
 When subjects are joined by ‘not only.....but also’
, the verb agrees with the last, that is, with the
subject nearst to it.
Not only Rajesh but also his sisters were arrested.
Not only her books but also her watch was stolen.
 Note: In this construction the plural subject
is usually placed last. Look at the sentence
given below
Not only her purse but also her rings are missing.

 Rule: 16
 ‘None’ can take either a singular or a plural verb
depending on the noun which follows it.
 Structure I: None + of the + uncountable
noun + singular verb
None of the counterfeit money has been found.
 Structure II: None + of the + plural countable
noun + plural verb
None of the students have finished the exam yet.

 Rule: 17
 ‘No’ can take either a singular or a plural verb
depending on the noun which follows it.
 Structure I : No+singular noun + singular
verb + uncountable noun
No example is relevant to this case.
 Structure II : No + plural noun + plural verb
No examples are relevant to this case.

 Rule: 18
 Distributive pronouns (each/either/neither etc ) are
always singular whether or not they are followed by of +
plural noun , so they go with singular verbs.
Neither of the two experiments was relevant to the topic
of research. (not, were)
Each of these procedures has its own advantages. (not,
have)
Either of them has to demonstrate how this appratus
works. (not, have)
Each one of you has to suffer for it. (not, have)
There are two girls here. Neither is tall. (not, are)

 Rule: 19
 If each comes after a plural headword (i.e plural
subject+each) the verb agrees with the plural
headword.
We each went to be happy. (not, wants)
They each are facing problems. (not, is)
 In the above construction a plural subject takes a
plural verb because ‘each’ is used only in apposition
to a plural noun.
 It can’t make a plural subject singular.

 Rule: 20
 Singular indefinite pronouns go with singular verbs, plural indefinite pronouns go
with plural verbs and in the construction Indefinite pronoun+of + plural
noun/pronoun , a singular indefinite pronoun goes with a singular verb.
 Many a flower is born to blush unseen.
 Everybody wants food.
 Many an egg is rotten.
 One has to take care of one’s health.
 No one has reached yet.
 Everyone who saw his dead body was moved.
 Every new born day is teeming with slipped chances.
 Anybody with a will to work is welcome.
 Nobody is willing to help me.
 Many were injured.
 Only a few were selected.
 Everyone of them is tall.

 Rule: 21
 In the construction not one/no one of +plural
noun / pronoun the verb is always singular
because not one/no one is indisputably singular.
Not one/no one of the pupils has answered this
question correctly. (not, have)
 Note: When a writer wants to stress the
singularity of a concept, he generally uses ‘no
one’ or ‘not one of’ in place of ‘none of’

 Rule: 22
 When ‘all’ means ‘everything’ it takes a singular
verb but when it refers to a plural noun, it takes a
plural verb.
All is not lost yet. (not, are)
There are ten girls here. All are tall. (not, is)

 Rule: 23
 When ‘some/any’ refers to a singular uncountable
noun it takes a singular verb and when it
(some/any) refers to a plural noun it takes a plural
verb.
Some of the food has been wasted.
Some of the ink has spilt on the table.
Some of the boys are dull.
Are there any girls in your class?
Is there any hope now?

 Rule: 24
 A few nouns always go in pairs, so they are called
‘inseparables’: scissors, shears, trousers ,
pliers. Since they are undoubtedly plural they take a
plural verb. However, when preceded by ‘a pair of’,
they take a singular verb.
Trousers are very comfortable in cold countries.
A pair of trousers is required for my cousin.

 Rule: 25
 In the construction more than one + singular
noun , noun takes a singular noun and a singular
verb.
More than one man was killed in the accident.
More than one scholar has been honoured this
year. (not, More than one girls are absent.)

