Concord – Subject Verb Agreement

Concord simply means agreement between a verb and its subject in a sentence. In other words, it
is the way a subject takes a verb in a sentence base on the nature of that subject, i.e. whether it is
singular or plural. In grammar, it is a requirement for the subject and the verb of a sentence to
agree in terms of number – singular and plural and that is governed by specified rules.
Rule 1:
a. Singular subjects take singular verbs.
Examples
1. Mr Kujabi lives in Lamin.
2. The young man owns a big company.
3. The pretty young girl visits my sister regularly.
4. The man has five wives and twenty nine children.
5. The boy always does his work well.
6. The Dean of the Faculty is a man of action.
7. The lady sells jewellery and cosmetics

b. Plural subjects take plural verbs

Examples
1. Those boys always do their work well.
2. The two ladies sell jewellery and cosmetics.
3. The three girls always come to school on time.
4. The stars are signing bright this evening.
5. Employees of Amara Exchange do not respect the management.
6. Some men have very little time for their families.
7. Drivers buy fuel regularly.
Rule 2:
Compound Subjects consist of two or more subjects that are joined or connected by conjunctions.
a. When two subjects, singular or plural, are connected or joined by the conjunction “and” i.e.
compound subjects, plural verbs are used.
Examples
1. Modou and Bintou live in Sukuta.
2. The minister and his family are travelling to France next week.
3. Teachers and students go to the canteen during break time.
4. The cat and the dog sleep on the couch in the verandah.
5. Yankuba and Farimang are successful businessmen.
6. The principal and the vice principal were called for questioning.

b. But when two singular subjects joined or connected by the conjunction “and” are referring to
the same person or thing, a singular verb should be used.
Examples
1. Our coach and mentor is generous and friendly.
In the above example, “our coach” is the same person as “the mentor” therefore a singular verb
should be used.
2. My uncle and adviser was a police officer.
3. Her brother and sponsor owns a bakery.
4. The village Alkalo and VDC Chairman has a large herd of cattle.
 5. Their grandfather and guardian is very strict.
6. His friend and student does satellite installation.
7. The editor-in-chief and CEO of the Guardian newspaper is highly experienced and
intelligent.

c. When two singular subjects joined or connected by and are considered a unit, singular verbs are
used.
Examples
1. Bread and beans was served for breakfast.
2. Instead of Fufu, cheese and biscuits is to be used as lunch.
3. Science and technology is very popular in modern days.

Rule 3:
Singular subjects that are joined or connected to other subjects, singular or plural, by compound
prepositions such as along with, as well as, in addition to, together with, and like and with, take
singular verbs
Examples
1. The Vice Chancellor as well as his secretary and two senior lecturers is leaving for Ghana
on Wednesday.
2. The businessman with his wife and children was kidnapped by a notorious criminal gang.
3. The smart boy like his brother and sisters does his work neatly.
4. Teaching in addition to business and politics is his profession.
5. Stealing together with drinking and smoking has become his habit.
6. Selling along with teaching and preaching is what he does.

Rule 4:
a. Singular subjects that are joined or connected by correlative conjunctions such as or… either,
nor…neither and either of, neither of, and or, take singular verbs.

Examples
1. Either David or Pa Malick is assigned the responsibility.
2. Neither Isatou nor Sally has the key to the store.
3. A jacket or a sweater is good for cold season.
4. Either of the windows was opened during the burglary.
5. Neither of the boys wants to work hard at school.
b. But when a singular subject and a plural subject are connected or joined by either…or, neither
… nor, the verb agrees with subject nearer it (the verb). In other words, the rule of proximity
should be applied in that situation.
Examples
1. Either the class teacher or the students have the lab keys. (the plural subject students is
nearer the verb)
2. Either the students or the class teacher has the lab keys.
3. Neither the principal nor the teachers are aware of the board’s appointment of a new
secretary.
4. Neither the students nor the teacher knows the answer.
5. Neither the teacher nor the students know the answer.
Rule 5:
a. Some nouns that are plural in form take singular verbs. These nouns are mainly nouns ending in
–“ics” mathematics, politics, civics, economics, physics, electronics, genetics, gymnastics, ethics,
athletics, tactics, phonetics, statistics and others like measles, molasses, mumps, summons etc.
Examples
1. Economics was my sister’s major in the University of the Gambia.
2. Measles is a highly infectious disease for children.
3. Mumps is usually more severe in adults than in children.
4. Mathematics has been his favourite subject since primary school.
5. Genetics is the study of heredity in humans.
6. Electronics is a popular subject at GTTI.
7. In those days, Physics was not part of the compulsory science subjects.
8. Summons was served to her for the Friday court.
9. Gymnastics has great significance in physical exercise.
10. The news was broadcast on radio last evening.
11. Civics was a subject taught in high school.
12. Athletics is his area of concentration in the school.
13. Tactics is the military science that deals with achieving the objectives set by strategy.
14. Phonetics is an area of studies that is concerned with sounds of words.

