Agreement of the predicate with phrasal and homogeneous subjects.

Agreement between the subject and the predicate verb refers to the way the verb has a form appropriate to the number and person of the subject. So the first step is to identify the subject of the sentence.

PHRASAL SUBJECTS

1. Subjects expresed by quotations, names or titles usually take a singular predicate verb.

'Fathers and Sons' is the most popular of Turgenev's novels. Though the titles of collections of stories may be followed either by a singular or a plural verb.

'Canterbury Tales' was/were published in 1852.

2. Numerical expressions of addition, subtraction, division as a rule take a singular predicate.

Two and four is six.

However, in case of multiplication or if the predicate verb is other than be, the verb can be plural. Two and four make six Twice two is / are four.

3. If a phrasal subject contains expressions of quantity the basic rule holds true — agreement with the head word. Some of the children were bored. Some of the gossip was surprisingly accurate.

4. With the expressions of time, money, weight, distance denoting measurements, amounts, quantities or after per cent (also percent or %) used without a noun headword — the predicate verb is singular. Ten years is_ a long period of time.

However, in phrases where percent is used with an of— phrase the basic rule is applied — agreement with the noun head word. An inflation rate of 4 percent makes a big difference to

exports.

5. When the subject contains the number one, a singular verb should be used.

One of the stolen cars was recovered. One in every five learns French.

In patterns one in, one out of + numeral, plural concord is also current in modern speech:

One in five were scared of other prisoners.

Note, that the phrase more than one, though logically plural, is followed by a singular noun and a singular predicate verb, while the phrase one or two is followed by a plural noun and always takes a plural verb. More than one student has failed to answer the question. Still, one or two students have managed to give the correct answer.

HOMOGENEOUS SUBJECTS

Another tricky case is the agreement of the predicate with a group of homogeneous subjects, i.e. subjects naming two or more items.

1. When a subject has two or more items joined by and or both ... and the plural verb is used.

Jean and David are moving back to Australia.

However, and can join two attributes refering to one noun, or phrases connected by and can denote something viewed as a single item; in these cases the verb is singular. Compare:

A yellow and a red car were damaged. [two cars, one is yellow, the other is red]

A yellow and red car was damaged.

[one car which is colored yellow and red]

2. When homogeneous subjects are joined by or, either ...or, neither ... nor, not only ... but also, the verb agrees with the last item (the one which is closer to the verb). This is known as a proximity rule2. Compare: Neither you nor I am right. Neither I nor you are right.

3. The proximity rule holds true for sentences with inversion, when the subject follows the predicate. The predicator verb agrees with the item which comes first (the one which is closest

to the verb). Compare: There is a table and some chairs in the room. —There are_ some chairs and a table in the room.

4. Homogeneous subjects joined by as well as, as much as, rather than, more than are followed by the predicate verb which agrees with the item that comes first. Compare:

My sister as well as my parents is a teacher. My parents as well as my sister are teachers.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1726