- A verb must agree with its subject in number
and in person.
- Use a singular verb with certain pronouns:
''each,'' "everyone,'' "neither,'' "not one,''
"no one.''
- "Here'' and "there,'' though often
in the subject position, are not subjects.
- A prepositional phrase following the subject
does not affect the number of the subject.
- Certain words not ending in "s'' are
plurals: "phenomena,'' "media,'' "criteria,''
"data.''
- Certain words ending in "s'' are actually
singular. Most of them end in "-ics'': "politics,''
"semantics,'' "athletics,'' "ethics.''
- Names of diseases ending in "s'' are
generally considered singular: "mumps,'' "measles,''
"rabies.''
- A numbered amount, like "fifty miles,''
is considered singular if the writer has only the one amount
in mind, not the individual parts of the amount.
- Collective nouns are generally taken as singular
these days, though they may be taken as plural if the writer
is thinking of the individual actions of the members of the group.
- The verb "to be'' agrees with the noun
or pronoun in the subject position.
- The pronouns "which,'' "who,''
and "that'' can be singular or plural depending on what
they refer to.
- Compound subjects joined by "and'' are
plural.
- Verbs agreeing with compound subjects joined
by "or,'' "either . . . or,'' or "neither . .
. nor'' agree with the part of the subject nearer the verb.
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==>Guidelines ==>Conventions
==>Grammar