Subject–Verb Concord MCQs Quiz | Class 10

Understanding Subject-Verb Concord

Subject-Verb Concord, also known as Subject-Verb Agreement, is a fundamental rule of English grammar. It dictates that the verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its subject. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular; if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. Mastering this concept is crucial for clear and grammatically correct writing.

Key Rules of Subject-Verb Concord

1. Basic Rule: A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
   • Example: The dog barks. (Singular)
   • Example: The dogs bark. (Plural)
2. Compound Subjects Joined by ‘And’: When two or more subjects are joined by ‘and’, they usually take a plural verb.
   • Example: My sister and my brother are coming.
3. Compound Subjects with ‘Or’, ‘Nor’: When subjects are joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘either…or’, or ‘neither…nor’, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.
   • Example: Neither the students nor the teacher was present. (Verb agrees with ‘teacher’)
   • Example: Neither the teacher nor the students were present. (Verb agrees with ‘students’)
4. Collective Nouns: Collective nouns (e.g., committee, team, family, audience) can take either a singular or plural verb depending on whether they act as a single unit or as individuals.
   • Example: The committee has decided. (Acting as a unit)
   • Example: The committee are debating among themselves. (Acting as individuals)
5. Indefinite Pronouns:
   • Singular: Each, every, either, neither, one, anyone, anybody, anything, someone, somebody, something, no one, nobody, nothing, everyone, everybody, everything. These always take singular verbs.
     • Example: Every one of the chocolates was eaten.
   • Plural: Both, few, many, several. These always take plural verbs.
     • Example: Many are called, but few are chosen.
   • Both (depending on context): All, any, none, some, most. These take singular or plural verbs depending on the noun they refer to.
     • Example: Some of the water is gone. (Water is uncountable, singular)
     • Example: Some of the students are absent. (Students are plural)
6. Phrases like ‘Along with’, ‘As well as’: Phrases like ‘along with’, ‘as well as’, ‘in addition to’, ‘besides’, ‘except’ do not affect the number of the subject. The verb agrees with the main subject.
   • Example: The manager, along with his team, is working late. (Subject is ‘manager’)
7. Nouns Plural in Form but Singular in Meaning: Subjects like ‘news’, ‘physics’, ‘mathematics’, ‘mumps’, ‘measles’ take singular verbs.
   • Example: Physics is my favorite subject.
8. ‘A number of’ vs. ‘The number of’: ‘A number of’ (meaning ‘many’) takes a plural verb, while ‘The number of’ takes a singular verb.
   • Example: A number of students have participated.
   • Example: The number of participants has increased.

Agreement in Complex Sentences

In complex sentences, identifying the true subject can be challenging due to intervening phrases or clauses. Always find the actual subject of the main verb, ignoring prepositional phrases or dependent clauses that come between the subject and the verb.

• Intervening Phrases: Be careful with phrases like ‘one of the…’, ‘a group of…’, etc.
  • Incorrect: One of the books are missing.
  • Correct: One of the books is missing. (The subject is ‘one’)
• Relative Clauses: When a relative pronoun (who, which, that) is the subject of a clause, the verb in that clause must agree with the antecedent (the noun or pronoun it refers to).
  • Incorrect: The student who score well get scholarships.
  • Correct: The student who scores well gets a scholarship. (Who refers to ‘student’, which is singular)
  • Correct: The students who score well get scholarships. (Who refers to ‘students’, which is plural)

Editing for Subject-Verb Concord

When editing your writing, pay close attention to the relationship between subjects and verbs. Common errors often occur with:

• Long Subjects: When a subject is followed by a long phrase or clause before the verb.
  • Incorrect: The quality of the fruits and vegetables were poor.
  • Correct: The quality of the fruits and vegetables was poor. (Subject is ‘quality’)
• Inverted Sentences: Sentences where the verb comes before the subject (e.g., with ‘there is/are’).
  • Incorrect: There is many reasons for this.
  • Correct: There are many reasons for this. (Subject is ‘reasons’)
• Uncountable Nouns: Nouns like information, advice, furniture, luggage are always singular.
  • Incorrect: The information are vital.
  • Correct: The information is vital.

Quick Revision Checklist

• Identify the true subject of the sentence.
• Determine if the subject is singular or plural.
• Choose the verb form that matches the subject’s number.
• Watch out for intervening phrases/clauses and collective nouns.
• Pay attention to indefinite pronouns and special nouns like ‘news’.

Practice Questions

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb (is/are, has/have, was/were):

1. The committee _____ submitted its report.
2. Each of the students _____ brilliant.
3. The quality of the apples _____ poor.
4. Many a student _____ failed.
5. Bread and butter _____ his favorite breakfast.

Remember, consistent practice will help you master Subject-Verb Concord and enhance your writing skills!