problems with SV agreement

PERSISENT PROBLEMS WITH SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT:

Choose the singular or plural verb for each of the examples below, and then see if you can identify the rule that you followed in making your choices. For the "correct" rule click in the box. When you are finished, see how many examples of each you can find -- in print or on the WWW.

A. nonintervention

In 1976, the major cause of accidents drunk drivers.
The men who work at the factory on strike now.
Peter, along with his friends, to visit Colorado.
Neither of the plumbers to work there.
Either of the books acceptable for this course.
RULE:

B. proximity principle

Either my sister or my brothers going to drive.
Neither my brothers nor my sister going to walk.
There a girl and two boys in the picture.
There two boys and a girl in the picture.
What he needs loving parents and a stable home.
What he needs a stable home and loving parents.
RULE:

TENSION BETWEEN TWO PRINCIPLES: Both of these principles are at work in English, and sometimes cause confusion, even for native speakers, since they conflict. There are "rules" for which principle is followed with certain quantifiers or other expressions. But the tension between the two principles can explain why native speakers sometimes make "mistakes", find the "correct" uses awkward, or can't agree on what the correct uses are. See if you can identify the rules in these cases:

C. all

All students expected to study.
All the chairs in that room been painted recently.
All of the water polluted.
All the equipment to be stored carefully.
RULE:

D. each/every

Each book sixty pages.
Every book sixty pages.
Each of my books sixty pages.
Every one of those books sixty pages.
RULE:

E. none

None of the poisonous gas escaped.
None of those people responded to my request.
None of those chairs been repaired.
RULE:

F. fractions/percents

Two-thirds of the poisonous gas escaped.
50% of the money spent on travel.
One half of the students satisfied.
Over 66% of the books to be repaired.
RULE:

G. a number of vs. the number of

A number of students come late.
The number of students grown from 60 to 160!
RULE:

H. sets of two

A pair of pants on the table.
The pants new.
Todd's best pair of glasses broken during the game.
Todd's glasses repaired after the game.

RULE:

Another complication is that sometimes single units are indicated with plural (or plural-looking) nouns. If the concept is "notionally" singular (a single unit), should you use a singular or plural verb? Try these:

I. nouns ending in "s"

The news good tonight.
Physics a difficult subject.
The United States a big country.
RULE:

J. plural titles

Great Expectations written by Charles Dickens.
Star Wars very popular 15 years ago.
RULE:

K. plural unit words of distance, money, time, etc.

1,000 miles too far to drive in a weekend.
$2,582 to be raised for the hospital.
5 years a long time to spend in Alaska.
RULE:

L. arithmetical operations

One plus two three.
Ten divided by five two.
RULE:

The terms below can be seen as notionally singular or plural, depending on whether one focusses on the group as a unit, or on the individual members. Americans are more likely to see "collective" nouns as single groups, and therefore use singular verbs, and British people are more likely to use plural verbs referring to the individuals within the group. However, in some cases, Americans and British people would agree that there is no question whether the individuals or the unit is being referred to.

M. majority/minority

The majority to respect the rights of the minority.
The majority of my friends to study history.
A majority (of votes) needed to pass the bill.
The majority (of the Senators present) in favor of the bill.
RULE:

N. collective nouns

The Gang of Four been discredited.
The government supposed to protect the people.
My family in Iowa.
My family very big.
My family very tall.
All of my family present at the anniversary dinner.
The crowd on feet.
RULE:

A grammar journal for subject/verb agreement
The quantifiers overview page
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Ann Salzmann
Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois