Noun subject and verb agreement

NOUN SUBJECT and VERB AGREEMENT

Ss + Vs Sp + V

plural in form but singular in meaning

1. News spreads rapidly.2. Mumps is contagious.3. Measles is dangerous for

pregnant women.4. Molasses tastes sweet.5. Physics gives me a headache 6. Mathematics makes my

tummy aches.7. Statistics prompts me to

sleep.8. Economics never changes.9. The ethics of the senator are

in question.

plural in form and meaning

1. Proceeds of the party were greater than they had expected.

2. Those trousers/pants/shorts suit you well.

3. Scissors are what I need in school.4. The perishable goods have tight

plastic containers.5. Ashes symbolize penance.6. Grandpa’s old pliers do not work

anymore.7. A pair of scissors is all I need.

collective noun: unit=singular/individual=plural

1. The orchestra plays magnificently.2. Members of the orchestra are

tuning their instruments.3. The band plays acoustics at

Fridays.4. The audience have their own

favorites.5. The faculty is required to attend

the meeting.6. The committee has done well.7. The members of the committee

work together for the program.

compound subjects joined by “and’”

1. Asia, North America and Europe are parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

2. Its purpose and aim is to shed light on the issue at hand.

3. The faculty, staff and students rejoice during the holidays.

4. My beau and friend is my inspiration.5. My beau and my crush are friends.6. Ham and cheese is my snack.7. Spaghetti and meatballs are my

favorite dishes.

singular or plural subjects joined by “or, nor, either-or, neither-nor ”

1. Neither Neil Armstrong nor Edwin Aldrin was considered “the first man” in space.

2. Either stalactites or stalagmites form inside limestone caves.

3. Either the school official or the city mayor suspends classes during a typhoon.

4. Neither the school officials nor the city mayors suspend college classes at typhoon signal 1.

singular and plural subjects joined by “or, nor, either-or, neither-nor ”

1. Uranium or other chemical elements contain atoms.

2. Either Mom or my friends speak good of him.

3. Neither my friends nor Mom says good of him.

4. Either Sec. Roxas or the investigators respond negatively to the bomb scare.

5. Either the investigators or Sec. Roxas responds negatively to the bomb scare.

parenthetical expressions or intervening words

1. The delightful climate as well as the exotic places and wildlife in Palawan accounts for its extensive tourist industry.

2. My brother’s girlfriend along with her relatives welcomes him in Samar.

3. The mayor together with the muses parades along the road in the fiesta.

4. The desserts in addition to the “litson paksiw” are delicious.

5. The lady accompanied by her mom is gorgeous.

measurement, amount of money, or distance = singular

1. One hundred thousand pesos is needed for his operation.

2. Fifty kilos of rice makes one sack.3. Two thousand square meters is enough

for me.4. Thirty billion dollars means a lot if you

are investing on a property. 5. Two meters away from you is a already

punishment.

“a number” = plural “the number” = singular

1. The number of enrolees is increasing every year.

2. A number of suggestions were taken by the speaker wholeheartedly.

3. The number bomb explosion incidents is frightening many.

4. A number of bomb explosion victims are traumatized .

fraction/percent + “of phrase” = singular or plural

1. One half of the entries were submitted to the academic board.

2. One half of the entry was revised by the committee.

3. Three fourths of the cake was eaten by the guests.

4. One hundred percent of the contestants are nervous about the audition.

title of the book, song, and poem = singular

1. “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” provides many lessons about determination, patience, and courage.

2. The Inferno written by Dan Brown is a mystery thriller novel.

3. “Buko” is a popular OPM song nowadays.4. The Trees by Joyce Kilmer is a lovely

poem about nature.

for positive and negative subjects verb agrees with affirmative subject

1. Diamonds not gold are mostly mined in Africa.

2. Pizza not doughnuts is what I want for snack.

3. The white roses not the red ones are my preference.

4. Ballad not rock songs matches my personality.

“the” + adjectives (as subjects) = plural

• The poor are relocated to low-cost houses.

• The sick continue to die.• The beautiful are usually accepted in

job interviews.• The holy strive to do the will of God.