Nouns With Two Plurals

SINGULAR PLURAL
addendum addendums or addenda
aquarium aquariums or aquaria
gymnasium gymnasiums or gymnasia
maximum maximums or maxima
memorandums or memorand
memorandum
a
minimum minimums or minima
moratorium moratoriums or moratoria
referendum referendums or referenda
syllabus syllabi or syllabuses
octopus octopi or octopuses
curriculum curricula or curriculums

English has borrowed many common words from Latin and Greek, such

as amoeba, appendix, aquarium, criterion, referendum, syllabus, and virus. In their
original language the plurals of such words followed that language’s rules: the Latin
plural of aquarium is aquaria, the Greek plural of criterion is criteria, and so forth.
However, most of these words also form regular plurals in English by adding an -s,
e.g. aquariums, referendums, syllabuses.

As a rule of thumb, the Latin-style plural is appropriate to formal,

scientific, or technical writing, while the English plural is better suited
to everyday language.

What Are the Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement?

1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that
forms the background of the concept.
The dog growls when he is angry.
The dogs growl when they are angry.
2. Subordinate clauses that come between the subject and verb don't affect their
agreement.
The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.
3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect
agreement.
The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.
4. When sentences start with "there" or "here," the subject will always be placed
after the verb. Some care needs to be taken to identify each part correctly.
There is a problem with the balance sheet.
Here are the papers you requested.
5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you
accurately identify the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use.
Where are the pieces of this puzzle?
6. If two subjects are joined by "and," they typically require a plural verb form.
The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.
7. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by "and" refer to the same
person or thing as a whole.
Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.
8. If one of the words "each," "every," or "no" comes before the subject, the verb
is singular.
No smoking or drinking is allowed.
Every man and woman is required to check in.
9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words "or," "nor,"
"neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," the verb is singular.
Either Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.
10. The only time the object of the preposition decides plural or singular verb
forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like "some," "half," "none," "more," or
"all" are followed by a prepositional phrase. Then the object of the preposition
determines the form of the verb.
All of the chicken is gone.
All of the chickens are gone.
11. The singular verb form is usually reserved for units of measurement or time.
Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.
12. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words "or," "nor,"
"neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," the verb is plural.
Not only dogs but also cats are available at the animal shelter.
13. If one subject is singular and the other is plural, and the words are connected
by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," use the
verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb.
Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.
Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.
14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs (with some exceptions).
Everybody wants to be loved.
15. The exceptions to the above rule include the pronouns "few," "many,"
"several," "both," "all," and "some." These always take the plural form.
Few were left alive after the flood.
16. If two infinitives are separated by "and," they take the plural form of the verb.
To walk and to chew gum require great skill.
17. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular
form of the verb. However, when they are linked by "and," they take the plural
form.
Standing in the water was a bad idea.
Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.
18. A collective noun, such as "team" or "staff," can be either singular or plural
depending upon the rest of the sentence. Typically, they take the singular form,
as the collective noun is treated as a cohesive single unit.
The herd is stampeding.
19. Titles of books, movies, novels, and other similar works are treated as
singular and take a singular verb.
The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.
20. Final rule: Remember, only the subject affects the verb! Nothing else matters.
Jacob, who owns sixteen houses, is on his way to becoming a billionaire.

Subject/Verb Agreement Examples

Here are some examples of subject verb agreement (the subject is bolded and the verb
underlined):
 My dog always growls at the postal carrier.
 Basketballs roll across the floor.
 I don’t understand the assignment.
 These clothes are too small for me.
 Peter doesn’t like vegetables.

Compound Subjects
Compound subjects (two subjects in the same sentence) usually take a plural verb,
unless the combination is treated as singular in popular usage or the two subjects refer
to the same thing or person. Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with
compound subjects:
 Sugar and flour are needed for the recipe.
 Neither my dad nor my brothers know how to ski.
 Pepperoni and cheese are great on a pizza.
 Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional meal in Ireland. (popular usage)
 The creator and producer is arriving soon. (both refer to same person)
When using “or” or “nor” in a compound subject containing a singular and plural subject,
the verb agrees with the closest subject. Examples of compound subjects using or,
neither-nor, or either-or include:
 My mom or dad is coming to the play. (singular)
 Neither gray nor white is my favorite color. (singular)
 Either Grandpa or my sisters are going to the park. (closest subject is plural)
 Either my sisters or Grandpa is going to the park. (closest subject is singular)
 Neither she nor I am going to college. (closest subject is singular)

