Unit 4. Technology
Subject verb agreement
A
verb must agree with its subject in number and person. Singular subject takes
singular verbs and plural subject takes plural verbs. But, although “I” is
singular it takes both singular and plural verbs.
1.
In English there seven subject pronoun which determine the auxiliary and main
verb in the tense:
|
pronoun |
aux. verb
& main verb |
|
|
I |
am / was / have / V1 |
will / had /
V2 |
|
He / She / It |
is / was / has / V5 |
|
|
We / You / They |
are / were / have /
V1 |
|
I
/ We / You / We / They go to school.
She/He
goes to school.
I
am a student.
He/She
is a teacher.
You
are an engineer.
2.
Singular and Plural nouns which are equal to the given pronoun:
|
It |
Singular nouns |
Politics,
Maths Daal
and Bhat, 10 kilos of rice, News, Physics, Linguistics, Ethics, statistics slow
and steady the
bunch of keys |
|
They |
Plural nouns |
Hari
and Namrata The
writer and the editor many
of/several of/ a few of/ two of/ the majority of/ the most of +plural subject a
group of girls |
|
He She |
Singular nouns
|
The
writer and editor Each,
Every, Neither …….nor one
of/each of/either of/neither of + plural subject the
group of boys |
|
We |
Plural nouns |
Hari
and I You
and I |
3.
Or nor either…or neither …nor are used to connect two subjects the verb agrees
as per the second subject/ the subject nearest to the verb.
Either
Hari or I do the work.
Ram
or Roshan has gone to the station.
Neither
Binod nor Bimala has come to see me.
4.
When two or more singular subjects are joined by with together with in addition
to like as well as the verb agrees as per the first subject.
Rita,
with my parents has gone to the cinema.
5.
In the structure ‘Here/There + be verb + noun phrase + place adv.’ the ‘Be verb
(is am are was were) is used according to the number of the noun phrase:
There
was a boy standing at the main entrance.
Here
are some boys in the classroom.
6.
Reflexive pronouns are used as the doer in the sentence. Look at the following:
|
doer |
reflexive
pronoun |
|
I |
myself |
|
we |
ourselves |
|
he |
himself |
|
it |
itself |
|
they |
themselves |
|
you |
yourself
(singular) |
|
you |
yourselves
(plural) |
|
she
|
herself |
I
did the work myself.
She
requested me to solve it myself.
I
told Rita to clean the board herself.
We
made a mistake ourselves.
(An
imperative sentence has always yourself/ yourselves as the reflexive pronoun)
Close the door yourself.
Boys,
don’t write on the board yourselves.
A.
Study the following examples.
a.
Neither she nor I am guilty.
b.
I am not sure whether you or he has created the trouble.
c.
Either the students or their English teacher is responsible
for the misinformation.
d. Neither boiling
of water with the express purpose of destroying bacteria and other parasites nor
other purification methods were employed in Western civilizations.
B. Rewrite the following sentences with the correct form of the
verbs in the brackets.
a.
The invitation is for one person. I don’t mind whether you or she (come) to the
party.
The
invitation is for one person. I don’t mind whether you or she comes to the
party.
b.
Neither the MPs nor the Prime Minister (have) felt regret for the party split.
Neither
the MPs nor the Prime Minister has felt regret for the party split.
c.
I don’t care whether he or she (win) the lottery.
I
don’t care whether he or she wins the lottery.
d. Either
the Kantipur or the Republica (be) used for the advertisement.
Either
the Kantipur or the Republica is used for the advertisement.
e.
She speaks in a strange accent. Neither I nor my sister (understand) her.
She
speaks in a strange accent. Neither I nor my sister understands her.
f.
I forgot whether the singers or the actress (be) given the Film Fair Award last
year.
I
forgot whether the singers or the actress was given the Film Fair Award last
year.
g. Neither the tracksuit nor the pajamas (fit) me perfectly.
Neither
the tracksuit nor the pajamas fit me perfectly.
h.
Neither the gas fire nor the electric heaters (be) suitable for room heating.
Neither
the gas fire nor the electric heaters are suitable for room heating.
C. This passage contains the agreement errors. Correct the subjects
or verbs that don’t agree with each other. Remember to use present tense
in your corrections.
Within the state of Arizona, Rob, along with his family, move
frequently, from city to city. After his arrival, one of his first tasks are
to find an apartment close to work as he do not have a car. Usually,
there is many different places to choose from, and he consider
cost, location, and luxury. If one apartment has a washing machine and
dryer and cost four hundred dollars a month, he prefer to rent it
over another apartment which have significantly less rent located two
blocks from a Laundromat. Rob's family never wants to live in an
apartment on the thirteenth floor since all of them fears heights. He
also try to choose an apartment with landlords recommended by former
tenants. Everybody know that it is important to find a responsible
landlord. Rob and his wife loves to cook together when both is
free, so he need a spacious, well-equipped kitchen. Rob often also look
for a place with an air conditioner because there is so many scorching
days and nights in Arizona. Whenever Rob find a new apartment, all of
his concerns disappears. He feel relieved and call his
mother. Someone understands!
