Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-Verb Agreement
Concord gives 3 questions in the Part-III paper, more than almost any other grammar topic, because it can be tested cleanly and has many well-defined exceptions. The general rule is one line; the marks lie entirely in the special cases.
The Basic Rule and the Distractors
A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject a plural verb. The difficulty is identifying the real subject when other material intervenes.
- Words between subject and verb do not change it: The quality of the mangoes was poor.
- Phrases introduced by with, along with, as well as, together with, in addition to, besides do not affect the verb: The teacher, as well as the students, was present.
- But and does: The teacher and the students were present.
✗ The list of candidates were pasted on the board | ✓ The list of candidates was pasted — the subject is list
Either, Neither and Correlatives
With either...or and neither...nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- Neither the principal nor the teachers were informed.
- Neither the teachers nor the principal was informed.
- The same proximity rule applies to not only...but also.
Used alone, either, neither, each, every, everyone, anyone, nobody, none of us take a singular verb. So does many a: Many a student has failed, though many students have failed.
Collective and Special Nouns
| Subject | Verb | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Team, jury, committee (as a unit) | Singular | The committee has decided |
| Team, jury (as individuals disagreeing) | Plural | The jury are divided |
| News, mathematics, physics, politics | Singular | Plural in form only |
| Cattle, police, poultry, people | Plural | Singular in form only |
| Scissors, trousers, spectacles | Plural | Take a pair of for singular |
| A number of | Plural | A number of students were absent |
| The number of | Singular | The number of students was small |
The a number of / the number of pair is the most repeated single item in this topic. The indefinite article makes it plural; the definite article makes it singular, because the number is itself the subject.
✗ The number of applicants have increased | ✓ The number of applicants has increased
Distance, Money and Time
A plural expression of distance, weight, money or time takes a singular verb when it is treated as one amount: Ten kilometres is a long walk, Five thousand rupees is a large sum, Three years has passed.
Also singular: two singular nouns joined by and when they refer to one person or thing — The poet and scholar is dead (one person) against The poet and the scholar are dead (two people). The repeated article is what changes the number, and questions place both versions side by side.
The number of एकवचन लेता है, a number of बहुवचन।
TRE pointer: Concord is the highest-frequency grammar topic in a graduate-level English paper and almost every question uses an intervening phrase to hide the real subject. Strip the sentence to subject and verb before answering. The a number of versus the number of pair and the nearer-subject rule for either-or are the two items to be certain about, since with −1/3 negative marking there is no cheap guess available.
60-Second Recap
- Words between subject and verb never change the verb.
- With, as well as, along with, besides do not make a singular subject plural; and does.
- With either-or and neither-nor, the verb follows the nearer subject.
- Each, every, everyone, many a and none of us take singular verbs.
- A number of takes plural; the number of takes singular.
- Amounts of money, distance and time take a singular verb.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should it be the teacher as well as the students was or were?
Was. Phrases introduced by as well as, along with, together with, besides and in addition to are parenthetical and do not change the number of the subject. Only the conjunction and creates a genuinely plural subject that requires a plural verb.
What is the rule with neither...nor?
The verb agrees with the subject nearer to it. So neither the principal nor the teachers were informed, but neither the teachers nor the principal was informed. The same proximity rule governs either-or and not only-but also.
Why is the number of students was correct?
Because the subject is the number, which is singular, and of students merely describes it. With the indefinite article the meaning changes to many, so a number of students were absent takes a plural verb. The two forms are placed together deliberately.
Do collective nouns take singular or plural verbs?
Singular when the group acts as one unit, as in the committee has decided. Plural when the members are being considered individually, usually when they disagree, as in the jury are divided. The sense of the sentence decides, not the noun alone.