 Rule: 26
 In the construction more + plural noun + than
one , more takes a plural noun, so a plural verb is
required.
More proposals than one have been forwarded.
(not, has been)

 Rule: 27
 Numerals joined by and/plus denote a single arithmetic
unit, so they take a singular verb.
Two and two makes/is four.
Two plus two is four.
 In sentences like these a plural verb is rarely used in
current English.
 Note: But numerals that are treated as mere
numerals, not as an arithmetical expression do
take a plural verb when they are joined by ‘and’.
It is equivalent to noun + and + noun .
Three and thirteen are believed to be unlucky numbers.

 Rule: 28
 The subject of a sentence in the construction
(nothing but + noun ) is ‘nothing’ and not the
noun placed after ‘but’, so it always takes a singular
verb whether the latter noun is singular or plural.
There is nothing but sand in a desert.
Nothing but unfulfilled promises is what this
administration has given us.

 Rule: 29
 ‘A number of ’ or ‘a large number of ’ is followed by a plural noun, for
example, ‘people’, ‘men’, ‘teachers’, and it is these plural nouns with
which the verb must agree not with the grammatical head of the subject,
that is, not with the word ‘number’
 A large number of people have applied for the job.
 A number of slum dwellers in Delhi have fallen victim to dangue.
 Notice that in the above mentioned sentences, it is possible to use the
single word ‘many’ in place of the phrases ‘a large number of’ or ‘a
number of’ . And the word ‘many’ is always plural.
 Hence the plural verb ‘have’.
 The opposite of this can be seen in the following sentence:
 The number of homeless people has gone up.
 Here two points should be noted: (i) we are using the phrase ‘the number
of’ not ‘a number of’ or ‘a large number of’ ; and (ii) our concern
now is more with ‘number’ than with the noun ‘people’. Hence, the
singular verb ‘has’.

 Rule: 30
 The subject of a sentence may begin with any one of the
following phrases: ‘A good deal of’, ‘A great deal of’,
‘A lot of’, ‘Most of’ and ‘some of’. In such a situation
the verb agrees with the object of the preposition ‘of’.
A lot of people were present in the gallery.
A lot of work has to be completed before we go.
A good deal of time has been lost.
A good deal of efforts are needed.
Some of the music was boring.
Some of the children were hungry.

 Rule: 31
 If the subject of a sentence begins with a fraction, the verb agrees with the noun or
pronoun that comes after the prepositon ‘of’.
 Two-thirds of the book is interesting.
 Two-thirds of the books are interesting.
 A quarter of it is fresh.
 A quarter of them are stale.
 Half of it is useful.
 Half of them are rotten.
 The same principle applies with the phrases: ‘The rest of’, ‘Majority of’ ,
‘Heaps of’, ‘Most of’, ‘Plenty of’, and ‘Lots of’.
 Lots of medicine has been prepared.
 Lots of soldiers have come.
 The rest of the novel is interesting.
 The rest of the novels are interesting.
 Plenty of milk is required in summer.
 Plenty of eggs are required next week.

 Rule: 32
 In the construction, This/This+kind of/sort of /type of +noun, kind
of/ sort of/type of is treated as a single unit.
 This/that kind of food is harmful. (food)
 This/that type of climate does not agree with me. (climate)
 This/that sort of behaviour is in bad taste. (behaviour)
 These/those kinds of people are unreliable. (people)
 Note: These/those+kind of/sort of/type of+noun
 In this construction, too, the verb agrees with the noun placed after ‘of’, not
with the singular noun before it.
 These kind of friends are not faithful.
 Those sort of medicines are harmful.
 However, this construction is permissible only in colloquial style, not in
written English because of the conflict here, ie, lack of concord in number
between the plural demonstrative (these, those) and the singular head
(kind, sort).

 Rule: 33
 A noun (singular or plural) denoting weights/measures/amount/
quantity/distance etc takes a singular verb.
 Five miles/kilometres is a long way to walk.
 Seven thousand rupees has been paid to him.
 Ten litres of petrol is required for my journey.
 Sixty years is a long time.
 Ten kilograms is enough for me.
 Note: Sometimes a plural verb is used if idea of plurality is dominant.
When the subject is a sum of money considered as a whole, the singular
verb is used. When the subject is a sum of money and the reference is to
the bills or coins considered separately, the plural verb is used.
 There were ten gold coins in her purse.
 A thousand rupees were distributed among the flood victims.
 Five years have rolled by.
 The first ten years were the most nerve-racking.

