: ST RU CT URES

EL 102
OF EN GL ISH

Mark Casulla
Mr. Ray
SPECIAL CASES
OF AGREEMENT
 RULE 44
Words like pants, pliers, scissors, and
tongs are plural and take a plural verb.
When the word pair is used as the
subject, the subject is regarded as
singular and takes a singular verb.
 Examples:

These scissors are mine. (Correct)

This scissors is mine. (Incorrect)

A pair of scissors is all I need. (Correct)

A pair of scissors are all I need. (Incorrect)

 RULE 45

A plural noun that shows

weight, extent of quantity is
singular, and takes a singular
verbs.
 Examples:

er s is a lon g d ist a nc e to wa lk . ( Co rre ct )

Ten kilomet
rs a re a lon g d ista n ce to w al k . (In co rr ect)
Ten kilomete
Fifty kilograms is a heavy load. (Correct)

Fifty kilogarms are a heavy load.(Incorrect)

 RULE 46
The words half and part are singular or
plural according to the meaning of the
sentence. When these words refer to a
mass or a section, they are singular. When
they refer to a number of individuals or
things, they are plural.
 Examples:

Half o f the children have eaten. (number -

plural)
H alf of the cake is left. (mass or section -
singular)
 RULE 47

When the word number is preceded

by the article a, it takes a plural
verb; however, when it is immediately
preceded by the article the, it takes a
singular verb.
 Examples:

e r of do c to rs a re w a itin g fo r y o u . (c o rr ec t )
An um b
er o f d oc t or s is wa it in g fo r y o u. ( in co r r e c t )
A numb
f do c to rs w a it ing in sid e is s m a ll . ( co r rect)
The number o
a it in g in s id e a re s m a ll .
The number of doctors w
(incorrect)
 RULE 48
Usually, the name of a firm is
often regared as singular even
when there is a plural form in the
title.
 Examples:

s, a c om p a n y d ist rib uting b oo ks , has

Sunspot
op en ed m an y br an ch es in the Ph ilipp ine s .
(co rre ct - sing u la r)

ots, a c om pa ny d ist rib uting b oo ks , have

Sunsp
open ed m an y bra nc hes in the Ph ilipp ine s .
(incorrect)
 RULE 49
Sometimes a sentence begins with the
word there or here. Neither of these words
could be the subject of the sentence. If
you want to determine the true subject of
a given sentence, you can transpose it so
that the true subject will appear at the
beginning of the sentence.
 Examples:

There are ten nurses in the operating room.

Transpose to:
Ten nu rse s a r e th ere in th e operating room.
(true sub je ct is u nd erline d)
 RULE 49

When the sentence is transposed, it

is easy to determine whether the
subject is simple or compound and
whether the subject will require a
plural or a singular verb.
 Examples:
Lester and his girlfriend. (Incorrect)
There goes
Transpose to:
Lester an d h is g irlf r ien d g oes t he re . (P lu ra l
d s ub j ec t w it h a sin gula r v e rb s go e s;
compun
incorrect)
 Examples:

now ea sy to se e th a t t h e se nten ce has a

It is t
plural co m pu nd su b je c t . T h e ve rb g oe s m us
therefore be c h an g e d to 'go '.

Lester and his girlfriend go there. (Correct)

 Examples:

the lady and her bodyguard. (Correct)

Here comes
Transpose to:
nd he r b o d y g ua rd co m e s her e. ( Plur a l
The lady a w ith a
compoun d s ub je ct la dy a n d h e r bo dy gu a rd
singular verb c om es ;in co rr ect )
 Examples:

Change the verb to its plural form:

and he r b od y g ua r d c o m e h er e . (C orr ec t)
The lady
y n o w re arr an ge th e s en t e n ce t o th e
Also, you ma
original form:
H ere com e the la dy an d h er bo dy gu a rd .