Answer:
Within the state of Arizona, Rob, along with his family, moves
frequently, from city to city. After his arrival, one of his first tasks is
to find an apartment close to work as he does not have a car. Usually,
there is many different places to choose from, and he considers
cost, location, and luxury. If one apartment has a washing machine and
dryer and costs four hundred dollars a month, he prefers to rent
it over another apartment which has significantly less rent located two
blocks from a Laundromat. Rob's family never wants to live in an
apartment on the thirteenth floor since all of them fears heights. He
also tries to choose an apartment with landlords recommended by former
tenants. Everybody knows that it is important to find a responsible
landlord. Rob and his wife love to cook together when both is
free, so he needs a spacious, well-equipped kitchen. Rob often also looks
for a place with an air conditioner because there are so many scorching
days and nights in Arizona. Whenever Rob finds a new apartment, all of
his concerns disappear. He feels relieved and calls his
mother. Someone understands!
Extra Exercise:
1)
A group of boys ………… taking
lunch now. (is, are, were)
2)
Ann, along with several
other women, ………(is/are) planning a reunion this fall.
3)
The mascot, as well as
the hockey players, ......... at the school. (volunteer,
volunteers)
4)
Arteries, on the other
hand, ………(carries, carry) the blood away.
5)
Aryan ………(do
not/does not) like to play basketball.
6)
At the end of the
fall ………(comes/come) the hard tests.
7)
Both of my
roommates ………(has/have) decided to live in the dorms.
8)
Both of the
carpenters ………(is/are) planning to do the job.
9)
Both of the
dogs ………(has/have) collars.
10)
Boys, do the
word ……… . (itself, yourselves, themselves)
11)
Careless
people ………(is, are) often at fault.
12)
Discovered in the soil
of our city garden ………(was/were) a button dating from the Civil War dating
from the turn of the century.
13)
A herd of kangaroos
……………..jumping. (is, are, will)
14)
Each of the boys
…………..here on time yesterday. (is, was, are, were)
15)
Each of the
students ………(is/are) responsible for doing his or her work.
16)
Either Julia or her
friends ………(is/are) planning to attend.
17)
Either my father or my
brothers ………(is/are) going to sell the car.
18)
Either of
you ………(have/has) stolen the book.
19)
Either the boy or the
girls ………(walk/walks) in the evening.
20)
Either the girls or the
boy ………(walk/walks) in the evening.
21)
Every one of the
girls ………(do/does) her shorthand homework.
22)
Every year
scientists ………(discovers, discover) new drugs to fight diseases.
23)
Everyone ………(has/have)
done his or her homework.
24)
A little practice in the
evenings (help, helps) us play better.
25)
Forest
rangers ………(says, say) that we can prevent forest fires.
26)
Geeta, clean the room
…………. (herself, yourself, themselves)
27) Hamilton Family Center,
a shelter for teenage runaways in San Francisco, ………(offers/offer) a wide
variety of services.
28)
He ………(live, lives)
in that big house.
29)
I lost my job because my
grading of student essays ………(was/were) considered too lenient.
30)
In the room ……….Hari and
Krishna reading now. (is, are, were)
31)
John and his
brother ………(is/are) playing football.
32)
Laura, together with
Jesse, ………(sing, sings) the alto part.
33)
Many colleges………(has,
have) computers.
34) Many hours at the
driving range ………(has/have) led us to design golf balls with GPS locators
in them.
35)
A number of fools
……………..present here. (is, are, am)
36)
Mary and John
usually……… (plays/play) together.
37)
Mary……… (sing/sings) very
well.
38)
Most of the
nurses……… (work/works) every day.
39)
Most of the students
………….weak in English. (is, was, are)
40)
Mr. Swamy as well as his
family……… (is/are) quite humble.
41)
Mr. Michaels, with his
two sons, always ………(win, wins) the trophy.
42)
Mrs. Andrews, along
with, Mr. Stone, ………(do/does) volunteer work.
43)
My course in
physics ………(is/are) much more difficult than I thought it would be.
44)
My
family ………(belongs/belong) to the Mahou tribe.
45)
My
friends ………(worry, worries) too much.
46)
A package from my
daughters ………(was, were) left on the doorstep.
47)
Near the media
center ………(is/are) the older buildings on campus.
48)
Neither my sisters nor
my mother ………(is/are) going to sell the house.
49)
Neither of the
suspects ………(admits/admit) his guilt.
50)
Neither the dogs nor the
cat ………(is/are) very hungry.
51)
Neither the instructor
nor the students ………(is/are) fully aware of what is expected.