 Rule: 34
 A noun (singular or plural) denoting the name of
a place/institution or the title of a book takes a
singular verb.
Jaipur is a popular tourist destination.
The Arabian Nights is still very popular.

 Rule: 35
 In the construction subject + verb be +
complement , the verb be agrees in number with
the subject, not the complement.
Our only guide was the stars.
The stars were our only guide.
 In this construction a complement (singular or
plural) has no say in influencing concord.
 So, we don’t say:
The wealth of a nation are the people.

 Rule: 36
 In the construction It + be + noun / pronoun ,
the subject is ‘it’, so the verb is always singular
is/was, and not are/were.
It’s me/him.
It’s they who talk a lot but do nothing.
It was you who created the problem.

 Rule: 37
 In the construction, subject + noun/pronoun in
apposition , the verb agrees with the subject and
not with the noun/pronoun used in apposition to the
subject.
I, a student, am in urgent need of your help. (not,
is)
You, a literary ciritic, have failed to appreciate
poetry. (not, has)

 Rule: 38
 Certain adjectives are used with the definite article (the) to
talk about group of people in a particular condition.
 The blind, the sick, the deaf, the poor, the rich, the
young, the old, the dead, the brave, the coward, the
handicapped, the unemployed.
 These expressions have a plural meaning: ‘the blind’ means
‘the blind people’ or ‘all blind people’, but not ‘the blind
man’. Whenever such an expression forms the subject of a
sentence, it takes a plural verb.
 The blind are helpless.
 The rich are selfish.
 The poor are hungry.
 The unemployed are restless.

 Rule: 39
 Some of the nationality words ending in -sh or -ch or -ese
can also be used with a definite article as given below:
 The British, The English, The French, The Irish, The
Dutch
 These expressions are plural : The British means ‘all (the)
British people’. When the subject of a sentence is one such
expression it takes a plural verb.
 The French love good food.
 The British have a long history.
 The Chinese are strong-willed.
 The Japanese are hard-working.

 Rule: 40
 ‘There’ can never be the subject of a verb.
 Hence look for the subject after the verb in sentences
beginning with ‘there’.
There is a party tonight.
There are a number of meetings tomorrow.
There seems no reason to question his honesty.
There were ten students in our group.
There are always two sides to every story.
There seem to be two lions in the den.
There is a book on the table.

 Rule: 41
 In expressions where the same singular noun is
joined by a preposition (singular noun +
preposition ) the verb used is always singular.
Ship after ship is heading towards the shore.
Letter after letter pinpoints the need for hard-
work.

 Rule: 42
 Than + elliptical comparative clause
He always uses more words than are necessary.
She carries with her more money than is safe to do.
 In elliptical compraratives like these, the number of the
noun placed before ‘than’ normally determines the
number of the verb used after ‘than’.
 singular noun + than + singular verb
.....more food than is required.
 plural noun + than + plural verb
.....more teachers than are required.

 Rule: 43
 In the expressions ‘as regards’, ‘as concerns ’,
‘as follows’ the verb (regard/concern
/follow) is always singular (ie
regards/concerns / follows).
The report is as follows.....
The rates are as follows..... (not, The
quotations are as follow.)

 Rule: 44
 ‘The following ’/‘The undesigned ’ can be used as a
substitute for a noun.
 The concord is governed by the number of its referent.
The following is the weather report.
The undersigned requests the students.... (for
example, ‘the principal of the college’)
The following are the new rates.
The undersigned request the students... (for
example, ‘the principal and the staff’)
 Note: The expressions ‘the former ’ and ‘the
latter ’ also behave in a similar way.

 Rule: 45
 A relative pronoun as subject takes a singular verb when the antecedent is singular but it takes a
plural verb when the antecedent is plural.
 I have read the book that is on the table.
 I have not read the books that are on the shelf.
 God helps those who help themselves.
 Construction I: One of + plural pronoun/noun (antecedent) + relative pronun
 In this construction the antecedent is always plural so the relative pronoun takes a plural verb.
For example,
 He is one of those who do what they say.
 She is one of the women who have sacrificed everything for their children.
 Construction II: It is + noun/pronoun (antecedent) + relative pronoun In this
construction the antecedent is the noun/pronoun placed after the verb ‘be’. The
antecedent is not ‘It’. So the relative pronoun agrees in number/person with the
noun or pronoun, not with the empty ‘It.’
 It is I who have made this film.
 It is he who has stolen my car.
 It is they who create all kinds of problems.
 Note: If the antecedent of the relative pronoun is the objective case pronoun ‘me’,
the verb agrees with a third person singular subject.
 It is me who is to suffer.

 Rule: 46
 In spite of the number of terms on either side,
mathematical equations like the following take verbs
required by third person singular subjects.
(a+b)2 = a2+b2+2ab is one of the basic formulas
(formulae) in Algebra.
His contention was that a (x+y)2 = 50 was valid
for every case.

 Rule: 47
 If a sentence begins with the pronoun ‘I’ and is
positive, the verb in the question tag is ‘are’.
I am really tall, aren’t I?
I am really a scholar, aren’t I?
 But if the sentence is negative or if the verb is in the
past tense form, the verb in the question tag agrees
with ‘I’.
I am not wrong, am I?
I was frightened, wasn’t I?

 Rule: 48
 If the subject of a sentence is a clause, the verb is
singular.
What he does these days doesn’t concern me.
Whether a book will sell depends on how good it is.
That she is still alive is good news.

 Rule: 49
 If the subject of a sentence, however, is a complex of
co-ordinate clauses, the verb is plural.
What I say and what I do are no business of yours.
Whether you should get married now or whether you
should remain single all your life are your personal
problems.

 Rule: 50
 In sentences like the following, the verb agrees with
the notional subject of the noun clause operating as
the subject of the sentence.
What was once a huge castle is nothing but piles of
rubble.
What were once beautiful houses are now nothing
but piles of rubble.

 Rule: 51
 If one of the two subjects is negative (in the sense that it
begins with a negative word) and the other one is positive, the
verb agrees with the positive subject. Even if the negative
subject is nearer the verb.
 Not the Defence Minister, but the two generals deserve a
reward for this victory.
 The two generals, but not the defence Minister, deserve a
reward for this victory.
 Such sentences are, however, not entirely acceptable to some
people and should therefore be rewritten as follows:
 The two generals deserve a reward for this victory but the
Defence Minister does not’.

 Rule: 52
 In the construction collective noun + of + plural noun , a singular collective
noun+of+noun is used as a unit to denote a single undivided group of people or things.
 a bunch of
 a band of
 a herd/a flock of
 a set of
 a series of
 a team of
 In sentences like these the verb is singular because the number of the verb is determined by the
singular collective noun, and not by the plural noun placed after ‘of’.
 A band of musicians has come.
 A bunch of keys/grapes is lying on the table.
 A series of accidents has taken place.
 A team of doctors has been called in.
 A herd of cattle is in the field.
 A set of bangles has been purchased.

 Rule: 53
 Some of the collective nouns take the verb in the singular or in the plural
according as the speaker thinks of the thing as a single whole or of the
individuals of which it is composed.
 Committee
 Jury
 Team
 Class
 The team (as a unit) is winning.
 The team (as individuals) are fighting for a win.
 The class (as a unit) is marching into the hall.
 The class (as individuals) are debating this point.
 The jury (as a single body) has given its verdict.
 The jury (as individuals) were discussing this point.
 The committee (as a single body) has issued its report.
 The committee (as individuals) are divided in their opinion.

