Questions tagged [agreement]
For questions about how words change depending on other words in a sentence. Also called concord.
99
questions
1
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0answers
54 views
Subject verb agreement question regarding “seem/seems” [duplicate]
Sentence: "Two weeks seems to be the virus's maximum incubation period."
What is the subject of the sentence? I can't figure out if it's the virus or the incubation period. Also, generally, when you ...
1
vote
0answers
32 views
Would it be correct to say “thank you to everyone”?
Would it be correct to say "Thank you to everyone"? It seems like there would be two direct objects to the verb "thank".
0
votes
2answers
50 views
Animateness-neutral “its”
The House of Representatives shall chuse their [modernly, its]
Speaker.
U.S. Const. art. I, § 2
Wouldn't the use of its here be "animateness-neutral", so to speak, as opposed to their?
0
votes
0answers
53 views
Synesis of gender
Synesis is defined in Wiktionary as
A grammatical construction in which a word takes the gender or
number not of the word with which it should regularly agree, but of
some other implied word:
...
0
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0answers
19 views
Usage of as well as [duplicate]
Which one of the following will be correct?
The captain as well as the players are in the ground
The players as well as the captain are in the ground
The players as well as the captain is in the ...
0
votes
1answer
62 views
“Choosing appropriate architectures” - singular or plural agreement?
Choosing appropriate architectures {are} crucial
or
Choosing appropriate architectures {is} crucial
To my knowledge [choosing something] is a single action, it should be followed by [is]. Please ...
0
votes
0answers
39 views
When a sentence starts with “No” and has multiple subjects, which subject does the verb agree with? [duplicate]
Should it be "No juice and coffee are served," or "No juice and coffee is served?"
1
vote
1answer
27 views
Is or Are subject verb agreement
I have a question in subject verb agreement. Which one below is correct
Lazy riding, fast walking and long jumping are just the way of who they are.
Lazy riding, fast walking and long jumping is ...
0
votes
1answer
75 views
Usage of “all” in a sentence [closed]
"All the apples in the basket are good"
vs
"All the apple is good" [meaning the whole apple is good?].
Are both usages correct?
If yes please explain why. From here it seems both the usages ...
1
vote
2answers
54 views
Verb tense agreement - 'Do' vs. 'did'
I want to say something like, 'Would many women, if asked, say they feel unsatisfied with the way they are treated? They would say that they /do/.'
A friend advised me to change 'do' to 'did'. But I'...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
I don't like it too [duplicate]
I know that the sentence "I don't like it, either" is correct.
I've come across some native speakers say, "I don't like it,too." What about this variant?
1
vote
1answer
53 views
There (was/were) once or twice that I failed my maths [closed]
Doing revision and homework (is/are) good for students.
There (was/were) once or twice that I failed my maths.
Which verb in the parentheses is correct?
0
votes
0answers
55 views
What is the question tag for sentences whose subjects are “none…is” and “each…is”? [duplicate]
I know that indefinite pronouns like none and each take singular verbs, but what about their question tags?
None of the boys has passed the test, ________?
Each of the girls was given a prize,...
0
votes
1answer
22 views
What's the correct verb to be used?
would I say: Having a suitable Tone, Pace and Volume is or are integral to ensuring excellent quality over the phone.
1
vote
1answer
63 views
“Log hours against a task”
To give a little bit of context, I work on an software development company and we use a project management tool in which we raise tasks (we call them jiras, actually, but nevermind that) that ...
1
vote
1answer
59 views
Concord with gender-neutral “they” [duplicate]
I was wondering what the general take is on concord with they as a gender-neutral 3rd person singular pronoun. I assume there are no hard and fast rules here yet, seeing that this is a fairly new ...
1
vote
1answer
20 views
Which one is correct? Watching soccer games make/makes me happy
"Watching soccer games" is the subject but the teacher argues that it is the word"watching"
0
votes
1answer
40 views
This data are treated anonymously
I saw this sentence on a web service. But I think this sentence is wrong.
"This data are treated anonymously."
I think it should be either of these.
"This data is treated anonymously."
"These data ...
2
votes
2answers
212 views
Verb agreement with two gerunds as subject
I would like to know which of the following sentences is correct:
Translating and adapting texts for different audiences composes the key of this theory
Translating and adapting texts for different ...
1
vote
2answers
179 views
Is there any such thing as noun pronoun proximity?
I have read of Concord (or noun-verb agreement) and was wondering if, is as I have been told, there is a similar grammar rule for noun-pronoun agreement/proximity.
When there's a sentence where two ...
2
votes
1answer
73 views
Knew, realized + the past/present
Please consider the following:
I knew the building (IS/WAS) thirty feet tall.
They realized I (AM/WAS) his son.
My question: both those clauses contain general truths. So, do I need to use ...
0
votes
2answers
67 views
Why “they”, and not “it”, is used here? [closed]
It seems to me that the author should have used a singular pronoun here:
Bakunin: Universal suffrage by the whole people of
representatives and rulers of the state — this is the last
word of ...
1
vote
0answers
31 views
Can you say “what was —- a reaction to?”
If I mean to ask the main causes of something, so I want to know what something reacted to, can I say “what was the war a reaction to?”? It sounds pretty weird to me... I’d rather say “what did the ...
0
votes
1answer
39 views
1-1 correspondence
This case really bothers me while I am speaking. Here is the situation: I have a group of four students. Each has the textbook named "Gandhi Readers". So, there are four textbooks, yet there is only ...
0
votes
1answer
410 views
most of that or most of them or most of it
I happened to read the following sentence in ‘Poached’ by Stuart Gibbs, which deals with coalas.
They(Coalas) rest sixteen to eighteen hours a day and spend most of that unconscious.
But I wonder ...
