10.

11 AGREEMENT OF VERBS

RULES SUBJECT-VERB RELATION]EXAMPLES

[1] A verb must agree with its subject and One of the boyspresent here.
is
not with a noun near it. The number of men was small. [*]
121 Uncount nouns take 3rd person singular Water seeks its own level. Milk is white.
13 Vo,
Vlo Ving, a clause or a phrase take the - To err is human. Seeing is believing.
3rd person sing. verb. More infinitives That they are thieves is known to the police.
as subjects take singular verbs. To lie, to hate, to kill is a crime.
141 A collective number, plural in form Two rupees is enough for me.
takes a singular verb. Three kilometers is a long distance.
5] Name of a thing or a country, plural in -The Folk Tales of Bengal is an interesting book.
form, takes singular verb. The United States of America is very rich.
16] News, pains, innings, etc take sing. verb. The news is good. The innings is weil played.

ol71 People,police, public, cattle,poultry-plu. verb People want happiness. The police keep peace.
e[81 National names, the + adj. take pl. verb The English are brave. The poor are honest.

X191 Group nouns take singular verb but plu- The class is dissolved. The crowd is mad.
ral verb when taken separately.
My family live in different houses.
of dif Sailors' guide was the stars.
110r If the subject and the complement are
ferent numbers, verb agrees with the subject. Batsmen's main aim is more runs.

XI11 Sing. nouns or pronouns joined by 'and' Fire and water do not agree. (But) Rise
take plural verbs; Sing. when inseparable and fall is a rule of life. (aRIR T)
A 12] More than one' takes a singulr verb More than girl
-

one was present.

three-fourths subject Half of the mangoes are rotten.
13] Two-thirds', as a

take sing or pl according to sense. Two-thirds of the book has been read.
[*] See next page
 ENQLISH]

HIQNLIQHTS
OF
[
124 S-V. AGREEMENT
EXAMPLES

RULES - No animal and no plant lives in deserts.

141 °Each', 'every', 'no' put before noun
takes singular verb.
a
Every boy, girl
and aby was
ready
rises to speak. Neithe
151 'Each of, 'cither of, 'neither of. One of the boys ner
of (but not 'none one them plays well. Either of the girls knows
of) followed by plu- them are naughty,
ral nouns take it.But none of
singular verb.
well as his friends is here.
161 Subjects joined by 'with', together
Tarun as
was sleeping.
with, as well as' 'and not She with her sons
done it.
-the verb follows the first He and not we has
subject.
Either he or she attends the visitors
17 Singular subjects joined by "either-or
neither-nor' take singular verb. Neither he nor she is happy.

181 Subjects of different numbers joined by "ei
ther-or. 'neither-nor take the plural verb and
the plural subject must be nearest to it.
19 Subjects of different persons joined by
'either-or', 'neither-nor' take the verb
agreeing with the subject nearest to it.
201 Beware of error of proximity
-
Neither she nor her daughters were helped
Either the boy or his parents have ered
(Wren & Martin)
Either they or I am to foot the bill
Neither you nor he was tall. (Neither the boys
nor the teacher is in the classF.T. Wood)
The

quality of the apples were was OK

F The rule of 'proximity' is not ruled out in-) A number
of men/ (ii) A group of girls/
iii) A lot of people/ (iv) The majority of the members/ are
(v) Many
coming in the meeting.
a man dies unwept.

Fill in the gaps with verbs: xercise

1 Neither of the two good. 191 Death or
21 The cost of these articles risen. disgrace_
|101 The pleasures
before him
of
11 Bread and butter sin his daily food.
short.
31 Which of these pens yours ?
41 Two and two four. 121 Fifty yards
5I Each of the boys rewarded,
131 The public
a good distance.
16] No news good news. requested to behave.
141 The dacoit
171 Each of these arrested
151 The jury with his men
the men escaped.
of boys done it. divided in their opinions
81 No one 16 The long and the this.
short of the
matte