This document discusses subject-verb agreement rules in English. It provides examples of when a singular or plural subject takes a singular or plural verb depending on whether the subjects are joined by "and", "or", "either...or", "neither...nor" and other conjunctions. It also discusses how the verb agrees with the subject in sentences beginning with expressions like "one of", "each of", "either of" as well as sentences beginning with "there". Finally, it notes exceptions to subject-verb agreement rules for certain collective nouns, nouns with plural endings but singular meaning, and nouns ending in "-ics".

1. Concord (Subject-Verb
Agreement)
A Singular Subject takes a
Singular Verb. A Plural subject
takes a Plural Verb.
E.g. He Works Very hard.
(Singular Verb)
They Work Very hard. (Plural
Verb)

2. When Two subjects are joined by ‘and’ The Verb is plural.
• E.g. Tom and his brother work hard.
• His Wife and children are in Madras.

3. When two Singular Subjects are joined by ‘or’, ‘either…
or’, ‘Neither…nor’ the subject is Singular.
When two plural subjects are joined by ‘or’ , ‘Neither…
nor',' either…or’ the subject is plural.
• Singular Subjects • Plural Subjects
• E.g. John or his • Cows or Oxen are grazing
brother goes home every in the field.
week. • Either Oranges or apples
• Either he or his wife has to are required.
help me. • Neither the boys nor the
• Neither the boy nor his girls are reading now.
sister has passed.

4. When a singular subject and a plural subject
are joined by ‘or’ , ‘Either…or’ , ‘neither…nor’
the verb agrees with the second subject or
subject nearer to the verb.
• E.g. John or his brothers go home every week.
• Either the boys or their father has come.

5. When two subjects are joined by ‘as well as’, ‘rather
than’ , ‘more than’, ‘as much as’ the verb agrees
with the first subject.
• E.g. The boys as well as their teacher have left.
• John rather than his brothers is involved in the
activity.

6. When two subjects are joined by ‘with’ , ‘along
with’, ‘together with’, ‘in the company of’ , ‘in
addition to’, ‘accompanied by’, ‘besides’ etc the
verb agrees with the first subject.
• E.g. My friend with all his children has returned.
• The Student along with his guardian is waiting outside the
room .

7. A Sentence starts with One of, Each of,
Either of, Everyone of, followed by a plural
noun the Verb is singular.
• One of the boys has lost his pen.
• Neither of them has passed.
• Each of them is known to me.

8. Each, Every, Either, Neither followed
by a noun take a singular verb.
• E.g. Each boy Works hard.
• Each girl has passed the Exam.

9. Expressions like Five pounds, Ten rupees, Two
weeks, Three miles etc are singular and take
singular verb.
• E.g. Two Rupees is not a big sum.
• Two weeks is not a long time.

10. If a sentence begins with a word “There” it
may take the singular or plural verb according
to the number of the subject.
• E.g. There is some coffee in the pot.
• There are some apples in the table.

11. Certain nouns like deer, sheep,counsel,and
nationality names like Indians ,Africans etc are both
singular and plural.
• E.g. A deer is grazing in the field.
• A few Deer are grazing in the field.
• A Chinese boy is waiting near the tree.
• A few Chinese boys are waiting for the bus.

12. Numerical expressions like dozen, thousand, lakh,
million,etc have plural form when they are preceded
by number words.
• E.g. Two dozen oranges are packed in this
basket.
• Five hundred books have been ordered.

13. Nouns like Furniture, Machinery, equipment,
luggage etc are called Class collectives. They
are followed by a singular verbs.
• E.g. The furniture was old and it has to be
repaired.
• The luggage was carried by a boy.

14. Some nouns have plural endings but they are
singular and take singular verb.
• E.g. The News is too good to be.
• Measles is not a dangerous disease.

15. Subject names ending in ‘-ics’ take singular
verb.
• E.g. Physics is easy to understand.
• Mathematics is hard to learn.

16. Things made of two equal parts are always
plural.
• E.g. My Scissors are old.
• His Trousers are torn.
• My Spectacles are broken.

17. Name of a book or is plural it takes singular
verb.
• E.g. The Arabian Nights is an interesting book.
• Gulliver’s Travels was written by Swift.

18. Thank You
Satheesan Punyam