Questions tagged [verb-agreement]
Agreement between a verb and its subject for number and person.
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0answers
10 views
subject-verb agreement with elliptical clause [duplicate]
This is the sentence at issue: "More than one location on the Iberian Peninsula has been suggested".
Should this be "has" or "have"? I think maybe "More than one" is elliptical, expanded as "more ...
-2
votes
1answer
57 views
Verb number when subject is percent [duplicate]
I have just seen some answers here to the effect that
Ten percent of the pie is mine
is correct.
This seems rather odd to me. Ten percent is a plural subject, so why
should it have a singular ...
-1
votes
1answer
68 views
“Which type of nuts ARE/IS the heathiest?” [duplicate]
It seems that people overwhelmingly prefer to write
Which type of nuts are the healthiest?
to
Which type of nuts is the healthiest?
However, type is singular, so why isn't is the correct ...
0
votes
1answer
49 views
Two things “that are” or “that is” another thing
In the following sentence:
It was tasteful – not boastful – but sent the clear message about the
industry leader and gold standard that is Acme.
Should that bolded word be "is" or "are"?
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0answers
21 views
Mixing Simple past tense with inferred continuous past in a sentence
Johanan glanced across the table to where Alitha sat, glowering back at him.
Is this (mixing simple past tense with inferred continuous past in a sentence) valid usage? My editor says no and wanted ...
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0answers
26 views
Is make / makes a special case for subject-verb agreement?
As a native speaker, I intuitively feel that these are correct (although I'm willing to be corrected):
He contributed improvements which make it easier to use.
He contributed an improvement which ...
0
votes
1answer
18 views
require or requires? (verb agreement)
Achieving goals like opening a business, buying a home or going on
dream vacation, require a basic method of savings to make it
happen.
My question is is this verb form correct? Or should it be ...
2
votes
1answer
50 views
“doesn't know” vs “don't know” [duplicate]
I saw this sentence in the book 1Q84:
It's not just you that don't know.
However, I am having trouble figuring out why (or whether) this is the correct way to write the sentence, as opposed to:
...
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1answer
49 views
What is the correct Verb form? [closed]
A group of women seek an appointment.
or
A group of women seeks an appointment.
Which is correct?
0
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1answer
83 views
“There exist” vs “there exists” for universal objects in mathematics
When stating the existence of universal objects in mathematics, one often has to write something like:
For every object X there exist an object Y and a map f : Y -> X such that [...] holds.
Here, ...
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0answers
20 views
Usage of subject + would rather
I've found people using "he'd rather we didn't know", "they'd we come fast" etc...can someone explain how this goes?...and is this always subject + would or sometimes subject+ had ?
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0answers
32 views
Who (wear vs wears) clothes [closed]
Which is correct:
Who wears clothes according to their surroundings...
Who wear clothes according to their surroundings...
Which one is correct and why?
Ps- there is some rule that says ...
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0answers
18 views
What grammar rule is this? [duplicate]
I want to know why Wikipedia used "find" instead of "finds". What's the grammar rule behind this sentence?
Hansel and Gretel decide to separate and Revy returns home. Gretel corners Eda, and while ...
2
votes
0answers
24 views
Choose: Six years (seems, seem) too much time to build a house [duplicate]
Choose: Six years (seems, seem) too much time to build a house.
I have this question while solving an exam in English, it appears to be "seems" but the plural noun phrase (six years) leading you to "...
3
votes
2answers
74 views
Noun clause (singular all the time?)
I have asked one grammarian about this and she ended up being unsure of her answer.
Question: is there a possibility that a noun clause is used in a plural manner? For instance:
- Her eyes and nose ...
1
vote
1answer
28 views
Use of singular verb with plural noun for one to one mapping?
I think this sentence is incorrect
The various plots corresponds to different numerical values of parameters.
However, I want to know if there exists a one to one mapping between the parameter value ...
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votes
2answers
56 views
Should the concept of a quantity of objects be considered singular or plural?
