English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: CONCORD
The correctness or otherwise of a sentence depends on whether the subject agrees with the verb in a sentence. The following rules should be borne in mind in sentence formation:
- A singular subject (noun or pronoun) takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb. This rule will not be understood if it is not made clear that while a noun often derives its plural form by adding s (boys), a verb is plural when it does not have an s (see), and it is singular when it has an s (sings):
The boy sing. ✖️
The boy sings. ✔️
Men dances well. ✖️
Men dance well. ✔️ - When nouns or pronouns are joined together by correlatives such as “either…or” and “neither…nor,” the verb is controlled by the nearer or nearest noun:
Neither the girls nor the boy were here. ✖️
Neither the girls nor the boy was here. ✔️
Either the girls or their brother are coming with me. ✖️
Either the girls or their brother is coming with me. ✔️
Not only the boy but also his sisters loves music. ✖️
Not only the boy but also his sisters love music. ✔️
GAB