Singular Indefinite Pronouns

Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with singular indefinite pronouns:
 Each gets a trophy for playing.
 Somebody will pay for this.
 Anybody is more fun than you.
 Something is very wrong here.
 Everybody enjoys a good book.
 Nothing has been determined as of yet.
 Plural Indefinite Pronouns
Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with plural indefinite pronouns:
 Both are qualified for the job.
 Many went to the beach and got sunburned.
 Few know what it really takes to get ahead.
 Several are already on location.
 Some sugar is required for taste. (sugar is uncountable so singular verb used)
 Most of the cookies were eaten. (cookies are countable so plural verb used)

Midsentence Phrase or Clause

Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with a phrase or clause between
the subject and verb:
 A theory of physics ascertains that a body in motion stays in motion.
 A virus in all the company’s computers is a real threat to security.
 The causes of this prevalent disease are bad diet and lack of exercise.
 The couch and chair I got at the store look really nice in here.
 The members of the choir are very happy with the performance.

Collective Nouns
Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on meaning. Here are some
examples of subject verb agreement with collective nouns:
 The committee meets here every Thursday. (singular)
 The crowd is getting angry. (singular)
 The jury has finally reached a decision. (singular)
 The majority rules most of the time. (singular)
 The staff have gone their separate ways for the holidays. (plural)

Inverted Subjects
Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with inverted subjects where the
subject follows the verb:
 There are seven clean plates in the dining room.
 There is a hair in my lasagna.
 Over the rainbow flies a bird.
 How are the employees enjoying the new building?
 A good gift is a gift card.
Subject-Verb Agreement: Quiz #1

A. Directions: Choose the correct verb in these sentences.

1. Sally (run, runs) to the park every day.
2. The dogs (bark, barks) at strangers.
3. Ted and Mary (is, are) going to the movies.
4. The game (was, were) exciting.
5. They (worry, worries) too much.
6. She (study, studies) every night.
7. Black or white (is, are) your choice.
8. That (was, were) incredible.
9. Those (is, are) pretty shoes.
10. The cat or dog (is, are) in the yard.
B. Directions: Decide if the sentence is correct or incorrect.
1. ___ They have been waiting a long time.
2. ___ The pen or the pencil are lost.
3. ___ Someone don't understand.
4. ___ Those has been cheaper in the past.
5. ___ Randy and Juan like sports.
6. ___ These are really special.
7. ___ You rides with me.
8. ___ All of them goes to school.
9. ___ Tony likes Mary.
10. ___ That movie was awesome.

1. Sally (run, runs) to the park every day.

2. The dogs (bark, barks,) at strangers.
3. Ted and Mary (is, are) going to the movies.
4. The game (was, were) exciting.
5. They (worry, worries) too much.
6. She (study, studies) every night.
7. Black or white (is, are) your choice.
8. That (was, were) incredible.
9. Those (is, are) pretty shoes.
10. The cat or dog (is, are) in the yard.
B.
1. C They have been waiting a long time.
2. X The pen or the pencil are lost.
3. X Someone don't understand.
4. X Those has been cheaper in the past.
5. C Randy and Juan like sports.
6. C These are really special.
7. X You rides with me.
8. X All children goes to school.
9. C Tony likes Mary.
10. C That movie was awesome.

Directions: Choose the correct verb in these sentences.

1. The girl or her sisters (watch, watches) television every day.
2. Rob and his brothers (doesn't, don't) like sports.
3. His classmates (study, studies) before a test.
4. One of the cookies (is, are) missing.
5. A lady with 10 cats (live, lives) in that big house.
6. Mumps (is, are) very serious.
7. The committee (decide, decides) when to adjourn.
8. Our team (is, are) the best.
9. Everybody (enjoy, enjoys) a good song.
10. Either (is, are) suitable.
B. Directions: Decide if the sentence is correct or incorrect.
1. ___ Cats and dogs love to run.
2. ___ He don't like chocolate.
3. ___ Her friends or Sarah excel at volleyball.
4. ___ Each of these have been ruined.
5. ___ Pants are baggy now.
6. ___ The students, as well as the teacher, are nervous about the test.
7. ___ The news are on at 10.00 tonight.
8. ___ My family are a lot of fun.
9. ___ Mathematics is hard for many.
10. ___ The director, with all the cast members, works very hard.
 Answers:
B.
1. C Cats and dogs love to run.
2. X He don't like chocolate.
3. X Her friends or Sarah excel at volleyball.
4. X Each of these have been ruined.
5. C Pants are baggy now.
6. C The students, as well as the teacher, are nervous about the test.
7. X The news are on at 10.00 tonight.
8. X My family are a lot of fun.
9. C Mathematics is hard for many.
10. C The director, with all the cast members, works very hard

