Summary of Subject Verb Agreement | Rules In English Grammar With Examples | Subject Verb Concord | ChetChat

Main Ideas and Concepts:

• Definition of Subject-Verb Agreement:

  The basic principle is that if the subject is singular, the verb should be singular; if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.

• Basic Rules:
  • Jumping S Rule: The 's' or 'es' can either be with the noun or the verb, but not both. For example:
    • "The girl sings" (singular) vs. "The girls sing" (plural).
  • And Rule: When two nouns are joined by "and," they typically form a plural subject unless they refer to a single entity (e.g., "bread and butter" can be singular).
  • And Plus Article Rule: The presence of an article changes the interpretation of the nouns joined by "and" from singular to plural.
• Types of Nouns:
  • Proper Nouns: Always treated as singular (e.g., "The Beatles").
  • Collective Nouns: Usually singular but can be plural based on context (e.g., "The team is winning" vs. "The members are winning").
  • Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns: Countable nouns can be singular or plural, while uncountable nouns are treated as singular (e.g., "The information is valuable").
• Indefinite Pronouns:
  • Singular indefinite pronouns (e.g., "everyone," "someone") take singular verbs.
  • Plural indefinite pronouns (e.g., "several," "many") take plural verbs.
• Proximity Rule:

  In constructions with "either/or" and "neither/nor," the verb agrees with the noun closest to it.

• Special Cases:
  • More than one: "More than one boy was present."
  • A number vs. The number: "A number of students are" (plural) vs. "The number of students is" (singular).
  • Much vs. Many: "How much milk is needed?" (singular) vs. "How many cups are needed?" (plural).
• Complex Sentences:

  When subjects are joined by conjunctions like "as well as" or "together with," the verb agrees with the main subject.

• Gerunds:

  Gerunds (e.g., "swimming") are treated as singular.

• Wishes and Hypotheticals:

  Phrases like "I wish I were" use plural verbs in hypothetical situations.

• Adjectives Preceded by "The":

  When adjectives are preceded by "the," they often take plural verbs (e.g., "The rich get richer").

Methodology/Instructions:

• Understand the basic rules of Subject-Verb Agreement.
• Identify the type of subject (singular, plural, collective, proper, etc.) to determine the appropriate verb form.
• Apply the proximity rule in complex sentences with multiple subjects.
• Practice with various examples to reinforce the concepts.

Featured Speaker:

• Cha (the host of ChetChat)

This video serves as a comprehensive guide for learners seeking to master Subject-Verb Agreement, providing practical examples and rules to enhance their grammatical skills.

Notable Quotes

— 03:06 — « I wish I were a queen. Wishes are always plural even though the person wishing could be singular. »

— 32:42 — « Every single exam will be cracked with this one single video on subject verb agreement. »

Category

Educational

Video