My gut says that
"Fifteen options is too many"
is more correct than
"Fifteen options are too many"
but I can't articulate why the subject feels like a singular concept.
Which is correct?
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0answers
58 views
Feel confused about the use of “seem” or “seems” in these two sentences
I saw the first sentence in a book, and I thought it was a mistake. I googled it and realized that many writers had used it on the websites. But then I googled the second sentence and found many ...
1
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0answers
21 views
Police Have…vs Police Has [duplicate]
The State Police Have Busted the thief or The state police has busted the thief?
According to me,
It is Have because police is a group of people. So police is plural noun.
0
votes
2answers
45 views
Confusion in was and were: The diameter length of X,Y,Z was/were 4,5,6 respectively
I am confused with the usage of was vs were in the following sentence:
The length of diameter of three plates X, Y, Z was/were 4, 5, 6 respectively.
I am not sure which one is correct: was or were.
...
1
vote
2answers
55 views
If you're one of the people who grow/grows up speaking Chinese . .
Is it grow or grows?
On one hand, I think it should be grows because it's pertaining to "one," but on the other hand, it might be grow because "people" is closer.
I've seen somewhat similar issues ...
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votes
1answer
25 views
Verbal agreement of “more of + plural noun”
Here Are More Of The Most Amazing Images Of Cars
Is the sentence grammatical?
Shouldn't it concoord is with the uncountable more (of), instead of its current plural are?
According to Microsoft® ...
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3answers
37 views
Is it correct to say: the cat and the mouse are puppets played by Bobby.? [duplicate]
I don't know if this is correct because "are" is present tense and "played" is past tense.
2
votes
1answer
62 views
Are there restrictions to what can serve as a subject to “need?”
Basically, I wonder if there are restrictions on what can serve as a subject to the verb need. The sentence that started this comes from a recent EL&U question:
Successfully doing this needs a ...
1
vote
1answer
48 views
Subject-Verb Agreement and Do as a substitute verb
I don't understand why does is not used instead of do in the sentence highlighted in the photo below.
=>> Audio File 01:09:0
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votes
2answers
654 views
A minimum of two personnel “are” or “is”?
Which is correct?
A minimum of two personnel are required to meet this objective.
or
A minimum of two personnel is required to meet this objective.
1
vote
2answers
236 views
Is “a flock of birds” always followed by a singular verb?
I wondered that "a flock of birds" is always followed by a singular verb and "flocks of birds" is always followed by a plural verb.
Please help me make this confusion crystal clear.
Thanks so much!
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votes
1answer
43 views
What is the verb agreement for “singular subject OR singular subject THAT”?
I have the following sentence, but I'm not sure if the verb should be conjugated as do or does:
... this means moving away from a convoluted collection of Excel spreadsheets or a cumbersome ...
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0answers
8 views
Plural or singular when referencing a company [duplicate]
Which is correct when using as a title:
Who is Microsoft?
or
Who are Microsoft?
0
votes
1answer
37 views
Syntactical ambiguity in introductory phrase reference: reference to main verb vs. object
Motivated by A, we outline our proposal for B.
Does "Motivated" refer to outline or proposal? It seems to me that a reader could infer one of two statements:
A motivated us to create this outline, ...
1
vote
3answers
72 views
Why does “there's” work as a contraction for plural items?
While writing recently, I came across a situation where a character said:
There's a lot of chandeliers in here.
When editing, I realized that I wanted to have the sentence sound more formal, and ...
-1
votes
1answer
130 views
The Royal Family live in mansions, or in a mansion.? [closed]
The question was in an English small test. I'm not a native speaker of English and I would like to improve my English. In this test question, we had to fill in the blanks.
Either:
The Royal family ...
1
vote
1answer
32 views
Is vs Are when subjects are -ing [duplicate]
Original sentence:
Even being paid very well, and enjoying great working conditions, is not enough.
Should not it be this?
Even being paid very well, and enjoying great working conditions, are ...