52)
Neither the man nor his
children ……………injured. (was , were, has)
53)
Neither the professor
nor his assistants ………(was/were) able to solve the mystery of the eerie
glow in the laboratory.
54)
Neither the students nor
the instructor ………(want/wants) to miss class.
55)
One of the boys
………..absent yesterday. (was, are, were)
56)
One of the
students……… (is/are) studying algebra.
57)
A shipment of
clothing ………(is, are) expected soon.
58)
One of the
teams ………(is, are) missing.
59)
Our
family ………(love, loves) sports.
60)
Over one hundred thousand
forest fires ………(is, are) reported each year.
61)
People in Nepal
…………simple and honest. (is, am, are)
62)
Ravi as well as his
friends ………….present today. (is, are, has)
63)
Relaxation, along with
good food, ………(has, have) improved her health.
64)
Renu and Bina ………….the
best teachers of our school. (is, are, be)
65)
Sally……… (run,
runs) to the park every day.
66)
Sam, in addition to his
brothers, ………(sleep, sleeps) in this tent.
67)
Some Polynesian
divers ………(descends, descend) almost forty-five feet without special
equipment.
68)
Actually, the
owl ………(sees, see) poorly during the day.
69)
Sometimes
lightning ………(causes, cause) fires.
70)
Swimming, as well as
running and bicycling, ………(is/are) a part of triathlon training.
71)
Ted and
Mary ………(is, are) going to the movies.
72)
Ten kilos of rice ………..bought
yesterday. (was, were, is)
73)
The actor and producer
………….making a new film now. (is, was, are)
74)
The agents, with their
co-workers, ………(was, were) checking the story.
75)
The bag of golf
balls ………(is, are) for practice.
76)
The boxes of
chalk……… (is, are) at the chalkboard.
77)
The businessman, with
all his family members ……….killed. (be, was, were)
78)
The chances of your
being promoted ………(is/are) excellent.
79)
All of the salesmen,
including Mr. Stone, ………(was/were) at the meeting.
80)
The cost of these
articles ………….risen at present. (has, have, had)
81)
The courses in
college ………(require, requires) a lot of studying.
82)
The dogs ………(bark,
barks) at strangers.
83)
The estate, including
the paintings, ………(was, were) sold.
84)
The exhibit of the
artist’s paintings ………(was/were) very interesting.
85)
The frogs at the
cottage ......... very loudly. (croaks, croak)
86)
The game ………(was,
were) exciting.
87)
The girls from John
Carroll ………(is, are) arriving early for class.
88)
The girls, as well as
Tom, ………(hum, hums) quietly.
89)
The hard
tests……… (comes/come) at the end of the fall.
90)
An electric
computer ………(solves, solve) difficult problems quickly.
91)
The heads of
state……… (arrive, arrives) for the conference.
92)
The heart, along with
the 100,000 miles of arteries and veins, ………(supplies, supply) the oxygen
needed by all parts of the body.
93)
The herd of
horses ......... wildly across the field. (gallop, gallops)
94)
The hockey players and
the mascot ......... at the school. (volunteer, volunteers)
95)
The hockey players or
the mascot ......... at the school. (volunteer, volunteers)
96)
The
horses ......... wildly across the field. (gallop, gallops)
97)
The hunters, with their
two guides, ………(like, likes) to stalk game.
98)
The
jury ………(has/have) reached a verdict.
99)
The little baby with the
dimples ………(slide, slides) down the bank.
100)
The main source of
income for Trinidad ………(is/are) oil and pitch.
101)
A
group of boys …………taking lunch now. (is, are, were)
102)
A herd of kangaroos ……………..jumping. (is,
are, will)
103)
A number of fools ……………..present here.
(is, are, am)
104)
Boys, do the word……… . (itself, yourselves,
themselves)
105)
Each of the boys …………..here on time
yesterday. (is, was, are, were)
106)
Geeta, clean the room …………………………….
(herself, yourself, themselves)
107)
In the room ……………….Hari and Krishna
reading now. (is, are, were)
108)
Most of the students ………….weak in English.
(is, was, are)
109)
Neither the man nor his
children…………injured. (was , were, has)
110)
One of the boys ………..absent yesterday.
(was, are, were)
111)
People in Nepal …………simple and honest.
(is, am, are)
112)
Ravi as well as his friends ………….present
today. (is, are, has)
113)
Renu and Bina ………….the best teachers of
our school. (is, are, be)
114)
Ten kilos of rice ………..bought yesterday.
(was, were, is)
115)
The actor and producer ………….making a new
film now. (is, was, are)
116)
The businessman, with all his family
members ……….killed. (be, was , were)
117)
The cost of these articles ………….risen at
present. (has, have, had)
118)
The poet and the philosopher …………….dead.
(is, am, are)
119)
The South African cricket team …..all
under thirty years of age. (is, am , are)
120)
Today’s news ……………interesting. (is, has
, are)
.jpg)