b. Some nouns that refer to singular items and are either in pairs or because of their physical nature,
take plural verbs. These are nouns such as binoculars, trousers, shorts, scissors, pliers, shears,
glasses/spectacles, spikes, jeans, pants, groceries, pyjamas, arms, remains, goods, customs,
clothes, thanks, regards, minutes etc.
Examples
1. His trousers are torn and dirty.
2. Her scissors are/were taken by the other girl.
3. Pliers are/were not in the toolbox so I do/did not know who took them.
4. Her glasses/spectacles are expensive.
5. Your jeans are classy and sizable.
6. His shears are not sharp.
7. Her clothes are wet and dirty.
8. The binoculars are mine/ the binoculars belong to me.
9. The remains of Franky Paul were laid to rest in Kingston, Jamaica.
10. Arms are supplied to the opposing faction.
11. Goods are transported from one place to another either by road or by air.

Rule 6
Common collective nouns such as army, assembly, audience, band, class, club, committee, crowd,
family, fleet, flock, herd, jury, public, staff, swarm, team, troop, council etc. may be singular or
plural.
a. When any of these collective nouns refers to the group as a unit, it is singular and therefore
should take a singular verb.
Examples
1. The team has won the semifinals.
2. A herd was stranded by the storm.
 3. The committee is responsible for the allocation of plots.
4. The family is living comfortably in Brusubi Estate.
5. The army is responsible for the maintenance of peace during the time of unrest.
6. The crowd was very large during the inauguration of the new office complex.
7. The class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
8. The council has the mandate to issue licences to petty traders.
9. The staff organizes a retreat twice a year.
10. The fleet (of warships) is heading north.
11. The jury is yet to submit its verdict.
12. The public is urged to remain calm and desist from any form of violence.

b. But when any of these collective nouns refers to individual members or parts of a group, it is
plural and therefore should take a plural verb.
Examples
1. The class are contributing to buy a present for their teacher. (members of the class make
separate/individual contribution)
2. The committee are completely divided on the issue of a replay of the controversial
football match.
3. The team have voted twenty-one to three to remove the captain.
4. The army have different opinions on the tactics to annihilate the insurgents.
5. The herd were separated by the storm.
6. The family do not agree on the issue of forced marriage.
7. The audience have different opinions about the guest speaker.
8. The crowd have not agreed on the fate of the three caught armed robbers.
9. The jury are divided on the veracity of the evidence presented before them.
10. The public are urged to restrain from illegal mining.

c. Some collective nouns such as people, cattle, clergy and police take plural verbs.
Examples
1. The people are preparing for the feast.
2. The clergy are meeting to decide on the fate of the suspended priest.
3. The cattle were grassing on the hill side of the farm.
4. The police are responsible for law enforcement in a nation state.

Rule 7
An expression of an amount i.e. a measurement, a percentage or a fraction may be singular or
plural, depending on how it is used.
a. It will be singular when the amount is thought as a unit but plural when the amount is thought
of as separate parts.
Examples
1. Forty-thousand dalasis is all what she needs for her university education. (the amount refers
to one unit).
2. Ten-thousand dalasis were lying crumpled on the floor. (the amount refers to separate
dalasis)
3. Nine-hours is the standard workhours in the Gambia. (one unit)
4. Three-hours are allocated for Friday religious services. (separate hours.)
b. Expressions of measurement such as length, weight, capacity and area are usually singular and
so take singular verbs.
Examples
1. Five kilos was the baby’s weight at birth.
2. Twenty kilometres is a long distance to walk.
3. Three hundred and sixty-five days equals/makes one year.
4. Three quarters of the film takes place in Tanji Fishing site.
5. About seventy percent of the population knows the value of western education.
c. With words that indicate portions—for example, a lot, a majority, some, all, the noun after “of”
should be used to indicate the status of the verb, i.e. if the noun after of is singular, use a singular
verb but if it is plural, use a plural verb.
Examples
1. A lot of the pie has disappeared.
2. A lot of the pies have disappeared.
3. A third of the city is unemployed.
4. A third of the people are unemployed.
5. All of the cake is gone.
6. All of the cakes are gone.
7. Some of the apple is missing.
8. Some of the apples are missing.

