Agreement Of The Verb With The Subject(class 10)

Click here to test your knowledge

Rule (1)The Verb agrees with its Subject in number and Person.

Example:

The bird flies -----The birds fly     

He is wise--------They are wise

I am poor --------He is poor

Rule (2)Two are more singular subjects joined by and usually take a verb in the plural.

Raman and Harry work hard 

Pinkey ,Lily and Sheila go to the same school.

Iron and coal are found in India.

There are a cow and an ox in the field.

Rule (3)But if two nouns suggest only one idea ,or refer to the same person or thing ,the verb must be singular.

Slow and study wins the race

Bread and butter is a wholesome food.

The horse and carriage is at the door.

My friend and benefactor has come.

Rule (4)Words joined to a singular subject by with or as well as do not affect the number of the verb.The Verb ,therefore, is in Singular, as

The captain ,with all his men ,was drowned.

The house ,with its furniture, was burnt.

Ashoka as well as Anil ,likes tea.

Raman ,as well as Harry and John,deserves praise

The master as well as his servant is guilty.

Rule(5)When two or more subjects in the singular are joined by or,nor,either...or,neither ...nor, the verb is put in the singular.

Jack or Tom is to blame.

Either Raman or Anil was absent 

Either Lily,Mary or she has passed.

Neither Raman nor Harry was present .

Neither Peter, Harry nor John was present.

Rule (6)If one of the Subjects is in the plural ,the verb must be in the plural. The Plural Subject is placed nearer the verb.

The Farmer or his servants were caught.

Neither Tom  nor his friends have come. 

Either the boy or his parents have done this.

Rule(7)When a Plural Noun comes between a singular subject and its Verb ,the verb is often wrongly made to agree with the nearest plural form.We should guard against such an error and say--

Each one of these houses is (not are) to let.

A combination of colours charms (not charm)the eye.

The quality of the apples was (not were)good.

Rule (8)When the Subjects joined by or or nor are of different persons ,the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it.

Either he or I am to blame.

Either you or he has told a lie.

Neither my friend nor I am guilty .

But such sentences can be put in a better way :as 

Either he is to blame ,or I am

My friend is not guilty ,nor am I.

Rule (9)Either ,neither, each ,every, every one ,many a must be followed by a verb in the singular: as

Either of the two boys has done this.

Neither of them was found guilty.

Each of these boy is intelligent.

Every man ,women and child was happy.

Every one of the answers is wrong.

Many a boy has not done his duty.

Rule (10)A Collective Noun(like commitee,assembly ,congress,jury)may take a singular or a plural verb .If the collection is thought of as a whole ,the verb is singular; if the individuals or members of the group are thought of separately ,the verb is plural.

The commitee has decided this.

The jury has given its verdict.

Note:"The commitee have decided this" means the members of the commitee have decided this."Similarly

The jury were divided in their verdict.

The commitee were divided in their opinions.

Rule(11)Some nouns which are plural in form but singular in meaning take a singular verb.

Mathematics is a difficult Subject.

No news is good news.

Rule(12)When a plural noun is the name of one thing(say ,a book,or a country, it takes a singular verb 

"The Arabian Nights" is an interesting book.

The United States has a big army.

Rule (13)When the subject of the verb is Relative Pronoun,the verb must be made to agree in number and person with the Antecedent of the Relative.

I ,who am your friend ,will help you with money .

You,who are my friend,should not blame me.

He who is my friend, should stand by me.

She is one of the bravest that ever lived.