COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES- I ENGLISH GRAMMAR (CONTINUED) 10. CONCORD In Unit I and the three previous lessons of this unit, you had acquired an awareness of rules connected with use of verbs, articles and prepositions, and avoidance of common errors in speech. This lesson covers a very vital aspect of the English language and pertains to understanding the importance of the proper use of Concord (with reference to the Subject and the Verb) for proper and meaningful construction of sentences. ___________________________________________________________________
10.0 Objectives By the end of this lesson you will: i. ii. iii.
Identify the Concord Understand the relationship between the subject and verb in sentences Match the subject to the verb correctly in spoken and written language
10.1 Introduction Concord refers to a logical relationship or agreement between different parts of a sentence. It is an important concept to understand in order to use the English language correctly. This is a concept that both- native as well as nonnative speakers of the English language have trouble with. You will now learn the definitions of concord and understand how to apply and use the same. Once you understand the basic idea of concord you will easily be able to apply it when you speak. Pay close attention to the rules governing concord and the actual usage as demonstrated through the various examples. Go through the content again and again. Once you have understood the rules, do make it a point to observe how concord is used in any kind of text you may read. Remember the more you read and observe how rules are being applied, the more you will understand the concept and thereby use the language correctly.
10.2 What is Concord? In Grammar the parts of a sentence should be such that there is a logical relationship or agreement between them. This agreement is referred to as Concord. 1
It is important that there is agreement between the subject and the verb. When we talk of the subject we mean gender or number or person. Hence if the subject is singular, the verb must also be so and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. Similarly, if the subject is in the third person, the verb must also be in the third person. Concord also applies to the relation between noun phrases and third person personal pronouns (he, she, it, they) and corresponding possessive pronouns (his, her, its, theirs), which have to agree. Examples: The following examples will explain Concord. 1. I am sixteen years old. 2. He is a doctor. 3. She was a teacher. 4. We were in Simla last summer. 5. The shoes are too small for her feet. 6. The shoe is small for her foot. 7. He has a house. 8. They have a house. 9. A pizza tastes good. 10. Pizzas taste good. 11. The girl misses her parents. 12. The girls miss their parents. In the examples given above, you will find that the verbs in the sentences correspond or agree with the subject and/or the number i.e. singular or plural. This ‘subject-number agreement’ is called Concord.
10.3 Usage of Concord As you have seen thus far, Concord refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb in a sentence. The verb usually follows the subject in the sentence. It is very easy to forget the agreement between the subject and the verb in complex sentences. The examples given below show two types of agreement- i.e. number and person. Since these are simple sentences, it is easy to understand the agreement in the examples. Number:
The shoes are small. Pizzas taste good.
The shoe is small. A pizza tastes good.
Person:
I am sixteen years old. We were in Simla last year.
In carefully studying the above given examples, you may have realized that the verb follows the subject. In sentences where the subject follows the verb, we have to be careful that the verb used agrees with the subject. For Example:
2
1. 2. 3. 4.
Some film stars live on this street. The film star lives on this street. Are the children playing in the park? There were lots of flowers in the garden. The basic principles which govern the subject- verb concord are as follows:
1. The verb changes based on the person of the Personal Pronoun (i.e. it changes if the pronoun is in the first, second or the third person). Thus we say FIRST PERSON
SECOND PERSON
THIRD PERSON
I speak
You speak
He/She speaks
Note: All the three subjects are in the singular: - I, You and He/She. Therefore, the verb is also in the singular. 2. If the subject is in the plural –We, You and They, then the verb is also in the plural. FIRST PERSON
SECOND PERSON
THIRD PERSON
We speak
You speak
They speak
Hence we see that the Verb must agree with the subject in Number and Person.