Rule 8
a. Even when plural in form, the titles of books, poems, songs, movies or paintings and names of
cities, countries, institutions, companies and gerund phrase generally take singular verbs.
Examples
1. Lonely Days has interesting themes about African tradition.
2. Sankung Sillah and Sons Enterprises is located in Kanifing Industrial area.
3. Amara Holdings is an enterprise that deals in engine spare parts.
4. The Lion and the Jewel was written by Wole Soyinka.
5. Desperate Sisters is the title of her poem.
6. The Evil Sons and Daughters of Lucifer is the title of the new movie.
7. Fragments of my Reflections is the title of his third novel.
8. Field and Track Events was her first novel.
9. Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world.
10. The Netherlands produces a lot of Irish potato and onion.
11. The Holy Infants was among the best paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci.
12. Overcoming difficulties is a characteristics of bravery.
13. Reading is really rewarding

Rule 9
Intervening phrases and clauses do not change the agreement of the subject and its verb in a
sentence. That is, if the subject is singular, its verb should also be singular irrespective of the
nature of the intervening phrase or clause.
Examples
1. The essays in his autobiography were written when he was in college. (were agrees with
the subject “the essays” not autobiography which is part of the prepositional phrase).
 2. Harvest of Corruption whose themes included nepotism, greed, preferential treatment,
bribery and corruption is an African drama. (is agrees with the subject Harvest of
corruption – the title of a book – not with nepotism, greed and other nouns in the
adjectival/relative clause).
3. Amie whose three sisters married wealthy men is a school dropout because she could not
afford the school fees.
4. The regional director, not the senior education officers is going to attend the PTA meeting.
5. Achebe whose novels – Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease and Anthill of the Savana
are widely read was a professor in Ibadan University. (was agrees with the subject Achebe
not with any of the nouns in the adjective/relative clause).

Rule 10
a. Subjects that are preceded by every and many a/an in sentences take singular verbs.
Examples
1. Every planting and harvesting is characterized by drumming and dancing.
2. Every man, woman and child is/was vaccinated during the exercise.
3. Many a player wants to be famous.
4. Many a student has the desire to produce good results.
5. Every starting and ending is very important in relay events.
6. Many an officer cares about his or her integrity.

b. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject agrees the verb.
Examples
1. There are numerous problems that we would encounter along the way.
2. There is high probability that Gambia College will be privatized.
3. Here are the keys to the store.
4. Here is the key to the store.
5. There comes the mother of the troublesome girl.
6. There come the parents of the troublesome girl.
c. The expression the number of takes a singular verb but a number of takes a plural verb.
Examples
1. The number of students is small compared to what we expected.
2. The number of teachers studying in the university has increased significantly.
3. A number of students are going to produce good results this year.
4. A number of volunteers are willing to attend the clearing of the farm.

d. A verb agrees with it subject but not with a predicate nominative. (A predicate nominative is
the subject complement – a word or group of words that follows a linking verb or verb phrase
such as is, are, was, were, has been etc. and renames, identifies, or defines the subject or subjects
in a sentence).
Examples
1. The highlight of the opening event was the compositions by Amigo Jeng. (In this
sentence, the subject is “the highlight” therefore the verb agrees with it and not the
predicate nominative – “the compositions”)
2. The compositions by Amigo Jeng were the highlight of the opening event.
3. The major challenge to understanding is teachers’ methods of teaching during lessons.
 4. Teachers’ methods of teaching are the major challenge to understanding.

d. The word were replaces was in sentences that express a wish or are contrary to fact. Such
sentences demonstrate the subjunctive mood, which is used to express things that are
hypothetical, wishful, imaginary, or factually contradictory.
Examples
1. If Muhammad were here, you would be sorry.
2. I wish it were Friday.
3. She requested that he raise his hand.
4. The teacher demanded that she leave the classroom.
5. The Board chairperson recommends that the principal conduct the interview.
NB: Normally, he raise, she leave and the principal conduct would sound terrible to us.
However, in the first part of each sentence where request, demand and recommendation are
being expressed, the subjunctive (mandative) mood is correct.
NB: The subjunctive mood is losing ground in spoken English but should still be used in formal
speech and writing.

Agreement with Pronoun

Pronouns used as subjects in sentences should agree with the verbs in number and person.
Rule 11
a. The first person singular pronoun “I” and second person singular pronoun “you” take plural
verbs
Examples
1. I always do my work neatly and on time.
2. You have a kindhearted husband.
3. You like reading detective novels.
4. I speak several Gambian languages.
5. I usually advise her to respect people no matter how they are.
6. You were a good footballer in your primary school days.

