CONCORD
(SYNTAX OR SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT)

In a sentence, the verb must agree with the subject. In other words we can say that the verb used is according to person and number. This is called subject – verb agreement.

• 1.He comes. (If the subject is singular the verb must also be singular).

• 2.They come. (If the subject is plural the verb must be plural).

• When two subjects are joined by ‘and, the verb is plural.

For example,

• My friend and his father are in India.

• You and I are working 

• Are not your sister and brother ill?

• Wealth and happiness are all Mohan wants.

• Table and chair were both very costly8.

• Rice and wheat, purchased a week before, were both rotten. 

• When singular subjects represent one collective idea, a singular verb is used. They are called ‘parcel subjects’.

For example,

• Rice and curry is his favourite dish.

• Truth and honesty is the best policy.

• Slow and steady wins the race.

• Bread and butter is our daily need.

• This is the long and the short of the matter.

When two singular nouns joined by ‘and’ refer to the same person or thing the verb is singular.

For example, 

• The secretary and treasurer has been arrested.
• The District Magistrate and Collector is on leave today.

Article ‘the’ is used only once when the two nouns refer to the same person or thing.

• If the two nouns refer to different persons or things, article ‘the’ is used before each noun. In such cases, the verb will be in the plural from. For example,

• The secretary and the president have been given warm welcome. 

• The vice-President of India and the Chancellor of this university have agree to this proposal.

When two subjects are joined by ‘as well as’ the verb agrees in number and person with first one, for example, 

• He as well as I is fond of fish.

• My comrades as well as I are visiting Delhi.

• You as well as he are innocent,

When one of the subjects joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’, , ‘either…or’, ‘neither …nor’ is plural, the verb must be plural, and the plural subject should be placed closed to the verb.

For example,

• Either the farmer or his sons reap harvest.
• Neither Satish nor his sisters are honest.
• He or his friends have stolen my watch. 

When the subjects joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’ ‘either…or’, ‘neither …nor’ are of different persons the verb agrees with the nearer subject.

For example,

• Either he or you are guilty.

• Neither you nor I am to blame.

• Neither you nor he is willing to come.

• Neither he nor they are honest.

When the subjects joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘either…or’, ‘neither…nor’ are plural, the verb must be plural.

• For example, 

• Neither men nor women like this film.

• Either teachers or parents are to blame.

A relative pronoun as subject takes a singular verb when the antecedent is singular but it takes a plural verb when the antecedent is plural. For example,

• I have read the book that is on the table.

• I have not read the books that are on the shelf.

• God helps those who help themselves.

• He is one of those who do what they say.

• She is one of the women who have sacrificed everything for their children.

Certain nouns, though singular in form, are used as plural and they usually take plural verb. For example, Cattle, Clergy, Gentry, People, Police, Poultry, Public, Swine, Vermin
For example,

• The cattle are grazing in the field.

• The landed gentry were once all in all.

• The public were moved by this spectacle.

• The clergy were unanimous in their opinion.

• The vermin are harmful.

Note: ‘People’ is used both in singular and plural when it means ‘a nation’.

For example,

• The American are a simple and brave people.

• Many different peoples live in Asia.

• The following nouns are used only in the singular form and the verb that follows them is also singular. For example,

• Abuse, advice, alphabet, bread, brick, clothing, folk, furniture, gossip, hair, information, issue, luggage, offspring, poetry, scenery, thunder, etc.

• The scenery of Darjeeling is very beautiful. (Correct)

• The sceneries of Darjeeling are very beautiful. (Incorrect)

• Their information is based on facts. (Correct)

• Their informations are based on facts. (Incorrect)

• All my furniture has been burnt. (Correct)

• All my furnitures have been burnt. (Incorrect) 

If the subject is joined by ‘as well as’, ‘with’, ‘alongwith’, ‘together with’, ‘and not’, ‘in addition to’, ‘but’, ‘besides’, ‘except’, ‘rather than’, ‘accompanied by’, ‘like’, ‘unlike’, ‘no less than’, ‘nothing but’, the verb will agree with the first subject.

•  (1) Ram as well as his parents is coming.

• (2) The Captain along with the sailors was drowned.

• (3) My father unlike my uncles is very strict.

Certain nouns are plural in form but singular in meaning. Hence they take singular verb.

• (a) Names of diseases: Measles, Mumps, Rickets, Shingles, etc.

• (b) Names of games: Billiards, Darts, Draughts, etc.

• (c) Names of countries: The United States, The West Indies, etc.

• (d) Names of books: The Arabian Nights, Three Muskeeters, etc.

• (e) Names of subjects: Physics, Economics, Civics, Statistics, Politics, Linguistics.

• .(1) Mathematics is an interesting subject.

• (2) Politics is not my cup of tea.