Expressions of Quantity: Special Cases of Subject-Verb Agreement

1. With fractions, percentages and indefinite quantifiers

(e.g., all, few, many, much, some), the verb agrees with the preceding noun or
clause:
With a singular or non-count noun or clause, use a singular verb:
One-third of this article is taken up with statistical analysis.
Much of the book seems relevant to this study.
Half of what he writes is undocumented.
Fifty percent of the job is routine.
All the information is current
With a plural noun, use a plural verb:
One-third of the students have graduate degrees.
Many researchers depend on grants from industry.
Half of his articles are peer-reviewed.
Fifty percent of the computers have CD-ROM drives.
All the studies are current.

2. With a collective noun, use either a singular or a plural verb, depending on

whether you want to emphasize the single group or its individual members:

Half of my family lives/live in Canada.

All of the class is/are here.
Ten percent of the population is/are bilingual.

3. The words majority and minority are used in a variety of ways:

When majority/minority mean an unspecified number more or less than 50%, use a
singular verb:
The majority holds no strong views.
A small minority indicates it supports the proposal.
When majority/minority mean a specific percentage, you may use either a singular or
a plural verb:
A 75% majority have/has voted against the measure.
A 10% minority are/is opposed to the measure.

When majority/minority refers to a specified set of persons, use a plural verb:

A majority of Canadians have voted for change.
A minority of the students are willing to pay more.

4. Expressions of time, money and distance usually take a singular verb:

Ten dollars is a great deal of money to a child.
Ten kilometers is too far to walk.
Six weeks is not long enough.

5. Adjectives preceded by the and used as plural nouns take a plural verb:

The rich get richer.
The poor face many hardships.

6. Expressions using the phrase number of depend on the meaning of the phrase:

They take a singular verb when referring to a single quantity:
The number of students registered in the class is 20.
They take plural verbs when they are used as indefinite quantifiers (see rule 1 above):
A number of students were late.

7. Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require

singular verbs.
For example: The news is on at six.
BUT the word dollars is a special case. When talking about an amount of money, use a
singular verb, but when referring to the dollars themselves, use a plural verb.
For example:   Five dollars is a lot of money.
Dollars are often used instead of rubles in Russia.

In sentences beginning with there is or there are, the subject follows the verb.
Since there is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows it.
For example:  There are many questions. -OR -There is a question.

8. Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in

addition to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. If the subject is
singular, the verb is too.
For example: The President, accompanied by his wife, is traveling to India.
 9. Scientific writing often involves measurements and units such as milliliters (ml)
or microns (µm). Measured quantities involving these units are often found in
tables or parentheses, and not always within the text of a sentence. However,
when a measured amount (e.g., 500 ml) is the subject of a sentence or clause, the
choice of verb to agree with the measurement presents a unique situation in
academic English writing.

a. When a measurement is being described in a sentence, that quantity takes

a singular verb form. In such cases, the entire quantity is thought of as a single entity
that should be considered together, not separately.

Examples
 In total, 10 g of tissue was tested. (NOT: 10 g of tissue were tested)
 Five milliliters of solvent was added to the mixture. (NOT: Five milliliters were added)

b. A plural verb is appropriate when items should be considered individually (e.g.,

"Ten mice underwent surgery"). In this example, surgery was performed on ten
mice, one at a time, so a plural verb is correct.

c. Percentages can fall into either category: a collection that should be treated as
a single entity (singular verb) or a group of individuals that should be treated
separately (plural verb). For example:

 In total, 30% of the study duration was spent on the follow-up testing.

Here, the duration (an amount of time) can be thought of as a single block, not as
countable units.
 Twenty percent of the participants were assigned to the experimental condition.
In this example, each participant was assigned to experimental or control conditions,
and the number of individual patients assigned to the experimental group constituted
20% of the total patient sample.