NB: When the verb “to be” is used with the pronoun “I” and “you”, “I” takes the singular form
of “be” (am/was) and “you” takes the plural form of “be” (are/were).
Examples
1. I was a prefect in the junior secondary school.
2. You were doing well in grade 10 and 11.
3. I was given an award of academic excellence by the school administration.
4. You were a good football during your primary school career.
5. You are my best friend in the school.

b. Third person singular personal pronouns “he”, “she” and “it” take singular verbs.
Examples
1. He always does his work neatly and on time.
2. She has a kindhearted husband.
3. He eats three loaves of bread every morning.
4. She is/was a very good pianist.
5. It pays well to be a committed person.
 6. It does not require unnecessary fuss to win the man’s favour.

c. Plural subject pronouns such as “we, you, and they” take plural verbs.

Examples
1. We know where to look for help.
2. You were good footballers in your youthful age.
3. You are responsible for the upbringing of your children.
4. They buy enough food for the families every month.

Rule 12
Some Indefinite pronouns are singular, some are plural and some can be singular or plural
depending on how they are used.

a. Indefinite pronouns such as anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone,
everything, nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody, someone and something are singular and
therefore take singular verbs.
Examples
1. Anyone who has a dog should have it injected to avoid transmission of infections.
2. Anybody who is a leader should be firm and consistent.
3. Each of the students does a separate work.
4. Either of the books is published by Fulladu Publishers.
5. Everybody is responsible for his/her own feeding.
6. Everything in the office was taken away by the burglars.
7. Neither of the boys is/was informed of tomorrow’s meeting.
8. Nobody claims responsibility of the damage.
9. No one is in the office at the moment.
10. None of the girls has an idea of what they are going to do.
11. None of his uncles knows how to drive.
12. Somebody has the key to the store.

b. Indefinite pronouns such as both, few, many and several are plural and therefore take plural
verbs.
Examples:
1. Both of the colleges offer diploma in electrical engineering.
2. Few of the boys have passion for fashion.
3. Several of the employees are not paid their benefits.

c. Indefinite pronouns such as all, any, more, none, most, and some may be singular or plural,
depending on their meaning in a sentence.
Examples
1. None of the table is damaged.
2. None of the cards are missing.
3. None of the consultants agree to the initial plan.
4. None of the taxes have been paid.
5. None of his requests were granted
 6. All the onions are rotten.
7. All is well with him.
8. Some milk is left in the tin.
9. Some water was poured on the engine to cool it down.
10. Some individuals are never grateful to people who helped them when they were in need.
NB: When some is used with uncountable nouns, singular verbs are used and when it is used with
countable nouns, plural verbs are used.

Rule 13
a. The expression “you had better” takes a verb in the present form. That is because you had better
means you ought to.
Examples
1. You had better go to your boss at once.
2. You had better leave for the meeting right now.
3. You had better do the work as required.

b. The expression “one of my” takes a plural noun and a singular verb. The reason why it takes a
singular verb is that the verb agrees with “one” as the subject and not the plural nouns that follows.
However, “one of the” can take singular or plural verb depending how it is used.
Examples
1. One of my uncles lives in Canada.
2. One of my friends is a mechanical engineer.
3. One of the ferries have a breakdown.
4. One of the drivers is a mechanic.
5. One of the families arrange the marriage between the couple.

Rule 14
Some adjectives are used as head of noun phrases to refer to certain established classes of persons,
for example, the brave, the weak, the elderly, the under privileged, the needy, the poor, the rich,
the wealthy etc. These adjectives take plural verbs
Examples
1. The poor are causing the nation’s leaders great concern.
2. The young have no respect for the old and less privileged nowadays.
3. The extremely old need a great deal of attention.
4. The rich do not (don’t) care about the poor
Note some adjectives denoting nationalities can be noun – phrase heads.
1. The industrious Dutch are admired by their neighbours.

Exercise
Fill in the blanks with verbs that match the subjects. Use the correct form of the simple
present tense of the verbs in parentheses.
1 I always ------------------ to school with my brother. (go)
2 Michael always --------------------- to school with his brother. (go)
3 You -------------------- the answer. (know)
4 Lamin -------------------- the answer, too. (know)
5 This book ------------------- very few drawings. (have)
6 These books ------------------- lots of beautiful drawings. (have)
7 Anna --------------------- my sister. (be)
8 Peter and Alieu ---------------------- good at English. (be)