Self-Check Questions Applying the fundamental rule of subject verb agreement, fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the correct verb form. The basic verb is given in brackets. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
She____ dinner at home. (eat) I ____ in Agra. (live) The houses in this row ____ smaller in area. (is) They ____ Americans. (is) We ____ happy with the results. (was) He ____ many books. (has)
3
10.4 For Concord We shall now see the rules that govern the agreement of the verb with the subject. 1. The verb takes the same person as its subject. It agrees with the subject in person and number. In other words, a singular subject requires a singular verb. Similarly a plural subject requires a plural verb. For Example: Talk PERSON
EXAMPLE
(PLURAL)
1st Person
I talk
We talk
2nd Person
You talk
You talk
3rd Person
He talks / She talks
They talk
2. The verb must agree with the main (or primary) subject of the verb. For Example: i. One of my friends has gone to Zambia. ii. Each of the boys was given a fountain pen. (Please Note: Here the word each stands for the words each one which denotes a single number- hence the verb was) i. ii.
Every one of the clerks has applied for casual leave today. Neither of the children was able to go to the party.
The verbs in italics are all in the singular although the nouns before them are all in the plural. That is because the main subjects of these verbs are not the Plural Nouns immediately before them, but the Singular Nouns in italics at the beginning of each sentence. So the verb must agree in Number and person with its real subject and not with any other Noun that may immediately precede it. 3. Two or more singular subjects connected by ‘and’ usually take a plural verb. For Example: i. Ram and Shyam are here. ii. Oil and water do not mix. iii. He and I were at Oxford together. 4. When two singular nouns connected by ‘and’ together express one idea, a singular verb follows them. 4
For Example: i. Bread and butter is what I want with my soup. ii. Slow and steady wins the race. iii. The cup and saucer is on the table. 5. If two singular nouns refer to the same person or thing, the verb must be singular. For Example: i.
My mother, my dearest friend, comes to pick me up from college every day. (one person) ii. The secretary, the assistant to the executive manager, is in the office. (one person) iii. The director’s wife, his greatest supporter, stayed by his side throughout his speech. (one person) 6. If two singular nouns refer to different persons, the verb must be plural. For Example: i. My uncle and aunt have come. (two persons) ii. The secretary and the correspondent are in the office. (two persons) 7. If two singular subjects are connected by ‘and’ are preceded by ‘each’ or ‘every’, they are followed by the singular verb. For Example: i. Each man and each woman has a right to vote. ii. Every student and every teacher has attended the meeting. 8. If two or more singular subjects are connected by ‘or’ ‘nor’ ‘either’ ‘neither’, we need to use a singular verb. For Example: i. Gopal or his friend has to go there. ii. Either Pratap or Govind has the right to the property. iii. Neither Anupa nor Neelima is present. 9. If a singular subject and a plural subject are connected by ‘or’ or ‘nor’, the plural number should be written last and it should be followed by a plural verb. For Example: i. Neither the Chairman nor the Directors were present at the meeting. ii. Either Gopal or his parents are responsible for this.
5
iii. Either the principal or the teachers speak to the press. 10. When the subjects connected by ‘or’ or ‘nor’ are different persons (first, second or third person), the verb should agree with the person nearest to it. This is known as the principle of ‘proximity’. The same principle of verb agreement is applied according to whatever noun or pronoun (singular or plural) immediately precedes the verb. For Example: i. ii. iii. iv.
Neither she nor I have money to spare. Neither Anita nor her parents seem to be happy about her marks. Neither he nor you have remembered my birthday! None except his close relatives are happy. Except his close relatives none is happy.
11. A collective noun takes a singular verb when it is thought of as a whole.When the collective noun indicates the idea of number or individual members of the group a plural verb is used. For Example: i. The committee has chosen its secretary. ii. The audience is enjoying the show. iii. The committee is disappointed with the chairman’s decision. iv. The crew of the boat was taken prisoner by the Coast Guard v. The government has asked the country to decide by vote. vi. The family has gone on a holiday. vii. The police are everywhere. viii. The public are not listening. 12. Some nouns are plural in form but singular in meaning. They should be followed by singular verbs. For Example: i. The news is too good to be true. ii. Politics is not for everyone. The broad rules of Concord have been discussed in this segment and it would be advisable to read extensively to start making its usage come naturally.
