Rules on Compound Subjects Indefinite Pronouns Special and Collective Nouns Numbers, Intervening Words and Titles

1. Basic Principle:
Singular subject needs
singular verb; plural subject
needs plural verb.
 My brother is a nutritionist.
 My sisters are mathematicians.

2. A. Compound Subjects

3. 1. A compound subject
connected by AND
generally takes a plural
verb.
Example:
Mouse and keypad are
parts of a computer.

4. Example:
b. Health and hope are what
we wish upon a star.
c. The student and the
representative attend
the meeting regularly.

5. 2. Two subjects that are closely
related to each other or that
refer to the same person or
thing take a singular verb.
Example:
a. Patience and determination
is my weapon against
problems.

6. 3. Compound subjects
joined by either...or and
neither...nor take singular
or plural verbs depending
upon the nearer subject to
the verb.

7. Example:
a. Either the project or the
assignment is due today.
b. Neither the document nor
the test papers are
missing.
c. Either the notebook or the
ball pen is needed for the
outreach.

8. d. Neither the teacher nor
the students join the
rally .
e. Either the mouse or the
keyboard is new.
f. Neither the table nor
the chairs are in place.

9. 4. Subjects separated by a
word not, the verb agrees
with the affirmative.
Example:
a. The child not the mother
shows more compassion to
the beggar.

10. b. The books not the wallet
are missing.
c. The teachers not the
principal attend the
symposium.
d. The guests not the teacher
are in the hall.

11. When a singular
5.
subject is connected
by or or nor to a plural
subject, put the plural
subject last and use a
plural verb.

12. Example:
1. The serving bowl or the
plates are taken to the
dining room.
2. The student or the
teachers write a letter to
the mayor.

13. B. INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

14. 6. INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
such as each,
either,neither,one,
everybody, no one,
nobody, anybody take a
singular verb.

15. A.
1. Everyone is training hard.
2. Each has a special diet.
3. No one complains about
the schedule.
4. Nobody wants to lose in the
game.

16. 7. INDEFINITE
PRONOUNS such as
a few, many, both,
and several take a
plural verb.

17. B.
1. Few of the varsity
complain about the rules.
2. Both of the coaches
encourage them.
3. Several of us watch
their games at the
Astrodome.
4. Many of us here
support them.

18. 8. INDEFINITE
PRONOUNS such as
some, any, none, and
all when followed by a
phrase, the verb
agrees with the object
of the of phrase.

19. C.
1. Most of the training was hard.
2. Some of the cake is fondant.
3. Most of the varsities are fourth
year students.
4. Some of the players are
young.

20. C. SPECIAL AND
COLLECTIVE NOUNS

21. 9. Special nouns that are
plural in form but
singular in meaning such
as physics, economics,
mathematics, measles,
civics, and news take a
singular verb.

22. Example:
a. The news is about
loving and living.
b. Economics is applied
in everyday life.

23. ABSTRACT NOUNS such as beauty,
courage, loyalty, faith, love, and
others when used as subject in the
sentence, they take a singular verb.
 Examples:
 Beauty is useless, character is the best.
 Love is a many splendor thing.

24. 10. Nouns that are always
plural in form and
meaning take a plural
verb.
Example:
a. Lea’s new pants fit her.

25. b. Scissors are
indispensable in every
Household.
c. The contents of the
letter hurt me.

26. aborigines
amends
annals
assets
antipodes
scissors
thanks
spectacles

27.  vespers
 matins
 nuptials
 oats
 premises
 bellows
 billiards
 dregs
 gallows
 tongs

28. 11. Adjectives used as
a subject are
plural in meaning
and therefore
they take a plural
verb.

29. Example:
1.The rich are not always
happy.
2.The meek are rewarded
in heaven.
3. Happy are the poor for
the kingdom of God is
theirs.

30. 12. Collective nouns usually
take a singular verb when it
denotes a unit. It may take a
plural verb when the noun
refers to the members of the
group.

31. Example:
1. The team works hard for
the award.(The team works
as a group)
2. The team argue on who is
their best contender for the
MVP award.( the members
of the group argue among
themselves)

32. A flock of migratory bird was
seen in the nearby swamp.
Some flocks of birds were seen
in the different swamps across
the country.
 The flocks of birds come from
the different countries in the
south.

33. D. NUMBERS , INTERVENING WORDS
AND TITLES

34. 13. The expression a number takes a plural
verb while the expression the number takes
a singular verb.
Example:
a. A number of students come to school
late.
b. The number of the late comers
increases every quarter.

35. 14. Words expressing periods of time, weights,
,measurements,
and amounts of money usually take singular
verb.
Example:
a. Seven years is quite a long time to wait for
his return.
b. Ten kilos of chicken is not enough for 60
persons.
c. Two billion pesos is quite big for a simple
road project.

36. 15. Fractions may take singular of plural verbs
depending
on the of-phrase.
Example:
a. Two-thirds of the students prepare the
assignment.
b. Two-thirds of the project is ready for
evaluation.
c. Three-fourths of the population does not
have a decent job
d. Three-fourths of the pies have been already
sold.

37. 16. Intervening words like together with, in addition
to, as well as, including, and similar constructions
following the subject do not affect the number of the
subject.
Example:
a. The teacher, together with the students,
submits a petition against the result of the
contest.
b. The judges, as well as the committee,
convene come up with a resolution.

38. 17. The title of a book, poem, story or movie,
Take a singular verb.
Example:
1. “ Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs” when
made as a movie was a sure hit.
2. “Passionate Shepherd To His Love”
and the “The Nymp’s Reply “
are popular poems in English literature.