SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

THE BOYS work VERY HARD.

THE TEACHER LIVES IN PAYA TAKONG.

1. A SINGULAR NOUN TAKES SINGULAR VERB

THE

CHEF BAKES DELICIOUS CAKES. HAS LOST HIS WAY.

HASSAN

JENNY

IS HAPPY.

PLURAL NOUN TAKES PLURAL VERB. THE STUDENTS ARE MARCHING. WE LIVE IN IPOH. THE CHILDREN HAVE GONE.

3.COLLECTIVE NOUNS TAKE SINGULAR VERB.

OUR TEAM TRAINS EVERY SATURDAY. MY FAMILY IS QUITE BIG. THE CLASS IS SO NOISY. BUT SOME COLLECTIVE NOUNS TAKE PLURAL VERBS. THE PUBLIC PROTEST TO SUCH ABUSE THE POLICE HAVE BEEN ALERTED. THE CATTLE BELONG TO MAT PEAH.

4. THIS AND THAT USE WITH SINGULAR NOUN THEREFORE THEY TAKE SINGULAR VERB.

THIS IS MY NEW HANDPHONE. THAT IS THE BOY WHO SAVES KEAHS LIFE.

5.THESE AND THOSE ARE USED WITH PLURAL NOUNS THEREFORE THEY TAKE PLURAL VERBS.

THESE

BOOKS ARE MINE.

THOSE

STUDENTS COME FROM PERMATANG KERAT TELUNJUK.

6. NOUNS THAT FOLLOW SUCH AS THE LIST BELOW TAKE ON SINGULAR VERB.
EACH EVERYBODY SOMEONE ANYTHING EVERY SOMEBODY EVERYONE NOTHING

EACH OF THE PASSENGERS WAS GIVEN A BAG. SOMEONE HAS LEFT THE GATE OPEN. EVERY PARENT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO HIS CHILD.

7. COUNTABLE NOUNS TAKE PLURAL VERB IF THEY ARE MORE THAN ONE WHEREAS UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS ALWAYS TAKE SINGULAR VERB. COUNTABLE

NOUNS SOME STUDENTS PLAY TRUANT. A FEW BOOKS ARE STOLEN. UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS SOME OF THE WATER WAS USED. THE MONEY WAS MISSING.

8. WHEN EITHER OR AND NEITHER NOR ARE USED THE VERB AGREE TO THE NEARER SUBJECT. EITHER THE CHILDREN OR PEAH HAS TO GO TO THE ZOO. EITHER PEAH OR THE CHILDREN HAVE TO GO TO THE ZOO. NEITHER ABU NOR THE BOYS HAVE TAKEN THE DICTIONARY. NEITHER THE BOYS NOR ABU HAS TAKEN THE DICTIONARY.

9. PAIR NOUNS TAKE PLURAL VERB.

YOUR

TROUSERS ARE DIRTY. MY SPECTACLES NEED CLEANING. THE SCISSORS ARE NOT SHARP.

10. FOR PERCENTAGE AND FRACTIONS OF COUNTABLE NOUNS, PLURAL VERBS ARE USED BUT FOR UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS WE USE SINGULAR VERB.

25 % OF THE WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED. TWO THIRDS OF THE WATER COMES FROM THE RIVER.

A QUARTER OF THE BOOKS WERE GIVEN AWAY. 60% OF THE TEACHERS ARE GRADUATE TEACHERS.

11. WHEN THE SUBJECT IS ONE OF, IT SHOULD FOLLOW BY A PLURAL NOUN BUT A SINGULAR VERB:

ONE OF THE CUPS IS MISSING. ONE OF THE BOYS IS ILL. ONE OF MY BROTHERS HAS A VIRAGO 500cc.

12. ABSTRACT NOUNS TAKE SINGULAR VERB.

HONESTY

IS THE BEST POLICY. TOLERENCE IS IMPORTANT IN A MULTI RACIAL SOCIETY.

13. TITLE OF BOOKS, MOVIES, STORIES OR NEWSPAPER TAKE SINGULAR VERBS.

THIRTY-NINE STEPS IS AN INTERESTING BOOK. SEMBILU 34 IS A NICE MOVIE. THE NEWS STRAIT TIMES IS A POPULAR NEWSPAPER.

14. CLASS NOUNS ARE SINGULAR AND MUST THEREFORE TAKE A SINGULAR VERB.

TRAFFIC FURNITURE KNOWLEDGE INFORMATION LUGGAGE MACHINERY HOMEWORK ADVICE SCENERY BAGGAGE EQUIPMENT BEHAVIOUR STEEL ACCOMMODATION.

THE TRAFFIC IN PARIT BUNTAR IS INCREASING. THE INFORMATION YOU GAVE ME WAS USEFUL.

15. THE EXPRESSION A NUMBER MEANS SOME. IT THEREFORE TAKES A PLURAL VERB. THE EXPRESSION THE NUMBER IS SINGULAR TERM, IT TAKES A SINGULAR VERB.

A NUMBER OF TEACHERS COME FROM KG. PERMATANG PASIR. A NUMBER OF HOTELS IN PARIT BUNTAR ARE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARD.
THE NUMBER OF HOTELS IN BANDAR BAHARU IS INCREASING. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS DOING WELL IN ENGLISH HAS INCREASED.

16. A SINGULAR NOUN FOLLOWED BY A PHRASE INTRODUCED BY

WITH TOGETHER WITH AS WELL AS ACCOMPANIED BY SHOULD TAKE SINGULAR VERB.
THE

DRIVER WITH ALL THE PASSENGERS WAS INJURED. THE FATHER AS WELL AS HIS CHILDREN IS HERE.

17. NOUNS WHICH ARE PLURAL IN FORM BUT SINGULAR IN MEANING TAKE SINGULAR VERBS.
SUCH NOUNS ARE: ATHLETICS POLITICS GYMNASTICS ELECTRONICS MATHEMATICS MEASLES MUMPS

PHYSICS NEWS

MATHEMATICS IS AN INTERESTING SUBJECT. ECONOMICS IS NOW TAUGHT IN FORM 4. MEASLES SPREADS AMONG CHILDREN.

18. A Singular verb is used after phrases of measurement or amount.

Five

hours of sleeping is enough for me. Thirty days is a long time. Twenty kilometers is not a short distance.