6
Self-Check Questions Applying the basic rule of subject verb agreement state whether the verb form in each of the following sentences is correct (C) or incorrect (I). Thereafter, write the sentence correctly. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Neither Sita nor Gita agree with the idea. Neither the boss nor his employees want a grand function. Each of the boys have worked hard. Ram and Shyam are brothers. The committee are finalizing the rules and regulations. Never have politics been clean. My brother and sister has a separate governess. My friend, my greatest supporter, come to my rescue each time.
10.5 Summing Up In this lesson you have learnt • • •
the definition of the concord the many rules for the subject-verb agreement how to apply the rules of concord Be Sure to Remember: The basic principles which govern the subject- verb concord:
1. The verb takes the same person as its subject; agrees with the subject in person and number; singular subject requires a singular verb and a plural subject requires a plural verb 2. The verb must agree with the real subject of the verb 3. Two or more singular subjects connected by ‘and’ usually take a plural verb; 4. When two singular nouns connected by ‘and’ together express one idea, a singular verb follows them 5. If two singular nouns refer to the same person or thing, the verb must be singular 6. If two singular nouns refer to different persons, the verb must be plural 7. If two singular subjects are connected by ‘and’ are preceded by ‘each’ or ‘every’, they are followed by the singular verb 8. If two or more singular subjects are connected by ‘or’ ‘nor’ ‘either’ ‘neither’ they take a singular verb 9. If a singular subject and a plural subject are connected by ‘or’ or ‘nor’, the plural number should be written last and it should be followed by a plural verb
7
10. When the subjects connected by ‘or’ or ‘nor’ are different persons (first, second or third person), the verb should agree with the person nearest to it 11. A collective noun takes a singular verb because it is thought of as a whole 12. Some nouns are plural in form but singular in meaning and hence they should be followed by singular verbs.
10.6 Answers to Self-Check Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
She eats dinner at home. I live in Agra. The houses in this row are smaller in area. They are Americans. We were happy with the results. He has many books. Neither Sita nor Gita agree with the idea. (I) Neither Sita not Gita agrees with the idea. 8. Neither the boss nor his employees want a grand function. (C) 9. Each of the boys have worked hard. (I) Each of the boys has worked hard. 10. Ram and Shyam are brothers. (C) 11. The committee are finalizing the rules and regulations. (I) The committee is finalizing the rules and regulations. 12. Never have politics been clean. (I) Never has politics been clean. 13. My brother and sister has a separate governess. (I) My brother and sister have a separate governess. 14. My friend, my greatest supporter, come to my rescue each time. (I) My friend, my greatest supporter, comes to my rescue each time.
10.7 References 1. Srinivasa Sharma, V.S. Intermediate English Grammar and Composition. Vijayawada: AndhraPradesh Book Distributors, 1996. 2. Gilani, Archana, and Kaul, Mridula. & Suganthan Beena. The Grammar Tree India: Oxford University Press 2004 3. Cholij, Mark, and Geetha Nagaraj. English Basics a companion to grammar and writing. Cambridge: The Press Syndicate of The University of Cambridge, 2004. 4. Wren and Martin. Revised by Prasada Rao,N.D.V. High School English Grammar & Composition. New Delhi: S.Chand & Company Ltd, 2005. 5. Terban, Marvin. Checking your Grammar. New York: Scholastic Inc. 1993.
10.8 Glossary •
8
Collective Noun: a group of nouns that are referred to as one single unit (e.g. sugar- we don’t use the word sugar as a single noun because we can’t count
•
• •
each grain of sugar separately. Hence we say a grain of sugar, a spoon of sugar or a cup of sugar but not a sugar) Concord: refers to a logical relationship or agreement between the parts of a sentence; there is agreement between the subject (gender or number or person) and the verb; if subject is singular, verb must also be so and if subject is plural, verb must be plural; if the subject is in third person, verb must also be in third person; concord also applies to the relation between noun phrases and third person personal pronouns (he, she, it, they) and corresponding possessive pronouns (his, her, its, theirs), which have to agree Plural: denotes more than one in number Singular: denotes one in number (the word singular comes from the root word “single”)
9