 Rule: 54
 Certain nouns, though singular in form, are used as plural and they usually take
plural verb.
 Cattle
 Clergy
 Gentry
 Public
 Vermin
 People
 The cattle are grazing in the field.
 The landed gentry were once all in all.
 The public were moved by this spectacle.
 The clergy were unanimous in their opinion.
 The vermin are harmful.
 Note: ‘People’ is used both in singular and plural when it means ‘a
nation’.
 The Americans are a simple and brave people. Many different peoples live in Asia.

 Rule: 55
 The following nouns are used only in the singular form and the verb that follows them is also
singular.
 abuse, advice, alarm, alphabet, bread, brick, clothing, folk, furniture, gossip, hair,
information, issue, luggage, offspring, poetry, scenery, thunder etc.
 The scenery of Darjeeling is very beautiful. (Correct)
 The sceneries of Darjeeling are very beautiful. (Incorrect) Their information is based on
facts. (Correct)
 Their informations are based on facts. (Incorrect)
 All my furniture has been burnt. (Correct)
 All my furnitures have been burnt. (Incorrect)
 Your hair has turned white. (Correct)
 Your hairs have turned white. (Incorrect)
 His luggage has been packed. (Correct)
 His luggages have been packed. (Incorrect)
 Note: When more than one languages is spoken of, the plural of ‘alphabet’ is
‘alphabets’. When ‘abuse’ is used in the sense of ‘wrong use’, the plural is ‘abuses’.
When ‘issue’ means ‘result’ its plural is ‘issues’.

 Rule: 56
 The word ‘majority’ can be singular or plural.
However, if it is followed by a plural noun, it is
always plural.
The majority believe/believes that the country
can progress.
The majority of the lecturers believe that the
student has not copied in the examination.

 Rule: 57
 If the subject of a sentence is one of the following:
 ‘barracks’, ‘headquarters’, ‘whereabouts’ etc
the verb can be either singular or plural.
The headquarters of the UNO is/are New York.
His present whereabouts is/are not known.

 Rule: 58
 In sports while referring to the players, the name of
the country is followed by plural verb.
England have won the World Cup.
India have won the match by three goals to one.
Australia have lost the Test Match by six wickets.

 Rule: 59
 When the word ‘enemy’ is used in the sense of
“armed forces” of a nation with which one’s
country is at war, we have to use the plural verb.
The enemy were forced to retreat.

 Rule: 60
 Names of diseases like ‘measles’, ‘mumps’ and
‘shingles’ take a singular verb although they have
an ‘s’ at the end.
Measles is not a fatal disease.
These days mumps is not at all difficult to cure.
Shingles is a disease in which the patient develops
lots of inflamed spots round the waist.

 Rule: 61
 When ‘data’ means ‘facts’ it is used as a plural
noun but when it means ‘a body of facts’, it is used
as a singular noun.
The data are now ready for computation.
The data is now ready for computation.

 Rule: 62
 Statistics’ can be used in such a way as to mean a branch of knowledge. In such cases it takes a
verb required by third person singular subjects. But in certain cases it can mean facts in
numbers. In such cases it takes a plural verb.
 Statistics is a very useful subject.
 The available statistics indicate that the population of the world will double in about 30
years.
 If ‘acoustics’ means ‘the science of sound’, it takes a verb required by third person singular
subjects. But it takes a plural verb if it refers to the properties of a hall which make it good or
bad for hearing speeches, music etc.
 Acoustics is a branch of physics.
 The acoustics of that new hall are excellent.
 Similarly, in their usual sense, ‘mathematics’ and ‘economics’ take singular verbs. But
sometimes, ‘mathematics’ means ‘mathematical calculation’ and ‘economics’ means ‘economic
fact’ or ‘financial considerations’. In such cases ‘ mathematics’ and ‘economics’ take plural
verbs.
 Mathematics is the queen of all sciences.
 If my mathematics are correct, the total ground area of this big house is 1255 square feet.
 Economics is a very useful subject.
 What are the economics of such a project?

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