Agreement
Between Subject
and Verb
If a sentence has a singular subject it is followed by a singular
verb, and if it has a plural subject, it's followed by a plural
verb; that is, the verb agrees with the subject:
Ø She lives in Paris
Ø More people live in Asia than in any other continent
When the subject of the sentence is complex the following verb
must agree with the main noun in the subject:
Ø Many leading members of the opposition party have tried
to justify the decision
Ø The only excuse he gave for his action was that he was
tired
Some nouns with a singular form can be treated either as singular
(with a singular verb) or plural (with a plural verb):
Ø The council has (or have) postponed a decision
Other words like this:
association, audience, class, club, college, committee, community,
company, crowd, department, electorate, enemy, family, firm, generation,
government, group, jury, orchestra, population, press, public,
school, staff, team, university
It is the same thing for the names of specific organisations
such as :
The Bank of England, the BBC, IBM, Sony, etc...
We use a singular verb if we see the institution or organisation
as a whole unit, and a plural verb if we see it as a collection
of individuals. Often, you can use either with very little difference
in meaning, although in formal writing (such as academic writing)
it is more common to use a singular verb.
In some contexts, a plural form of the verb is needed:
Ø The committee usually raise their hands to vote "yes".
As this is something that the individuals do, not he committee
as a whole. In others, a singular is preferred:
Ø The school is to close next year.
As we're talking about something which happens to the school as
a building or institution, not to the individuals that comprise
it.
Some nouns are usually plural and take a plural verb.
These includes: belongings, clothes, congratulations, earnings,
goods, outskirts, particulars (= information), premises (=building),
riches, savings, stairs, surroundings, thanks:
Ø The company's earnings have increased for the last five
years.
The nouns police, people, staff, also always have a plural verb.
The noun whereabouts can be used with either a singular or plural
verb.
Some nouns always end in -s and look as if they are plural, but
when we use them as the subject for a sentence, they have a singular
verb:
Ø The news from the Middle East doesn't seem very encouraging
Other words like this include: means (method or money); some
academic disciplines: economics, linguistics, phonetics, mathematics,
politics, statistics, physics; some sports: gymnastics, athletics;
and some diseases: diabetes, measles, rabies.
However, according to the meaning of such words (academic disciplines
or general use), the agreement between subject and verb changes:
Ø Politics is popular at this university.
Ø Her politics are bordering on the fascists. (=political
belief)
Ø Statistics was always my worst subject.
Ø Statistics are able to prove anything you want them to.
(=numerical information)
Ø Economics has only recently been recognised as a scientific
study.
Ø The economics behind their policies are unreasonable.
(=financial system)
Complete these sentences with either was/were, or has/have; sometimes,
both are correct.
1. The crowd ______ growing restless as the day got hotter.
2. Sony ______ announced rising profits for the third-year running.
3. The police ______
4. When she was found, her face was bruised and her clothes _____
torn.
5.The public _____ the right to know how the money is to be spent.
6.Thomas was thought to be in Spain, although his exact whereabouts
_____ unknown.
7. The stairs leading to the exit _____ steep and dangerous.
8. Lord Traver's family _____ lived in the house for twelve generations.
9. The college _____ spent over 500,000 pounds on a new sports
centre.
10. People _____ running in all directions, trying to get away.
Correct any mistakes.
1.The island's politics is complex, with over 12 parties competing
for power.
2.Gymnasts from over 40 countries are competing in Madrid.
3.Economics has become an increasingly popular course at university.
4.The latest news of the earthquake survivors are very disturbing.
5.Jim's politics has changed considerably since he was in his
twenties.
6.Diabetes are an illness caused by too much sugar in the blood.
7.Women's gymnastics are no longer dominated by eastern Europeans.
8.Statistics are now compulsory for all students taking a course
in engineering.
9.Recent government statistics show a sharp decline in crime.
10.Most years, over 300 athletes competes in the games.
11.The economics of the plan is worrying investors.
12.Measles is still a fairly serious childhood disease in some
countries.