0
votes
1answer
67 views
was vs were in “The teachers discussed Jim, one of whose problems was poor study habits”
In the sentence below:
The teachers discussed Jim, one of whose problems was poor study habits.
Why was is used in the adjective clauses?
0
votes
1answer
58 views
Function of fractions in NPs + form of subsequent verb
I have two questions about the clause two thirds of the book deals with WWII:
i) how do we analyse the subject of this clause from a syntactic point of view? I'd analyse it as a NP, with the ...
2
votes
1answer
522 views
Usage singular vs plural for “in their hands” and “on their face”
Considering that Sam and his brother are waiting together for a movie to start, and each of them has a sugar candy in their hand, and each of them smiles… what will be the most grammatically correct ...
1
vote
0answers
89 views
singular noun-verb agreement with superlative adjective
Is the noun-verb following sentence correct?:
"Most metaphysics has been determined by it."
I thought that with the superlative adjective 'most', the subject is made plural; but can it also be ...
1
vote
0answers
15 views
Nouns following the verb “turn”
I am wondering why we use a singilar noun in the following construction:
-The two brothers turned "terrorist".
Is there any explanation for using the singular form?
1
vote
0answers
610 views
“What Seem” vs “What Seems” with plural
I have prayed what seem like the same prayers for so long.
OR
I have prayed what seems like the same prayers for so long.
-2
votes
2answers
281 views
Why do my legs (plural) ache (singular) but my back (singular) aches (plural) [closed]
I couldn't think how to word the title without writing my whole question, I am a native English speaker so while I understand saying "my legs aches" is wrong and sounds weird, I have no idea why. Same ...
1
vote
2answers
172 views
Which to be verb do you use when listing items?
I'm confused about what "to be verb" to use when you create a list of items.
I mean when you talk about 3 or 4 items. What "to be verb" goes after "how much"? I read that "how much" always goes with ...
0
votes
0answers
53 views
a large amount of the population speaks/speak? [duplicate]
Can you say "a large amount of the population" or should it be "a large number of the population?
And if you CAN say "a large amount of the population" is this amount considered singular or plural?
0
votes
0answers
47 views
'Do/Don't' in 3rd person singular [duplicate]
A lot of song lyrics include phrases where "do/don't" is used instead of "does/doesn't" with subjects in 3rd person singular.
We are taught that is incorrect grammar. But, given how widespread that ...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
Spain and United Kingdom's … Response or Responses?
I'm not quite sure which would be right.
(i) A comparative study of Spain and United Kingdom's Response to EU Mechanism
(ii) A comparative study of Spain and United Kingdom's Responses to EU ...
0
votes
2answers
1k views
“one (or many!) thing” vs. “one (or many!) things”
I understand that, without the parentheses, the correct form would be "one or more things". However, if one wants to make "(or many!)" a parenthetical remark, should that affect the agreement of the ...
1
vote
2answers
256 views
One among the few shops that offer or offers [duplicate]
One among the few shops in London that offer or offers designer clothes.
0
votes
1answer
250 views
Which has higher priority, grammar or logic? [closed]
"Sunset on Mars is blue."
Is this statement grammatically correct. Of course there is also the concern if accuracy/logic overrides grammar.
0
votes
1answer
40 views
They are not merely <inconveniences/an inconvenience>, they are <dangers/a danger> to health
This Guardian article titled "William Wordsworth review – inspiration and smoking chimneys" has this passage:
It is 14 years since the publication of Lyrical Ballads. Wordsworth’s
income from ...
-1
votes
1answer
1k views
It is correct to say “All who believe” or All who believes?" [closed]
Is "All" the subject in this sentence or is "who" the subject?
If all is the subject then believe would be the correct verb agreement.
If who is the subject then believes would be the correct verb ...
1
vote
2answers
11k views
Is “Behalves” A Proper Plural of “Behalf”?
The following sentence appears in a syllabus of a decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit (at page 3):
The panel affirmed the district court’s dismissal of Longoria’s
...
0
votes
0answers
89 views
“There IS/ARE an even number of rules” - What is the correct verb and what is the subject? [duplicate]
What is the subject in the following sentence and is the verb agreement correct?
"There is an even number of rules."
2
votes
1answer
4k views
I would agree vs I agree?
I don't know why many people say "I would agree/disagree" when expressing their agreement regarding point of view or statement, while would is intended to express incertitude of action in the future.
...
0
votes
1answer
378 views
Subject-verb agreement with “whether” [duplicate]
Which of the following choices makes this sentence is grammatically correct? or is there a better approach?
It's unclear whether he/him or I/me is/are first in line.
1
vote
0answers
45 views
Noun-adjective agreement [duplicate]
What is correct here?
it could pay your mortgage and car payments
it could pay your mortgage and car payment
The monthly payments are separate and distinct so #1 sounds right, but in #2, mortgage ...
-1
votes
2answers
96 views
Subject-verb agreement : is or are [duplicate]
which one is correct? Could we consider both somehow correct?
Using idioms and expressions is appreciated.
Or
Using idioms and expressions are appreciated.
Thanks a lot.
-1
votes
1answer
335 views
Make/Makes Confusion [closed]
Can anyone help explain to me why the answer to the following question is what it is.
The Navajo language is complex, with a structure and sound that makes it unintelligible to anyone without ...
0
votes
3answers
6k views
Is it “makes” or “make” in this sentence?
Throughout history Milan has been alternately dominated by France,
Spain, and Austria, which makes it a city full of different cultural
influences.
I thought it was 'make' at first, because ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
“are each” + singular/plural noun?
The boxes are each containers of uniquely colored balls. So, to get two balls of the same color, two boxes need to be opened.
or
The boxes are each a container of uniquely colored balls. So, to ...