The Grammar of Numbers

Quantities
1- total, number and range, when preceded by a, these nouns usually team up
with a plural construction and are treated as plural. When preceded by the, they
refer to a single entity and are singular.
 A total of 82 dancers have signed up for the cha-cha competition.
 The total has exceeded our expectations.
 A number of adolescents are wearing midriff-baring T-shirts this summer.
 The number of adolescents wearing midriff-baring T-shirts this summer is higher than
ever.
 A range of homemade jams, jellies and chutneys are for sale at this year’s craft fair.
 The range of products for sale at the fair is staggering.
2 -some, many or numerous and are plural. This realization can help with other
words, such as bunch and couple, whose number is determined more by their
sense than by the preceding article.
 A bunch of us are headed to the drive-in for tonight’s double feature. (a bunch means
some)
 A bunch of bananas is less expensive, but also less romantic, than a bouquet of
flowers. (a bunch refers to a single entity)
 A couple of dogs are peeing on my lawn. (a couple means two)
 A couple is entitled to a Valentine’s discount with this vacation company. (a
couple refers to a single entity)
Numbers
Like nouns of quantity, other numerical expressions can shift from singular to
plural, depending on whether they refer more to plural things or to a single
amount.
 The three hours he spent watching A Brief History of Horticulture last night were the
longest of Marvin’s life. (emphasis on the individual hours)
 Three hours was simply too long for a documentary on shrubs, he decided. (emphasis
on the single amount)
 According to this survey, 64 percent of respondents need eyeglasses when they read.
 The consultant says that 38 percent of the database needs to be updated.
 As night falls on the wilderness park, one quarter of the campers are blaring their
radios and three quarters of the campers are stewing.
 One quarter of the park is noisy; three quarters is silent.
Don’t count on numbers
Mathematical computation may take either a singular or a plural verb.
Ten and ten is twenty.
Ten and ten are twenty.
Five times five is twenty five.
Five times five are twenty five.

 
 . -ing as subject  With an -ing verb form as a noun subject (called
a gerund), always use a singular verb form.
Example Playing the piano in front of a crowd causes anxiety.
[singular subject = playing]
 
 
 
  Uncountable nouns  An uncountable noun (such as furniture, money,
equipment, food, advice, happiness, honesty, information, knowledge)
encompasses all the items in its class. An uncountable noun does not
have a plural form and is always followed by a singular verb.

Examples That advice makes me nervous.

The information in the press is not always accurate.

 
  One of  One of is followed by a plural noun (the object of the
preposition of) and a singular verb form.

Examples One of her friends loves to tango.

One of the reasons for his difficulties is that he spends too much money.
 
 The number of / a number of  The phrase the number of is followed by a
plural noun (the object of the preposition of) and a singular verb form.

Examples The number of reasons is growing.

However, with a number of, meaning "several," use a plural verb.

  
A number of reasons are listed in the letter.
 
 A title of a work or a word used to refer to the word itself  Use a singular
verb with a title of a work or a word used to refer to the word itself. Use a
singular verb even if the title or word is plural in form.

Examples I thought Cats was entertaining.

In her story, the word yikes appears five times.

Fractional expressions such as half of, a part of, a percentage of, a majority of are
sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending on the meaning. (The same
is true, of course, when all, any, more, most and some act as subjects.) Sums and
products of mathematical processes are expressed as singular and require
singular verbs.
The expression "more than one" (though plural in form) takes a singular verb
"More than one student has tried this."
 Some of the voters are still angry.
 A large percentage of the older population is voting against her.
 Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle.
 Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by fire.
 Forty percent of the students are in favor of changing the policy.
 Forty percent of the student body is in favor of changing the policy.
 Two and two is four.
If your sentence compounds a positive and a negative subject and one is plural,
the other singular, the verb should agree with the positive subject.
 The department members but not the chair have decided not to teach on
Valentine's Day.
 It is not the faculty members but the president who decides this issue.
 It was the speaker, not his ideas, that has provoked the students to riot.

TEST YOURSELF

Do the subjects and verbs agree in the following sentences?

1. Neither of the star players were on the roster for the championship
game because both of them were injured.
2. Each of you have something unique to offer this organization.
3. Either of the magnet school programs are suitable for children gifted in
mathematics.
4. Every one of the two hundred letters were signed personally by the
executive director.

ANSWERS

1. NEITHER of the star players WAS on the roster for the championship
game because both of them were injured. [Note that the second verb is
plural (were) because the subject of that verb is the plural
pronoun both.]
2. EACH of you HAS something unique to offer this organization.
3. EITHER of the magnet school programs IS suitable for children gifted in
mathematics.
4. Every ONE of the two hundred letters WAS signed personally by the
executive director.