2
votes
1answer
84 views
Should I use a singular or plural verb in “, which VERB/VERBs”?
I have the following sentence, and I have a question about it. I’m wondering if there’s something so simple that I’m just overlooking it or whether there is some super-sophisticated tenet of grammar ...
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votes
1answer
271 views
After “some”, plural or singular verb?
In these sentences:
"Some (composes/compose) delightful music"
"Some of them (write/writes) wonderful books"
Which form of the verb should I use?
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votes
2answers
57 views
Noun1 + Noun2 take/s a plural verb?
I recently attended a grammar class, where the trainer explained:
A singular noun and a singular noun take a plural verb.
However, I feel it should have been
A singular noun and a singular noun ...
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votes
1answer
338 views
Does she have/has to go to school? [closed]
Should I use "have" or "has" in this question?
Does she have to go to school?
or
Does she has to go to school?
If I should use "have", then what is the rule which makes me not use "has" here?...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
Present tense in reported past
My friend said" Your child is beautiful". Can I report this statement as 'My friend told me that my child is beautiful' or '.... my child was beautiful' for the sake of grammer rule ?
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0answers
55 views
Subject Verb Agreement in a Nominative Clause
Okay, so I have two examples of a possible sentence:
1 - "The country's strategic value requires that it maintain a standing army."
2 - "The country's strategic value requires that it maintains a ...
0
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0answers
36 views
X, along with Y and others, “were” or “was”? [duplicate]
There is an earlier exchange on this, but one that does not include "and others" and that uses only the verb "to be." My question:
What if it were "Joan, along with Jake and others" and the verb were ...
2
votes
2answers
103 views
“Memoirs” in book title - singular or plural verb?
I'm editing an article about the Battle of Agincourt. The author quotes his source as follows:
The Memoires de Pierre de Fenin place the battle "between Maisoncelles and Agincourt".
"Memoires" [...
1
vote
1answer
111 views
Subject-verb agreement with more than one gerund in the subject
I have seen a discussion of double gerunds and subject-verb agreement, but not addressing the following specific situtation:
"Reading and studying history HAS or HAVE been formative...": two gerunds ...
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votes
1answer
266 views
Using *plural* allow(s) me to [duplicate]
I can not figure out what the correct usage of allow/allows is in this case.
Using plural allow(s) me to...
Would "allow(s)" refer back to the plural and thus be "allow"? or does it refer back to ...
1
vote
1answer
3k views
Is “any of them” used with a singular or plural verb? [closed]
I'm posting this question to settle a debate.
Is the sentence, "If there are three of an unparalleled thing, is any of them truly unparalleled?" correct? The sentence throws me off because the first ...
0
votes
2answers
74 views
Is this verb agreement right?
The design of the green and blue tiles on the wall remind people of the sea, while the curved window frames were inspired by ocean waves.
I can’t understand the form of verb remind.
I thought it ...
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votes
1answer
79 views
Verb agreement with a phrase set off by “but”
A coworker is writing a sentence like
Sally, but especially Joe, enjoys questions about grammar and usage.
He thinks it should be
Sally, but especially Joe, enjoy questions about grammar and ...
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votes
1answer
122 views
“More than one person a day is/are killed” [duplicate]
If I wrote a sentence saying "More than one person a day _______ killed by these massacres," would the blank be replaced by is or are?
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votes
1answer
64 views
Is “average age” singular subject or plural?
"The average age at which people died of heart disease are decreasing."
Can I use "is" in place of "are" ?
2
votes
2answers
573 views
Is “what has been discussed are…” a grammatically correct sentence?
When concluding an essay, I wrote "what has been discussed are three major advantages of xxx". But I doubt if "what has been discussed is three major advantages of xxx" is more correct?
1
vote
2answers
5k views
“Neither of us are” -vs- “Neither one of us is” [duplicate]
This cartoon was recently posted on Facebook. My sister (who is a retired HS English teacher) says the grammar is wrong and that the correct wording should be: "Neither one of us is." but I disagree.
...
